Chapter 2: Ranking the Top 20 Powerhouses in the Ninja World
[Ding!]
[The Ninja World Ranking System has officially arrived!]
[This system knows your past... and your future!]
[We will now begin ranking the Top 20 Peak Powerhouses of the Ninja World!]
[Those who make the list will receive rewards!]
[The system will also present various questions. Correct answers will bring unexpected rewards. Wrong answers will result in punishment!]
[Now connecting the consciousness of all intelligent beings in the Ninja World to the Sky Screen!]
[You may speak within the screen. The number of messages you can send is related to your strength and chakra level!]
[Ding!]
[Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, Hyuga Hinata, Jiraiya, Senju Tsunade — entered the Sky Screen!]
[Ding!]
[Fourth Raikage... Third Tsuchikage... Orochimaru... Gaara... Killer Bee... Mei Terumi... Kabuto Yakushi — entered the Sky Screen!]
[Ding!]
[Uzumaki Nagato, Konan, Uchiha Obito, Deidara, Hidan, Kisame Hoshigaki, Uchiha Itachi, Kakuzu, Zetsu — entered the Sky Screen!]
[Ding!]
[Detected: Pure Land. Retrieving souls from the afterlife!]
[Confirmed!]
[Uchiha Madara, Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Fugaku, Fourth Kazekage, Second Tsuchikage, Third Raikage, Hyuga Hiashi, Might Duy, Sakumo Hatake, Uchiha Izuna, Rin Nohara, Haku, Zabuza Momochi — entered the Sky Screen!]
[Ding!]
[Detected souls inside the Reaper. Forcefully retrieving Minato Namikaze, Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi — entered the Sky Screen!]
[Hmm? Two more... outsiders?]
[Detected foreign entities: Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Boruto! If you can talk, get in here!]
---
Conversations begin:
Uchiha Madara: Interesting.
Hashirama Senju: Madara? Is it really you? My dear old friend! I've missed you so much, my closest companion!
Tobirama Senju: Brother, maintain your dignity.
Uchiha Izuna: Hmph. That white-haired fox again.
Tobirama: Hmph. Defeated loser.
Young Uchiha Sasuke: Itachi! I swear I will kill you!
Uchiha Itachi: Foolish little brother… with what?
Uchiha Itachi: With your one-tomoe Sharingan?
Adult Sasuke: Brother… are you alright?
Naruto: Huh? Why are there two Sasukes? What's going on?
Kushina: Naruto? Are… are you doing okay?
Naruto: I'm doing great! Thank you, Ma'am.
Naruto: Wait—do you… know me?
Kushina: Ma'am?? You called me Ma'am? Don't you know who I am?
Naruto: You know me? Can you tell me who my mom and dad are?
Kushina: What?? The Third Hokage never told you?
Kushina: I'm your mother! Your father is the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze!
Naruto: Dad… Mom?
Naruto: My father… is the Fourth Hokage??
Naruto: Then why… why does the village call me a monster? Why does everyone hate me? Avoid me? Leave me all alone?
Kushina: That old man Sarutobi owes me an explanation!
Kushina: Why? Why is Naruto, the child of a hero, treated like this?
---
Sarutobi Hiruzen:
After the Nine-Tails attack, the village had lost much of its strength.
You had just sacrificed yourself.
If the world knew Naruto was the Fourth's son, he'd be targeted for assassination.
As for how the Nine-Tails secret got out… I honestly don't know.
---
Naruto turns to Jiraiya:
Naruto: Pervy Sage… are they really my parents?
Jiraiya: (sighs) Yes, Naruto. The Fourth Hokage is your father.
I was his teacher.
Kakashi was his student too.
Naruto (shouting): So all of you knew…
Naruto: Why didn't you tell me?!
Jiraiya: Just like the Third said… it was to protect you.
Minato had too many enemies. If word got out, every enemy village would come after you.
Naruto (quietly): Is that really true?
Jiraiya: Yes.
---
On the Sky Screen, Kushina begins flooding the chat:
Naruto: Mom, Dad… I'm doing well.
Naruto: I'm a ninja now!
Naruto: The Third Hokage treated me well. He'd even treat me to ramen at Ichiraku.
Naruto: I have good teachers like Kakashi, Pervy Sage, and Iruka-sensei.
Naruto: And I've made so many good friends!
Kushina: Really? That makes me happy, Naruto.
Minato: Thank you, Lord Third, for watching over Naruto. And thank you, Jiraiya-sensei, Iruka, Kakashi—you've all grown up so well.
---
Boruto (stunned):
So that's how Dad grew up?
Sasuke (looking at Naruto and Jiraiya, then at the sky):
What he went through…
You'll understand soon.
---
[Ding!]
Now announcing the 20th-ranked powerhouse of the ninja world!
Rock Lee: Our Third Hokage is the strongest ever! He must be #1!
Fourth Raikage: ?
Third Tsuchikage: Hiruzen Sarutobi was just another self-glorified fraud.
Orochimaru: Sensei, you really were too soft.
Madara Uchiha: Strongest Hokage? That guy? Don't make me laugh. The only real Hokage is Hashirama!
Hashirama Senju: Wow… even Madara acknowledges that!
Tobirama Senju: Monkey (Sarutobi), care to explain what "strongest Hokage" means?
Danzo Shimura: Sensei, you've gone senile. Under your leadership, Konoha weakened terribly. It's a shadow of its former self now.
Hiruzen: After you died, teacher, Konoha lost its strongest fighters. Then came the Second and Third Ninja Wars… I did what I had to for stability.
Tobirama: Who is the Hokage now?
Tsunade: It's me, Second Grandpa.
Hashirama: Oh? Tsunade? Is Konoha still okay?
Tsunade: What's that supposed to mean, Grandpa →_→
---
Narrator/Commentary:
He was a declining ninja hero, a master of all five elements, and gave his life to Konoha.
His best friend, Danzo, constantly coveted the Hokage seat.
All of his students were… unusual.
And in the end, he was killed by one of them—Orochimaru.
The Third Hokage lived a life full of controversy and contradiction.
[Ninja World Power Ranking #20: Hiruzen Sarutobi!]