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

Chapter 262 First Encounter: A Leaping Flame and a Quiet Vortex

"teacher,"

She turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi and asked, "Can I come with you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped and looked at his beloved disciple.

Tsunade's request was exactly what he expected.

The bond of blood is one of the most wondrous things in the world.

He nodded and said gently, "Of course. They are your family too, go and meet them."

"Um!"

Tsunade nodded emphatically, breaking the composure befitting a healer, and replacing it with a heartfelt joy.

Led by the Ninth Generation of the Uzumaki Clan, the three boarded the largest Uzumaki Clan flagship next to them.

When the Third Hokage appeared on the deck in his iconic divine robes, the previously noisy deck instantly fell silent.

All the Whirlpool Clan members, young and old, stopped what they were doing and turned to look at them.

In those eyes, there was the relief of surviving a disaster, the respect for the strong, and even more so, the anxiety and unease about one's own future.

Their lives and their futures were all tied to this young yet dignified man before them.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't speak, but simply swept his gentle gaze over each person, silently comforting them.

His search did not linger on the elite ninjas or the respectful elders, but quickly focused on the other side of the deck, along the ship's side.

There, a leaping flame and a quiet shadow.

A little girl with two red ponytails was standing on tiptoe, clinging to the high gunwale of the ship, excitedly pointing at the view of the sea and sky merging into one outside, while chattering incessantly to her companions behind her.

Her hair, a pure and dazzling red, danced in the sea breeze, full of vitality.

Behind her, an even smaller figure was almost completely obscured by her.

It was a little boy with red hair, who was tightly clutching the girl's clothes, while holding a somewhat worn-out toad doll in his other hand.

Unlike the girl, he didn't jump around; instead, he quietly peeked out from beside her, his quiet and clear eyes curiously observing this unfamiliar and vast world.

——Kushina Uzumaki.

—Nagato Uzumaki.

Hiruzen Sarutobi silently uttered those two names in his heart.

The wheels of history have turned onto a completely different track here.

Just then, the fiery red little girl seemed to have noticed them, especially Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was leading the group.

While everyone in the clan was too nervous to move, she loosened her grip on the gunwale, turned around, and ran straight toward the Hokage without flinching.

"Kushina!" Kyudai's heart jumped into his throat.

The surrounding Uzumaki clan members held their breath, fearing that this audacious child might offend the Hokage.

However, Kushina completely ignored the tension of the clan leader and elders.

She ran up to Hiruzen Sarutobi, stopped, and then looked up at him with her bright purple eyes, scrutinizing him. Finally, in a clear and loud voice, she asked a question that instantly petrified everyone present.

"Hey! You're that Hokage guy who sank a ship with one blow? That's amazing!"

The air freezes.

Uzumaki Kyudai felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and almost fainted on the spot.

He's not an old man... Lord Hokage is still very young!

Just as the Ninth Generation was about to rush up and cover Kushina's mouth.

"Pfft..."

An uncontrollable laugh came from the side.

It's Tsunade.

She looked at the fearless red-haired girl in front of her and adored her to the core. Her fiery temper was exactly like her own when she was young!

Hiruzen Sarutobi was thoroughly amused by this innocent remark.

The sternness on his face melted away instantly, replaced by a pure, heartfelt smile.

Ignoring the sweating Uzumaki Kyudai beside him, he slowly squatted down to make himself look at Kushina at eye level.

"Hmm... the process is a little more complicated than you described, but the result is about the same."

He reached out and gently ruffled Kushina's fluffy red hair. "Yes, that person is me."

Kushina seemed surprised that this legendary figure would be so easy to talk to. She paused for a moment, then chuckled, revealing her pearly white teeth.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze passed over Kushina and landed on the little boy behind her who was nervously clutching the hem of her clothes.

Nagato.

When Kushina rushed over, he also moved with small steps, but always stayed behind her, only showing his eyes, quietly observing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could clearly sense the chakra within him that was completely different from Kushina's.

If Kushina's chakra was a blazing, unrestrained flame, then Nagato's chakra was a bottomless, tranquil ocean.

Vast, serene, and containing unimaginable potential.

Upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze, Nagato instinctively shrank further behind Kushina, clutching the toad plushie in his arms even tighter.

At that moment, Tsunade also squatted down with a smile.

She looked at the two children in front of her with an unprecedented tenderness on her face.

"it's beautiful……"

She reached out and gently touched Kushina's red ponytail, then looked at the small tuft of red hair that Nagato had peeked out. "The hair of the Uzumaki clan is the most beautiful color in the world."

The movements were very light, with the delicate touch and deep respect for life characteristic of a medical ninja.

Kushina had a good impression of this beautiful older sister and let her touch her hair without any shyness.

Tsunade's actions seemed to have eased Nagato's tension somewhat.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze finally settled on the slightly faded doll in Nagato's arms, whose stitches were cracked.

Jiraiya...

That foolish disciple should still be in the Land of Rain, with Yahiko and Konan.

A slight smile appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips as he spoke slowly in the gentlest of voices.

"It seems you really like toads."

Nagato's body trembled slightly. He raised his head, stole a glance at Hiruzen Sarutobi over Kushina's shoulder, and then quickly lowered his head again.

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued to smile, his words carrying a strange magic, like a pebble thrown into a still lake.

"Perhaps in Konoha someday... you'll see a real, talking toad."

The toad doll in her arms was gripped even tighter.

The little boy who had been keeping his head down and hiding in the shadows suddenly raised his head.

This time, he did not dodge.

Those pure and serene black eyes met the smiling eyes of the Third Hokage for the first time.

Nagato suddenly raised his head.

For the first time, an unbelievable light shone in his quiet eyes.

"Really?!"

This time, it was Kushina who spoke up, her voice filled with excitement, "A talking toad? Can it talk like a person? How big is it?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile deepened as he looked at the two children's distinct yet equally bright reactions.

He slowly stood up, leaving them with a silhouette full of imagination and a single sentence.

"Yes, some are as big as houses."