Meanwhile, the war in Konoha came to a brutal end.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, died in battle! Many Konoha ninja were killed or wounded, and even the outskirts suffered considerable damage.
Orochimaru's group fled Konoha in disgrace. Hiruzen Sarutobi had risked his life to use the Reaper Death Seal, taking the souls of Orochimaru's arms. Coupled with Konoha's full-force counterattack, the Sound-Sand Allied Forces retreated.
Konoha did not wipe out the Sand Ninja, which was also the unanimous decision of the higher-ups.
The Hokage's death cast a pall over all of Konoha.
On the day of mourning, dark clouds and rain blanketed Konoha. Every ninja from Konoha wore black as they saw the Third off in the rain.
The unceasing downpour seemed to be mourning him as well. Under such circumstances, the Third's body was laid to rest, while craftsmen simultaneously began carving his stone likeness onto Hokage Rock.
Work also began to repair Konoha's destroyed homes and streets.
No matter what, the great man was gone. Those who survived still had to move forward.
Thus, with the position of Hokage vacant, Konoha's higher-ups once again sank into a mire of power struggles. But those matters had little to do with everyone else.
After the memorial service ended, Tianming went straight back to the Aokawa Clan residence.
The moment he entered, he smelled an enticing aroma wafting from the kitchen.
"Tianming, you're back?" Karin Uzumaki, whose sensory abilities were powerful, appeared at the door and smiled. "Get ready to eat."
From the time Aokawa Tianming had been preparing for the third round of the exams, through Orochimaru's plan to destroy Konoha and the days spent pursuing Gaara, Karin Uzumaki had been diligently practicing her cooking at home.
After following Tianming, she had realized that, since she was not