bioinnovel Chapter 152 Unfazed Before the Collapse
Chapter 152 Unfazed Before the Collapse
Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored Shikaku Nara's shocked and confused gaze.
He slowly stood up from the chair and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside the window, the leaves are vibrant with life.
People come and go on the wide and flat Hokage Avenue.
Laughter and cheerful voices could be heard coming from the shops lining both sides of the street.
The children chased and played in twos and threes, their faces beaming with carefree smiles.
In the distance, towards the direction of the Nanhe River, the outline of a magnificent dam can be vaguely seen, with figures moving about on the construction site, full of vigorous and upward vitality.
Even from this distance, one can feel the joy of harvest from that ecological farm shrouded in a huge barrier.
All of this was created by his own hands, bit by bit, after he came into this world.
It was also something he had to protect with his life.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were deep, as if they could see through time and space, seeing the ghost fleet quietly gathering on that distant sea, and the burning fighting spirit being ignited in the village of Kumogakure, built on top of thunderclouds.
He murmured to himself, his voice so soft it was as if it were just a sigh in the wind.
"They've finally arrived..."
"The time is exactly the same."
This abrupt and incoherent statement left Nara Shikaku behind him even more bewildered.
It's finally here?
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not give him any more time to think.
He turned around, and the gentle and leisurely air that belonged to an elder had vanished without a trace.
What followed was a calm and majesty that could not be described in words.
It wasn't an aura deliberately displayed, but rather a kind of composure born from having weathered countless storms and held life and death in one's hands.
It is a kind of composure that treats the whole world as a chessboard and all the strong as chess pieces.
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around.
He didn't look out the window anymore, but slowly walked to the other side of the office, to the clothes rack specifically for hanging clothes.
There, hanging quietly, was a white imperial robe.
The robe was very long, and at the hem, it was embroidered with a circle of burning flames in red silk thread.
Hiruzen Sarutobi reached out and took off the divine robe that represented the Hokage's identity and responsibilities.
He stretched out his arms and calmly put on the robe.
Every movement is full of ritual.
It was as if he was wearing more than just a piece of clothing.
Rather, it's the weight of the entire leaf.
It represents the trust and expectations of countless villagers.
Furthermore, as the Hokage, he possesses an unquestionable sense of responsibility and will.
When he finally picked up the straw hat and put it on his head, the shadow of the brim covered most of his face, revealing only his well-defined chin.
The atmosphere in the office has completely changed.
If it was Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting here just now...
He is a kind and gentle elder who would kindly offer takoyaki to his juniors and enjoy the tea brewed by his wife.
So now, standing here.
He is the Third Hokage of Konohagakure.
He is the ninja professor who single-handedly defeated the Third Raikage and won the Second Shinobi World War with his unpredictable wisdom.
Nara Shikaku unconsciously stood up from the sofa, even forgetting the trouble he hated most.
He stared at the figure before him, his heart pounding uncontrollably.
He finally understood.
It's not that the Hokage didn't care, nor that he didn't understand.
Rather, everything was under his control.
That intelligence was a storm that could unleash a massive upheaval for others.
But to him, it was nothing more than a stage prompt that would inevitably ring out on time in a script that had already been written.
An indescribable sense of awe and reverence surged forth from the depths of Nara Shikaku's heart like a gushing spring.
Having donned his straw hat, Hiruzen Sarutobi moved.
He walked slowly to the wall of the office, in front of the huge map of the ninja world.
His finger slowly traced across the map, finally landing on the island in the eastern part of the Land of Fire, surrounded by a deep blue ocean.
The Land of Whirlpools.
...
The underground base of the roots.
This is the deepest darkness in Konoha, a place that doesn't exist on any map and will never be mentioned in any archives.
The air was filled with the damp smell of earth, mixed with the odor of some kind of disinfectant.
The enormous stone hall was carved entirely from a natural cave, rough and primitive. There was a torch every ten meters on the walls, its dim light trying to dispel the darkness, but only casting more and more menacing shadows.
The atmosphere was as oppressive as solidified iron.
It is even heavier than iron.
Dozens of ninjas wearing plain white masks stood in a perfectly still posture on both sides of the hall.
They came from all corners of Konoha.
There are the Uchiha, who come from a distinguished family; the loyal Sarutobi; the pragmatic Shimura; and many more ordinary elites discovered in the Ninja Academy.
But at this moment, their origins, names, and past have all been swallowed up by that pale mask.
They have only one identity—roots.
It was the Hokage who personally buried the roots in the dark soil to protect the great tree of Konoha.
On the high platform, Shimura Danzo and Uchiha Kagami stood side by side, looking down at the silent army below.
Danzo's face was as cold and hard as the rocks beneath his feet, his gaze sweeping over every indistinguishable face below.
He could feel the power that he had forged with his own hands.
This force is silent, efficient, and absolutely obedient.
However, Danzo felt no pride, only a heavy sense of impending doom.
He knew that this knife had been sharpened for so long.
Finally, the time for bloodshed has come.
This is the true meaning of his existence, Shimura Danzo.
It's not just about enjoying the glory under the sun, but about clearing away all obstacles for that glory in the darkness.
Uchiha Kagami's gaze, however, was much more complex.
His gaze passed over the rows of white masks, finally settling on a figure at the very front of the crowd who was also wearing a mask.
Uchiha Tokumitsu.
There are many more young faces who, together with the Hokage, have been freed from the prejudices and constraints of their families.
Jing felt a mix of emotions.
He was proud of these people.
They stand here to protect the entire village.
To protect the light, someone must be willing to stand in the darkness.
These young people embarked on this most difficult and little-known path.