stonecrandall Page 188
Page 188
When he suddenly regained consciousness and the dizziness subsided, the world before him had become a completely new place.
Although the two were still on that bench, Hinata Yuzuru was wearing a white casual kimono, his white hair flowing, and he looked relaxed.
Naruto Uzumaki looked down and was shocked to find that he was wearing a robe similar in style to that of Yuzuru Hyuga.
He frantically reached up to touch his head, only to pull off a straw hat with the character for "fire" written on it, leaving him speechless and bewildered as he looked around.
Hinata Yuzuru simply smiled at him.
"Go back to the village... and see if your dream of becoming Hokage is really as wonderful as it seems."
If this is the life you've always dreamed of and longed for, then I will personally help you master the power of the Nine-Tails.
After he finished speaking, he suddenly disappeared, leaving only a laughing voice echoing in the place: "Enjoy yourself, Sixth Hokage."
Hyuga Yuzuru has disappeared.
Before Naruto could even utter a question, he stood frozen in shock after Hyuga Yuzuru disappeared, completely at a loss for what to do.
"What...?"
Is it an illusion?
Naruto wasn't entirely sure, but after looking around, he couldn't help but marvel: he'd never heard of anyone possessing genjutsu abilities at this level...
If it's an illusion... what did Yuzuru-nii say just now?
Six six six...The Sixth Hokage!?
Chapter 138 Illusion, Reality
"Sir the Sixth Generation!"
"Lord Naruto!"
Good morning, Hokage!
Naruto walked down the street, his smile almost uncontrollable. He grinned and waved to the respectful villagers around him, saying, "Ah! Good morning!"
The villagers seemed puzzled by his somewhat 'exaggerated' smile, but in the end, they just watched him stroll through the street with eyes that were both admiring and respectful.
Is this what Yuzuru Hanyu feels like?
Ah...that feels so good!!!
This was the first time Naruto had ever felt this way—respected and recognized by everyone. The respectful and admiring looks in everyone's eyes when they saw him made him feel like he was floating on clouds.
This feeling was almost unbelievable for Naruto, who had been scorned since childhood and was now practically invisible in Konoha.
So... what should I do next?
Naruto suddenly felt a little lost.
He stopped on the street, turned his head, and suddenly... felt a little lost.
The familiar street layout had vanished, replaced by towering buildings stretching out to both sides. In the distance, a huge television screen hung on a building. Naruto didn't know what such an electronic screen was called, but all of this made him feel incredibly curious yet also somewhat lost, unsure of where to go.
Four-wheeled motorcycles—or rather, cars—whizzed by on the street, flowing endlessly up and down the road. Naruto, walking on the sidewalk, stood by the roadside, completely absorbed in watching them.
"365 days a year, Konoha Life, your best medical choice."
The sound from afar sounded somewhat familiar to Naruto. He looked up, his mouth agape, and saw a mature version of Sakura smiling and speaking on the huge television screen of the building in the distance. Behind her, the familiar yet unfamiliar Konoha Hospital was displayed in a futuristic architectural style.
When Sakura's figure disappears, a new advertisement appears, filled with shocking images that Naruto can't understand, until finally, Jiraiya's figure appears.
"Produced by the legendary Jiraiya, 'Icha Icha 3: Fatal Strike' will be released on July 13th."
Naruto stared at the billboard on the roadside for more than five minutes.
He reluctantly looked away only after the billboard started playing the advertisement on a loop.
Is this... the future Konoha?
He gazed at the traffic flowing through the streets, the tall buildings, and the villagers dressed in all sorts of clothes...
Knowing he was in a genjutsu, Naruto brazenly asked a villager for directions and headed towards the Hokage Building.
Along the way, there were various office buildings, commercial streets, people holding cell phones and earphones, all kinds of cars, and traffic lights on the road...
He was dazzled by what he saw, and finally understood what the future Konoha that Hyuga Yuzuru longed for was really like.
Perhaps this is why Hyuga Yuzuru used genjutsu on him?
As Naruto was still pondering, the Hokage Building came into view.
The beautiful high-rise glass building filled him with a sense of technology and awe that he could not describe.
He stood blankly at the door for a long time, then turned his head to look. All he could see on the Hokage Rock not far away, next to the statue of Hyuga Yuzuru, was Naruto Uzumaki's face. His golden buzz cut and resolute face made Naruto unconsciously touch his own head, only to realize that his hair had also turned short.
She does seem to have matured a lot.
For the first time, Naruto Uzumaki had the idea of cutting his hair short.
As he entered the building, before he could even ask himself where to go, he saw Shikamaru approaching from a distance, looking hurried. Upon seeing him, Shikamaru's face lit up with joy: "You're finally here! Hurry up..."
The mature version of Shikamaru dragged him into the elevator, which took him to the top floor. Before Naruto could think of anything to say, he was led into a super luxurious office. The beautiful, huge floor-to-ceiling windows and the modern design made him exclaim in admiration, but Shikamaru half-pushed him to sit down.
"Please finish reviewing these documents as soon as possible, Naruto-sama."
After Shikamaru finished speaking, Naruto stared in disbelief at the mountain of documents beside him: "This, so many!?"
"Isn't this usually the case? Alright, let's get started... We need to finish this by the morning. This afternoon, we have to catch a flight to Kirigakure, and tonight we have another meeting..."
Naruto's eyes bulged like mosquito coils as he stared at the documents, completely dumbfounded. Shikamaru, however, just sighed and started helping him process the documents without any surprise. Naruto worked with a bitter face, only managing to eat lunch in ten minutes at noon. In the afternoon, he boarded an 'airplane' he had never heard of before and went to Kirigakure.
As expected, the meeting ended in a blunder, but fortunately Shikamaru helped, and the meeting finally ended smoothly. He flew back to Konoha that night, but then held a remote meeting in his office using the so-called 'network'. By the time the meeting ended, it was already pitch black.
"Wait, where should I go back to?"
Naruto stared blankly at Shikamaru, who was getting ready to leave work.
Looking exhausted, Shikamaru lazily asked, "What did you do this time to make Madam angry?"
"No, wait a minute, madam!?"
Naruto was completely numb.
After much effort and deduction, he finally gleaned a shocking truth from Shikamaru.
"I married Hinata? Huh?"
Is something wrong somewhere?
Although Hinata is a nice girl, to be honest, Naruto never thought he would marry her, or even that they would become a couple.
How could she like me?
More than finding out he'd fallen for Hinata, Naruto was surprised that she was with him...
Never mind, maybe it's just a random illusion? Or maybe Yuzuru was just joking?
Naruto suddenly realized that he was in a genjutsu.
Strangely enough, at first I was very clear that I was in an environment, but the longer I stayed here, the more I felt a sense of 'identification', as if... this was the real world.
They even forgot that they were under an illusion.
That's really impressive...
Naruto then asked Shikamaru where he lived. Shikamaru looked at him strangely, but he was also very worried and advised him to go to the hospital if he felt unwell. Then he gave him the address.
Naruto followed the address and found his home using the 'mobile map' app that he had finally learned to use.
As soon as the doorbell was rang, Hinata's voice came from inside.
Hinata, with her long hair and gentle expression, opened the door and, upon seeing him, gave him a soft, happy smile: "Welcome home."
"Uh...uh." Naruto swallowed hard, his body stiff as he watched Hinata gently find him slippers and bring him inside. She casually asked about his work that day while cooking for him.
The warm and natural atmosphere made Naruto feel dreamy and immersed in it.
I don't even know how I fell asleep; I only know that after eating, it seemed like the next day had arrived.
At the same time, he gradually forgot the fact that he was in an illusion.
This repetitive routine became the daily life of the Hokage.
The initial novelty quickly turned into boredom, and the heavy workload made him sigh repeatedly. If it weren't for Shikamaru's constant help, he probably wouldn't have been able to complete even the basic official duties.
He and Hinata rarely saw each other, often working overtime and traveling around the world to attend meetings, conduct research, and arrange construction projects...
This kind of Hokage life... is completely different from what Naruto Uzumaki imagined.
Not only do they get a few holidays a year, but their daily work is also monotonous and boring. Even though their home is in Konoha, they rarely get to spend time with their families...
A massive flood struck the south, and as Hokage, his handling of the situation was deemed inadequate. Consequently, some blamed him entirely, even though he had clearly tried his best to address the problem. Yet, people kept saying that if it had been the Fifth Hokage, the losses would not have been so severe...
There are many other similar unpleasant incidents—a trusted subordinate embezzled funds, but Naruto, out of pity, chose to cover it up, only to have it exposed by reporters, forcing him to bear the brunt of the criticism and ultimately fire the subordinate...
Even with well-laid plans, there are always those who outwardly comply but inwardly defy them, forcing him to repeatedly lose his temper and still failing to complete the tasks smoothly...
Diplomacy, economy, people's livelihood, administration...
One problem after another made Naruto's life miserable.
He worked even harder, but as a result, his body developed a series of health problems.
Ultimately, at the age of seventy, he had to retire due to illness.
Despite his best efforts, he was still criticized by the public as a "failed Hokage" and "the Fifth Hokage's wrong choice."
Konoha was no longer as glorious as it once was. During his decades in power, its development was slow, and it was overtaken by other ninja villages, turning the once dominant village into a multi-strong village structure...
Fortunately, his wife understood his difficulties and knew that he had done his best, so she gently comforted him.
After retiring, Naruto was shocked to realize that he was already an old man.
Even worse, he was plagued by illness and tried his best to recover in his hospital bed, but in the end, he only lived for two more years before passing away.
His soul drifted away from his body, and Naruto Uzumaki looked at his family members weeping by his bedside with a complex expression, silently shedding tears—he had failed to take care of his family, nor had he been able to protect Konoha. Perhaps, he really shouldn't have chosen to become Hokage...
The world before my eyes gradually turned into complete darkness.
After a long while, a white light flashed.
Your Naruto career simulation has ended.
Overall rating: 62 points.
[Comment: With your current intelligence and methods, becoming Hokage is still a bit too early~]
[So? Do you still want to become Hokage?]
Naruto snapped out of his daze and shouted, "Yuzuru-nii!"
The world spun around him again, and in the instant he came to his senses, he saw green leaves swaying in the wind in the distance, and Hyuga Yuzuru, wearing a sacred robe, was leaning back with his eyes closed, a contented smile on his face.
"how?"
He opened his eyes and turned to look at Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto no longer had the excitement he had when he first entered the genjutsu world. He was looking at him with a look of astonishment and dejection, and he was speechless for a moment.
"Was that... all an illusion?" Naruto Uzumaki muttered to himself.
Hyuga Yuzuru hummed in agreement and said with a smile, "How was it? Realistic enough, right?"
Naruto Uzumaki stretched out his hand. Compared to his genjutsu self, his hand now looked exceptionally delicate. He reached out and pinched his face. The smooth skin was nothing like the aged look he had before his death.
Even now, everything that happened in the illusion is still quite clearly present in his memory.
"Is this really something that illusion magic can do?"
Naruto Uzumaki murmured incredulously.
It's like experiencing a part of life all by yourself!
“Of course.” Hinata Yuzuru smiled slightly, but reminded him, “But this is, after all, an illusion. The more you experience, the greater the burden on your mind. Even though I have deliberately blocked out many details you experience in the illusion, it is still a lot of pressure on your mind.”
No training today, just get some rest.
"Hmm..." Naruto Uzumaki's expression remained complicated as he clenched his fist heavily.
Hyuga Yuzuru chuckled dismissively, "Don't worry, the scenario I simulated is just a simulation—in the real world, you'll only do better through learning. However, who knows how many things you'll actually experience; it might just be more complex than what I simulated..."
Naruto, so what do you say? Do you still want to become Hokage?
When Yuzuru Hyuga asked Naruto again if he still wanted to become Hokage, Naruto hesitated for a moment, which was uncharacteristic of him. He lowered his head and did not give an immediate answer, but said, "I want to... think about it some more."