Third Hokage

The journey back to Konoha was free of any enemies.

Soon, Lin Mu, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and the others returned to Konoha.

At this moment, Konoha was no longer the thriving, prosperous place it had once been.

Large swathes of the village had been reduced to ruins; corpses littered the ground, and blood stained every corner of the landscape!

Countless medical ninjas darted through the debris, searching for any lives that could still be saved.

Some ordinary villagers wandered through these areas, their eyes vacant and dull.

In the midst of this fierce war, their families, friends, mentors, and students might all have met with misfortune.

But this was war.

It was only natural for a war between two nations to result in such a tragic scene.

The moment Lin Mu and his companions stepped into Konoha, their bodies trembled.

Naruto Uzumaki, who had been chattering incessantly throughout the journey, fell silent.

Even though many of these people had once mocked him or looked at him with cold disdain, they were still living, breathing human beings with families and loved ones of their own.

Yet now, they were all dead!

Sasuke Uchiha, who was already cold by nature, became even more withdrawn; the sea of corpses before him reminded him of that night years ago.

That night, the bodies strewn across the ground had all been his own kin!

Shikamaru Nara furrowed his brows tightly. He had always wanted to live an ordinary life, but the war would not grant him that peace.

"Wuu wuu wuu..."

Listening to the constant weeping echoing through the village, Sakura Haruno could no longer hold back her tears, covering her mouth as she began to sob softly.

They were, after all, only children around ten years old; the war was truly too cruel for them.

Lin Mu no longer felt the joy of their recent victory. Even though he was not a native of the Naruto World, the lives lost before his eyes were real, living beings!

However, as a transmigrator, his mental maturity was greater than that of Naruto Uzumaki and the others.

After a moment of silence, he was the first to break the deathly stillness.

"Let's go find our teachers and get an update on the village's situation!"

Though their hearts were heavy with grief, the others nodded.

The dead were gone, but the living had to carry on.

Lin Mu led them along the streets of Konoha toward the Ninja Academy.

Konoha had largely driven out the invaders and regained a semblance of calm.

They should be able to find their teachers at the school, right?

No one spoke along the way; only the faint, lingering sounds of crying reached them. Gradually, Lin Mu felt a chill creep over him...

War... it was too terrifying!

Soon, the group arrived at the Ninja Academy. The children who usually filled the halls with laughter had long since been evacuated, leaving behind only a cold, desolate silence.

"Naruto?"

A voice called out, and Naruto Uzumaki looked up toward the direction of the school building.

A ninja with his hair tied back and a horizontal scar across his face emerged.

Umino Iruka!

But the sunny, cheerful smile that usually graced Iruka's face was nowhere to be found.

"Iruka-sensei, why are you here? Where are Kakashi and the others?"

Naruto Uzumaki felt a slight lift in his spirits upon seeing Iruka.

He was one of the people he trusted most in the world.

Iruka did not answer his question, instead walking past them toward the school gate before speaking in a hoarse voice, the second thing he had said since they met.

"Follow me!"

He then headed in a certain direction without looking back.

Naruto Uzumaki and the others were puzzled, but they followed Iruka closely.

After walking for a few moments, Lin Mu began to understand.

This was the path toward the Chunin Exams arena.

Going to that arena now...

The battle between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, must have already ended, right?

He quickened his pace, keeping close to Iruka's heels.

Soon, Umino Iruka led Lin Mu, Naruto Uzumaki, and the others near the Chunin Exams arena.

At this moment, the entire arena was covered in corpses and bloodstains.

Having witnessed the scenes along the way, the group had become somewhat numb, and their expressions did not change much at this moment.

Swish, swish, swish!

Umino Iruka leaped directly onto the roof, and Lin Mu and the others quickly followed.

Tap, tap, tap...

As they landed on the roof, they were shocked by the scene before them.

The rooftop was now crisscrossed with tree branches, a scene of utter devastation.

This was the secret Wood Release technique of Senju Hashirama—Deep Forest Emergence!

However, Lin Mu was in no mood to marvel at the immense power of Senju Hashirama's Wood Release.

His gaze rested on the center of the roof, where dozens of elite jonin were gathered.

Lin Mu stepped forward a few paces, finally catching a clear view of the space in the middle of the jonin.

A figure lay on the ground there.

This was... Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen!

He lay on the ground, weak and powerless, his chest barely rising and falling, his eyes struggling even to remain open.

Seeing the Third Hokage in this state, Lin Mu felt a complex mix of emotions.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of Konoha Ninja Village in the Land of Fire, was the direct disciple of the First Hokage and Second Hokage, and the mentor who had cultivated the world-renowned "Sannin."

Capable of freely using all seven chakra natures and proficient in every jutsu within Konoha, he held the title of "The Professor."

To be honest, it was difficult for Lin Mu to clearly define his feelings toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.

When he had first transmigrated here, he had held no fondness for Sarutobi Hiruzen.

As a transmigrator, he knew very well that while Naruto Uzumaki was the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, he was even more importantly the son of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.

He was the descendant of a Konoha hero!

The Fourth Hokage and his wife had died to save Konoha Ninja Village, and Naruto Uzumaki was their final legacy.

Yet, this identity as the hero's descendant had been hidden away by the Third Hokage.

Everyone knew him as the jinchuriki of the demon fox, but no one knew he was the son of the Hokage.

This had caused Naruto Uzumaki to suffer endless cold stares and bullying!

Lin Mu had naturally felt indignant for Naruto Uzumaki and was filled with prejudice against the Third Hokage.

However, after living here for some time, his perspective had gradually shifted.

The Hokage was the supreme leader of Konoha Ninja Village, yet Sarutobi Hiruzen possessed none of the arrogance of a ruler.

He was kind, magnanimous, and possessed a compassionate heart.

He often visited the Ninja Academy, treating children from prestigious clans and war orphans alike with the gentle warmth of an elder.

He was like a grandfather to these children.

He genuinely hoped that these children would grow up and take on the burden of developing Konoha.

It could be said that he was a Hokage worthy of the name, an elder worthy of respect!

Everything he had done in his life was for the sake of Konoha.

He had not failed the trust placed in him by the First Hokage and Second Hokage.

Even in death, he had fallen while fighting for Konoha.

He was truly worthy of everyone's respect!