Slayer: Look directly at the Seraph, standing on the sun

Chapter 843 Close Your Eyes

The Third Hokage slowly closed his eyes, his tone filled with shock and respect, "No wonder the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were destroyed. That was the strongest fire ignited with their lives."

“He is a hero,” Zhang Hai added in a low voice, “a true, pure hero.”

The Third Hokage opened his eyes again, his gaze now filled with an unprecedented solemnity. He walked to the window, pointed to the villagers outside busy rebuilding amidst the ruins, and his voice became loud and impassioned.

"This is... the Will of Fire!"

He turned around abruptly, staring intently at the two Uchiha geniuses in front of him, as if trying to instill this belief into the depths of their souls.

"Where leaves dance, fire will burn! Might Guy may have been just a genin, but he was willing to burn everything to protect his comrades and the new life in the village! This spirit is the very foundation that allows Konoha to stand strong!"

The Third Hokage's emotions grew increasingly agitated, his voice booming like a bell: "The so-called Will of Fire is not the privilege of any one person, but the shared belief of all Konoha ninja! It makes each of us the masters of the village, and makes us willing to give our lives for each other! Whether our bodies perish or not, as long as this will continues to be passed down, Konoha will never be extinguished!"

"Lord Hokage!"

Shisui, standing to the side, listened with fervor, his eyes shining, and he even trembled with excitement. For him, who was in the prime of his life and had always been deeply influenced by the Will of Fire, these words were nothing short of supreme truth.

"I understand!" Shisui suddenly stood up straight, clenched his fist, and loudly swore, "I, Uchiha Shisui, am willing to carry on the legacy of my predecessors and dedicate my life's flame to Konoha without reservation! In order to protect the village and everyone, I am also prepared to sacrifice myself like Might Guy!"

Looking at Zhishui's "chuunibyou" (delusional) appearance, as if he was about to rush out and fight someone to the death at any moment, Zhang Hai rolled his eyes helplessly in his heart.

"The brainwashing effect is incredible... It's a waste of talent that this old man from the third generation isn't involved in pyramid schemes."

Zhang Hai inwardly scoffed. As a time traveler, he was all too aware of the cruelty and scheming behind such grand narratives. The so-called "sacrifice for the village" often ended up as a bargaining chip in the power struggles of the higher-ups.

But at this critical juncture, if one doesn't act more like a conformist, they might be seen as an oddball by these two "fervent believers."

"Cough cough..."

Zhang Hai cleared his throat, forcibly suppressing the complaints in his heart, adjusted his expression, and showed a deeply moved look.

"Yes."

He stepped forward and stood beside Shisui, his voice deep and magnetic, and began his "performance": "Just as Might Guy demonstrated, the true meaning of power is not for killing, but for protecting. When the flame of life burns for those you cherish, that light will illuminate the way forward and dispel all darkness."

At this point, he even clenched his fist in a serious manner, looking at the Third Hokage with a determined gaze: "Hokage-sama, it's the same for me. As long as it's to protect what I want to protect... even if it means burning my last drop of blood, I will do it."

However, he silently added in his mind: "Only for the people I want to protect, like that silly girl still lying in the lab, or... myself. As for the village, well, that depends on my mood."

"Good! Good! Good!"

The Third Hokage was clearly very satisfied with their statements, saying "good" three times and a gratified smile on his face. "With a younger generation like you, how can Konoha not prosper! Might Guy's sacrifice was not in vain; his will has already taken root in you!"

The office was filled with a cheerful and passionate atmosphere, but beneath Zhang Hai's calm face after he took off his mask lay a heart that remained clear-headed and detached at all times.

The office was filled with smoke.

"Zhang Hai, since you infiltrated Kirigakure and know their internal situation best, what do you think Kirigakure will do next after this failed raid?" The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, tapped his pipe and looked at Zhang Hai with a deep gaze.

Zhang Hai pondered for a moment, organized his thoughts, and slowly said, "The Hidden Mist Village may seem fierce, but it is actually all bark and no bite. The biggest problem lies in their leadership."

He walked to the map of the ninja world and pointed to the location of the Land of Water: "As far as I know, the Third Mizukage hasn't made a public appearance for a long time, and even the core high-ranking officials rarely see him. Although the power of Kirigakure is currently in the hands of Genji, this elder is quite old and has always lived a secluded life, resulting in a serious lack of control over the lower levels. This leads to frequent disconnects in their command system, such as the recent coordination failure between the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and the main force, which is the best proof of this."

Zhang Hai paused, then continued, "What's even more fatal is that Kirigakure has long adhered to the 'Bloody Mist Policy,' leading to mutual suspicion and a complete lack of trust among ninjas. This oppressive atmosphere might cultivate cold-blooded killers in individual combat or small-scale assassinations, but once deployed in a large-scale war like this, the weakness of lacking cohesion and cooperation will be magnified infinitely. To be honest, in terms of the threat level on the front lines, they are not even as threatening as Sunagakure before."

The Third Hokage nodded, a hint of approval in his eyes: "Your analysis is thorough. This is why we were able to quickly repel them even with our main forces missing. So, what about their intention to form an alliance?"

“Iwagakure and the others had a falling out over the matter of besieging the Raikage, and there is no trust between them. The possibility of them forming an alliance again is extremely low.” Zhang Hai’s finger slid towards the Land of Lightning. “Therefore, their target can only be Kumogakure.”

"Kumakuya?" Shisui asked, puzzled. "Kumakuya just lost a Kage; they should be too busy taking care of themselves."

"That's exactly why," Zhang Hai explained. "The newly appointed Fourth Raikage, A, has a volatile temper and is eager to establish his authority to solidify his position and intimidate those around him. Moreover, although Kumogakure and Kirigakure are not close, they currently share a common and formidable enemy—Konoha, which just gave both of them a sound beating. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and to share the pressure, they are very likely to put aside their past grievances and join forces to attack us from the east and south."

The Third Hokage's expression instantly turned serious: "If that's the case, the pressure on the Cloud Village battlefield will be unprecedented. Once they manage to encircle us..."

"Lord Hokage!"

Before the Third Hokage could finish speaking, Shisui stepped forward once again, his eyes burning with the fierce flames known as the "Will of Fire." "Since the Cloud Village battlefield will be the most important thing going forward, please allow me to go to the front line to provide support! I will use my Body Flicker Technique to tear open the enemy's encirclement for Konoha!"