As the New Year approaches, the snow is falling heavier.

In the dilapidated Ichiban-no-ka, Fukuhara Hiroyo no longer conducts his research as usual. He chooses to lie lazily in the fireplace, letting the quilt tightly wrap around his old body. At the same time, he fiddles with the coffee table in front of him and warms up the boiling hot tea. Opposite him, Akimichi Tofu eats an orange while using the remote control to turn on the TV on the corner of the table. Looking at the old TV screen full of snow, Akimichi Tofu said dissatisfiedly:

"You're a university professor after all, and you don't even have a decent TV."

Fukuhara Hiroyo was dissatisfied when he heard this:

"If you have money, go buy one! TVs are so expensive these days, just make do with a used one!"

After hearing this, Akimichi Tofu fiddled with the remote control for a while and finally found a barely clear channel. Looking at the host on the screen talking about the earthquake that occurred in the Land of Fire two days ago and the urgent need for assistance for the victims, Akimichi Tofu shook his head and said:

"The warriors of the Land of Fire are really unreliable. There was such a big earthquake, but not many people went to help with the disaster relief."

"That's nonsense! If the warriors of the Land of Fire are reliable, why do we need the ninjas of Konoha?"

After saying that, Fukuhara Hiroyo took another sip of tea. On such a snowy day, two elderly people in their seventies snuggled together and chatted in front of the TV. As they were talking, they heard the doorbell ring. Hearing the doorbell, Fukuhara Hiroyo said:

"It's finally here."

Breaking free from the stove, Fukuhara Hiroyo calmly walked to the entrance and opened the door. In front of Fukuhara Hiroyo were two ninjas covered in snow. The older one was wearing a Hokage hat, holding a pipe, with a smile on his face, looking like a very kind old man. Next to him was a young man of about sixteen or seventeen years old, with deep wrinkles on his face, and his aura was like ice, keeping strangers away.

"It's been a long time, Ukiyo."

Looking at his old friend who he had reunited with after a long separation, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile.

"You're here after all, Sarutobi." Fukuhara Hiroyo said as he opened the door and let the two in.

Walking into the room, looking at Akimichi Toukaze lying by the fireplace watching TV, Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile:

"I didn't expect that Qu Feng is here too! That's great. I should have asked Danzo and the others to come as well. We haven't seen each other for many years. We should get together more often before we get too old to walk."

Sarutobi Hiruzen said so, without hesitation, he squeezed into the futon by the stove, picked up the orange on the table and started eating. Uchiha Itachi stood behind him, not daring to relax his vigilance for a moment.

Fukuhara Hiroyo also sat down and poured a cup of tea for Sarutobi Hiruzen. After drinking a sip of tea, Sarutobi Hiruzen saw that there were sporadic snowflakes on the TV screen and couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Fushio, I heard that you have become a university professor in recent years. Logically, you should not be short of money! Why is your TV so broken? You are getting old, it's time to spend some money and enjoy yourself."

"Sarutobi, you have some truth in what you said." Fukuhara Hiroyo nodded, then sighed and said:

"But it's a pity, who made me the Senju of the Forest? We, the Senju clan, are not meant to enjoy ourselves! As long as we have a breath left, we will continue to fight for our ideals!"

"But your ideals are wrong!"

With a bang, Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed the teacup onto the table and said sternly:

"When people live in this world, they should live for their own ties, for the people who are most important to them! Fighting to protect the people who are important to you, this is the true ninja, the true will of fire! If you, the Senju clan, always embrace overly grand ideals, you will only drown in the empty dreams of your ideals!"

Facing Sarutobi Hiruzen's reprimand, Fukuhara Hiroyo did not respond directly, but looked at Uchiha Itachi not far away with interest and said jokingly:

"Did you hear me, kid? When people live in this world, they should live for their own ties, for the people who are most important to them! Fighting to protect the people who are important to you, this is what a true ninja is, the true will of fire! This is what your Hokage taught you, if you didn't know it before, you must remember it in the future! Don't be like us, the Senju clan, drowning in an ideal dream! Otherwise, when Konoha orders you to kill the people who are most important to you in the future, you won't know what to do."

Fukuhara Hiroyo's words were obviously a mockery of Uchiha Itachi's killing of his entire family. After all, the bloody smell of Uchiha Itachi killing his parents and clan members was obviously very different from the will of fire preached by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

At the same time, he was also making fun of Sarutobi Hiruzen's actions. In name, he taught ninjas to fight for their important people, but secretly he used Konoha's righteousness to persuade others to kill their relatives and friends. Sarutobi Hiruzen's own actions were the biggest rebuttal to his own words!

Regardless of how Sarutobi Hiruzen reacted after hearing these words, Uchiha Itachi's heart was in turmoil.

In the final analysis, Uchiha Itachi's previous life was too thin, and he did not have enough life experience to help him understand what was right and wrong. And the people who guided him in his growth were either Uchiha Shisui, a kid who was only a few years older, or Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, who had ulterior motives.

Under the guidance of a caring person, Uchiha Itachi thought he was mature enough. He felt that he was on a ruthless but correct path, and the world would become a better place because of his behavior. Who would have thought that after really meeting a veteran of the ninja world like Fukuhara Hiroyo, a short sentence almost broke his heart.

Facing Fukuhara Hiroyo's teasing, he could only argue:

"Everyone in Konoha is the most important person to me! Protecting Konoha means protecting my most important bond. You don't need to worry, Ukiyo-senpai. I know what to do at the critical moment!"

Hearing Uchiha Itachi's answer, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction, and then said to Fukuhara Hiroyo:

"See, Ukiyo, this is our Konoha ninja, this is the will of fire! Konoha is a big family, everyone regards each other as the most important person! Mutual dependence, mutual help, the bond between people connects us Konoha as one, this is the basis of Konoha's invincibility, and it is also the root cause of your Senju clan's failure."

"You ignored the ties you had with everyone in Konoha and betrayed the most important people, just to protect a group of civilians outside the village who you didn't even know! Not only did you want to protect the civilians yourself, you also wanted the entire Konoha to go crazy with you! Have you ever thought about what everyone in Konoha thinks? Why would they fight and even sacrifice for a group of people they don't know?"

"Because we are human!" Fukuhara Hiroyo said firmly:

"As human beings, isn't it natural for us to help each other? If everyone only fights for their important people and their own ties, this kind of constant grouping will only lead to the formation of human groups. Families, villages, cities, and even countries!"

"People are divided by their bonds, and they only care about protecting their own bonds without considering the overall situation. Conflicts will arise, and then slowly deepen into hatred, and eventually become a bloody war! This is the root cause of the three Ninja World Wars that occurred in this world less than sixty years after the establishment of the Ninja Village System!"

"The will to protect the village is the biggest source of unrest in the world!"

Chapter 30 Only One Battle

"In order to protect Konoha, you first killed the Senju clan. Later, in order to protect Konoha, you killed the Uchiha clan. This is just the purge within Konoha, and you have already killed so many people! How much evil have you done in the ninja world to protect Konoha? It is ten times more than this. How many innocent people have died because of Konoha in the Land of Whirlpools, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Fire, who are pursuing reform and progress. Can you count these heinous sins?"

Fukuhara Hiroyo said coldly:

"The one who really drowned with empty dreams is not me, but you, Sarutobi Hiruzen! Because according to your way, unless you kill everyone in this world except Konoha, the bloody massacres in various parts of the ninja world in the name of "protecting Konoha" will never stop."

Fukuhara Hiroyo spoke passionately, but Uchiha Itachi's brain was almost short-circuited.

He originally thought that as long as he was dedicated to protecting Konoha, the world would remain peaceful. But now, after listening to Fukuhara Hiroyo's discussion, he realized that it was this behavior of protecting Konoha at all costs that brought war to Konoha. In other words, his behavior of slaughtering his own people and even killing his parents not only failed to achieve his long-cherished wish, but also promoted the occurrence of war!

how so!

Uchiha Itachi was in pain and confusion at the moment, and Sarutobi Hiruzen, facing Fukuhara Hiroyo's questioning, just said coldly:

"In that case, let everyone in this world except Konoha die."

After these words were spoken, not only Uchiha Itachi, but also Fukuhara Hiroyo and Akimichi Tofu were stunned.

"Sarutobi, you?"

"What's so surprising? People who don't belong to Konoha, people who have no ties with Konoha, what does their life and death have to do with me? If they are unwilling to die for Konoha, and even harm the interests of Konoha, as the Hokage, shouldn't I send them to death?" Sarutobi Hiruzen said:

"As human beings, we should help each other? Ha ha, that is nothing but human hypocrisy. Human history has long told us our true nature, which is to kill without scruples! Any mercy and compromise is nothing but a cover-up for the victors, and terror and bloody means are the basis for maintaining peace!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke calmly, as if he was saying something that was a matter of course. But this shocked Fukuhara Hiroyo as much as a thunderclap. He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen's old face and found for the first time that his childhood friend was so unfamiliar. Although he had expected this, Fukuhara Hiroyo still felt sad.

The monkey who had once laughed and played snowball fights with them was dead, and the only one left in the world now was a demon named Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Seeing that Fukuhara Hiroyo was intimidated by him, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Akimichi Toukaze again. He asked in confusion:

"Qufeng, I know that you were the one who tipped off Ukiyo and allowed the Senju clan to escape at the critical moment. But what I don't understand is why you did this? Did you, who was born in the Akimichi clan, also hold the same unrealistic fantasies as the Senju clan?"

Qiu Dao Qu Feng shook his head upon hearing this and said:

"Fantasy? Hehe, stop joking, monkey. We have been friends since we were little, and you still don't know me? Among all of us, I, the Thunderball, am the most practical. Not to mention that I had a serious illness a few years ago. After walking through the threshold of the netherworld, I realized that all great ideals are false. Only a wife and children are real."

"If that's the case, then why don't you return to Konoha to retire?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked in confusion:

"Why are you still opening a used bookstore here at your age to cover up for Ukiyo? What are you doing for?"

"For what? Of course it's for Konoha!" Akimichi Torikatsu said:

"Ukiyo's research can popularize bloodline limits. If this technology can be promoted in Konoha, Konoha will definitely become the strongest force in the ninja world. By then, the ninja world will be unified directly, there will be no wars, and all kinds of divisions in the ninja world will no longer exist. Everyone in Konoha will also be able to become the best through the war of unification. How great is that?"

Compared to Fukuhara Hiroyo's absolute idealism, Akimichi Torikaze's views are extremely realistic.

I don't care about the people of the ninja world or protecting Konoha. The reason why he supports Fukuhara Hiroyo is to make Konoha gain unprecedented power and control the ninja world. By then, every villager in Konoha will be able to eat and drink well, which is much better than empty ideals and beliefs.

Therefore, when Akimichi Tofu spoke, Uchiha Itachi fell into a daze again. He just felt that his mind was so confused. Why did these seniors say so reasonable things? But Sarutobi Hiruzen said coldly:

"Tofu, don't you know the dangers of spreading your bloodline limit? Aren't you worried that if your bloodline limit continues to spread, it will backfire on Konoha!"

"Don't worry!" Qiu Daoqufeng spread his hands and said:

"Because according to our thinking, after the unification of the ninja world, Konoha will definitely disband! We can't rely on just one village to rule the world, right? Besides, everyone in Konoha will have to leave the village and go around the world to bully others! What's the point of keeping Konoha at this time? It would be great if we could have a farewell dinner and go our separate ways!"

"What did you say!"

Hearing that Konoha would disband after the unification of the ninja world, Sarutobi Hiruzen was furious and said:

"Are you going to destroy Konoha too?"

"If destroying Konoha can make most people in Konoha live a better life, then why should we keep it?" Akimichi Toukou first shouted loudly, then sneered:

"But I also know the reason for your anger. After all, according to our plan, most people in Konoha Village will benefit, but only a few people will be harmed. For example, after the Senju and Uchiha fell one after another, the Sarutobi clan, which finally became the largest clan in Konoha, is it really willing to watch Konoha disband?"

"Let's not even talk about before Konoha was disbanded, let's talk about now. If everyone in Konoha had the power of bloodline limit, how would everyone view the Sarutobi clan? Sarutobi, you have to know that when you were Hokage all these years, you made a lot of enemies in Konoha Village! The Hyuga, the Root, and other families watched you drive away the Senju and massacre the Uchiha! Do you think that after they gain power, they will follow your example as the Third Hokage and make the Sarutobi clan withdraw from the stage of history?"

"Hahahaha... Sarutobi, stop talking about protecting Konoha all day long! Don't we, your childhood friends, know what you're thinking? You're so old, but you're still occupying the position of Hokage. Don't you feel uncomfortable sitting in the position of Hokage?"

Hiroyo Fukuhara believes in ideals, and putting himself in others' shoes, he also believes in Sarutobi Hiruzen's belief in protecting Konoha.

But Akimichi Tofu is an extreme realist. He doesn't believe that Sarutobi Hiruzen's current actions are for Konoha. He only sees Sarutobi Hiruzen as a monster who is obsessed with power. He is still entangled in the throne of Hokage at an old age, and is wary of any enemies that may threaten his position.

Facing Akimichi Tofu's sneer, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not respond directly. He just chewed on the "we" in Akimichi Tofu's mouth and said:

"Tofu, when you said 'we', does that include Danzo?"

"Isn't this natural? How else could a sick old man like me protect Fu Shi for such a long time?" Qiu Dao Qu Feng said frankly.

Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Fukuhara Hiroyo and said:

"I thought you were an extreme idealist, but I didn't expect you to end up colluding with Danzo!"

Fukuhara Hiroyo smiled and said:

"Sarutobi, I do have ideals, but I will not forget the reality. What I want is to change the ninja world through technology, bring peace and lead mankind into a new era. As for whether it is Danzo, Akatsuki, or Orochimaru who can do this... It doesn't matter, I don't care, it's all the same anyway."

"If that's the case..." Feeling the will of his two former friends, Sarutobi Hiruzen silently took out three kunai from his body. He placed one in front of himself and gave the other two to Fukuhara Hiroyo and Akimichi Toukaze.

"I remember when we were little, we loved to get together and play snowball fights. It just so happens that it's snowing today, so let's have the last snowball fight of our lives!"

After all, people with different ideals cannot work together. That’s all we have to say. The only option is to fight!

Chapter 31 Alone

Boom!

In the heavy snow, the dilapidated building collapsed.

The figures of Fukuhara Hiroyo and Akimichi Torikaze flew away from the ruins of the Ichi-no-kazu house, followed by two scorching fire dragons.

Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!

The high temperature of the flame melted the snow and flew straight towards Fukuhara Hiroyo and Akimichi Kaze. Seeing this, Fukuhara Hiroyo hurriedly formed a seal and spit out a ball of water from his mouth.

Water Escape·Water Formation Wall!

The cool water formed a barrier, blocking Fukuhara Hiroyo and Akimichi Tofu. Relying on the current severe cold weather and the water flow from the surrounding melted snow, the power of the water array wall increased by more than 30%. But in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen's fire dragon, this water array wall was nothing. The two fire dragons carried scorching heat and collided with the water array wall with a bang. High-temperature steam instantly filled the surrounding streets, and the water array wall lasted less than ten seconds before being evaporated by the fire dragons.

"As expected of Sarutobi, the power of Fire Release is still so terrifying!"

Seeing that Fukuhara Hiroyo's water escape was about to be broken, Akimichi Tofu did not dare to neglect it. After forming seals with both hands, he was seen with a flash of lightning on his body, and he slammed down to the ground.

Lightning Release: Ground Walking!

Akimichi Nofu was unable to perform the Akimichi clan's secret techniques due to his illness, and could only use simple ninjutsu to assist. The target he wanted to attack with his Lightning Release was not Sarutobi Hiruzen in the distance, but the water pipes throughout the city. After the Lightning Release: Ground Run was activated, a sewer pipe not far away suddenly broke, and clear tap water sprayed out from it. The originally powerful fire dragon gradually died out, and ultimately failed to break through the defense of the water array wall.

Seeing this, Fukuhara Hiroyo and Akimichi Tofu both breathed a sigh of relief. But at this moment, another gust of wind blew in the distance. The air became violent at this moment, forming a long blue-white dragon in the streets and alleys. Wrapped in the snow, it blew towards the two again.

Wind Release·Wind Dragon Bullet Technique!

The strong wind and heavy snow blew Fukuhara Hiroyo away in an instant. When the two fell, Fukuhara Hiroyo was still able to stand, but Akimichi Tofu could only collapse on the snow, gasping for breath, obviously unable to hold on any longer.

"Qufeng, are you okay?" asked Hiroyo Fukuhara worriedly.

“Nothing, eh!”

As soon as Qiu Dao Qu Feng finished speaking, he spat out a mouthful of blood. Looking at the scarlet blood in front of him, Qiu Dao Qu Feng laughed:

"I was always the messiest one in every snowball fight. I didn't expect that after all these years, I'm still the same! Ugh!"

After saying this, Qiu Dao Qu Feng spat out another mouthful of blood.

At this time, the blizzard was even more severe, the wind was howling, and the old and seriously injured Qiu Daoqufeng collapsed directly to the ground, no longer making a sound.

"Take the wind!"

Fukuhara Hiroyo ran towards Akimichi Norifuze with worry, but before he could reach Akimichi Norifuze, a thick stick was swung at him. It was the golden hoop stick transformed from Sarutobi Hiruzen's summoned beast, Umaru, which could even knock the Nine-Tails out of Konoha with one blow. Even though Sarutobi Hiruzen was old and weak, the power of this stick could not be underestimated.

Seeing this, Fukuhara Hiroyo hurriedly dodged, but he couldn't keep up with Sarutobi Hiruzen's speed after not practicing for many years. First, the kunai in his hand was knocked away by the golden hoop, and then the stick knocked him out again. If he didn't have the vitality of the Uzumaki clan now, this blow would be enough to kill him on the spot.

He fell to the ground in a panic, and a chill instantly spread all over his body. Feeling his body temperature rapidly draining away, Fukuhara Hiroyo smiled miserably:

"I'm old after all!"

I remember when I was a kid, Hiroyo Fukuhara liked to roll in the snow. At that time, the elders always told me not to freeze myself. But I was so hot-blooded when I was a kid that I didn't know the elders' painstaking efforts. Now that I'm older, I know how painful it is to roll in the snow at such an old age.

It's so cold!

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