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

Chapter 518 Three Minutes of Leisure During the Journey

Shuo Mao turned around.

The moonlight moved away from behind him and fell on his sharply defined profile.

His signature white hair, famous throughout the ninja world, was blown softly against his cheeks by the night wind, with a few unruly strands sticking up slightly in the wind, reflecting a cool glow.

His expression was calm, as calm as if he were standing on the edge of his own farm in the early morning, measuring with his eyes how much water to irrigate that day, with a sense of certainty that everything was under his control.

Then he spoke.

Are you hungry?

The sound wasn't loud, but it sent ripples of astonishment through the tense air.

Danzo Shimura loosened his five fingers, one by one, from the kunai pouch at his waist, at a visible, slow pace.

The process was very slow, so slow that you could almost hear the subtle clicking sound of your knuckles as they transitioned from a state of extreme combat readiness to the relaxed state of routine site inspection.

The adrenaline that had just been mobilized and surged in the blood vessels seemed to have made a wasted trip, and was slowly fading away with a sense of dissatisfaction.

His Adam's apple bobbed, emitting a sound somewhere between grinding his teeth and a low groan.

"..."

There was no real anger in that voice—more of the awkwardness and annoyance that comes from being tricked by a comrade you absolutely trust, someone you thought had discovered a huge enemy threat, and whose heart is still pounding uncontrollably.

Sakumo remained standing in the same spot, the moonlight shining from behind, outlining a clear silver-white silhouette around his entire figure.

In those pale-colored eyes that were always sharp as knives, there was not a trace of apology at this moment; instead, there was a hint of taking it for granted.

He repeated it, as if confirming an order.

Are you hungry?

I'm not hungry.

Danzo squeezed out two words through gritted teeth, his tone as hard as reinforced concrete that he had personally supervised the pouring of.

Sakumo seemed not to hear his reply, his gaze passing over him and turning to the back.

"Where's the mirror?"

A figure silently swept out from the shadows on the right wing, landing lightly on the open ground between the two like a feather.

The person who arrived was none other than Uchiha Kagami.

The captivating crimson glow that had just ignited in his pupils had completely faded, and the three tomoe slowly disappeared, returning to the unique, dark, and gentle color characteristic of the Uchiha clan.

First, he looked at Danzo, whose expression looked like he had just swallowed a whole lemon, and then at Sakumo, whose expression was calm. The corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

The smile was gentle, which added a touch of warmth to his already gentle and handsome features under the cool moonlight.

"I'm fine."

He tilted his head slightly, his hair swaying gently with the movement. "Why are you suddenly asking this? Did you discover something?"

Sakumo Hatake did not answer immediately.

He simply reached behind him and skillfully retrieved an object wrapped in a square cloth from an extremely small, sealed scroll fixed to his waistband.

The entire movement was smooth, precise, and without any unnecessary movements, just as naturally as he had countless times in the farm's tool shed, effortlessly pulling out the most handy pair of pruning shears from the wall full of farm tools.

The cloth bag is unfolded.

A refreshing aroma, a blend of bamboo leaves and rice, was the first to escape from the package, drifting far away in the cool night breeze.

Three triangular rice balls lay quietly on the lush green bamboo leaves. The rice grains appeared white and plump under the moonlight, with a faint, oily sheen on their surface.

Three, all neatly arranged, almost identical in size, angle, and even the folds.

They were still emitting a faint warmth.

This lingering warmth was precisely locked in by layers of bamboo leaves and a specially made sealing scroll shortly before departure, in the kitchen of the temporary camp.

"I made this in the camp kitchen before we set off."

As he spoke, Sakumo distributed rice balls one by one to the two of them, his movements light and steady, as if he were distributing some important tactical equipment.

"New rice, autumn rice harvested just last month. It's mixed with freshly pickled plums from the Akito family."

He handed the last rice ball to Danzo, adding a comment that left no room for argument.

"Take it even if you're not hungry, it'll help you replenish your energy."

Thanks...

Danzo accepted the rice ball.

He looked down and examined the object in his hand.

The rice grains are pressed tightly and evenly, with not a single grain loose.

The bamboo leaves wrapping the dish have neat, sharp corners, like a precise geometry problem. Right in the center, a dark red dried plum is perfectly placed, not too much, not too little, just enough to taste its sour and salty flavor in every bite.

He didn't say anything more and took a big bite.

The unique, sweet aroma of the new rice bursts forth between your teeth, then is gently neutralized by the perfectly balanced sour and salty flavor of the dried plum. The two flavors blend perfectly, sliding down your tongue and into your stomach.

chew.

Chew again.

Swallow.

"...The plumpness and moisture content of the rice grains are well controlled."

After a long pause, Danzo Shimura gave his assessment, his tone as calm as if he were reviewing a geological survey report for a reservoir.

"Tsk, you have good taste."

Hatake Sakumo picked one up himself, elegantly lifting a corner of the bamboo leaf with his thumb, a subtle, smug smile curving his lips.

"After all, it's rice I planted myself."

Thus, in this desolate forest stretching across the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass, an extremely peculiar scene unfolded.

Three top ninjas, who should have been feared throughout the ninja world, stood quietly eating rice balls under the cold moonlight.

At this moment, they were not the Konoha delegation about to travel to Sunagakure for high-risk negotiations.

Three people who had traveled through the night were sharing a late-night snack prepared by their companion under the moon.

Uchiha Kagami ate the most refined meal.

He took small bites, his left hand slightly arched, elegantly supporting the crumbs like a lotus leaf, as if to catch the crumbs that were unlikely to fall.

After finishing the meal, he carefully preserved the bamboo leaf that had wrapped the rice ball, folding it neatly along its original veins.

This is the etiquette and manners passed down through the Uchiha clan, deeply ingrained in their very being—even when eating the simplest rice ball in the desolate wilderness.

Danzo ate the fastest, finishing his meal in just a few bites.

As he swallowed the last bite, he folded the bamboo leaf into a neat square, like a tofu block, and casually stuffed it into the side pocket of his tool bag at his waist.

Leaving no trace is a basic quality of a ninja.

But what he probably finds even more intolerable is leaving any messy trash on the land he has personally passed through.

—Even if this path is not within Konoha's jurisdiction.

Shuo Mao stopped eating halfway through his meal.

He held the remaining half of the rice ball in his mouth, his cheeks puffing out slightly—this unintentional action made the renowned Konoha White Fang look somewhat like a squirrel storing food for winter—then he freed his hands and pulled out a small paper bag made of kraft paper from under the cloth bag he had just used.

The paper bag was a bit wrinkled, and a few words were scribbled on it in thick charcoal pencil.

The handwriting is slanted and the strokes are bold, carrying a sense of unrestrained spirit; it is clearly not the work of Shuo Mao himself.

It was most likely marked casually by an Akimichi clan member who was secretly eating roasted meat in the farm warehouse.

"Shed No. 3, Batch 7, Salt-baked".

Uchiha Kagami's gaze fell on the paper bag, and his gentle eyes narrowed slightly.

"What is this?"

"Dried sand scorpion."

"...You even carry this with you at all times?" Jing's tone was full of surprise.

Sakumo swallowed the remaining half of the rice ball in his mouth, his expression as calm as if he had been asked, "Why do you carry a kunai with you?"

"Perfect with rice."

As he spoke, he tore open the paper bag and pulled out a dried scorpion that was entirely brownish-red.

The scorpion's carapace was evenly covered with a layer of fine white salt grains, which shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

He casually tossed it into his mouth.

Teeth biting.

"Click."

The sound of the shell cracking between the teeth was clear and delicate, like stepping on a dry, frosty grass on a clear early winter morning.

Sakumo chewed twice with satisfaction, squinted his eyes comfortably, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Hmm...not bad."