Konoha: Start from untying the caged bird

Page 217

Hyuga Yuzuru's deep blue eyes were backlit and clearly visible in Uchiha Madara's eyes.

"Uchiha Madara..."

In this brand new era.

There is only one God.

The enormous golden light spot was being continuously absorbed, and Madara Uchiha could clearly sense that a Sage Chakra far more powerful than before, one that was terrifying to behold, was constantly converging and condensing.

This terrifying golden chakra even gradually formed into a giant half-human figure.

Suspended before the sun, it coalesced into the form of Hyuga Yuzuru, like a golden giant, silently gazing at everything before the sun.

Two faint blue lights flickered gently within them.

Madara Uchiha's maniacal laughter grew louder and louder.

Susanoo, wielding two giant swords, swung them with all its might at the statue in the sky.

Against the swordsman who dances with the gods.

They deserve divine punishment.

A faint golden light glides through the air, like the morning sun shining through the dappled treetops.

The next moment, countless rays of light surged downwards from the sky.

Like the sun illuminating everything.

Everything...

To the end.

Chapter 164 The Moon is Terrible (The Finale, Part 1)

"...Killer Bee, the newly appointed Raikage of the Land of Lightning, stated that he will deeply reflect on the events of this war and accept the fact of defeat..."

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, resigned, accepting full responsibility for the war and signing the surrender treaty imposed by Konoha. The election of a new Tsuchikage is still underway...

Chiyo, the temporary Kazekage of the Land of Sand, declared her willingness to cede territory, pay reparations, and bear all responsibility for the betrayal of the treaty and the defeat in the war...

In this war, our army, under the leadership of the Fifth Hokage, Hyuga Yuzuru...

The leader of the Land of Tea publicly stated in front of the media: Hyuga Yuzuru is the current god of the ninja world.

The retrieval of the Jinchuriki is proceeding smoothly. Konoha will properly house the nine Tailed Beasts after all nine have been retrieved...

Thank you for watching tonight's evening news.

This is Wenbo reporting for this station.

In the empty apartment, Quan quietly curled up on the sofa, a thin blanket gently covering her slender and curvaceous figure. The dim room was only illuminated by the faint glow of the television, which fell on her fair skin.

As the evening news ended, her eyes remained fixed on the television until the commercials started, repeated, and then the boring late-night drama began. Only then did she snap out of her daze, pick up the remote, and gently press the off button.

She got up from the sofa, wrapped herself in a thin blanket, stood by the window, looked up, and saw the bright moon in the sky, clear and distant.

For the first time, she envied Hinata Kaoru so much—if it were her, perhaps she could use her Byakugan to see things more clearly.

The reason I wanted to see the moon more clearly...

"Ding dong."

The doorbell suddenly rang, and Izumi turned to open the door, where Hyuga Kaoru appeared.

The other person was dressed in professional work attire and looked somewhat tired, but upon seeing her, they still smiled and said, "I knew you weren't asleep yet."

"What, working overtime again tonight?"

Izumi wasn't surprised. Perhaps it was because of Hinata Yuzuru's instructions, or perhaps Kaoru felt lonely and isolated after he left. These past few nights, she would come to find her to sleep together under the pretense of 'taking care of a colleague'.

She didn't feel awkward at all; she wasn't one to fuss over such things—aside from the occasional annoying insistence on hugging her, in a way, having her around did bring Quan some peace of mind.

"Yes! Lord Yuzuru only left a few words before departing. Itachi can't handle so many things by himself in such a short time..."

Xun sighed and turned on the room light: "Why aren't the lights on? Have you had dinner?"

"Not yet," Quan said, shrinking back onto the sofa. "I'm not very hungry."

"No, Yuzuru-sama said that even if I'm not hungry, I have to eat on time..." Kaoru muttered as she rummaged through the refrigerator for ingredients.

Quan remained silent, lying on the sofa, staring blankly at the moon outside the window.

"It's no use looking anymore, I can't see him even if I roll my eyes... But, after a while, when the astronomical telescope I ordered from the research department is finished, who knows, we might be able to see Lord Yuzuru."

Xun said, then added somewhat angrily, "Honestly, why did we have to go there... what if we can't come back?"

“He’ll be back,” Izumi said, and Kaoru chuckled, “Looks like you know that too, right? Then why are you so down all the time?”

Izumi then realized that she was deliberately teasing her. She snorted softly and said quietly, "I just feel that such a job is meaningless—anyway, even if Yuzuru comes back, he probably won't continue to be the Hokage."

Once the procedures are completed, I will officially retire.

Kaoru sighed enviously, but quickly resumed her Versailles act, saying things like she had no choice, that she was too important to Lord Yuzuru, and that Konoha would be in chaos if she didn't continue working, and that Lord Yuzuru trusted her abilities so much.

Quan would occasionally make a sarcastic remark or engage in a playful banter, but neither of them took it to heart. This was their unique way of interacting.

But when the two of them had dinner and lay down back to back on the big bed, they both thought of that day again, without prior arrangement.

In the sunlight, all things perished. Under the all-pervasive light, Madara Uchiha's powerful body vanished as if ice and snow were melting away—and along with it, an entire area of ​​the ground disappeared.

Today, that former battlefield has become the Valley of the End, a taboo subject in the ninja world, and one that no one is willing to mention easily in the near future.

The ground sank tens of meters, turning into a deep and terrifying abyss. Within a radius of tens of kilometers, only the neat, deathly circular depressions testified to what had happened there.

After that, Hyuga Yuzuru made a decision in front of everyone.

He is going to leave this world temporarily.

Go to the moon.

No one knew when he would return or why he made this decision, but under those circumstances, even the ninjas of Konoha could not refute his arrangements and decisions.

After a brief arrangement of work and handover, Hyuga Yuzuru ordered Uchiha Itachi to serve as the interim Hokage, taking charge of all matters, large and small, of Konoha during his absence.

This decision surprised everyone, but Itachi's achievements, his contributions to Konoha, and Hyuga Yuzuru's personal decision ensured that his temporary appointment proceeded without any setbacks.

The Uchiha clan has finally produced its first Hokage in history. Although the word "acting" is added before it, anyone who knows Hyuga Yuzuru knows that he really has no attachment to the position of Hokage. If it weren't for his personal prestige being at its peak, and for the sake of Konoha's overall interests, he might have retired directly.

Itachi, on the other hand, remained remarkably calm about the Hokage position, keeping a low profile and seemingly content with simply fulfilling his acting duties as acting Hokage.

Compared to the time of the Third Hokage, the current Konoha leadership, whether those who control combat power or those who hold sway over the narrative, are actually less interested in the Hokage position. Konoha has already fulfilled their childhood aspirations, a beautiful but unrealistic ideal. Rather than pushing Konoha to new heights, they simply want to enjoy a peaceful and prosperous life in this era of peace and prosperity.

The only one who still hopes to become Hokage and works tirelessly towards that goal is probably that idiot Naruto Uzumaki.

He volunteered to join Itachi's team, doing the same secretary work as Kaoru, accumulating work experience, and actively taking on all the work that wasn't his responsibility, just to prove his abilities.

By the way—he and Hinata are engaged.

In the ninja world, people like Hyuga Yuzuru who procrastinate are not very common. Most people basically prepare for marriage as soon as they confirm their relationship. The timing of marriage depends on whether the ninja world is at peace or not. In times of peace, girls usually get married as soon as they turn eighteen, or even before they turn eighteen.

Girls like Izumi and Kaoru are considered older single women in the ninja world.

Perhaps because he was about to start a family, Naruto had become more career-minded and responsible. Mature and steady, he also possessed considerable strength. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, with the help of the Nine-Tails' chakra and Sage Mode, he gained a certain prestige.

Among the Konoha leadership, there is a general high expectation for this young man, the Fifth Hokage Hyuga Yuzuru. Most believe that if Hyuga Yuzuru really intends to retire, then the next Hokage after Uchiha Itachi will almost certainly be Uzumaki Naruto.

The only thing to worry about is that Itachi Uchiha is also young. If he doesn't plan to retire, Naruto might have to be prepared to be second-in-command for decades, just like Danzo.

but...

Neither Itachi nor Naruto seemed to care about the concerns of certain people.

For those who have been by Hyuga Yuzuru's side for so long, the position of Hokage seems to have become less important.

I have already witnessed the true power of a god...

The so-called shadow.

What's the point?

The victory in the four Shinobi Wars brought about an unprecedented unification of the shinobi world.

In a landscape dominated by one superpower and many strong nations, Konoha expanded with astonishing momentum. Without any force or intrigue, relying solely on its prestige, many impoverished and narrow-minded small countries chose to join Konoha, either under the guise of vassal states or by merging entirely with Konoha, simply to become citizens of Konoha and enjoy its prestigious welfare system.

This is not surprising—over the years, many small countries have lacked a sense of national identity, and their displaced people have not shown any patriotism towards their own country, simply accepting whatever comes their way. After the Land of Lightning pioneered the precedent of gengoku (underworld rulers) and ninja governance, the original power structures of those small countries were mostly purged.

The newly formed small countries were overjoyed to be able to join Konoha, and felt no resentment or sadness whatsoever.

This is something that no one can understand years later—no matter what people think later, they can never feel the attraction that Hyuga Yuzuru and Konoha held for the ninja world at that moment.

To put it another way: Imagine if Hyuga Yuzuru suddenly appeared, raised his arm, and said, "I have discovered another planet suitable for human habitation, and I will build a new kingdom on this new planet."

The population of the entire ninja world could be reduced by more than half.

The title of God of the Ninja World was gradually recognized by everyone.

Some battlefield footage, filmed by unknown ninjas, was even made into a documentary, edited, and disseminated.

While causing an uproar, Hyuga Yuzuru solidified his title as the 'God of the Shinobi World'.

But as time went by...

The fervor he sparked and his immense influence on the ninja world gradually subsided with his disappearance.

Konoha Year 68.

Neji Hyuga and Tenten got engaged and agreed to officially marry after Yuzuru Hyuga returned.

Uchiha Sasuke left Konoha and went on a wandering journey.

Konoha Year 69.

Kakashi Hatake falls in love with a mysterious woman from Kirigakure online, only to be scammed and lose nearly half of his life savings. From then on, he shuts himself off from love and focuses on his work, which leads to the development of a series of new-era cybersecurity provisions. The United Nations convenes and establishes a cybersecurity agency, with far-reaching consequences.

Konoha has been around for seventy years.

Jiraiya and Tsunade got married.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, passed away peacefully.

Uchiha Shisui fell in love with and married a woman from the Uchiha clan. Hyuga Hizashi's brother, Hyuga Yuzuru, attended the wedding to offer his congratulations, and they had twins that year.

Uchiha Sasuke returns and officially joins Konoha's Root, becoming its new leader.

The 71st year of Konoha, July 31st, Summer Festival.

Fireworks display.

Uchiha Izumi and Kaoru sat quietly by the Hokage Rock, waiting for the fireworks to bloom.

Quan was wearing a black trench coat, her long hair swaying in the wind. She looked up at the moon. Over the years, she seemed to have developed a habit of staring at the moon in a daze whenever she could see it.

Kaoru, dressed lazily in a white kimono, lay on the lawn with a milk tea she had bought from the street beside her: "This year's summer festival is just the two of us again."

"Why not just stay home and play games... When will that new third-person action game be finished?" Izumi asked, looking bored.

To her, such ordinary fireworks were meaningless.

Xun remained nonchalant: "I don't know, it's all done by the company staff."

"Yuzuru-sama is really something... He kept saying that after peace was restored, he would personally become the boss of a game company and make fun games..."

My savings are almost gone.

Kaoru's words made Izumi subconsciously tense up. She whispered, "That can't be right, right? The game is still really fun..."

It's hard to imagine.

In the past few years, after retiring, Quan has become addicted to various video games.

Kaoru, the "Mother of Games" who personally developed the first computer game in the ninja world and is now the owner of the largest game company in the ninja world, has little interest in this.

"Who told Yuzuru to say he wanted to play some kind of virtual reality game... The development costs are going to be a nightmare..." Kaoru sighed and rolled over on the lawn. "I wonder when he'll be back."

As time went by, it seemed that Izumi had adapted quite a bit, while Kaoru, on the other hand, became increasingly depressed.

"I saw on the news that the manned rocket has reached the final testing stage..."

Once the rocket is developed, I plan to try it out as an astronaut.

Quan's words were astonishing.

Xun sat up abruptly: "Are you sure? I heard that thing is very dangerous. What if it can't return to Earth after taking off and landing?"

"Anyway, Yuzuru is there... He'll probably come to my rescue before I die... I guess."