Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 607 Pinball

The next day, as the first rays of dawn pierced the sea and bathed the deck in golden light, Hiruzen Sarutobi stretched and sat up from his deck chair.

A good night's sleep.

There were no mountains of official documents, no arguments between Danzo and Sakumo about whether to build roads or raise pigs, and certainly no bitter face from Nara Shikazuki, whose budget had been exceeded.

"Good morning, Hokage-sama."

Uchiha Shisui appeared behind him like a ghost, holding a steaming cup of barley tea and a clean towel.

"Um."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took it, wiped his face with a contented expression, and felt every pore on his body open up.

He looked at Hozuki Shio, who was already jumping around on the deck in the distance, trying to talk to the seagulls, and then at Hozuki Kaigetsu, who had been studying the planning map all night and had dark circles under his eyes. A smile appeared on his lips.

"Come on, Shisui, come with me for a ride on the boat."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up and dusted off his clothes.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

The sound of still water came from under the mask, calm and undisturbed.

Seeing this, Hozuki Kaigetsu immediately stood up, instinctively wanting to follow.

"Come on in too, Haiyue."

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced back at him, then pointed to his sister, who was almost asleep on the nail clipper, and said, "Take your sister with you, don't let her fall into the sea to feed the fish."

Hozuki Kaigetsu's lips twitched, but he resigned himself to his fate and walked over, lifting Hozuki Shio off the deck.

"Um...brother...I want to eat grilled fish again..."

The girl mumbled in a daze.

"What are you eating? If you keep eating, you'll turn into a fish!"

Haiyue said irritably, dragging her younger sister, who was still muttering in her sleep, after them.

This massive steel warship, built using Konoha's most advanced technology and ninjutsu, has an interior space far larger than one might imagine.

Unlike the narrow and dark cabins of traditional ships, the passageways here are spacious and bright. At intervals on the walls are lamps driven by special spells that emit a soft white light, illuminating the entire cabin as bright as day.

This was created by the Second Hokage and his disciple Orochimaru, and it has now become a standard feature in high-end residences and important facilities in Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, with his hands behind his back, strolled leisurely through the cabin like an old cadre on an inspection tour.

His palms would occasionally brush against the cold steel walls, feeling their solid and smooth texture.

It must be said that once the village's infrastructure-building prowess is ignited, the energy it unleashes is astonishing.

The ship's internal structure, from the splicing of steel plates to the arrangement of rivets, exudes an almost obsessive industrial aesthetic, clearly characteristic of Konoha.

They traveled upwards from the lower decks, passing warehouses storing supplies, dormitories where ninjas took turns resting, and even a small medical room. Tsunade's medical system now covered every corner of Konoha.

When they reached the middle floor, Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped at a doorway with a sign that read "Recreation Room".

He pushed open the door, and the scene inside stunned the Hozuki siblings.

The room wasn't large, but it contained several things they had never seen before. There were game boards that looked like shogi and go boards, but mostly strangely shaped mechanical artifacts.

One of the most striking features was a huge, tilted metal platform covered with various springs, baffles, and shimmering rings, with two strange paddles underneath.

"What...is this?"

Hozuki Shio's curiosity was instantly piqued, and she broke free from her brother's hand and moved closer.

"The new training equipment developed by Class Zero was mainly installed on the ship by Nara Naokaze."

Uchiha Shisui explained from the side, "It is said that this was designed by Lord Tobirama to train ninjas to have precise control, and it is called a pinball game."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eye twitched almost imperceptibly.

Pinball? Isn't this just the pinball machine from my past life?! Tobirama, you not only invented forbidden techniques, but you also do these things?

"How do I play? How do I play?"

Hozuki Shio couldn't wait any longer.

Zhi Shui stepped forward and gave a brief demonstration.

He placed a small steel ball into the track, then placed his hands on the two sensor plates below and input a tiny amount of chakra.

The two paddles snapped open instantly, precisely deflecting the rolling steel ball back.

The steel balls collided and bounced on the table, making a series of crisp sounds. When they hit the rings, they would light up with different colors.

"By inputting chakra of different intensities and frequencies into the sensor plate, we can control the force and angle of the paddle. The goal is to make the steel ball stay on the table for as long as possible and hit as many targets as possible."

The explanation of "止水" is concise and to the point.

This thing... is kind of interesting.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's modern soul began to stir.

"I'll give it a try!"

He stepped forward with great interest.

Hozuki and his sister, along with Shisui, stepped aside and watched respectfully.

The Third Hokage took a deep breath, assumed an extremely professional posture, and placed his hands firmly on the sensor panel.

Steel ball launch.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed, and he instantly unleashed his chakra.

"Snapped!"

With a flick of the pick, the steel ball flew out at a tricky angle.

"good!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi mentally gave himself a thumbs up. Back in the day, he was a top player in the arcade.

However, the next second, after hitting the two baffles, the steel ball seemed to lose its dream and rolled straight down into the gap between the two paddles.

"Huh?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly activated his chakra again, attempting to salvage the situation.

Unfortunately, it's too late.

With a clang, the steel ball fell into the recycling port below.

game over.

Score: 250.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Hozuki Kaigetsu was suppressing a laugh, his shoulders twitching.

Hozuki Shio then burst out laughing without any hesitation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."

How could a dignified ninja professor, proficient in the Five Elements Escape Techniques and with chakra manipulation skills already at their peak, not even be able to play a pinball game properly?

"I'm getting old, cough cough, Shisui, you come here."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped aside without changing his expression, maintaining the dignity of the Hokage.

"Yes."

Zhi Shui stepped forward, still maintaining his calm and composed demeanor.

Steel ball launch.

Shisui's hands seemed to transform into phantoms, his fingers on the sensor panel vibrating at an extremely subtle high frequency.

The two paddles on the table seemed to come alive, each swing perfectly timed. No matter how strange the angle from which the steel ball fell, they would catch it in an unbelievable way and then strike it back with even more ferocity.

The steel ball transformed into a silver lightning bolt on the table, frantically striking every scoring point. The entire machine emitted a rousing symphony, and the dazzling, multicolored lighting effects were mesmerizing.

Three minutes later, the score was finalized.

99999+.

It's off the charts.

Shisui withdrew his hand and bowed slightly to Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Hokage-sama, I've made a fool of myself."

Hozuki Shio's mouth formed an "O" shape, and her eyes were filled with admiration as she looked at Shisui.

Haiyue's expression was solemn. From the dazzling maneuver just now, he had witnessed the Uchiha clan's terrifying dynamic vision and reaction speed.

Only Hiruzen Sarutobi was internally churning his fist on the table.

This is blatant cheating! Using the Sharingan to play pinball is like a game of pure magic!

"cough."

He cleared his throat and commented in a profound tone, "Not bad, Shisui, your chakra control has improved again."

After saying that, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked out of the lounge with his hands behind his back, leaving behind a mysterious and unpredictable figure.