Chapter 133: Victory (Special chapter for Blue Gunwale 20190325)

Seeing the figure enveloped in a golden chakra cloak, descending like a divine warrior, Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned for a moment. His eyes filled with astonishment and confusion as he murmured, "Minato?"

A moment later, he regained his senses and offered a bitter, inward smile, chiding himself for being muddled. Minato Namikaze had long since fallen in battle, and possessing no special bloodline, he was merely a civilian genius; he could not possibly appear in such a form cloaked in golden chakra. Without a doubt, this golden figure was Naruto.

"I am not my father; you are mistaken," Naruto said calmly, his voice devoid of any ripple.

The Anbu ninjas following him were also taken aback, exchanging stunned glances, their eyes filled with shock. Very few people knew that Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage—hardly a handful. Even within an organization like the Anbu, which held countless classified secrets, only a select few were privy to this information.

At this moment, Hiruzen's spirit and complexion had improved significantly, as if he had caught a glimpse of the dawn of hope. "It’s you! Naruto! Thank goodness! I knew I would be able to hold on!" he said excitedly, his voice trembling slightly with agitation.

Then, Hiruzen reached out, pointing toward a direction in the forest, and said loudly, "Over there! Hinata took that steel monster in that direction! It has been no more than five minutes; they shouldn't have gone far! Hurry and save her!" His eyes were filled with urgency and expectation.

"The weakness of that steel monster is the fusion of extreme Lightning Release and extreme Fire Release! You must remember to tell everyone this information!" Hiruzen exerted all his remaining strength to shout at Naruto, fearing he might not have heard clearly. He imparted all the intelligence he possessed, hoping to add a glimmer of hope for victory to this battle.

"I’m going to save Hinata right now!" Without hesitation, Naruto took flight, chasing in the direction Hinata had gone. The other Anbu members intended to follow, but Naruto kept them behind to look after Hiruzen.

When Naruto found Hinata, she was already exhausted, and the robot was also at the end of its tether, teetering on the brink of collapse. Hinata leaned against a broken tree trunk, breathing shallowly, her eyes weary yet resolute. The two were at the final, life-or-death moment of their confrontation.

"Naruto!" Seeing his arrival, a radiant smile bloomed on Hinata's face.

The robot keenly sensed Naruto's presence, and that overwhelming aura made it instantly aware of the danger. Its differential engine operated rapidly; its internal programming told it that there was no hope of completing its mission, and that even mutual destruction would not change the outcome. Retreating, gathering intelligence, and waiting for the right moment were its only viable actions. However, how could Naruto let it escape so easily?

Naruto extended a massive hand of golden chakra, pressing down upon the robot like a towering mountain. The golden radiance shimmered with immense power, awe-inspiring to behold. Before this overwhelming force, the robot appeared insignificant. It struggled desperately, attempting to flee, but to no avail.

This robot was a completely different model from the one he had fought earlier; this one had its serial number etched under its ribcage. "Shadow Storm Mu, or perhaps I should call it, Shadow Storm Mu—that is its model," Naruto pondered to himself.

That Saber Storm Alpha had been a pure combat robot, bulky and heavily armed, radiating a powerful battle aura. In contrast, this Shadow Storm Mu was a reconnaissance and infiltration model—lean, agile, and equipped with numerous ports, seemingly intended for the installation of camouflage modules.

Once held before Naruto, the robot still attempted a final, desperate struggle. However, this robot was not as formidable as the Saber Storm model, it was already exhausted, and Naruto’s current state far exceeded his previous peak. The balance of the fight was non-existent; Naruto completely crushed the machine.

Naruto used his spirit-mechanical energy to forcibly dissipate the spirit-energy shield on its surface, which shattered instantly like fragile glass under the impact. Then, his hand, coated in powerful Lightning and Fire release chakra, reached out and tore away the robot’s differential engine and black box. Deprived of its central processor, the robot was paralyzed on the spot, unable to function again.

With the battle over, Hinata threw herself into Naruto’s arms like a fledgling bird returning to the nest. "Naruto!" she whispered softly, her voice filled with exhaustion and relief. She closed her eyes, evidently worn out to the extreme, and drifted off to sleep.

Naruto looked at Hinata in his arms and gently patted the girl's shoulder, sighing deeply. He could not define the nature of his feelings for her; he only knew he liked her, but could not distinguish whether it was the affection of a teacher for an apprentice, or that of a lover for a peer. After two lifetimes, no one had ever taught him.

Holding Hinata and carrying the robot’s husk, Naruto slowly returned to Hiruzen. His silhouette appeared exceptionally tall under the sunlight. Seeing Naruto return victorious, Hiruzen’s complexion suddenly flushed with color, and his spirit lifted considerably. Seeming filled with sudden strength, he sat bolt upright, his spine straight.

"Naruto! You’ve finally returned!" Hiruzen’s face was flushed, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he gestured for Naruto to approach. "Come here; there are some things I wish to entrust to you."

Naruto’s heart tightened. Was this his final request? He looked at Hiruzen, a trace of anguish in his eyes. He could see it—this was the "light before the sunset," and Hiruzen would not live much longer.

"Old man Third, I..." Naruto wanted to heal him.

Hiruzen saw his intent and shook his head. "No, Naruto, do not heal me. I know that in your current form, you could likely cure me and grant me a long life. But... I have lived enough." His voice carried a trace of weariness and relief. "The people I knew are all gone, and I am truly too tired."

Hiruzen let out a long sigh, saying with a touch of sadness, "Let me go."

"I have made many mistakes," Hiruzen murmured to himself. "Danzo was right; I was too weak. The current decline in talent in Konoha is largely due to my weakness. I owe a debt to the Senju clan, having sat by and watched them fade into obscurity. I owe a debt to the Uchiha clan, having watched them flee the village and the remaining able-bodied members be slaughtered by a traitor. I also owe a debt to the Uzumaki clan; when they were besieged by various nations, I could do nothing."

Naruto and the Anbu listened in silence, knowing these were Hiruzen’s final words. As the saying goes, the words of the dying are righteous; Hiruzen, a hero of the ninja world, would not deceive himself in his final moments.

Hiruzen continued his testament: "But I ask myself, I have also labored to keep Konoha standing through three brutal Ninja World Wars." A trace of pride appeared on his face. "I have also taught excellent students, one of whom cultivated the Fourth Hokage." A glow of gratification flickered in Hiruzen's eyes. "My only remaining concerns are Asuma and Konohamaru..."

Asuma Sarutobi was Hiruzen’s son—or rather, his second son—while Konohamaru Sarutobi was his grandson, the son of his eldest. His eldest son, whom Hiruzen had been so proud of, had long since died on the battlefield.

"Asuma is impulsive and somewhat careless about intelligence gathering; I worry that he will eventually die due to an information gap." Hiruzen's face showed worry. "Konohamaru is ambitious, full of spirit, and clever beyond his years. He will become an excellent ninja, but I fear that with his parents gone and me dead, he will..." Hiruzen’s voice trailed off. "Sigh, why dwell on it? We have so many orphans in our ninja village; even if he is my grandson, he is no more special than any other."

Hiruzen looked at Naruto, gripping his hand tightly. "Also, Naruto! I entrust Konoha to you!"

"I am not sure if you are willing to become Hokage; on reflection, you likely do not covet the position." Hiruzen said slowly, "But among the new generation of Konoha, besides Kakashi, you are the most outstanding. Whether maintaining the status quo or bringing about change, Naruto, I only ask that you keep Konoha standing! Do not let the efforts of generations of Hokage be in vain!"

Having finished his final words, the strength left Hiruzen’s body. He lay back on the ground, shoulder to shoulder with Danzo’s corpse. With one final sigh, Hiruzen chanted:

"The withered tree falls, the fire never dies where the leaves scatter; returning to the dust, new leaves cover the old branches next year. A single flower blooms alone."

Thus, the curtain fell on the legendary hero, Hiruzen Sarutobi.