Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 193 Five Shadows Talk
Outside Konoha Hospital, makeshift tents stretched all the way to the street corner.

The tents were filled with ninjas, their bodies wrapped in bandages and barely breathing. The once bustling village was now shrouded in a sense of exhaustion and sorrow, as if it had survived a catastrophe.

The hospital corridors were already packed with people, and the air was thick with the smells of disinfectant, herbs, and blood, so heavy it was almost suffocating.

The groans of the wounded, the sobs of their families, and the hurried footsteps of the medical ninjas intertwined to create a somber post-war melody.

Hinata Kumokawa walked through the crowded corridor, dressed in a simple white outfit, his long black hair neatly tied back, his usual smile gone.

His lowered face showed only heaviness, as if he couldn't bear to look at the injured ninjas, his lips were tightly pursed and somewhat pale.

Wherever he went, whether it was busy medical ninjas or suffering wounded soldiers, they couldn't help but cast their gazes and felt an urge to go forward and comfort him.

However, due to the solemn atmosphere of the hospital, no one tried to approach and start a conversation.

Hinata Kumokawa walked to a double hospital room, nodded slightly to the two ANBU ninjas guarding the door, and then raised his hand to gently knock on the door.

dong dong...

"Please come in."

A slightly hoarse, tired but still steady voice came from inside the door.

Click.

Hinata Kumokawa gently pushed open the door and entered. The room was softly lit and filled with the distinctive bitterness of herbs.

Two hospital beds were placed facing each other. Kakashi was lying on one of the beds, flipping through "Make-Out Paradise" in his hand.

One of his eyes was wrapped in bandages, leaving only a dead fish eye showing, which was squinted with a sly smile.

Upon seeing Hinata Yunchuan enter the ward, he quickly hid the erotic book in his hand and waved to Yunchuan, saying, "Hey, good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," Hinata Kumokawa said lightly. "You still have the mood to read that kind of book. It seems that Kakashi-senpai's injuries are not serious."

Kakashi blushed at her words, while Hyuga Kumokawa looked at the other hospital bed.

On the other bed, Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting up, leaning against the backrest. His face was pale from recovering from a serious illness, and his wrinkles seemed deeper, revealing an undeniable weariness and vicissitude.

His once vigorous spirit had been largely drained away, leaving only an old man who seemed to be crushed by a heavy burden.

He held an open scroll in his hand, his brows furrowed, his gaze sweeping over its contents with a serious expression.

When he saw Hinata Kumokawa enter, he slowly raised his head, forcing a gentle smile that couldn't hide his weariness.

"Yunkawa is here." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice carried a hint of relief, but also a subtle sense of heaviness. "Please sit down."

Hyuga Kumokawa sat on a chair by the bed, leaning forward with a hint of concern on his face and asking, "Third Hokage, are you feeling better?"

“I wasn’t really injured.” Hiruzen Sarutobi put down the scroll in his hand and let out a barely audible sigh. “It’s just that these old bones of mine can’t take any more damage.”

"It's you..."

His gaze fell on Hinata Kumokawa, and he knew very well that beneath that plain white dress, there were actually many simply bandaged wounds.

"Thank you for your hard work this time. Without you, the casualties would probably have been even greater," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

"It is my duty, Lord Third Generation." Hinata Kumokawa shook his head slightly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the document in his hand and asked with a hint of urgency, "Is this the research report from the institute on 'Hollows'?"

However, Hinata Kumokawa did not immediately hand over the research report.

He frowned slightly, carefully examining Hiruzen Sarutobi's face and deep-set eyes, and asked, "Third Hokage, how long did you...sleep last night?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was clearly taken aback for a moment.

He hadn't expected Hinata Kumokawa to suddenly ask this, instead of giving a proper work report. He subconsciously looked away, his lips moved, but he was speechless for a moment.

A brief silence fell over the ward.

"You only slept for two hours."

A soft, airy voice came from the opposite hospital bed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly turned his head and glared at Kakashi with annoyance.

Kakashi's one exposed dead fish eye curved slightly, then he continued flipping through his copy of "Icha Icha Paradise," which he had somehow pulled out again.

"My Lord, this won't do."

Hyuga Kumokawa sighed softly and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, saying gently, "Your body and mind are extremely exhausted right now, and what you need most is rest and recuperation."

"The village affairs are being handled by the advisors, Tōshin and Mitomon. You should trust them and trust everyone in Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a surge of warmth mixed with embarrassment welling up inside him, but he still shook his head with a wry smile and said hoarsely, "I am mostly responsible for the situation we have today."

"How could I possibly lie here and rest with a clear conscience?"

He paused, his gaze falling back to the scattered scrolls in front of him, and sighed, "Moreover, there are many things that are beyond their control."

He reached out and picked up a scroll from among them, his tone heavy: "Take a look, these are the latest intelligence about 'Hollow'." Hinata Kumokawa looked at the scroll he handed over, then at his tired but determined eyes, and could only sigh helplessly again.

"I understand, but please take good care of yourself."

Hinata Kumokawa stopped insisting, placed the research report he had brought next to Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand, reached out and took the intelligence scroll handed to him by Sarutobi Hiruzen, and slowly unfolded it.

His gaze swept quickly across the lines of text, his pure white eyes flickering slightly.

On the border of the Land of Wind, an unknown 'monster' attacks a caravan. Its characteristics closely match those of the 'Hollows' encountered in Konoha. The Sand Village dispatches a ninja team to investigate, but they are all killed...

In the mining area of ​​the Land of Earth, an unidentified 'ghost' has appeared deep within the mines, attacking miners. Survivors' descriptions match the characteristics of a 'hollow' (illusionary). Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village) has now sealed off the relevant area...

Along the coast of the Land of Lightning, several fishing boats have gone missing. The surviving fishermen have gone mad, describing being attacked by a 'white-masked monster,' but the monster has vanished without a trace...

In Kirigakure, the Hidden Mist Village of the Land of Water, a rebellion by the Kaguya clan has occurred, with a high-level Hollow suspected to have appeared, forcing the Fourth Mizukage to intervene.

The Espada No. 1, 'Uzumaki', appeared, severely injuring the Fourth Mizukage who had fully transformed into a tailed beast, and then left with the 'Hollow', a special individual transformed from the Kaguya clan.

After the Fourth Mizukage awakens, he claims that he was previously controlled by Obito Uchiha, who was disguised as Madara Uchiha, using genjutsu. Kirigakure then puts a bounty of 100 million ryo on his head...

Hinata Kumokawa narrowed his eyes slightly as he continued to look at the most detailed information at the back.

On the battlefield of the Land of Hot Springs, a high-level Hollow was suspected to have appeared. Jiraiya made his move, and the third Espada, the Puppet Master, appeared. Jiraiya used Sloth, and the two fought for a long time.

While the two were locked in combat, the 'Evil God Cult', disguised as Cloud Village ninjas and Leaf Village ninjas, suddenly appeared, disrupting the balance between the two sides and plunging them into another chaotic battle.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Hidan, the leader of the "Evil God Cult," killed "Hollow" and used his powerful and bizarre blood-draining ability to drain the blood of nearly a hundred Konoha and Kumogakure ninjas.

The Puppet Master attempted to kill Hidan using his thread abilities, but Hidan displayed powerful regenerative abilities, allowing the Puppet Master to leave. Hidan and the Jashin Cult then slaughtered the Cloud Village ninja, escaping before the Fourth Raikage arrived...

The Daimyo's residence in the Land of Fire suffered a large-scale attack by Hollows, resulting in heavy losses to its guards. Tsunade happened to be nearby and rushed to the rescue, working with the remaining guards of the Daimyo's residence to successfully kill the Hollows.

Although the daimyo was not injured, he was greatly frightened and, in a fit of rage, issued a questioning to Konoha...

"..."

Hinata Kumokawa slowly closed the scroll, and the air in the ward seemed to freeze, with only the faint noise coming from outside the window and the sound of Kakashi gently turning the pages.

"See that, Yun Chuan?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Hyuga Kumokawa, a bitter look on his tired face: "'Hollows' are no longer limited to Konoha, nor are they just enemies of ninjas."

"They are spreading throughout the entire ninja world, and have even threatened the safety of the daimyo. This is directly shaking the core of the Land of Fire!"

He leaned slowly against the headboard, his voice filled with helplessness: "Luckily, Tsunade was there, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable..."

Hyuga Kumokawa placed the scroll back beside Sarutobi Hiruzen, his gaze falling once more on the haggard old man, and said, "Third Hokage, 'Hollow' is not without its solutions."

"Although the current situation is very serious, I still want to say that you should have faith in the power of everyone."

After saying that, he looked out the window, and Hiruzen Sarutobi also subconsciously followed his gaze and looked out the window.

What comes into view is Konoha shrouded in a light black smoke. Even with the sunlight and the swaying of the remaining green plants, it cannot conceal the disheveled state of Konoha after the battle.

Large amounts of greenery were burned, leaving only blackened shells. Ash covered everything like an early August snowfall, and buildings were riddled with cracks and ruins.

Some places suffered more, like the Hokage Building, which was reduced to ruins. Others fared better, such as Konoha Hospital and the Ninja Academy, which remained undamaged.

Amid the ruins, one white tent after another sprang up, blooming in the village like white flowers that sprouted from the ground overnight.

In the large camp made up of tents, many people and medical ninjas moved about, and the noise and a fragrance hidden in the smell of gunpowder were carried from afar by the breeze.

That's the smell of food.

Even under these circumstances, they can still find joy amidst hardship.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's worries inexplicably dissipated, and his gaze returned to the research report in his hand. After opening it and reading it, the unknown fear gradually faded away.

Although 'emptiness' remains a problem, at least there are ways to deal with it.

However, traditional ninja tactics and ways of thinking will face a severe challenge in the face of such an existence.

After pondering for a long time, he slowly raised his head, looked at the almost perfect young man in front of him, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

"Yun Chuan," he said.

“I am here, Third Hokage,” Hinata Kumokawa replied.

Hearing his voice, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a little relieved, let out a deep breath, and said, "Send letters to the other four great nations, including this research report."

"The Hollows and the Espada are not only enemies of Konoha, but they must also know this."

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Kumokawa's pupils narrowed slightly, and he asked, "Third Hokage, what are you planning to do..."

“I want to invite them to the Five Kage Summit.” Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, looking at Hyuga Kumokawa’s face, and said softly, “And I hope you can come with me…”

(12,000 words a day, please vote with monthly tickets QAQ!)
(End of this chapter)