klisemfg Chapter 767 3rd Generation
Chapter 767 3rd Generation
The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe, leaned back slowly in his chair, exhaled a ring of smoke, and asked in return, "Do you think I was deceiving him?"
Jiraiya laughed heartily and waved his hand, "No, that's not it. It's just that you've already appointed the head of the Anbu, so you must already have someone in mind for the next Hokage, right?"
The Third Hokage turned to look at Jiraiya, a reproachful expression on his face: "Hmph, my ideal candidate for Hokage is actually you!"
Jiraiya repeatedly declined, his smile becoming somewhat unnatural: "No, no, no, old man, I'm not suitable. I'm used to being free and easy, I can't be a good Hokage."
The Third Hokage sighed and said helplessly, "You just don't want to take responsibility. Oh well. I can't force you if you're unwilling. But thankfully, you've trained a very good disciple."
Jiraiya was not surprised at all upon hearing this. Instead, he smiled smugly and praised, "Of course! Minato is someone I have carefully trained! A genius that only appears once every few decades! His ninjutsu is exceptional, his mind is sharp, and he is highly respected. He is simply born to be Hokage!"
The Third Hokage ignored Jiraiya's boastful words, put down his pipe, and said solemnly, "Due to Tsunade's mistake, she will not be going to the battlefield for a while. I intend to hand over full command of the Iwagakure battlefield to you."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Minato is still young. I will assign him some tasks to train and adjust him, so that he can accumulate more experience."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and asked, "What about the situation in Kumogakure?"
The Third Hokage quickly responded, "Officially, I will arrange for Fugaku Uchiha to take command. Zhang Hai will also go along."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya felt a flicker of doubt. He worried that if Zhang Hai disobeyed Fugaku's orders, or even seized command, a conflict might arise between them. After all, Fugaku, as the head of the Uchiha clan, was proud and arrogant, and probably wouldn't easily accept the command of a young ANBU member. But in the end, he refrained from asking.
Jiraiya said to the Third Hokage, "Old man, I'm leaving." Then, he leaped into the night and disappeared.
Zhang Hai walked through the Konoha night, his mind unusually calm. He understood that the Third Hokage's words to him today clearly indicated that his highest future position would be the head of the Anbu. As for the Hokage position, the Third Hokage already had a suitable candidate in mind, which was completely consistent with the plot of the original story.
"Minato Namikaze..." A barely perceptible smile curved Zhang Hai's lips. He knew that his era had only just begun. And the Hokage position wasn't, for him, the only option.
Zhang Hai walked through the night, his heart calm and undisturbed. He had no objection to Minato Namikaze becoming the next Hokage. In fact, he felt it was an ideal situation. Minato was kind-hearted and upright; if he became Hokage, he would surely govern Konoha well. And he himself could silently protect from the shadows, one in the light and one in the dark, working together to maintain Konoha's stability and prosperity.
However, Zhang Hai's true intentions went far beyond this. He was plotting a much grander plan. He even secretly hoped that the war would last longer, giving him enough time to expand his organization and pave the way for his future plans.
Meanwhile, on the streets of Konoha, Jiraiya was enthusiastically demonstrating his newly perfected ninjutsu—the Rasengan—to his beloved student, Minato Namikaze.
"Minato, watch closely!" Jiraiya held up the Rasengan, which was brimming with chakra, his face full of pride. "This is the S-rank ninjutsu I painstakingly developed over the years—the Rasengan! How about it? Isn't it amazing?"
Minato watched as the Rasengan rapidly formed in Jiraiya's hand, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes. He smiled and praised, "Jiraiya-sensei, you're truly amazing! This ninjutsu is simply divine!"
Hearing his beloved student's praise, Jiraiya became even more smug. He was about to continue explaining the principles and essence of the Rasengan to Minato when Minato's expression suddenly changed, and he hurriedly said, "Jiraiya-sensei, please practice here first. I have some urgent business to attend to at the Hokage's office!"
After saying that, Minato vanished from the spot in an instant with the speed of the wind, leaving Jiraiya looking completely bewildered.
Minato rushed to the Hokage's office and found that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was indeed waiting for him.
The Third Hokage's face turned serious when he saw Minato. Without exchanging pleasantries, he handed Minato a mission document.
Minato took the document and began to read it carefully. The document contained detailed information about the ancient kingdom of Loulan in Sunagakure: it was said that a tremendous energy was hidden there, and rogue ninja were attempting to steal this power to create a puppet army and influence the ongoing war. Minato was appointed as the leader of this mission, heading to the ancient kingdom of Loulan to protect its queen.
After reading the mission document, Minato glanced at his assistants behind him—Shimi Aburame and Choza Akimichi—and then took out a document from his pocket and handed it to the Third Hokage.
"Third Hokage, this is Kakashi's file," Minato said respectfully. "I hope Kakashi can also participate in this mission."
The Third Hokage took the documents, glanced at them, nodded, and agreed to Minato's request.
As the group arrived at the entrance to Konoha Village, they happened to encounter a small ANBU squad preparing to leave. Minato immediately recognized the leader. He said to Shiki and Choza behind him, "You two go first, I'll be right back."
Minato caught up with the ANBU squad, and the leader of the ANBU, seemingly knowing he was coming, was waiting for him in the same spot. That person was Zhang Hai.
Minato quickly walked up to Zhang Hai and asked with some confusion, "Senior Zhang Hai, are you going to the battlefield? I noticed that the number of ninjas in the village has decreased a lot, and the atmosphere has become unusually tense. Even the ANBU squads have been mobilized. I suspect that the war may have reignited, but strangely, I haven't received any news about it."
Zhang Hai understood. He knew that the Third Hokage didn't want Minato to get involved in this complex war too early, which was why he hadn't told him about the Cloud Village battlefield. He replied calmly, "It's just a small mission, I'll be right back."
Minato was incredibly astute; he wasn't fooled by Zhang Hai's evasive tone. He shook his head and said firmly, "Senior Zhang Hai, you're lying to me. Is... the war starting again?"