064 Naruto Mobile Game

[Wherever leaves dance, fire will burn; the shadow of the fire will illuminate the village, and Konoha will once again take root and sprout...]

On this day, the village of Konoha fell into mourning.

It should have been the Ninja Mobile Game update day, a day to welcome all the new content, yet not a single person could feel happy.

Chapter Four of the story: The Burning of Konoha.

Sunagakure joined with the Hidden Sound and launched an attack on Konoha during the Chūnin Exams.

For Konoha, this was a war unseen for many years, though it ended quickly.

However, no one had time to think about any of that. They only understood that the unquenchable will had shaken their hearts deeply.

The Third Hokage had sacrificed himself!

Everything came so suddenly. When Orochimaru appeared in the previous story chapter, some people already felt that this guy was going to cause trouble.

But no one expected that Orochimaru would openly challenge the Third to a duel of life and death.

"N-No way, Grandpa Third....."

Naruto was still sitting on his bed at home, his expression blank, holding his phone motionlessly like a statue.

The first thing he did after waking up in the morning wasn't dressing or washing up, but opening the Ninja Mobile Game.

But unexpectedly, his mind was instantly shaken to numbness.

How to say it... it wasn't the kind of grief that makes you cry your heart out—he couldn't cry, but he definitely couldn't laugh.

He only felt strange—strange about the story that had hit him completely off guard, a stifled heaviness sitting in his chest.

When Naruto walked outside, the villagers who usually cast hateful looks at him were gone.

No, the looks were gone—the villagers were still there.

They only stood in small clusters of twos and threes, not speaking. It seemed they had no words for one another.

Konoha fell into silence because of this.

When Naruto walked past, people seemed to freeze for a moment, but only turned around and went back home.

They didn't speak or even look at him again.

He didn't understand, and when the four members of Team Seven gathered, he asked the question in his heart.

"Probably... it's because you saved the village, Naruto." Sakura said, her mood low.

Naruto was silent. He glanced at Sasuke, and Sasuke happened to look back.

Neither spoke, neither argued. They only looked for a moment before turning their gazes away.

In the story, they fought Gaara one after another. In the end, Naruto summoned Gamabunta using a Summoning Beast and defeated Gaara.

From that angle, Naruto indeed saved the village.

"But Grandpa Third still died. Why? Why did he have to die?" Naruto couldn't help asking.

"You... seriously didn't watch carefully?" Kakashi tapped Naruto's head. "Because where the leaves dance, fire continues to burn."

The Will of Fire...

Naruto lowered his head; his expression was unclear.

Sasuke leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets. Thinking of how he failed in the story while Naruto defeated Gaara, his expression grew slightly complicated.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto stayed silent for a long time, then suddenly raised his head. "Teach me ninjutsu—I want to get stronger!"

Kakashi looked at Naruto's burning gaze and extremely serious expression. He chuckled lightly.

"Come to think of it, ever since you graduated, our Team Seven hasn't actually had a proper training session!"

"Power... just playing Ninja Mobile Game isn't enough. Just living like this every day isn't enough. I want power—the kind that can change things!" Naruto clenched his fists.

"Don't forget—you should've already taught me your Chidori." Sasuke walked forward.

"And me!" Sakura also stepped up.

Looking at the three of them, Kakashi's smile widened.

"Ahh~ how should I put it... hmm... suddenly I feel fired up?"

Team Seven officially began training.

On this day, many players on the Fire Country's Konoha server were offline. Perhaps everyone felt a sense of urgency.

After learning about the situation in the village, the Third felt helpless yet faintly pleased.

He himself accepted all this the fastest. After all, on the night he took the Hokage title from the Second, he had already prepared himself to sacrifice for the village.

Using his death to inspire everyone in the village—seen from that angle, it wasn't a loss.

"Grandpa! Take this!!"

The door burst open. It was Konohamaru, whom he hadn't seen in a while. The boy rushed at the Third with a kunai in hand.

Seeing Konohamaru's sharp movements, the Third felt gratified. You already... won't trip over yourself anymore.

Pa!

Konohamaru only felt a blur before his eyes. The kunai disappeared from his hand. When he looked up, it was already in the Third's hand.

"You lost again, Konohamaru." the Third said with a smile.

"Grandpa," Konohamaru snapped out of it and immediately snarled, "Next time, the time after that... no matter how many times, I'll definitely make you pass the Hokage position to me! I won't accept any other Hokage!"

So... this kid is telling me not to die, huh...

The Third handed the kunai back to Konohamaru and said seriously,

"I never planned to hand you the Hokage title personally, Konohamaru!"

"Grandpa..." Konohamaru froze.

"Why would I need to pass it to you?" The Third's face changed, becoming full of affection. "Aren't you supposed to take the title from me yourself?"

"R-Right! Yes! Sit properly in the Hokage office and wait! Just you wait!"

Konohamaru ran off after saying that. As he turned, the Third saw tears welling in his eyes.

The Third sighed and opened his phone.

Two story chapters were updated today. Only after finishing Chapter Five—the Sannin Battle—did he understand why Konohamaru said that.

Tsunade became Hokage...

"I don't want to be Hokage! Only idiots would!"

Tsunade slapped the table repeatedly. Her eternally youthful, beautiful face full of anger.

Jiraiya comforted her from the side: "Don't mind it so much, Tsunade. The old man is still alive, isn't he?"

"That damn old man! How could he die like that? He dies, and what—there's no one else in the village to be Hokage?!"

"The younger generation isn't ready. Probably only Danzo, right?"

"Hah? Isn't there you?"

"What're you saying, Tsunade? The story already proved it—you're more suitable."

"Alright, Jiraiya!" Tsunade grabbed Jiraiya by the collar with one hand, raging. "You're still trying to persuade me to take the Hokage position!"

She was about to punch him, but thankfully Shizune pulled her back.

With no choice, Tsunade sat down again.

She no longer drank her sake, only sat there sulking. No one knew exactly what she was angry about anymore.

The two updated chapters today revealed many things.

For example, Orochimaru used Edo Tensei to resurrect loved ones in order to tempt Tsunade into healing the pair of hands sealed by the Third with the Reaper Death Seal.

This matched the explanation Orochimaru gave Tsunade a few days ago, though the process was different.

And the great battle in Chapter Five—after so many years, the legendary Sannin title had finally been re-established.

There was too much information. She needed time to process it.

"Naruto... have you already taught Uzumaki Naruto the Rasengan?" Tsunade looked at Jiraiya.

"What are you talking about? I haven't even met Naruto yet." Jiraiya shrugged.

Tsunade nodded, falling into thought.