Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 521 Enjoying Food in the Wind

Danzo Shimura turned the hand-drawn map around on the table and pointed with his rough fingers to a spot where the Gobi Desert met the border of the Land of Wind.

His movements were steady, as if he were reviewing an engineering blueprint.

"After entering the northeastern corner of the Land of Wind from here, there is a stretch of Gobi Desert that is about a few kilometers long."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet corner, carrying a metallic quality.

"There is no shelter and no water source. Based on past meteorological data, the surface temperature can reach over 50 degrees Celsius during the day, but it will drop sharply at night."

Uchiha Kagami withdrew his gaze from the night outside the window, leaned forward slightly, and fixed his eyes on the spot where Danzo's finger had pointed. The mirror reflected the dim light of the oil lamp, making it impossible to see his eyes.

"Walking at night?" he asked softly.

"We have to walk at night."

Danzo nodded, his words leaving no room for negotiation, a complete statement of conclusion.

"Beyond the Gobi Desert lies the first line of defense surrounding Sunagakure. According to the latest intelligence from Root, the core nodes are located directly north and west of the village. If we enter from the northeast—"

Before he could finish speaking, Hatake Sakumo reached out his hand, his index finger smoothly tracing an arc on the map.

That hand, which had once held the White Fang Dagger and ended countless lives, now moved with the precision and composure of someone surveying the land.

"Go around to the due east."

Sakumo's voice was calm, as if he were stating the boundaries of his own farmland.

Danzo raised his head, and his eyes, which always held a shadowy look, stared directly at Sakumo without any concealment.

"There is a trade route to the east, though it is small, there are still a few caravans going in and out. Where there is a route, there is a weakness."

Sakumo Hatake's finger finally stopped on a tiny circled marker on the map.

"Moreover, there is a supply depot five kilometers outside the East Gate. I set up a third-class liaison point there."

Danzo stared at that spot and remained silent for three seconds.

The only sounds in the air were the incoherent babbling of the drunkard at the next table and faint noises coming from the kitchen in the distance.

Sakumo added.

"When I was stationed at the Western Eye last time, I walked through all the roads, water sources, post stations, and sentry posts within a ten-kilometer radius of Sunagakure Village in order to study the diet and activity patterns of the local sand scorpions."

Danzo: "..."

Uchiha Kagami: "..."

A brief, yet subtly quiet, fell in the corner.

Researching...sand scorpions?

Uchiha Kagami's lips seemed to twitch slightly upwards, but he quickly returned to his usual gentle state.

A few seconds later, Shimura Danzo silently put away the map, carefully folded it into a perfect square, and put it back in his pocket, his movements meticulous.

"Can."

Just two words, not a single unnecessary word.

But when these two words came from Shimura Danzo's mouth, they carried more weight than any "approval" on an engineering acceptance report.

This means that in his almost obsessive field of expertise—route planning and infiltration—he fully endorsed Shuo Mao's plan.

Although they spoke softly, every word was filled with professional scrutiny and trust in each other.

This tacit understanding was cultivated through countless missions.

At that moment, the drunken businessmen at the next table were shouting and spitting as they talked.

"Have you heard? The battle in the north is over! Konoha just sent some youngsters, and they crushed the combined forces of Sunagakure and Iwagakure! The scene was... wow!"

"That's not all! The son of my second uncle's relative's neighbor is from the Land of Lightning. He said that the Third Hokage of Konoha personally went to the battlefield, and now Kumogakure is practically a vassal state of Konoha!"

"The most outrageous thing has to be that war orphan relief fund! Can you believe it? Konoha is actually using its own money to support orphans from defeated countries! What kind of crazy operation is this? What's the point? Are they just burning money?"

These rumors, a mixture of exaggeration, speculation, and partial truth, flowed clearly into the ears of the three of them like gusts of wind.

On Danzo's perpetually serious face, a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

That is the deepest pride in the great cause that one has personally participated in and created.

Uchiha Kagami's eyes, behind his glasses, gleamed with a thoughtful light.

He knew that these rumors were the most subtle yet most deadly part of Lord Hiruzen's open scheme.

It can undermine the enemy's will at its very core more effectively than any ninjutsu or weapon.

"Squeak—"

The kitchen door curtain was lifted.

The old shopkeeper walked over carrying an old wooden tray, on which sat three steaming bowls of soup noodles and a pot of warm wine that was emitting white steam.

The noodle soup was a clear, dark brown color, with a few thin slices of pork lazily laid on top of the noodles. Next to it lay a fried egg, golden brown on both sides with slightly charred edges, exuding a mixed aroma of oil and wheat.

Shuo Mao reached out and took his bowl of noodles, glancing down at it.

The noodles were hand-rolled and not very uniform in thickness, but the broth smelled quite authentic.

He picked up the chopsticks on the table with the precision of someone holding a knife, took a small handful of noodles (without soup), and put them in his mouth.

I chewed it twice.

The action paused.

"The dough is too hard."

He put down his chopsticks and gave a judgment devoid of any emotion.

"Cooking it in the pot for another thirty seconds will make it taste even better."

The old shopkeeper, holding a plate, stared at him blankly, his wrinkles revealing what the customer was talking about.

Danzo Shimura had already poured himself a full glass of sake, took a small sip, and felt the warm liquid slide down his throat, his brow relaxing slightly.

Uchiha Kagami ate his noodles quietly, with an elegant posture, as if he were savoring not the rough noodles from a small border shop, but the kaiseki cuisine from the Hokage's residence.

Sakumo picked up his chopsticks again without saying anything more.

He soaked the noodles in the soup for a moment with his chopsticks, then picked up another piece and put it in his mouth.

It's still a bit too hard.

But it's hot.

Salty or bland is also suitable.

He began to eat quickly, without making a sound.

Every chew and every length of noodle inhaled seems to be precisely calculated.

This is a habit that Sakumo Hatake developed during his time in the Dark Side—to consume the most calories in the shortest amount of time and in the most efficient way, without making any noise that might reveal his location.

The instinct to kill was etched into every detail of his life.

Seeing this, the old shopkeeper subconsciously shrank back behind the counter and muttered something in a low voice.

"These guys are eating like they're fighting over food, are they reincarnated starving ghosts...?"

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a gaze fall upon him.

It was that man who drank in silence.

Danzo Shimura gently set down the wine glass, the bottom of which touched the table without making a sound.

He glanced towards the old shopkeeper's direction.

"Boss."

"Yes, sir, please speak."

The old shopkeeper was startled and quickly responded.

"Are there many caravans coming from the Land of Wind lately?"

Danzo's questions were direct and precise, without any preamble.