57. Hokage, The Place For The Virtuous

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I am having my exams till 20 so the update timings will be random

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All the Konoha shinobi who returned were injured—some were wounded, some were carried back directly, and some even became incomplete corpses. But without exception, the living had smiles on their faces, though the sadness deep in their hearts could not be hidden.

War is like this: destruction, death, pain...

It seems that all negative words can be associated with it.

But on the contrary, victory is something worth celebrating, after all.

After Konoha's people here defeated the strong with the weak and overcame the powerful enemy, they should enjoy this hard-earned success.

Everyone looked at Ishigami Hara with reverence and excitement. The young man in front of them was the key to Konoha's victory here. No one could ignore him. Everyone wanted to get close to him, but they seemed hesitant.

Orochimaru came to Ishigami Hara's side, followed by Nawaki, who was drowsy, his arms drooping, with a silly smile on his face and a grin that looked quite funny.

In this war, the people of Konoha paid a lot, and so did Nawaki. Without the tension and recklessness of the First War, he showed his talent and grew through the baptism of battle.

"Go, say a few words to everyone."

Orochimaru patted Ishigami Hara on the shoulder and encouraged him.

Ishigami Hara nodded, took a few steps, and suddenly thought of something, beginning to form hand seals.

"Wood Release: Nativity of a Sea of Trees!"

The next moment, the Wood Human, which had been standing not far away, suddenly cracked, then broke apart on a large scale, with a continuous cracking sound. Countless debris fell from it, and after hitting the ground, quickly turned into scattered powder.

Immediately afterward, young seedlings sprouted from the powder, gradually growing taller and stronger until they became thick trees that stood tall.

The Wood Human disappeared, replaced by a vast forest with lush branches and leaves.

Everyone watched in awe as the Wood Human turned into powder, saw the saplings emerge from it, and witnessed the saplings grow into a forest, restoring what the battle had destroyed, creating a scene of natural growth.

"Oh, it's Wood Release!"

"It's really Wood Release!"

"Unbelievable…"

"Too amazing."

No one knew who started it, but cheers soon rang out across the battlefield, filled with joy and excitement. Everyone looked at Ishigami Hara with admiration.

Wood Release represents hope, and now, Ishigami Hara is everyone's hope.

"Everyone!"

Ishigami Hara spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the cheers. The noise gradually died down, and everyone present looked at him, waiting for him to speak again.

"In the history of the ninja world, there was the chaotic Warring States Period, the struggles between families, the conflicts between people, and the battles between good and evil.

The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, ended the war-torn ninja world, created Konoha along with the five major ninja villages, and brought us peace..."

Everyone listened quietly, deep in thought. They all knew this history but had never reflected on it so deeply.

"Peace is hard to achieve, and keeping peace is even harder! For this, in the First Shinobi World War, the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, gave his life and secured victory for Konoha through his sacrifice.

He allowed us to experience peace once more. Now, in the Second Shinobi World War our fallen comrades have used their lives to protect this hard-earned peace, but there are still those who wish to take it away. Everyone, are you willing to let that happen?"

After Ishigami Hara's voice fell, everyone shouted in unison.

"No!"

"Kill them!"

"Protect our peace!"

"That's right, protect the village and protect peace!"

Orochimaru and Jiraiya exchanged glances, both with a slightly strange look.

Ishigami Hara's voice sounded again.

"Yes, all this is hard-won, so we should protect it all the more. So, whoever wants to destroy our peace, tell me, what should we do?"

Ishigami Hara's voice was not loud, but his words stirred the emotions of everyone present, and someone immediately shouted.

"Kill the enemy!"

In an instant, these voices converged into one, echoing across the battlefield.

Ishigami Hara raised his hand, and the crowd's voices stopped again. He spoke solemnly, "Whether you or I, we are all beneficiaries of peace. So, whoever wants to destroy all this will be our enemy."

"My name is Ishigami Hara."

"I have the Wood Release bloodline."

"I will use the Wood Release to protect everything."

"I will stand in front of you."

"Wherever I look, peace will come!"

The field was quiet at first, then erupted into thunderous cheers.

Everyone's emotions had been stirred, both in spirit and fighting resolve. The Konoha shinobi looked at Ishigami Hara with excitement and admiration in their eyes. With the power of Wood Release, such a young man was worthy of their loyalty.

Yes, many in the field had subconsciously placed Ishigami Hara in a high position.

Even though Ishigami Hara's real identity is just a Genin for now, these people had subconsciously ignored that fact and instead regarded him as a powerful figure, akin to Orochimaru and Jiraiya, deep in their hearts.

In other words, even if Ishigami Hara doesn't hold an official title yet, just based on what he said moments ago, he had already earned a very high reputation.

The people caught up in the heated atmosphere might not have realized this, but Orochimaru keenly sensed it, and at the same time, he began to understand Ishigami Hara's intentions, making some guesses about his ambitions.

"Well done, Hara-kun, you're destined to become Hokage," Orochimaru commented.

Jiraiya scratched his head slightly. While he hadn't fully grasped everything, he could tell that after Ishigami Hara's speech, it wouldn't be right to treat him too casually anymore.

This shift in perception had occurred unconsciously, and Ishigami Hara was pleased to see it.

The words spoken just now were not something Ishigami Hara should have said. In fact, it was Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen who should have delivered them, but Hara had taken the opportunity instead.

Because of this, people like Orochimaru, who are sensitive to subtleties, could naturally understand what Ishigami Hara was thinking. Hence, Orochimaru's remark about Ishigami Hara being destined to become Hokage was also a form of acknowledgment.

"You are too kind, Lord Orochimaru, I still have much to accomplish," Ishigami Hara replied politely. He did not refute the statement, knowing that Orochimaru had seen through his intentions, which was precisely what he wanted.

The Hokage position should go to the virtuous, and he believed he was that virtuous person.