I was broadcast live while taking the Chunin Exam!

"I'll give it a try later, but I'll still need you to handle Deidara's matter." Onoki didn't mind bowing his head when facing Kitahara Kaede.

Kitahara Kaede had long since conquered everyone in the world of ninja with his performance.

Their respect for Kitahara Kaede is not only because of his strength, but also because of everything he has done for the ninja world!

"Deidara? I do hope you can keep an eye on him. His self-destruction may look good, but it's not as exciting as the destruction of a star," Kitahara Kaede joked.

Onoki could only nod in agreement.

They had seen such scenes when they were exploring the universe, but stars shouldn't explode and die in that manner.

At the time, Onoki and the others didn't pay much attention, but now that they think about it, those might be traces of someone's battle.

It's even possible that they just wanted to see the fireworks!

"Although I was treated to a meal in Kumogakure before, this is Iwagakure, and I still want to try Iwagakure's food," Tsunade said casually.

She wasn't trying to take advantage of anyone; she just wanted to make the atmosphere more harmonious.

After all, having food can help everyone relax a bit.

“I already had someone arrange it, and it should be delivered by now,” Onoki continued, following Tsunade’s words.

No matter how mature Kitahara Kaede may appear, it doesn't change the fact that he is essentially still a young man.

People still treat him with some caution.

"Alright, stop trying to please me like I'm some big trouble. There's no need for that," Kitahara Kaede said irritably.

Everyone just laughed and relaxed.

If Kitahara Kaede can still joke about himself, then there really isn't a problem.

……

In Konoha, Naruto was reviewing his workload for the day.

To be honest, after truly experiencing the workload of the Hokage, Naruto had some regrets.

After becoming Hokage, everything he experienced was no longer about being full of vigor, but about working every day without ever being home.

He is stronger than Naruto in the original storyline, but he is not as experienced.

According to the original storyline, Naruto underwent rigorous training from Kakashi before becoming Hokage.

However, in this direct confrontation, Meidan was practically forced into the position of Hokage.

This was a tragedy for Naruto, though not a huge one; those days were truly awful.

"Shikamaru, is there any work left to do today?" Naruto asked his friend.

He and Shikaku are not from the same generation, and it's impossible for him to command Nara Shikaku, the strategist of Konoha.

Naruto's only advisor now is Shikamaru.

"They're gone now, but I saw in the newspaper that Kitahara Kaede has returned. Tsunade-sama, Kakashi-sensei, and the others also returned with her."

Shikamaru said calmly, as if nothing in the outside world mattered to him.

"They're back? Where are they now?" Naruto asked excitedly, as he hadn't seen Kitahara Kaede for many years.

Even when his son was born, Kitahara Kaede wasn't in Konoha.

Naruto considers Kitahara Kaede his best friend.

"According to the report, the Fourth Raikage A and Killer Bee, as well as the Third Tsuchikage Onoki, have all returned to their respective villages."

Kitahara Kaede and the others must have returned, they just haven't arrived in Konoha yet.

But that doesn't matter. Didn't they just deal with that Otsutsuki guy?

Shikamaru's enthusiasm for Naruto is somewhat hard to understand.

His laziness is something he was born with; even if the sky were to fall, Shikamaru wouldn't react much.

Shikamaru, who hates trouble, became the Hokage's assistant and spends his days dealing with troublesome matters.

"Judging from this, Granny Tsunade and the others have indeed returned. They probably still have some things to take care of."

Naruto nodded as he spoke, looking as if he believed it.

Shikamaru glanced at the documents in his hand, his expression strange, and didn't interrupt Naruto's thoughts.

The source of the information he has is still under investigation, but it says that Kitahara Kaede and his group seem to have some kind of cooperation with Onoki...

Moreover, the writing is so detailed and convincing that it doesn't seem like a fabrication.

· ···Request flowers··· ······

But the question is, how did this information get out? Or did it reach Konoha directly?

This made Shikamaru think about it more.

Most intelligence from unknown sources is either rumor or something important, but this intelligence made Lu Fan hesitate, as it didn't seem to be either.

"Naruto, it's time to go home. I remember your family relationships aren't very good?"

Shikamaru said something that really hit home, then took the information and left on his own.

Normally, this kind of information shouldn't be taken out of the Hokage Building, but the information Shikamaru possessed didn't even have a traceable source.

It was as if they had suddenly appeared in this place.

Although the information recorded above seems to have a lot of significance, it is ultimately not serious intelligence.

...... ....... 0

To put it bluntly, anything not recorded by the intelligence agencies is just a piece of paper with writing on it.

Shikamaru decided to go home and ask his elderly father...

Shikaku could be considered retired; though he didn't die in the war, he was still the same henpecked husband.

But for Nara Shikaku, this might be the best life.

With his wife by his side and his son having grown up and become independent, he now spends his days fishing and visiting old friends at pubs.

This kind of life is so wonderful that even Shikamaru is envious!

"Should I tell Sasuke that Kitahara Kaede and the others are back? He seemed to have said he missed his brother before?" Naruto didn't pay attention to what Shikamaru was doing.

After all, the bond between Naruto and Sasuke was something they had longed for.

Naruto seems to be able to forgive anyone, and even shows his kindness in the face of everything.

But if anyone hurts Sasuke, Naruto's fists, as big as sandbags, have never shown any mercy.

This could almost be described as a tragic fate...

"Let's go home first. It's been another busy day, and Boruto will complain about me again when I get back."

Naruto stretched, tidied up the things on the table, and then left.

Naruto's desktop is always piled high with files he can't finish processing, and he's pretty much used to it by now.

However, his energy still can't keep up with the ever-increasing workload, which is probably Naruto's biggest worry right now.

Chapter 788 The Strongest Third Generation Kage

At night, Onoki and Ai were looking at the stars on the roof.

Although the starry sky is beautiful, after they had personally visited the universe, they could no longer look up at the starry sky as they used to.

"Ai, do you think what we're doing is really appropriate? It's not that my plan is bad, it's just that it's causing anxiety for ordinary people," Onoki asked.

He approves of Kitahara Kaede's plan and is even willing to play the villain himself.

But I feel sorry for ordinary people who are about to panic because of the plan; ordinary people's lives are already difficult enough.

"You're already prepared to impersonate the villain, and now you're saying this? Being scared a little is much better than becoming the enemy's slave, right?" Ai rolled her eyes at Onoki.

He had never seen Onoki act so compassionately like someone from the 1960s or 1970s before.

“Yes, the more we know how vast the universe is, the more unsettling our worries become. It’s better to be frightened than to be enslaved by the enemy.” Onoki nodded.

“We’ve become close friends despite our age difference, although I’m still somewhat bothered by the death of my father at the hands of the Iwa ninja. But right now, the ninja world must unite!” A said.

He had not forgotten his hatred, but in order to prevent the ninja world from becoming a slave-owning ground for some unknown enemy, he made this decision.

"I know, but I feel a little reluctant. I am getting old after all. Although lifespan is no longer a limitation for me, I still haven't gotten used to the feeling of living a long and prosperous life." Onoki sighed.

That's the situation; he was already an old man before he became a powerful figure in order.

As people get older, they tend to get stuck on minor issues and become more soft-hearted.

“We are native long-lived beings in the ninja world, so we need to take a longer-term view when looking at problems,” A said.

When I was a ninja, I always had to fight for gains and losses in a short time and place, but now there is no need to do that anymore.

“With Kitahara Kaede around, the ninja world will become even better, and we don’t need to worry about that at all,” A said.

"Putting all the burdens on Kitahara Kaede's shoulders doesn't seem like something a senior would do," Ohnoki sighed.

"Can't you stop thinking about all that nonsense? Kitahara Kaede's plan is the best solution right now," Ai teased Onoki.

"I know, that's why I agreed. But I've spent my whole life protecting my village, and I wasn't ready to go and lie to them." Onoki was still somewhat conflicted.

"You might think of it this way: you all did this under my coercion. Does that make you feel a lot better?" Kitahara Kaede said as he suddenly appeared in front of Onoki and the others.

“You’ve already taken on so much, if I had to pin this little thing on you, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” Onoki’s lips twitched a few times.

He wasn't startled by Kitahara Kaede's sudden appearance. After Kitahara Kaede became a ruler, no matter what incomprehensible things he did, they wouldn't be surprised.

It's as if their current power has been demonstrated to the ninjas of the ninja world, and those ninjas find it difficult to understand how they did it.

"Heh, I thought you all threw your consciences aside long ago after becoming ninjas," Kitahara Kaede said.

It's natural for ninjas to have a conscience, but most of the time their conscience is hidden away.

After experiencing several major battles, it's hard to say whether a ninja still has a conscience, after all, this is a world where even children have to go to the battlefield.

"That's perfect. Now that you've mentioned it, Onoki's inner conflict has probably been resolved. I won't stay with him to look at the stars and the moon."

"Ever since I saw for myself what kind of things were on those stars, I've had absolutely no liking for the starry sky." Ai cursed and turned to leave.

He knew very well that when Kitahara Kaede personally spoke with Onoki about this matter, he no longer needed to provide Onoki with any psychological counseling.

"Ai is indeed very outstanding, isn't he? He's powerful and decisive, and his mind isn't as rough as he seems. Why can't Kurotsuchi be like Ai?" Onoki muttered.

Indeed, looking at the situation of all the major ninja villages, the Fourth Raikage A is truly top-tier in both political acumen and personal charisma.

If Minato Namikaze hadn't died, perhaps he could have achieved the same level.

"The way you're saying this makes it sound like you hate that Ai isn't your grandson. He is indeed a very outstanding Shadow, but who knows if someone even more outstanding will appear in the future?" Kitahara Kaede said.

He acknowledged A's abilities because this guy, as a Kage, had indeed led the Hidden Cloud Village to become powerful.

The village itself is very harmonious, after all, Kumogakure is the only place where rogue ninjas are not common.

This is already very illustrative.

"I don't want a grandson like A, because I don't want to fight the Third Raikage," Onoki said with a chuckle.

Onoki is indeed very powerful, even able to gain the upper hand when facing the Third Raikage, whose speed is not top-tier.

After all, even though the Lightning Release Armor is removed, it still can't stop the destructive power of Dust Release.

It was precisely for this reason that Ai did not follow in his father's footsteps but instead chose speed as his strength.

"I can't predict the outcome of your battle against the Third Raikage, but you and the Third Raikage are basically capable of crushing all the Third Kage," Kitahara Kaede said admiringly.

The strongest of the Third Kage were Onoki and the Third Raikage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was like a joke in front of the two of them.

While the Third Kazekage was able to put up some resistance against the Third Raikage, he was no match for him.

As for the Third Kazekage 3.6, he would be nothing more than a sitting duck when facing Onoki...

As for the Third Mizukage, this unfortunate fellow was directly controlled by the elderly Madara Uchiha, which also turned the Fourth Mizukage into a toy.

Kitahara Kaede found it hard to believe that the Third Mizukage was a capable individual.

"Hey, we've all just inherited the legacy of the previous leaders. Rather than saying we're stronger, it's more accurate to say that the previous leaders of the Cloud and Iwa ninja are stronger." Onoki shook his head.

He didn't want to use the achievements of his ancestors to embellish himself.

Dust Release originated from the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, while Lightning Release Armor was created by the Second Raikage and perfected by the Third Raikage, reaching its peak.