Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 244 Welcome to the Konoha Family

"Our home is the best place in the world!"

Jiraiya's voice, carrying an undeniable magic, echoed in the chilly morning wind.

"Once this war is over, your teacher will take you back!"

Yahiko and Konan looked in the direction he was pointing.

They naturally couldn't see the distant village called Konoha.

What comes into view is only the endless hills and forests, dyed golden red by the rising sun.

But in their hearts, a vague yet warm outline is being clearly drawn, stroke by stroke.

That's the outline of home.

Yahiko straightened his small body and looked at the red sun in the distance that had completely broken free from the horizon. He felt an indescribable joy explode from his chest and instantly spread throughout his body.

He felt like he had inexhaustible energy.

In the past, on that cold and damp land of the Rain Country, all the struggles, all the hiding, hunger and fear.

At that moment, everything was washed away by the magnificent sunrise and the teacher's firm promise.

He could no longer contain himself. He raised his right hand high, making a big, somewhat clumsy scissor gesture, and with all his might, shouted loudly towards the eastern sky.

"Yay!"

The clear and energetic children's voices broke the surrounding tranquility.

Jiraiya's smile grew even brighter as he looked at his energetic disciple, his heart filled with pride.

Xiao Nan was startled by Yahiko's sudden shout. Her face turned red instantly, and she instinctively shrank back, nervously clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands.

After Yahiko finished speaking, he immediately turned around and looked at her with bright, sparkling eyes.

He was still holding that peace sign pose, one eye closed, the other blinking wildly at Minami, his face a mix of expressions, silently urging his companion on.

"Quick! Xiao Nan, let's go together!"

For our future home! For our bright future!

"Hmm..."

Feeling Yahiko's almost tangible, burning gaze, Konan's cheeks turned even redder, almost as if they were about to bleed.

It's really too much to ask her to shout in front of so many people.

However, seeing Yahiko's comical appearance, with his eyelids twitching wildly from exerting too much force, and his "I'll keep holding it up unless you yell" attitude, Konan found it somewhat amusing.

She hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered up her courage and, imitating Yahiko, made a peace sign with her little hand.

She responded in a soft, gentle voice, barely audible.

"Yay...yes!"

This cry was less a shout and more a soft whisper escaping from between the lips.

But for this introverted and shy girl, this was the boldest response she could give.

Mitomon Homura stood quietly to the side, not saying a word, just watching.

Looking at these two children who have grown up tenaciously amidst the ruins of war, and seeing the shyness, joy, and boundless anticipation on their faces.

These two children are like two seedlings that have just broken through the soil, tender and fragile, yet they possess a vigorous, upward-striving, and indomitable vitality.

His usually stern face, etched with the wrinkles of time, softened without him even noticing at that moment.

He remembered a long, long time ago.

What were the children like in that war-torn era?

It is numbness, it is hatred, it is being used as a tool, prematurely shouldering weapons, and then prematurely falling on the battlefield as cold corpses.

I've seen far too much.

He even came to believe that peace was merely a brief respite between two wars.

Hatred, however, is the eternal theme of this world.

"Yan, the meaning of our battle is not just about victory."

"It's to protect. To protect every smiling face in the village, and to protect every child's right to sit in a classroom and study with peace of mind."

"I hope that one day, the children of Konoha will not have to realize the cruelty of the world so early. I hope that the world they see will be warm and full of hope."

The words of the Hokage seemed to echo in my ears again.

Looking at the two children with sparkling eyes before him, Mitokado Homura suddenly gained a deeper and more concrete understanding of the future his best friend had described.

This is the hope that the Hokage wants to protect.

This is the truest form of the Will of Fire in the new era.

This advisor, who had spent decades navigating the political arena and was accustomed to thinking with data and regulations, felt a long-lost surge of emotion.

He took a step and slowly walked towards the children.

When Jiraiya saw Mitokado Homura's actions, his smile faded and replaced by a hint of curiosity.

Yahiko and Konan also noticed that the powerful elder was walking towards them. The two of them tensed up instantly, their small bodies stiffening, and they didn't dare to breathe.

Mitokado Yan walked up to them, not looking down at them condescendingly, but slowly squatting down so that his line of sight was at the same level as the children.

This simple action immediately eased the tension between Yahiko and Konan.

"good."

Mitokado Yan reached out, his movements somewhat clumsy but unusually gentle, and ruffled Yahiko's short orange hair before touching Konan's smooth, long blue hair.

"They are all good children."

His voice was no longer as harsh as usual, but carried a hint of elder’s affection and appreciation for younger generation.

"Welcome to the Konoha family."