"I suddenly don't feel like going back to Konoha. It's that feeling—'the heart quivers when nearing home.' I admit it… Right now, I'm really scared."
Normally, Haseo came and went from Konoha without giving it much thought, but his return this time felt different.
Different enough that he didn't even want to go back at all. So Haseo just suddenly stopped walking.
"Lord Haseo, don't fool around. We're almost there," Kohei Sarutobi said anxiously, wanting to get this person back to the village as soon as possible.
Earlier, Haseo had confessed his fear of the Third Raikage—but now, did it even matter where the Raikage went?
When someone could stop being fearful, it was best not to let them panic unnecessarily—otherwise, someone would surely end up in trouble.
Undeniably, although Haseo had various flaws, he did have one redeeming quality—he wore his emotions on his sleeve. He never pretended or held back.
At this moment, having returned victorious from battle, he should have carried himself with that 'I'm the king of the world' vibe. Yet Haseo didn't act that way at all. He remained utterly ordinary.
Well, maybe that's just because he couldn't pull off a big ego if he tried... Theoretically speaking, this man definitely couldn't pull off a cool and aloof demeanor.
The direct reason Haseo didn't want to return to Konoha immediately was that, in his current state, he wouldn't be able to enter the village quietly.
Besides Kohei Sarutobi, Haseo was currently accompanied by about forty to fifty "seriously wounded" Leaf ninjas. In other words, Haseo was bringing a squad that had just come off the battlefield back to Konoha.
These ninja were casualties from the Northern Front. The fact that they could still walk back with Haseo actually showed most still had some mobility—they weren't "seriously wounded" in the sense of being critically ill or dying.
This kind of "serious injury" meant the end of their careers as ninjas… For most ninja, losing an arm, a leg, or even one eye meant their fighting days were over.
Haseo's team was exactly this kind of group. Out of about fifty people, only he and Kohei Sarutobi had returned without losing any limbs.
The Northern Front had already been handed over to Sakumo Hatake. Now it was up to the Legend of the White Fang to prove himself. Although the recent battles had all been intense, in terms of timing and phase, this war had only just begun—it would continue for some time yet.
Konoha, Kumo, and Iwagakure—three powers entangled together. The good news was that this Great Ninja War's center point had finally shifted away from the Land of Rain.
Bringing these injured ninja back to the village from the Front Line was clearly an arrangement made by the village. There was actually a hint of showmanship behind this move.
From the bottom of his heart, Haseo disliked this practice. People who bled for the village shouldn't be turned into a PR stunt. But in the end, Haseo had no choice but to go along with it—because from now on, he was becoming more and more a man bound by forces beyond his control.
So he still had to return—and even return according to protocol.
As Haseo made his way toward Konoha's main gate, he could see the gathered crowd from afar… No doubt about it—they were putting on a spectacle.
"Adjust our formation. Single file line. Kohei, you take the front. I'll bring up the rear, and everyone else lines up in between," Haseo instructed accordingly.
This group returning from the Front Line could, in a symbolic sense, be divided into three categories. Placing himself at the back was actually Haseo's way of staying low… He didn't feel he possessed any glory worth boasting about.
Kohei Sarutobi led the way because he represented the previous generation.
And when this young man stepped first through Konoha's gates, applause and cheers immediately broke out.
Kohei's face remained tight with tension. Obviously, being placed at the forefront made him quite nervous despite the grand occasion.
As for the rest of the ninjas within the procession, they only displayed excitement on their faces… All the pain and sacrifices they'd suffered at the Front Line finally felt worth it now.
"If there is any meaning behind a ninja's killing and sacrifice, then 'protecting the village'—that had to be the highest justification of all."
Thus, these people allowed themselves to be swayed by such cheap emotional tactics.
When Haseo passed through Konoha's main gate last, the cheers reached a deafening climax, making everything seem overly dramatic.
At times like this, all Haseo needed to do was smile and wave to the crowd.
Before Haseo had walked more than a few steps forward, several Anbu Ninja teams arrived beside him. While certainly not there as an honor guard, their presence itself conveyed certain special implications.
Today, even the shadow-walking Anbu received enthusiastic welcomes.
Crowds lined both sides of the road, extending all the way from the village entrance toward the Hokage Office Building. The returning battle-worn unit advanced toward that structure amid endless waves of welcome shouts.
Soon other ninjas were dismissed—some heading home while others proceeded directly toward Konoha Hospital.
Yet the crowds outside did not immediately disperse either; instead, it looked like a celebration had begun.
Haseo arrived at an office on the second floor of the building. With outsiders gone, he reached up and rubbed his face slightly… Even keeping a smile up took effort—and after just a few steps, his cheeks were already aching.
"Was this welcoming crowd specially arranged?" He asked.
Uzumaki Shikou was present inside the office as well.
"No, people gathered here celebrating the victory at the Northern Front. The village announced Lord Haseo would return today, and most came spontaneously after hearing that news," Uzumaki Shikou replied, well aware Haseo disliked unnecessary formalities like this.
Spontaneously?
Actually, Haseo found it hard to believe. Did they really have nothing better to do? However, since Uzumaki Shikou had already given her answer, he couldn't push any further.
In reality, this time Haseo had misjudged just how drastically his reputation had soared within Konoha recently.
The latest battle reports had reached Konoha, and under vivid descriptions and deliberate spreading by certain individuals, Haseo had already become a hero of the village.
Visiting a hero was like going to the panda exhibit — it always drew a huge crowd.
"In any case, try to avoid such events in the future. It's exhausting — even more draining than fighting on the battlefield. I'm already an old man. There's no reason for me to endure this kind of suffering… If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave first.
If anything comes up, we can talk about it later. Today, I really need a good rest."
Shikou had a lot to report to Haseo, but Haseo had decided to slip away. At this moment, Shikou couldn't stop him at all, but fortunately, someone blocked the door.
It was Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane who arrived just in time.
Their expressions were rather grim — the situation within the village and the pressure from the front line had kept them working at an intense pace until now, so it was no wonder their expressions were terrible.
Upon seeing Haseo, Homura Mitokado immediately got straight to the point, explaining Konoha's top priority at present:
"Haseo, since the outbreak of the Third Great Ninja World War, Konoha has experienced many changes across multiple battlefronts. The greatest loss among these has been the sacrifice of Lord Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Kumo's assault once brought Konoha's Northern Front to the brink of collapse.
However, fortunately you stepped forward in time to reverse the tide — not only recovering Konoha from its decline but also seizing back the initiative in the war.
Now, stability has once again taken hold both inside and outside the village. Therefore, selecting a successor for the Third is not particularly urgent.
But this is still a time of war, and Konoha's ninja desperately need a leader — a pillar of support. Thus, the sooner the next Hokage is confirmed, the better it will be for the village.
So, with full support from Konoha's ninja, we've decided — the Fourth…
Ahem… We would like to appoint you as the Fourth Hokage."
At this moment, how should one describe Homura's expression, which had announced this news in such an extremely formal manner?
Human beings are truly despicable creatures — when starving, they'd willingly eat dog shit without hesitation.
And they wouldn't even care if that shit was poisoned.
PS:
Thank you to Cz. for your generous Ether donation; receiving dual alliance status truly honors me.
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