Chapter 517: Two Idiots Who Belong in a Museum
Watching the sorry state of Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado as they limped into his living room, supporting each other, Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands paused for a moment before returning to their usual rhythm, though he let out a silent sigh in his heart.
A thought emerged without warning: Sometimes, how you choose your side is more important than how hard you work.
Just look at these two old friends before him.
In terms of seniority, they have been operating in Hidden Leaf Village for over fifty years, deeply entrenched; in terms of experience, having weathered several wars in the Ninja World, they are certainly not mediocre; as for hard work... at least within the scope of interests they perceive, they have never stopped "working hard."
But look at them now?
They merely went to "teach a lesson" to a researcher who was nominally under house arrest but actually held a special status, only to end up battered and bruised, ragged, and with their voices so hoarse they couldn't even speak.
They went to the Hokage Building to complain, but Hiashi even said he couldn't handle this matter.
For his old friends, the sky over Hidden Leaf Village had truly turned dark!
As for whether it was dark for others, the Third Hokage didn't know.
Thinking these thoughts, the Third Hokage's movements remained steady.
He took out some prized tea leaves, carefully rinsed the tea set with boiling water, and leisurely brewed two cups of hot tea for his old friends.
An elegant fragrance soon filled the living room.
The old dog named Danzo was currently lying docilely at the Third Hokage's feet. Its fur was much smoother than when it first arrived, and its eyes held less wariness.
After pouring the tea, the Third Hokage naturally reached out and stroked the dog's head and neck. The dog narrowed its eyes in comfort, making a purring sound in its throat.
This was originally just an unconscious, affectionate gesture.
However, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, sitting opposite him, were staring fixedly at the Third Hokage's hands.
The Third Hokage had also petted the dog before pouring their tea.
Their gazes darted back and forth between the Third Hokage's hands, the dog, and the steaming cups of tea in front of them.
Utatane Koharu felt her throat was so dry it was almost smoking; it was sore and parched from Tayuya's attack, and she instinctively craved the tea.
But when she saw the Third Hokage finish stroking the dog's fur, her throat was suddenly choked by a much stronger feeling.
Homura Mitokado also silently placed the teacup he had just brought to his lips back onto the coffee table.
The surface of the water in the cup rippled from his slight movement before returning to stillness, remaining at the same level as when he first received it, not a single sip taken.
The Third Hokage did not notice their hesitation.
He slowly and deliberately pulled a wet wipe from the drawer under the coffee table and began to meticulously wipe his hands, every finger, not even missing the gaps between his nails.
After wiping them clean, he picked up a clean teacup and poured himself a cup of the same tea.
This action made the faces of Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, already bruised and battered, look instantly even worse, as if a palette had been overturned.
Their chests heaved violently, and their eyes seemed almost ready to spit fire.
The two of them had only treated their throats to look pathetic; now their throats were dry and painful, and yet the Third Hokage did this.
"Hiruzen, you do know you should wash your hands after petting a dog!"
"Why didn't you think of that when you were pouring tea for us just now?"
The Third Hokage picked up his own cup of tea, brought it to his nose to sniff gently, then took a delicate sip, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face.
Putting down the cup, he seemed to suddenly notice his two old friends' strangeness and asked with concern: "Why aren't you drinking? This tea was a special gift from Naruto for my birthday this year; he said he bought it from a merchant from the Land of Tea."
"It's only because you two are here that I'm bringing it out; I usually can't bear to drink it myself."
He paused, casting his gaze out the window, his tone carrying a trace of complex emotion, as if talking to himself or perhaps confiding in his two old friends: "That child... is truly a good child."
"His heart is pure, he treats others with sincerity, and he is always thinking about how to make the Village better."
"Even after he learned the truth, he still respected me."
His voice lowered, carrying an indescribable weight.
"Unfortunately, there are many things I have to hide from him, to hide from the people in the Village..."
The topic seemed to shift inadvertently.
The Third Hokage's gaze became distant, as if piercing through time: "Minato's Sealing Jutsu was truly exceptional; he was one of the most talented Sealing Jutsu geniuses I have ever seen."
He frowned slightly; this was a mystery that had truly troubled him for a long time. "But I just can't understand why he... had to use the 'Reaper Death Seal' back then."
The living room was very quiet, save for the slight snoring sounds occasionally made by the dog.
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado's attention was temporarily pulled away from the disgust of the "dog-fur tea."
The Third Hokage's question was also their question; when they arrived, they had clearly sensed that Kushina had used the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
With Kushina using the Adamantine Sealing Chains, Minato definitely had the opportunity to use other Sealing Jutsu.
Even as long-time friends, both felt that if the Third Hokage had used the Reaper Death Seal at that time, it would have been more appropriate than Minato using it.
When Kushina trapped the Nine-Tailed, Minato had plenty of time to use the Flying Thunder God to bring the Third Hokage over.
If one were to say Kushina was too weak or there were enemies lurking around, that would make even less sense.
If there were enemies nearby, wouldn't using the Reaper Death Seal be even more dangerous?
If Kushina restrained the Nine-Tailed and the only combat power perished with the Nine-Tailed, then Naruto, who became the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, would be left in a vacuum period without any protection.
By then, even an ordinary person could easily kill the newborn Naruto.
In any case, the Fourth Hokage using the Reaper Death Seal resulted in the maximum loss for Hidden Leaf Village.
Minato was still young and had more possibilities; he had just become Hokage, just become a father.
The two truly couldn't understand the reason for Minato using the Reaper Death Seal.
"Even if it was to split the Nine-Tailed..."
The Third Hokage's voice carried deep regret.
"He could have completely used the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style to Seal the Nine-Tailed separately."
"With his attainments, that shouldn't have been a problem..."
"Or he could have let me, who was about to arrive, use the Reaper Death Seal!"
"He could have lived."
The Third Hokage's eyes dimmed, his fingers unconsciously stroking the warm cup wall: "If he had lived, many things would be different."
"At least this Old man wouldn't have to live in constant fear, worrying that those people outside who bore grudges because of him would learn he still had a son alive in the world and seek revenge..."
His words held regret for the early death of a junior, reflection on past decisions, and deep exhaustion.
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado exchanged a look, then glanced at the cup of tea in front of them that remained untouched.
The tea was still steaming, lukewarmly lingering in the delicate porcelain cup.
They moved their parched lips, but ultimately said nothing; only the expressions on their swollen faces became even more complex and indecipherable.
Fine, this guy Hiruzen really knows how to change the subject.
Even knowing the credibility of the Third Hokage's words was unknown, the two couldn't voice any disagreement at this moment.
Beautifying oneself when reminiscing is human nature; even now, when they talked about their contributions to others, they would exaggerate by three parts, then another three, and another; counting it up, their contributions always seemed greater each time they recalled them than the time before.
Oh well, human nature, human nature!
At this moment, the Third Hokage was still reminiscing about the past; he really didn't want to bother with his two old friends anymore.
Two idiots who couldn't see the situation and were stupid enough to belong in a museum.
Sigh, it's a pity that Minato hadn't spoken to him since he was resurrected, so he couldn't ask about the reason.
Loving Book So Far? Check Out 30+ Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/FictionOP