Teuchi, Ayame, Ichiraku Ramen

At Training Ground 98, two figures clashed at high speed.

Kunai collided.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Shuriken and kunai sealed off Hiruzen Sarutobi's path.

Tobitake Tonbo rapidly formed hand seals with both hands.

Mind Reading Jutsu: Depression.

Hiruzen Sarutobi merely glanced at him, and instantly felt as though all zest for life had vanished.

He no longer had any desire to block the kunai and shuriken.

I'm already this old. What's the point of living any longer? I might as well just die here.

The thought flashed through his mind in an instant.

"Holy crap, am I going to kill the Third Hokage?"

Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi had no intention of counterattacking and was just standing there dazed after being hit, Tobitake Tonbo felt that things had gone badly.

If he really killed the Third, he would be finished too.

He did not have the ability to run wild across the Shinobi World yet. He only wanted to coast through life, work a little every day, and survive.

Bang!

The kunai and shuriken struck Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"A Shadow Clone?"

Watching the Third disappear, Tobitake Tonbo breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, he secretly rejoiced. It seemed his theory had been right—this kind of Genjutsu was indeed highly effective against shinobi.

Maybe fish could not comprehend that sort of depressive emotion, so they had only been briefly confused by the jutsu.

His idea had not been wrong.

But where had the Third gone?

He turned his head from side to side, trying to locate the Third's figure.

He pushed his senses to the limit as well.

"Ha, why even be the Third Hokage? Wouldn't it be better to raise my son properly,

then have him give me a grandson, choose a Fourth, and enjoy my retirement?

I don't want to move. I really don't want to move.

I'm already this old. I might as well just lie here. No one would dare say anything about it anyway.

Maybe I should just retire..."

Behind a large tree, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat with his back against the trunk, gazing at white clouds stretching across the azure sky.

He kept muttering to himself.

Suddenly.

He formed hand seals. "Release."

The gloom in his eyes abruptly gave way to clarity.

"What a terrifying jutsu. It uses Genjutsu to transmit negative information to the enemy.

After accepting that information, even if you're a Shadow Clone, even if you've already dispelled the Genjutsu,

the effects still linger!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi still felt lingering fear.

That depressive state of mind had nearly been too much even for a battle-hardened veteran like him.

"Not bad, not bad. Your jutsu is quite good.

But this jutsu is a little too powerful. You must not use it on your comrades, understand?"

After calming his emotions, Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped out and spoke to Tobitake Tonbo.

"Ah... is it really that powerful?"

Tobitake Tonbo asked.

To him, it had seemed merely decent.

The two jutsu in the Mind Reading Jutsu series were both visual and tactile Genjutsu.

They mainly caused enemies to fall victim through sight and touch.

In his view, their momentary impact during battle made them tactical jutsu capable of breaking a stalemate.

Their power was decent, but not as exaggerated as the old Third had made it sound.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to say more when a figure wearing an animal mask appeared.

"Lord Hokage, Orochimaru has sent urgent intelligence from the front lines."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded to him, then looked at Tobitake Tonbo. "I have work to do first. Keep it up."

Whoosh, whoosh!

Watching the two figures leave, Tobitake Tonbo was in a very good mood.

It seemed there were still many aspects of his jutsu he had yet to uncover. As expected, human experimentation was necessary.

Still, judging by the Third's tone, the technique really did seem quite fierce.

"It should be related to the symptoms of depression."

His mind was quick, and his day job exposed him to plenty of shinobi experience.

So he had guessed part of the reason.

Depression truly was terrifying. Once he continued developing this technique and turned mental depression into physiological depression, that would be incredible.

According to the memories of a medical ninja, depression was divided into mental depression and physiological depression.

Mental depression could be changed through willpower, but physiological depression meant the body affected the mind. Unless the body was treated, a strong mind was useless.

"Then let's continue. I'll spend the remaining time practicing Taijutsu.

In prolonged battles, you still have to rely on Taijutsu.

I've read the original story too. Before the Fourth Shinobi World War, Taijutsu was the most important means available to shinobi."

Participating in the war had also let him experience the benefits of Taijutsu.

Those two confirmations made him understand Taijutsu's importance.

Developing Genjutsu allowed him to fight high-level opponents, while developing Taijutsu let him efficiently deal with enemies with limited chakra.

"Speak. What intelligence is so urgent?"

When Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to the Hokage Office, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were already waiting for him.

Mitokado Homura said, "According to intelligence sent by Orochimaru, Third Raikage A covered Kumogakure's forces during the battle against Iwagakure and died of exhaustion."

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze before saying, "It seems the war will not be far from its end."

"Transmit my order. Have Minato's Team reinforce Orochimaru's side. We must suppress the battle against Kumogakure

within a short period of time."

"Yes."

The ANBU responded, then vanished from the office.

The Raikage's death had far-reaching implications, and every arrangement would need to change accordingly.

Only after Hiruzen Sarutobi finished discussing matters with the two elders did he speak to the darkness.

"Bring me Tobitake Tonbo's file."

He remembered every ninja who had graduated from the Ninja Academy, so naturally he knew Tobitake Tonbo.

Besides, he had only recently promoted the boy to Chunin.

Very quickly, an ANBU ninja returned carrying the file.

"A sensory-type ninja and a member of the Analysis Division.

He possesses exceptional talent in the Mind Reading Technique.

In combat, his Taijutsu and Genjutsu are also fairly outstanding.

His father was once part of the Analysis Division as well...

His dream is world peace and inheriting Konoha's Will of Fire."

What a promising seedling. And a child who inherited the Will of Fire, too. Looking over the information, he was extremely satisfied.

First and Second Hokage, I have carried on the Will of Fire for you.

Walking along Konoha's bustling streets, Tobitake Tonbo carefully took in everything around him.

He held a popsicle in his hand, slowly slurping at it.

At the same time, he thought about his encounter with the Third. The Third Hokage personally guiding him surely had a purpose.

But he did not care. He just wanted to quietly work, find a gentle, virtuous, beautiful, and wealthy wife.

Have two sons and two daughters, then watch them grow up. That was his dream.

Still, he needed to raise his life-saving skills. If it had not been the Third this time, but an aggressive ninja instead, he might have died before he could react.

It also showed the strength of a Hokage-level fighter. The man could walk right up beside him without being detected, and he was supposed to be a sensory ninja.

It seemed his sensory ninjutsu still needed improvement.

"Huh? Ichiraku Ramen?"

Suddenly, he spotted an extremely familiar storefront.

He took out his purse and counted the money. He had too much, so he might as well go in and eat something.

He also wanted to experience the food the protagonist group all loved.

He was a worker. He would always be a worker. Working was for earning money and eating good food.

That goal could not change.

It absolutely could not be saving the Shinobi World.

"Welcome."

The moment he stepped through the entrance, a middle-aged man's voice called out.

Following the voice, he saw an uncle about the same age as his father standing before him.

Teuchi was clearly not very old yet, though his eyes still seemed unable to see.

At the moment, he was making ramen for other customers.

Beside him stood a beautiful young girl about Tobitake Tonbo's age.

So this is Ayame. She's quite pretty. Tobitake Tonbo's eyes lit up.

"Hello, what would you like? I recommend the seafood ramen.

It's one of our new items!" Ayame asked him with a smile.