"Cough... cough cough!"
A violent cough, accompanied by a strange smell, instantly filled Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth and nose.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes snapped open. He was gasping for breath, his heart pounding wildly.
Around him was a battlefield that had just quieted down.
Broken trees were still smoldering, the ground was pockmarked with craters, and littered with the wreckage of kunai and shuriken.
In front of him, a man was crouching, his short white hair stained with dust, his blue armor covered with shallow scratches.
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
His palm was pressed firmly against the ground, his eyes closed, as if sensing something.
Around them, several figures formed a tight defensive circle.
A resolute-faced and grim-eyed Shimura Danzo.
The gentle-tempered Uchiha Kagami, in whose eyes a three-tomoe Sharingan slowly spun.
And the serious-looking Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, along with the burly Akimichi Torifu.
Fatigue and vigilance were written on everyone's faces.
This is...
Memories flooded in like a tide, crashing into his brain.
The Cloud's Gold and Silver Brothers unit.
The pursuit.
The rear guard.
He had transmigrated, becoming the future Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
And now, this was the critical moment of the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's death.
A great sense of panic seized his heart.
The body's instincts mixed with the original owner's residual will, causing him to blurt out almost uncontrollably.
"Sensei, let me be the rear guard!"
Beside him, Shimura Danzo's tightly clenched fist imperceptibly loosened for a moment, the unwillingness in his eyes flashing past, then covered by more complex emotions.
Senju Tobirama slowly opened his eyes.
That pair of red eyes, at this moment, lacked their usual sternness, instead revealing a sense of gratification and resolve.
"There are at least twenty enemies left. They are the Cloud's elite, and the Gold and Silver Brothers are with them."
His voice was calm, as if stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.
"Hiruzen, you have already done very well."
"Konoha..."
"It is not the Konoha way for the younger generation to die first."
Senju Tobirama interrupted him, slowly standing up.
His posture was still upright, like an unshakeable mountain.
Everyone's hearts sank.
They all understood what this sentence meant.
"From this moment on..."
Senju Tobirama's gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you are the Third Hokage!"
Boom!
This sentence was like a clap of thunder, exploding in Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind.
Hokage?
Me?
Now?
An immense sense of responsibility instantly enveloped him.
Senju Tobirama looked deeply at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Survive."
"Protect the village, protect the Will of Fire."
"Go!"
The last word carried an unquestionable command.
Uchiha Kagami was the first to react. He reached out, grabbed Sarutobi Hiruzen's arm, and forcefully dragged him back.
"Go, Hiruzen!"
"Hurry!"
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura also moved immediately, guarding his flanks.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stumbled, retreating passively.
His gaze was fixed on that blue back.
Senju Tobirama did not look back again.
That back, which had once given them endless security, now seemed incredibly tragic and lonely.
He would face twenty elite Cloud ninjas and the Gold and Silver Brothers alone, to buy them a chance of survival.
The immense grief and the bewilderment of becoming Hokage intertwined, leaving Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind a blank slate.
And just then, an emotionless, mechanical voice sounded in his mind.
[Detecting Host's situation... Activating System...]
[Future Simulator, activated!]
A blue light screen, visible only to him, unfolded before his eyes.
[Currently facing a critical choice: How to lead the squad to a safe retreat?]
[Option A: Follow the original route and break out from the eastern valley.]
[Option B: Risk retreating via the southern waterway. The journey is longer, but you might avoid the enemy.]
[Option C: Break out separately and escape individually.]
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind was still frozen.
What happened in the original story?
He couldn't remember clearly; this part of history was too distant, and Kishimoto had only glossed over it.
But the original route must have been well-considered; it should be the safest choice.
He subconsciously wanted to choose A.
However, the moment this thought arose, Option A on the simulator panel suddenly turned a glaring, blood-red.
Lines of small text appeared below.
[Initiating future simulation...]
[Choosing Option A, you will lead the squad into the eastern valley.]
[Half an hour later, you will encounter an ambush from Kumogakure. There are over thirty of them, led by an elite jonin. The Gold and Silver Brothers were clearly well-prepared.]
[A brutal skirmish breaks out.]
[During the battle, to protect you, the new Hokage, Uchiha Kagami forcibly awakens his Mangekyo Sharingan and annihilates the pursuers with the absolute power of his 'Susanoo'.]
[But his eyes suffer irreversible damage as a result. His ocular power rapidly declines, and his body is left with severe internal injuries.]
[Although the squad successfully retreats, Uchiha Kagami dies an early death a few years later due to the severity of his injuries.]
[His death becomes one of the catalysts for the breakdown in relations between Konoha and the Uchiha clan, planting the first seed for the future massacre of the clan.]
The scene flashed past.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt as if he had personally seen that gentle, jade-like man, eyes streaming with blood, using his life to open a path for them.
A chill ran up his spine to the top of his head.
"Holy shit!"
He cursed inwardly.
Are you kidding me!
Uchiha Kagami!
The most important bridge connecting the Hokage and the Uchiha clan... the root of the tragedy was actually here?
Absolutely not!
I can't let him die!
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind raced.
Why could the Cloud predict their route?
The Gold and Silver Brothers' unit...
Right! Although they were pursuing the Second Hokage, within Kumogakure, this was considered a coup, not a defection.
Therefore, the higher-ups in Kumogakure were very likely secretly cooperating with their actions!
This ambush was an official act by Kumogakure!
They wanted to wipe out the Second Hokage's direct disciples, Konoha's future leaders, in one fell swoop!
Realizing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
It was best to change the route.
His gaze swept over the other two options.
Option C, breaking out separately, seemed to have a higher survival rate, but as the newly appointed Hokage, if he abandoned his comrades to escape alone, his prestige would instantly plummet to zero, and he could forget about being Hokage.
Then, only Option B remained.
The waterway.
"Hiruzen, make a decision, quickly!"
Danzo's voice sounded from the side, laced with anxiety and a hint of imperceptible scrutiny.
He was also observing.
Observing this rival, who had just been chosen by their teacher, to see what kind of judgment he would make in a life-or-death situation.
The gazes of Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura also turned towards him.
They trusted their teacher's decision, but they also needed to see that Sarutobi Hiruzen was worthy of that trust.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent waves in his heart.
He raised his head, the grief and confusion in his eyes having faded.
"Abandon the original route!"
"We're taking the southern waterway!"
The command was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Danzo's brows furrowed instantly.
"The waterway? That's a much longer detour, and our mobility in the water will be limited. If we're discovered..."
"Danzo, this is an order."
"I am the Hokage!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen cut him off directly, looking straight into Danzo's eyes.
At this moment, he was no longer the gentle comrade, but the Third Hokage of Konoha.
The rest of Danzo's words caught in his throat.
"I trust Hiruzen's judgment."
Uchiha Kagami was the first to voice his support.
He could feel that the Hiruzen of this moment was different from before.
"Let's go," Akimichi Torifu said in a gruff voice. He had always supported Hiruzen.
Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance. Although they had their doubts, they understood that Hiruzen wouldn't make such a choice without reason.
"Yes!"
The group no longer hesitated, immediately changing direction and rushing towards the river to the south.
The night was their best cover.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart was in his throat. He continuously sensed the surrounding chakra fluctuations, his mind highly focused.
Time passed, minute by minute.
Half an hour.
An hour.
It wasn't until they were completely clear of the area that the group emerged from the water and found a hidden cave to rest temporarily.
Danzo sat in a corner, his somber gaze fixed on Sarutobi Hiruzen, saying nothing.
Uchiha Kagami walked over and sat down beside Sarutobi Hiruzen, handing him a water canteen.
"Thanks."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took it and had a drink.
The crisis was temporarily averted.
And in Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind, the mechanical voice sounded once more.
[Successfully avoided the initial branch of the Uchiha's decline.]
[Completed hidden mission: The Continuation of the Flame.]
[Mission Rating: Perfect.]
[Distributing rewards...]
[Congratulations to the Host, your chakra of all five natures has been greatly enhanced!]
Instantly.
A vast amount of chakra application techniques and combat experience flooded into his mind.
From the methods of forming hand seals, to the refinement and nature transformation of chakra, to the control and area-of-effect of ninjutsu.
Is this the power of a golden finger?
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt the surging chakra within him and his newfound understanding of Fire Release ninjutsu.
A feeling of power filled his entire body.
Next, he would have to face Danzo's ambition from within, and the covetous eyes of the other great ninja villages from without.
He looked up at the pitch-black night sky outside the cave.
Sensei, I will carry on your will.
But I will do it my own way.
Survive, and ensure Konoha survives with me