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

Chapter 136 So this is what the Hokage is like.

"Thank you, Chieftain!"

Following the method taught by Farm Manager Sakumo, Sarutobi Nami first wiped the tomato until it shone with his sleeve before opening his mouth and carefully taking a small bite.

The next second, his eyes widened instantly.

A sweet and delicious juice exploded in his mouth.

"tasty!"

Bo Cheng's eyes instantly sparkled with countless tiny stars as he devoured a fist-sized tomato in no time.

Seeing his expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, feeling both amused and exasperated.

"Let's go."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and patted Nami, who was still savoring the moment.

"Oh... okay!"

The two walked side by side, leaving the Sarutobi clan's territory and heading towards the Uchiha clan's territory.

Soon, they walked onto the wide and smooth Hokage Avenue, which was personally supervised by Danzo.

The streets were even more bustling than in the morning.

All sorts of shops lined the streets, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and laughter filled the air.

Villagers and ninjas dressed in various colors walked through the streets, each with a peaceful and happy smile on their face.

Looking at the bustling scene before him, Bo Cheng couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.

This is... the village they protect.

so good.

Just as he was filled with mixed emotions.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped.

Bo Cheng followed his gaze and saw an elderly man with gray hair pushing a small cart and selling things in an inconspicuous corner by the roadside.

They were long bamboo skewers, each strung with a bright red fruit. The fruit was coated with a layer of translucent sugar, which shimmered enticingly in the sunlight.

"What is that?"

Bo Cheng asked curiously.

"Candied hawthorn berries".

Hiruzen Sarutobi answered with a smile, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

"Never tried it before?"

"Hehe...no."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi strode over to the stall.

"Grandpa, how much are your candied hawthorns?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked up to the stall with a warm smile on his face, just like an ordinary neighbor uncle who was preparing to buy snacks for his children.

The old man selling candied hawthorns was dozing off with his eyes half-closed.

Upon hearing the voice, he slowly opened his eyes. When he saw the person's appearance, his cloudy eyes instantly brightened, and he hurriedly tried to stand up and bow.

"Hokage... Lord Hokage! You... what brings you here!"

"Please sit down, please sit down."

Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly reached out and pressed him back down, saying with a smile, "I just came out for a stroll and saw these candied hawthorns that look nice, so I wanted to buy a couple to try."

"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it!"

The old man was flattered and waved his hands repeatedly, "It's my honor that Lord Hokage wants to eat; how could I accept your money? Please take as much as you like!"

As he spoke, he was about to pull out the two largest and reddest candied hawthorns from the target and hand them over.

"That won't do."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and shook his head, took out his wallet from his pocket, counted out a few bills, and stuffed them into the old man's wrinkled hand without saying a word.

"Let's keep things separate. It's not easy for you to do business here. Besides, this is the new trend in Konoha now—even close brothers should keep clear accounts."

He picked up two candied hawthorns and handed one to Sarutobi Nami, who was staring in disbelief.

"Try it, this is my favorite food when I was a kid."

"Ah... Oh! Thank you, Chieftain!"

Bo Cheng snapped out of his daze and quickly took it with both hands.

He glanced at the string of bright red, glistening candied hawthorns in his hand, then looked at the clan chief who was chatting away, and felt a little unreal.

Is this... Lord Hokage?

She has absolutely no airs.

Just like... just like that nagging but incredibly kind neighbor uncle in your own home.

"Old man, how's business lately?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked casually.

"Good! Good! Thanks to the Hokage, this is excellent!"

The old man's wrinkled face beamed with joy as he mentioned this, "Now that the village is peaceful, everyone has some extra money. My candied hawthorns sell out every day before the afternoon! It's much better than before!"

"That's good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with satisfaction.

People's livelihood is the most fundamental cornerstone of a village.

He chatted with the old man for a few more minutes, asking about his family, before turning and leaving with Bocheng.

Watching them leave, the old man excitedly called out to those around him, "Did you see that?! Did you see that?! Lord Hokage! Lord Hokage bought my candied hawthorn! And he paid for it!"

Passersby cast envious glances at them.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Nami Sarutobi, each holding a candied hawthorn stick, strolled along the bustling Hokage Avenue like an ordinary uncle and nephew.

Following the example of the clan chief, Bo Cheng carefully took a bite.

Crunchy.

The glistening sugar coating on the outside shattered instantly in my mouth, sweet but not cloying.

Next comes the sweet and sour taste of the hawthorn pulp inside.

It has a sweet and sour taste with distinct layers of flavor.

"Is it tasty?"

Looking at his satisfied expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a smile.

"Uh-huh!"

Bo Cheng nodded vigorously, his mouth full of candied hawthorns, and mumbled, "Delicious!"

"Ha ha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was amused by his appearance.

He took a bite himself, savoring the familiar sweet and sour taste of his childhood, and felt a sense of peace in his heart.

"Speaking of which, Nami, did you do anything embarrassing back in the ninja academy?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to suddenly remember something and asked casually.

"what?"

Bo Cheng was stunned for a moment, and his face instantly turned red.

"This...this..."

He stammered for a while before saying somewhat embarrassedly, "There was... once, I got into a fight with the Inuzuka family's kid over a seat..."

"Oh? And then? Who won?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gossip spirit was instantly ignited.

"...I made him cry."

Bo Cheng's voice trailed off, "Then... his ninja dog tore my pants... In the end, we were both punished by the teacher to clean the playground."

"Hahahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi could no longer contain himself and burst into hearty laughter.

Bo Cheng's face turned even redder, and she wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

How embarrassing! I actually brought up my embarrassing past in front of the clan chief.

The two of them walked slowly down the street, chatting and laughing.

Along the way, villagers and ninjas would stop and greet Hiruzen Sarutobi with heartfelt respect whenever they saw him.

"Greetings, Hokage!"

"Lord Hokage, you're out shopping!"

"Lord Hokage, would you like to come in and have a seat at our shop? We have freshly roasted sweet potatoes!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi responded with a smile and a nod, showing no impatience whatsoever.

He would stop and chat with the ramen shop owner about today's business; he would bend down, pat a little Uchiha girl's head, and compliment her on how beautifully she styled her bun.

This kind and approachable side left Sarutobi Nami, who was following behind, speechless.

He felt that his understanding of the word "Naruto" had been refreshed once again.

So, this is what Naruto is like.