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

Chapter 141 Go fishing for your first fish

After saying that, Uchiha Yogen seemed to feel that it was not enough to express his sincerity, so he immediately added.

"That's perfect! Lord Hokage, why don't you and your student stay here to fish this afternoon, and then... stay for dinner tonight? We can have a simple meal together!"

"My wife's cooking... is passable!"

His tone was full of anticipation and nervousness.

This invitation came almost spontaneously, and came from the bottom of my heart.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the face that was almost touching his, twitched the corner of his mouth, and quickly nodded.

"Ahem... Alright, then I'll leave it to you."

"Yay! This is awesome! We're going to have a big meal tonight! We'll get to meet the Hokage's students!"

Before Yexian could recover from his immense joy, Obito next to him cheered again. He could almost see the happy scene of everyone sitting together that night, eating the tricolor dumplings and delicious grilled fish made by their mother.

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The afternoon sun softened, losing its midday heat and bathing everything in a warm golden light.

Hiruzen Sarutobi led a boy whose face was full of reluctance slowly toward the lake.

Senju Nawaki's shoulders slumped, each step feeling like dragging a thousand-pound chain. His once vibrant face now held only the despair of being tormented by theoretical knowledge.

"Uncle Naruto, why did we have to come here?"

The boy's voice carried a hint of listless complaint.

"The sparring practice this afternoon was clearly more meaningful."

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't turn around, but spoke in a gentle tone.

"Your sparring has begun."

Rope Tree was taken aback, looking at the teacher's broad back with confusion.

Sparring?

Here? With whom? With the fish in the lake?

Before he could figure it out, a child's voice full of surprise came over.

"Uncle Naruto! You're here!"

The little figure jumped off the chair by the lake, and with its short legs, rushed over like a little cannonball.

It was Uchiha Obito.

He ran up to her, looked up at her bright little face, her eyes sparkling with pure joy.

Only then did Obito Uchiha notice Hiruzen Sarutobi's dejected older brother behind him.

Obito tilted his head curiously.

"Big brother, who are you? You look unhappy."

Rope Tree glanced at the little guy who was much shorter than him, and nodded politely.

"You can call me... Rope Tree."

"Aww~"

Obito quickly responded and enthusiastically extended his little hand.

"Hello, Rope Tree Brother! My name is Uchiha Obito! Let's go fishing together! My dad said that if I catch the biggest fish today, Mom will make extra tricolor dumplings as a reward tonight!"

When food was mentioned, Obito's eyes lit up even more.

Looking at his innocent and naive appearance, Rope Tree felt his irritation subside a little, but he still couldn't muster much interest in fishing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and patted Obito on the head, then took another prepared fishing rod from Yogen Uchiha and handed it to Nawaki.

"Rope Tree".

"Your first spiritual lesson."

Go catch your first fish.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was very serious; he didn't seem to be joking at all.

"Okay..."

Nawaki glanced at the fishing rod, then at the unquestionable look in the eyes of the Naruto uncle, and could only helplessly take it.

He imitated Uchiha Yoru, found a spot by the lake to sit down, awkwardly baited his hook, and then forcefully cast the line out.

"Thump!"

The bait, like a small stone, slammed heavily into the water, splashing a few droplets and startling several small fish that were leisurely swimming nearby, causing them to scatter in all directions.

Hey kid! How much bait did you put on that fish?!

Uchiha Yogen's eye twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Hiruzen Sarutobi simply watched quietly, his face expressionless.

Time began to tick away, second by second.

For the vibrant Thousand-Armed Rope Tree, this sitting meditation was nothing short of torture.

He would shift his body every now and then and adjust his posture.

After a while, I scratched my head again, feeling a slight itch on the back of my neck.

Every now and then, I would lift the fishing rod to check if the bait was still there, and then throw it back into the water.

Senju Nawaki exuded an aura of restlessness.

The lake water around his fishing float was as still as a mirror, without the slightest ripple.

"well……"

Rope Tree let out its seventeenth sigh of the afternoon.

This is even more torturous than memorizing "The Five Hundred Basic Transformations of Chakra Nature".

Just as he was about to lose all patience, a small exclamation came from not far away.

"Oh my god! It moved! It moved!"

It was Obito's voice.

Rope Tree subconsciously turned his head away.

Little Obito was nervously gripping his small fishing rod, the thin tip of which was slightly bent.

"Don't rush, Obito, hold on! Let's slip away first!"

Uchiha Yogen immediately knelt down, took his son's hand, and instructed him in a calm voice.

"Yes, that's it, slowly pull it up!"

Obito gritted his teeth, his face turning red, and used all his strength to slowly turn the reel.

With a whoosh.

A crucian carp the size of a palm was pulled out of the water, its tail swishing in the air, splashing up a string of glistening water droplets.

"Wow--!!"

Obito let out a loud cheer, threw down his fishing rod, and clumsily grabbed the still-wriggling fish.

"Oh, brother! I caught one! Look, I caught one!"

He held his spoils high and rushed to Uchiha Yogen like a treasure, his face beaming with unparalleled pride.

"Haha, well done, Obito, you're a fishing genius!"

Ye Xian picked up his son and kissed his muddy little face. The laughter of the father and son gradually echoed in the boy's ears.

This heartwarming and fulfilling scene pierced Rope Tree's heart.

His cheeks instantly became burning hot.

A strong sense of frustration and shame welled up inside me.

Rope Tree stared intently at his motionless float, gripping the fishing rod even tighter.

Just then.

A warm hand gently pressed on his shoulder.

That force instantly calmed the restlessness in his heart.

Rope Tree shuddered suddenly, knowing who it was without even turning around.

"Naruto uncle..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't speak, but simply stood quietly behind him.

His gaze passed over the boy and landed on the lake surface, which was dyed golden by the setting sun.

"Rope Tree".

After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice so calm that no emotion could be detected.

"What is a ninja?"

This question stumped Rope Tree.

He opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words.

Was it powerful ninjutsu? Was it the determination to protect the village? Was it an unwavering will to never give up?

These answers flashed through his mind, but he felt that these were not the answers his teacher wanted to hear.

Your heart is too noisy.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice, like a gentle breeze across a lake, clearly reached Nawaki's ears.