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

Chapter 9 The Night the Hokage Mask Was Removed

With the moon high in the sky, the candlelight in the Hokage's office finally went out.

Hiruzen Sarutobi dragged his aching body home. The night breeze, cool on his face, eased his tension from the day.

By day, he is the shrewd and unfathomable Third Hokage, whose every word and action affects the future of the entire village. Every decision requires him to mentally rehearse it in a simulator, searching through countless bloody and disastrous outcomes to find the one and only path that allows Konoha to survive.

The feeling was like dancing while wearing an incredibly heavy mask. The steps couldn't be wrong, the expression couldn't falter, because countless eyes were watching. Some trusted, some doubted, and some, like Danzo, were waiting to see when he would fall.

tired.

I'm so tired.

When I got home and opened the door, a warm aroma of food wafted out, dispelling the chill of the late night.

"You're back."

A gentle voice rang out from the entrance hall. Sarutobi Biwako walked over. She didn't ask much about work, but simply took the Hokage's robe he had taken off and hung it on the hanger.

"The food is still warm, go wash your hands and eat."

"Um."

Hiruzen Sarutobi responded, feeling as if half of his weight had been lifted. Outside, he was the Hokage; here, he was simply Hiruzen Sarutobi, a husband returning home.

On the table were a few simple home-style dishes and a bowl of steaming miso soup. Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his chopsticks and began to eat heartily. He was starving; a day of official business followed by training those three brats at the training grounds had left him extremely exhausted.

Biwako sat opposite him, quietly watching him eat, occasionally adding a bowl of rice to his bowl.

"Eat slowly, don't choke," she said softly.

"I couldn't help it, I was too hungry." Hiruzen Sarutobi said indistinctly with his mouth full of food, "I've officially taken charge of the class now, and those three little guys are just a bunch of clowns."

He couldn't help but laugh whenever this was mentioned.

"Oh? You mean the granddaughter of the first generation, the one you mentioned before, and that genius and the loser?" Biwako's eyes also showed a hint of a smile, clearly very interested in these children.

"That's right." Hiruzen Sarutobi swallowed the rice in his mouth and began to describe it vividly, "That kid named Jiraiya, with his white hair, was all loud and boisterous. He came at me shouting and charging in, but he ended up falling headfirst into the pit I dug and was hung upside down. It was so funny."

"Pfft." Biwako couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"And then there's Tsunade, the First Hokage's granddaughter. She has quite the temper. One punch from her and she leaves a huge crater in the ground, like a monster. Too bad, she didn't hit me at all." Hiruzen Sarutobi imitated Tsunade's punching motion, making Biwako laugh non-stop.

"What about Orochimaru? Didn't you say he was a genius?"

"A genius? He is a genius, no doubt, but he's a bit too cold."

Hiruzen Sarutobi curled his lip. "He's clever enough to know how to ambush and launch a sneak attack."

He told his wife about what happened on the training field that day, as if it were a joke.

Looking at Biwako's bright smile, he felt his fatigue and stress from the day gradually melt away in that laughter.

Outside, he had to play the role of an omnipotent "sage ruler," scheming against people's hearts and weighing pros and cons. Only here could he shed all his pretenses and, like an ordinary person, share the joys of life.

After finishing his meal, Hiruzen Sarutobi slumped into a chair in the living room, letting out a long, comfortable sigh. He felt like a salted fish whose bones had been removed, not wanting to move at all.

Biwako cleared away the dishes and brought over a cup of hot tea. Then she silently walked behind him and gently placed her slender but strong hands on his shoulders, massaging them with just the right amount of pressure.

"Hmm..." Hiruzen Sarutobi hummed comfortably.

Biwako's technique was excellent; she accurately located his most sore spots, applying just the right amount of pressure. His tense muscles gradually relaxed under her massage.

"You must be very tired today?" Biwako's voice was very soft, like a feather brushing against his heart.

"It's alright." Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes, enjoying this rare moment of peace. "The Hokage, after all, is always tired."

"I noticed your eyebrows were practically furrowed together when you came back today."

Biwako paused, "Are you worried about the Uchiha clan? I heard that Root's recruitment is encountering resistance from their side."

Hiruzen Sarutobi opened his eyes, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Biwako to even know this.

"It's just some idle gossip from the elders; don't take it to heart."

"Hiruzen." Biwako's voice suddenly turned serious. "Don't forget, I'm a ninja too. Although I don't go on missions much anymore, I still know some things about the village."

She walked around to face Hiruzen Sarutobi, squatted down, and looked up at him.

"I know you're under a lot of pressure. Your teacher just sacrificed himself, and all the responsibilities inside and outside the village have suddenly fallen on your shoulders. You have to appease the people, deter external enemies, and deal with internal problems like Danzo and the Uchiha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked into his wife's clear eyes, which held no complaints, only understanding and heartache.

"I can't help you much, but you should remember this."

Biwako grasped his hand and said, word by word, "The women of the Sarutobi clan have never been weaknesses that need to be protected. We are the Hokage's strongest support."

"No matter what decisions you make outside, no matter how unreasonable those decisions may seem to outsiders, when you come home, I will always believe in you and support you."

A huge warm current instantly surged through Hiruzen Sarutobi's entire body.

He transmigrated to this world, entrusted with a critical mission, and danced on the edge of a knife every day. He possessed a future simulator, allowing him to see a future others couldn't, granting him a godlike perspective, but also destined him to be a solitary traveler.

He couldn't tell anyone his secrets; he had to bear all the pressure and fear alone.

He thought he would always be alone like this.

until now.