Chapter 39: Although It's the Cliché Butterfly Effect, It Indeed Fits as the Title,

Chapter 39: Although It's the Cliché Butterfly Effect, It Indeed Fits as the Title,

Some unexpected changes occurred.

Kenichi had heard of the butterfly effect, but he never imagined that one day he would become the butterfly whose wings, once flapped, would cause such significant changes.

"The Fourth Hokage is dead, and from this perspective, he indeed was a qualified Hokage," Orochimaru remarked as he looked at the grieving villagers of Konoha and the body of Minato Namikaze lying in the coffin, feeling a sense of sorrow.

He had never considered Minato Namikaze a qualified Hokage before. His strength was just so-so, and his achievements were not as outstanding as his own. However, last night, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, sacrificed himself.

For Konoha, Minato Namikaze, who had just become Hokage not long ago, gave everything, including his life and his wife's life.

Konoha plunged into deep grief, with the casualties of the ninja and villagers on the night of the Nine-Tails turning into a list, the thin paper bearing the weight of life.

However, there was also a problem with Konoha's upper echelon of power.

"Sensei, why is the Third Hokage missing an arm?" Kenichi felt that the term "eye-opening" couldn't even begin to describe what he was feeling at the moment.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was mourning his wife, Biwako, but that wasn't the point. The point was, the Third Hokage was missing a hand.

A left hand, to be precise.

Something was off.

Kenichi remembered that although the Third Hokage had lost his wife, he himself was unharmed and had taken up the mantle of Hokage again, starting a new chapter in his life as Hokage.

But now, the Third Hokage had lost his left hand.

"Last night, during the battle between the Fourth and a mysterious person, he was injured," Orochimaru explained the events of the previous night. Kenichi, lacking in strength, naturally didn't know about it.

When he learned that the Fourth was injured, causing the Nine-Tails to release a second Tailed Beast Bomb aimed at the center of Konoha, the Third rushed forward to stop it.

But a mysterious person suddenly appeared and cut off the Third's left hand, then disappeared after a combined attack from the Third and the Fourth.

However, they successfully neutralized the threat of the Tailed Beast Bomb.

The story that followed was more or less known to Kenichi. The Fourth still sacrificed himself to deal with the Nine-Tails.

"So, Sensei, what about the position of Hokage now?" Kenichi blinked, feeling as if the world was against him. With Hiruzen Sarutobi missing a hand, could he still become Hokage again?

"I don't know," Orochimaru squinted, lost in thought.

Kenichi gave his teacher a strange look. He wasn't thinking of becoming Hokage, was he? That would be impossible, right?

But looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had lost a hand, Kenichi wasn't so confident anymore.

After all, in the current Konoha, the most suitable candidate for the Fifth Hokage seemed to be no one other than Teacher Orochimaru.

The Third's reputation had indeed risen a lot, making up for the impact of the previous three wars, but the fact that he had lost a hand was also true, which would definitely affect his combat ability.

Jiraiya was not in the village, which Kenichi found somewhat incomprehensible. After all, it was strange that Jiraiya was not present during such an important moment as his disciple's wife giving birth.

However, Kenichi remembered that the night of the Nine-Tails, this important plot point, was also dug out with various bugs in his previous life, so it seemed not so inexplicable.

"Sensei, where is Lord Jiraiya?" Kenichi couldn't help but ask.

"He just happens to not be in the village," Orochimaru's mouth curled with a hint of sarcasm. If Jiraiya had been in Konoha, perhaps Minato Namikaze wouldn't have died.

Kenichi's mouth twitched. This was the convergence of the world lines, right? No matter what, Minato Namikaze had to die on the night of the Nine-Tails, and Jiraiya's absence seemed not so strange after all.

"Lord Orochimaru." Kakashi approached, and Kenichi's expression was a bit unnatural.

Kakashi was still alive and seemed not to have noticed that his eyes had been replaced, but Kenichi still felt somewhat unnatural facing Kakashi.

He was always worried that Kakashi might notice something.

"What's wrong?" Orochimaru glanced at his disciple, noticing the fleeting nervousness.

Could it be related to Kakashi?

Orochimaru pondered.

"Lord Third asked me to inform you to come over," Kakashi said respectfully to Orochimaru, but his flushed eyes betrayed his unsettled emotions.

Kakashi, the poor guy, first lost his friend, then had to let his teammate die by his hand, and now, his teacher and his teacher's wife had died.

If Kakashi were a pure Uchiha, he probably would have activated the Mangekyō Sharingan by now.

"Alright." Orochimaru smiled and then left, without any intention of calling Kenichi.

Kenichi took a deep breath and then looked at Kakashi, who stood silently beside him, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Kakashi, my condolences." Kenichi knew this was the time to test his acting skills.

Yesterday's events, Kenichi confirmed Kakashi didn't know, to be precise, didn't know the real situation, since Kenichi had knocked Kakashi out before he could turn around.

"Sorry... I only saw a shadow flash by yesterday, then I passed out. Thankfully, Sensei came to save me," Kenichi said apologetically.

His strength was not as good as Kakashi's. Kakashi didn't see clearly, and it was reasonable for him, like a weakling, to faint directly, right?

"You're okay, that's good." Kakashi tried to widen his eyes, then turned and walked away.

Kenichi saw Kakashi seemed to be channeling chakra, apparently to his face.

Was he wiping away tears?

Kenichi didn't know.

Looking at the villagers and ninjas crying over the loss of their loved ones, Kenichi took a deep breath and silently followed the leader of the Akimichi clan ahead.

As a disciple of the Sannin Orochimaru, Kenichi's position was just behind the great clans of Konoha, allowing him to go ahead and mourn for the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

It was also the last time to view the remains of the Fourth Hokage.

Kenichi's hand touched the edge of the coffin, then glanced around and silently held a strand of yellow hair in his palm.

(End of Chapter)