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

Chapter 320 This dream is no simple matter.

The lines on Madara Uchiha's face, which had been aloof all his life, had softened considerably without him even realizing it.

Those purple Rinnegan eyes revealed an almost gentle expression.

Ban didn't speak, he just watched quietly.

But everyone felt that the oppressive feeling that had been weighing on their hearts had quietly dissipated.

What follows is a feeling of warmth, of being watched over by elders.

Uchiha Kagami slowly straightened up and said softly.

"please."

He stepped aside, making way for the path leading to the main shrine.

Madara Uchiha nodded slightly and stepped forward.

He walked past the bowing clansmen, his gaze lingering on Uchiha Fugaku for a moment longer.

That's a promising talent.

His eyes were clear, his will was firm, and his chakra was refined.

Madara Uchiha entered the main hall of the Naga Shrine.

Everything here remains exactly as it was when he left.

"Tap tap tap—"

He walked slowly to the stone tablet, reached out his hand, and gently stroked the cold stone surface with his aged palm.

It was here that he used his Mangekyou Sharingan to decipher the path to Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Now, I'm revisiting this place.

The stone tablet remains, but the mindset of those who read it has changed.

He closed his eyes, as if he could hear the echo of his stubborn self from back then, making a resolute vow here.

When he opened his eyes again, his eyes were clear.

In the face of absolute power and the tangible reality of peace, the so-called truth and lies no longer matter.

He slowly turned around and looked at Uchiha Kagami, Uchiha Tetsuka, and the others who had followed him in.

"From today onwards,"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears: "Protect this village."

After saying that, Madara Uchiha stopped looking at the stone tablet and turned to walk away.

Uchiha Kagami, Tetsuka, and the others stared blankly at his retreating figure.

This statement is like a reconciliation that is decades overdue.

It was Madara Uchiha's reconciliation with the village, and also a complete reconciliation with his own past.

Fugaku Uchiha raised his head and looked at the back of his white-haired ancestor. He felt that the figure was slowly overlapping with the two great statues on the Hokage Rock behind the village at this moment.

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi simply stood quietly outside the gate of the Naga Shrine, letting the moonlight stretch his shadow long.

That phrase, "Protect this village," was less like an order and more like a request, a sense of relief after decades of grievances and hardships.

It resonated in the hearts of every Uchiha clan member, heavy yet carrying an unprecedented sense of security.

Madara Uchiha said nothing more. He slowly walked out of the main hall, his ancient robes fluttering slightly in the night breeze.

His pace was not fast, but it carried a natural rhythm, with each step treading on the pulse of history.

As he descended the stone steps, the Uchiha clan members who had been bowing respectfully instinctively parted to the sides, making way for him.

This is a reverence that comes from the depths of one's blood, a most instinctive respect for legends.

Fugaku Uchiha kept his head down, but he secretly observed the pair of tabi socks that walked past him with his Sharingan.

Those feet once traversed the Warring States period and stood shoulder to shoulder with the god of ninjas.

And now, it is steadily walking on the land that belongs to the Uchiha, heading towards a future it never imagined.

An indescribable surge of emotion welled up in his chest.

The return of our ancestors brings not division and hatred, but protection.

This word perfectly aligned with the philosophy that the Third Hokage and the Kagami Clan Chief had always taught them.

Madara Uchiha turned his gaze to the distance, to the Konoha night scene illuminated by the lights of thousands of homes.

"Is everything arranged?" His voice was flat, devoid of emotion.

"nature."

Uchiha Kagami responded gently, then nodded slightly to the clansmen, signaling them to disperse first, while he followed behind.

The three of them walked together along the quiet street, deeper into the Uchiha clan's territory.

They eventually arrived at a secluded estate.

The environment here is quiet and secluded, far from the hustle and bustle. A high wall separates the inside from the outside world, with only a few tall maple trees extending their branches and leaves beyond the wall.

Uchiha Kagami pushed open the heavy wooden door, and a fresh scent of grass and trees wafted out. "It's quiet enough here; no one will bother us."

Madara Uchiha stepped into the courtyard and looked around.

The courtyard was large and well-maintained, with a clear spring flowing down from the artificial rockery and into a small pond below, making a pleasant tinkling sound. The main house was in the typical style of a daimyo's residence in the Land of Fire, simple yet grand.

"Thank you for your kind words," he said calmly, accepting the arrangement.

Uchiha Kagami knew that the conversation that was about to begin was no longer something he should participate in. He bowed slightly to the two of them and then discreetly withdrew, standing guard outside the manor gate.

Only Hiruzen Sarutobi and Madara Uchiha remained in the courtyard.

The moonlight cast long and short shadows of the two powerful figures from different generations.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't beat around the bush. He looked directly into those Rinnegan eyes that were enough to make the entire ninja world tremble, and spoke solemnly.

"I'd like to know, Senior Madara, what are your thoughts on this village and on the future?"

This is a question that must be clarified.

Madara Uchiha's return is a double-edged sword.

He could be Konoha's most steadfast guardian, or he could become its most unstable factor.

Upon hearing this, Madara Uchiha suddenly laughed.

That smile carried a hint of self-mockery and a touch of world-weariness.

"My ideas? My ideas, along with my ambitions, were shattered by that idiot Hashirama at the Valley of the End."

He slowly walked to the edge of the pool, looking at the waning moon reflected in the water, "The decades that followed were nothing more than another dream in the darkness of a restless soul."

"Now, the dream is over."

Madara Uchiha turned around, and all the ferocity in his Rinnegan eyes had vanished, leaving only an unfathomable calm.

"I'm tired, Third Hokage."

For the first time, he used such a plain title, "This old man just wants to find a place to quietly watch what kind of flower the seed that Hashirama and I planted back then will eventually bloom."

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart finally settled down.

From Madara Uchiha's words, one could hear sincerity—the composure of a hero in his twilight years, stripped of all worldly glamour. He bowed deeply.

This bow has nothing to do with identity or stance.

This is the highest respect we, as younger generations, have for a pioneer who created an era, weathered many storms, and ultimately chose to return to his hometown.

Madara Uchiha accepted the greeting without hesitation.

He raised his head and looked once again at the Fire Shadow Rock in the night sky.

There, the statues of the first, second, and third generations stand out clearly in the moonlight, silently guarding the village below the mountain.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, what is your dream?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi straightened up and looked in the direction of his gaze.

Down in the woods, the lights are fading as countless families drift off into sweet dreams.

A genuine, gentle smile appeared on his face.

"My dream is very simple."

"It's so that they can get a good night's sleep every day, just like this."

Madara Uchiha remained silent.

After a long while, he slowly nodded.

"Hehe... This dream is no simple one."

After saying that, he stopped talking, turned around and walked towards the main house. His white figure quickly disappeared into the shadow of the eaves.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood there for a long time, until he was sure that the huge and calm chakra had completely calmed down, before turning around to leave.

But just as he was about to step out of the courtyard, the paper door of the main house was opened a crack again.

Madara Uchiha's voice came from inside, tinged with curiosity.

"By the way, you mentioned before that the village has a new education system?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, then turned around.

"Yes, the Ninja Academy has undergone a complete reform."

"Hmm." The voice inside paused, as if thinking about something, and then made a request that even Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't expected.

"Take me to see it tomorrow."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood in the moonlight, momentarily stunned.

"I want to see for myself," the voice from inside the house continued, carrying an undeniable tone, "how you raise the next generation."