Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

"The war has started again."

Hashirama Senju sighed as he watched the clash between the four ninjas outside the Purple Flame Formation.

Chapter 155 The Konoha Collapse Plan Completed

The Hokage of Konoha dream of creating a world where children can grow up happily.

Naruto's generation may have experienced discrimination and bullying, but they have never experienced war and possess innocence and a beautiful vision for the future.

Until Orochimaru's plan to destroy Konoha came to fruition.

The new branches of Konoha are beginning to protect the future, which is exactly what Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to see.

So when he discovered that Orochimaru possessed the Reanimation Jutsu and had become an immortal monster, he finally harbored murderous intent towards his most beloved disciple.

He could not forgive Orochimaru for coveting the village's young people.

This is precisely why an elderly man, despite his repeatedly ravaged body, continues to fight.

"I am the man who inherited the will of the First Hokage and the Second Hokage. I am the Third Hokage!"

No matter how much you covet Konoha, the new Hokage who inherits my will will become its pillar!

His Reaper Death Seal stole the souls of the First and Second Hokage, leaving them trapped inside the Grim Reaper's belly, never to find peace.

But it was necessary; everything was for Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi will also die later, becoming a victim of the war to end.

Where leaves dance in the air, fire burns ever brighter. The flames will illuminate the village and inspire new leaves to sprout. A ninja's true power is revealed when they yearn to protect those they cherish.

This was his signature phrase, and Hiruzen Sarutobi lived by it.

Regardless of what he carried afterward, at least during the Konoha Crush, readers and viewers alike were shocked and saddened by the Third Hokage's resolve.

In mid-February, the Konoha Crush arc of Naruto came to an end.

The story features scenes of reliable adults like the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Hiashi Hyuga, Kakashi, and Guy taking action to protect their village.

It is precisely because Konoha is a good place that they will do everything in their power to prevent the war from affecting innocent people.

In the forest, a battle was taking place between two enormous creatures.

The summoning beasts Gamabunta and Shukaku showcased another level of combat prowess in the ninja world.

This is nothing short of uprooting mountains and felling trees, spewing water into rain.

Naruto and Gaara are very similar; both suffered undeserved misfortunes because of their status as Jinchuriki.

Naruto was looked down upon, and Gaara was assassinated by his closest confidant.

They were all lonely teenagers isolated from the crowd.

However, they have different philosophies about life.

To protect his comrades, even if it meant a fight that left both sides severely injured, Naruto still used his chin to exert force, crawling on the ground, trying to get to Gaara's side and eliminate the person who threatened his comrades' lives.

Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, and Iruka rescued him from the hell of loneliness, so Naruto will repay that bond with everything he has.

Gaara, however, did not believe in love. He had suffered too much hurt and began to close himself off, turning himself into a monster like Shukaku.

This shows that he actually wants to have friendship, family, and beautiful things.

It's just that there's a lack of an opportunity to break down one's inner defenses.

So at that moment, with his Sand Armor shattered and his life hanging by a thread, Gaara finally removed the spikes.

He saw Naruto Uzumaki, who, despite his murderous aura, looked at him with sympathy and understanding, and seemed to be grieving for him.

At that moment, Gaara was redeemed.

Naruto also became someone else's "Iruka".

To his older brothers and sisters who came to protect him, the younger brother Gaara said, "Temari, Kankuro, I'm sorry."

He bravely took a step forward and began to reconnect with his family and friends.

The biggest boss of the Chunin Exams arc, like the other characters, finally finished his inner monologue and resolved his psychological issues at the end of this arc.

"Wow, Oikawa-sensei, this manga with such a strong sense of foreshadowing and callbacks, is it really going to be a weekly manga? The structure is so tight, the plot so harmonious, it's almost terrifying. It's like... everything was planned in advance!"

At this moment, readers also felt the charm of the protagonist's storyline.

First, the first appearance of the tailed beasts; second, an analysis of Gaara's inner thoughts.

Gaara's story deserves readers' sorrow and pity. The newborn baby became a victim of the conflict between great powers. He did not gain glory, but was instead regarded as a monster by others.

This is precisely the cruelty of the ninja world.

"Naruto is much happier than Gaara."

"I used to be bothered by the cold-bloodedness of the villagers of Konoha under the Third Hokage's rule, but now I have nothing to say. At least they treat Naruto like he's invisible, not like an alien that must be eliminated."

"Compared to the villagers, Naruto painting the Hokage Rock seems more like he's bullying the entire village, doesn't he?"

After the boy's story ended, Hiruzen Sarutobi's life came to a close.

He paid the price with his life to seal Orochimaru's hands and steal his ninjutsu.

At the last moment, Orochimaru in his sight transformed into his childhood form.

Even at the very end, Hiruzen Sarutobi still harbored feelings of teacher-student affection for Orochimaru.

"I have a feeling that if he were reborn and discovered Orochimaru conducting human experiments, he would still choose to save Orochimaru's life?"

"The Third Hokage is the head of Konoha, he doesn't want to let any child go, does he?"

"No, just as only Orochimaru visited him at the end of his life, Hiruzen Sarutobi's favorite disciple was the one who feared death the most."

What do you mean by "only Orochimaru came to visit him"?

After this person's witty remarks, the readers who were discussing the plot of "Naruto" finally felt relieved and smiled.

On a rainy day, the villagers of Konoha offered flowers to their departed elder, and for the first time, Naruto's pupils lost their color.

He was no longer as boisterous as before, but had matured considerably after the loss of loved ones and the baptism of war.

This is precisely the purpose of the Konoha Crush plan.

The boys' vision shifted beyond the village, and they began to look towards a wider world.

The next Naruto...

"Can you draw the world outside the village?"

The dark clouds dispersed, the sun appeared, and Matsumoto sighed:

"Just as the Third Hokage said, even if he were to pass away, there would be people who would inherit his will and rebuild Konoha. Those who remember him today are such people."

He looked very serious and had many feelings about "Naruto".

"Huh?" Fujiwara Chiko, who was secretly eavesdropping, made a surprised sound.

Someone spoke on her behalf: "Even the idiot Matsumoto occasionally says something that makes sense. It's true that even the wisest person can make a mistake, and even the most foolish person can have a stroke of genius."

"Wh...what do you mean?" Matsumoto asked blankly.

"Hahaha," everyone burst into hearty laughter.

……

Editorial Department of Weekly Shonen Jump.

Nagano Nori was having a headache, not for any other reason than the fact that no new pillar had emerged under his command.

Last year, Hiroshi Motomiya's "The Little Demon General" and Go Nagai's "Mazinger Z" both ended.

The comic that now drives the magazine's sales is called "PLAY BALL".

Its quality is far inferior to that of the previous pillars.

The circulation of Jump began to decline slowly.

However, the pace of progress among their peers is astonishingly fast.

Years ago, Weekly Shonen Future surpassed Sunday.

After the New Year, with a circulation of 150 million, it has already threatened the position of Jump.

Especially given the current situation of two-way travel.

If this trend continues, in less than a month, Jump will be overtaken by Future and become number three.

This is something Nagano Nori cannot accept.

"Actually, it's alright," he told his subordinates. "Weekly Shonen Future can only rely on those three people: Osamu Tezuka, Mitsuru Adachi, and..."

Speaking of the last person, Nagano Nori gritted his teeth, "Oikawa Ji!"

The predicament of Jump was brought about by Oikawa.

His magazine, Future, was positioned very similarly to Jump, and Naruto even stole many readers from Jump.

The two sides are in the most intense competitive relationship.

As long as "Future" exists, Nagano Nori will never be at ease.

He had originally planned to step down as editor-in-chief and be promoted to a director of Shueisha, but now he is completely unable to be so relaxed.

He must use his personal abilities to stabilize the situation in Jump and resolve the crisis he is facing!

Composing himself, Nagano Nori continued, "It's impossible to support a top commercial magazine forever with just the efforts of one or two manga artists. When Mitsuru Adachi and Ji Oikawa lose their appeal, 'Future' won't go far."

Upon hearing his words, the editors, who had initially been skeptical of him, instantly gained confidence.

Jump has achieved its current position by continuously nurturing new talent.

Although powerful, Future, lacking backup energy, is a one-legged giant, trembling and fragile, and will collapse at the slightest setback.

"The editor-in-chief is right!"

"Only those three are above average in Future magazine; the other comic artists are far behind."

"If we just grit our teeth and persevere through this period, we'll find that the shonen comics market still belongs to us!"

The editors of Jump magazine were like they were on steroids, raising their arms and cheering, celebrating their inevitable victory.