Chapter 265. I'm Back, Hiruzen!
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Let's rewind time a little.
Early in the morning.
As soon as the alarm rang, Sarutobi Hiruzen got up, washed up, and had the breakfast prepared by Biwako. Then, taking the water bottle she had filled for him, he set out for the day.
Even though Biwako always grumbled about how she had married the wrong person, complained about the kind of wrong friends he kept, and sometimes scolded him with sarcasm, punches, and kicks—deep down, she still cared about him.
Otherwise, why would she prepare everything for him every morning?
Dressed in his green delivery vest, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up at the recently risen sun, casually pulled out his pipe, took a puff, and instantly felt more awake.
There weren't too many delivery orders in the morning. Unless a household was busy or someone had a mission to attend to, most people prepared their own meals.
However, movie sets sometimes required breakfast deliveries for early morning shoots, so occasionally, he could try his luck there.
But not today.
Today, luck wasn't on his side, so he had no choice but to wait for orders.
With his hands behind his back, Sarutobi Hiruzen strolled leisurely through the village.
The truth was—
It wasn't about whether he wanted to bear this massive debt; he had no choice but to carry it!
Otherwise—
Not only would Danzo's reputation be ruined, but his own would be too. The entire Sarutobi clan would be gossiped about in the village.
Especially since he was the Third Hokage—the Hokage who had lived through three Ninja World Wars and a student of the Second Hokage. How could he just run away like that?
If he simply ignored the debt, his reputation would be in shambles. Not only would it bring shame to his teacher, make him a laughingstock among the other Kages, but it might even drag Minato down with him.
So, he had no choice but to take responsibility!
"I heard that the Yuto Group is making big moves," Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke, furrowing his brows as he murmured to himself. "They're launching some kind of ninja business soon. Maybe that'll bring more opportunities."
Still—
He knew that paying off this debt wouldn't be easy.
As for the 35 million ryo his son had worked so hard to earn, he was well aware of it. But as a father… how could he possibly take his own son's hard-earned money?
Therefore, there was still a long way to go!
By now—
The streets were getting livelier.
Many shops had already opened, meaning orders would start coming in soon.
Sarutobi Hiruzen found a spot to rest, sat down, and pulled out his phone. He had barely been seated for a moment when—
[Ding Ding!]
[You have a new delivery order.]
[You have a new delivery order.]
The orders were coming in. It was time to work.
Looking at the delivery details on his phone, he paused for a moment. "Ichiraku Ramen? A hot bowl of ramen is a great choice for breakfast."
He stretched his body a little, loosening up.
Then, he reached into his ninja pouch, pulled out three more phones, placed them on the bench, and, with a serious expression, formed a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Three shadow clones appeared, each grabbing a phone.
"I'm counting on you guys!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said sternly. "You have to complete today's mission!"
"Relax! We've been doing this for so long—we know the drill!" ×3
With that—
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The three clones dashed off toward their assigned delivery zones. Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a sigh, picked up his phone, and set off toward his own designated area.
The Shadow Clone Delivery Man—Sarutobi Hiruzen is here!
…
"Your order has been delivered! Enjoy your meal! Please leave a five-star review!"
Soon—
The morning shift was over. And today, luck was on his side. He had delivered even more orders than yesterday.
At the designated meeting spot, Sarutobi Hiruzen collected the phones and dispelled his shadow clones. Instantly, he looked much more tired.
It seemed…
He had really aged a lot!
You know, he used to be able to perform the Five Release Great Combo Jutsu with four shadow clones plus his real body, enjoying himself without a care. A whole day of work, and he'd still be fine—no sore back, no aching legs.
Now, just running deliveries was enough to tire him out.
There was no denying it—he was getting old!
Checking the time, he grabbed a quick meal.
Next up… If there were any good extra roles in the afternoon, he could score a free lunch. And after running a few more deliveries at night, he could head home to rest.
Another fulfilling day.
And when he got home… he would have a good father-son chat with that brat!
Last night, his son had returned late—probably exhausted. It wasn't the right time for a heart-to-heart.
With a smirk, Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled to himself, hands behind his back, strolling leisurely.
Soon, after finishing lunch, he arrived at the movie set as scheduled.
Unfortunately—
There weren't any special roles today. Just an old man dying on the battlefield—one loud "Ah!", then collapse on the ground.
War was truly cruel!
But at least this meant he could rest for a bit.
After changing into costume, he took his designated spot as instructed. As a seasoned extra and a former major figure in the Ninja World—as well as a producer for Meteor Konoha—he was highly experienced in acting.
When it was time to "Ah!", he did it.
When it was time to lie down, he did it.
Here—
No one knew his true identity.
It was unclear how much time had passed.
Just as he was comfortably lying there—
"Old man, we're done. Get up, it's mealtime. If you're late, you won't get any food."
"Already done?" Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his eyes, flipped over, stretched, and looked at a familiar extra who had been working alongside him for a while. "I barely slept for a moment, and it's over already?"
"It's almost evening. You're not young anymore—you should find a proper job as soon as possible! It's not good to always be an extra!"
"Hehe! Back then, I was also..."
"Alright, stop bragging about how you used to be a big star. Just eat."
"Hehe~" Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't mind. He cheerfully grabbed his meal box, found a seat, and casually watched the advertisement playing in a nearby shop.
[At first, I initially refused to do this ad...]
[If you're a brother, come and fight me!]
[I'll be waiting for you in Ninja World Online!]
"The Third Hokage is really different. He actually got a cooperation advertisement from Yuto Group." A small-time extra next to him sighed as he watched the ad. "I wonder how much they paid him!"
"At least a few million!"
"I'm so jealous. We're just running around as extras."
Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen simply chuckled and continued eating leisurely.
It's nothing much—just over ten million, that's all.
Suddenly—
Shouts erupted all around him.
The shouts of excitement and envy were quite noisy, and many people squeezed in.
"???" Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned, looking up at the crowd that had suddenly gathered in front of him.
What was going on?
Was another movie crew hiring? Or had a big star arrived?
Curious, he kept eating while moving closer.
After a while—
His eyes widened in shock at the luxurious convoy of business cars before him. "Is Yuto Group hiring again?"
Why hadn't he heard about this?
You know, he had connections too!
But—
Just as he was about to make a phone call and ask—
At that moment, a figure stepped out of one of the cars, quickly moving to the back and respectfully opening the door.
Then—
Another figure slowly emerged.
He was dressed in a perfectly tailored luxury suit, gripping a cane that had clearly been worn smooth over time. His gray-white hair was slicked back, exuding a luxurious temperament. He gently removed his unmistakably expensive sunglasses, his face carrying a smile as he looked toward him.
Sarutobi Hiruzen froze completely, his meal box slipping from his hands to the ground. His eyes turned red as he stared at the imposing figure before him.
"You… You…"
Before he could finish—
The man strode over leisurely, smiling as he looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"I'm back, Hiruzen!"
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