Will of Fire

But the man who had impersonated the Kazekage and sparked a war between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire was Orochimaru—his own disciple, Sarutobi Hiruzen's!

That was his mistake!

He had always been too forgiving toward others, and it had led to consequences that could never be undone.

Even when it came down to a fight to the death, he had still found it hard to bring himself to hurt Orochimaru!

Lin Mu still clearly remembered the old man standing in a classroom at the Ninja Academy, ruffling the children's hair and cheerfully sharing his hopes for them:

"You are all the future of Konoha. The Will of Fire will be passed down through you!"

But now the old man lay weakly on the ground. He was about to die!

"Grandpa Third..."

Naruto Uzumaki, standing behind Lin Mu, was already sobbing uncontrollably.

The Third Hokage had been one of the people who treated him best!

But now he was about to lose another family member.

More and more people gradually gathered around Lin Mu. They ranged from young to old, and all stood silently.

They had come to bid farewell to the Hokage they respected most, the elder they revered most!

"Hahaha..."

The Third Hokage, already on the brink of death, suddenly let a glint return to his eyes and gave a laugh.

His face gradually grew rosy as well.

But no one around him looked happy. Their expressions only grew grimmer, because they all knew this was the final flicker of life before death!

"Why does everyone look like that? Are you sad for me?"

The Third Hokage's voice was low and hoarse. His gaze slowly shifted toward the many young people standing behind the jonin.

"My only regret... is that I won't get to see these young people... grow up... and continue protecting Konoha... or see Konoha shine with unmatched brilliance!"

"After serving as Hokage for so many years... I can finally set down this burden!"

As he spoke, the Third Hokage's voice grew fainter and fainter, and his gaze gradually lost focus.

At last, the light went out of his eyes completely.

The Third Hokage... had fallen in battle.

"Lord Third!"

"Sarutobi..."

"Grandpa Third!"

Those around him could no longer hold back their grief. They all burst into tears.

"Waaah... Grandpa... Grandpa, what's wrong with you?!"

Konohamaru had just returned from the shelter and reached the rooftop. He shoved through the crowd and rushed to the Third Hokage's body.

"Grandpa, open your eyes and look at me! I haven't challenged you yet! I haven't become Hokage yet!"

The boy, only six or seven years old, was inconsolable.

He had watched his beloved grandfather die right before his eyes!

Lin Mu raised a hand and felt the raindrops drifting onto his face. They were bitterly cold!

"Is even the heavens weeping for the Third Hokage, and for the lives lost in this war?"

Lin Mu had never felt so heavyhearted. His gaze slowly fell on the old man's body before him, already growing cold.

A phrase the old man had often repeated suddenly came to mind.

"Wherever leaves dance, the fire will burn."

This was... the Will of Fire!

Lin Mu suddenly began to understand what the Will of Fire meant.

The Third Hokage had upheld the Will of Fire all his life, devoting his entire life to Konoha.

Now he was dead, but the shadow of the fire still illuminated the village, allowing new leaves to sprout.

A month passed quickly after the Hokage's funeral.

The dead could not be brought back, but the living still had to carry on.

Those who had survived the brutal war still grieved for the family and friends they had lost, but hope had begun to kindle again, and they started new lives.

The Hidden Leaf Village was slowly rebuilt from the ruins, gradually returning to its former state.

The selection of the Fifth Hokage was also put on the agenda.

Konohagakure in the Land of Fire was the largest village in the Ninja World. Without a Hokage to lead it, it was as if the village had lost its guiding light.

That was a serious disadvantage in the turbulent times they lived in.

There were roughly three groups among the Konoha shinobi who could take part in the Hokage selection: the Third Hokage's direct subordinates, the supporters of Danzo, leader of Root, and the many neutral parties.

At the Hokage selection meeting, Danzo's supporters strongly put him forward as the Fifth Hokage.

But the moment the proposal was raised, a chorus of opposition drowned it out.

Even the other elderly advisers in the Hidden Leaf Village took the opposing side, rejecting Danzo's appointment as Fifth Hokage.

The reason was simple enough.

Ordinary Konoha villagers might not know about the organization called Root, but it was no secret to the village's elite.

During this brutal war, Root had possessed great power, yet had done nothing noteworthy.

You made no contribution, and now you wanted to be Hokage? Did Danzo take them for fools?

So the proposal to make Danzo Hokage was rejected outright at the very start of the meeting.

Danzo was powerful in Konoha, but even he couldn't sway the meeting's decision.

All he could do was remain hidden in Konoha's shadows and continue leading Root.

Even after several meetings, they still couldn't agree on a suitable candidate.

Then someone remembered Jiraiya, who had returned to the village to help during the war.

Jiraiya was one of Sarutobi Hiruzen's direct disciples, one of the Konoha Sannin, and a man of great strength and prestige.

If he was willing to take on the role of Fifth Hokage, he would be an excellent choice.

Unfortunately, Jiraiya had no interest in the position. He was determined to travel the world, gather material, and continue writing his Icha Icha Paradise series!

However, Jiraiya did offer his own suggestion: he proposed bringing back Tsunade, another of the Sannin, to take over as Fifth Hokage.

The others immediately agreed with the proposal.

Tsunade was the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and one of the Konoha Sannin. She also possessed powerful Medical Ninjutsu and had more than enough prestige.

If she was willing to return to the village and serve as Fifth Hokage, there would naturally be no problem.

The Hokage selection was a matter for the Konoha High Command. It had nothing to do with a low-ranking Chunin like Lin Mu.

After attending the funeral of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, he devoted himself to training.

Over the past month, he had carefully studied the system.

When he had first obtained the system, he could see the missions it issued, but unfortunately, he had been too weak at the time. Even if he saw them, they would have been of no use.

Now he had obtained the Wood Style Body and learned several offensive and defensive ninjutsu, greatly increasing his combat strength.

He could try completing the missions issued by the system.

For example, hunting beasts or gathering medicinal herbs—missions that weren't especially dangerous.

He had also gradually figured out how the system issued missions and awarded rewards.