Chapter 311
Naruto Time Control
Two years later.
On the top floor of the Hokage Residence.
"Yeruashi! Hurry up! The graduation ceremony is about to start!"
Rin stepped up to the entrance of Yeruashi's room and called out.
Yeruashi emerged from the bedroom and let out a long yawn. "It's just a graduation, nothing too important. Let Hiruzen handle the speech; he’s always been good at that sort of thing."
"That won't do!"
Rin nudged Yeruashi toward the mirror. "The Third Hokage isn't the same. These children of Konoha are waiting for you specifically. Now, let me help you get ready!"
Yielding to Rin’s persistence, Yeruashi sat before the mirror and sighed helplessly. "If you care so much about the younger generation, why didn't you go lecture at the Academy yourself?"
Rin picked up a comb and began tidying Yeruashi's hair, her tone playful. "I really do care about them! So... when are we going to have a child of our own?"
"I feel like I'm still a child myself, heh..."
Yeruashi leaned back in his chair and smirked.
Rin couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "If they saw you like this, I'm afraid the image of the esteemed Lord Hokage would be utterly shattered."
Over the past year, Yeruashi had shifted most of his administrative duties onto Kakashi and Mei, rarely showing his face in the Hokage's office.
A Shadow Clone would transmit all its memories to him after dispersing anyway, so lately, Yeruashi had begun to rely on them even while he was staying within Konoha.
'Sigh, my youth is already spent...'
Yeruashi sighed a bit helplessly.
He was twenty-seven now, but that was only by the Naruto world's reckoning. In reality, given his time-acceleration ability, the physical age of his body was already closer to forty.
Yeruashi could truly feel the changes taking place within him.
Originally, he had been filled with the vigor of youth, but that spark had gradually dimmed over time. Aside from guiding Hinata's training, very few things managed to pique his interest anymore.
This was partly because he had become far too powerful.
If someone appeared who posed a genuine threat, someone capable of forcing him to fight with everything he had, Yeruashi's spirits would likely soar. But now, not even Kaguya Otsutsuki could stir the same fighting spirit and raw emotion he had felt back when he was a Genin or Chunin.
"Hey, hey, cheer up!"
Rin smiled and gave Yeruashi a quick kiss before draping the Hokage's cloak over his shoulders and retrieving his hat from the closet.
Yeruashi reached out and settled the hat onto his head.
Once finished, he took a breath and stepped outside.
A large crowd of children had gathered at the Shinobi Academy training grounds, including the graduating Naruto and Sasuke, as well as the newly enrolled students.
Behind the stage, Kakashi glanced at the arriving Yeruashi. "Finally here. I was starting to think you wouldn't show up at all."
"Oh, how could you think that of me, little brother? After all, one of the graduates is my own student."
Yeruashi shrugged and looked closely at Kakashi. "That chakra and vitality... have you completed the practice of the Sage's Body?"
"Yes."
Kakashi nodded. "Yesterday."
As he spoke, a thought occurred to him. Kakashi turned slightly pale and eyed his brother suspiciously. "Wait... are you planning to dump more work on me again? I've already said I want to take on a Genin team and relax for a year... or maybe two..."
Yeruashi gave his younger brother a look of mock disdain. "Have I ever forced tasks upon you?"
Kakashi simply stared at Yeruashi.
Although he didn't say a word, his gaze seemed to scream, 'Exactly! Don't you do that all the time, brother?!'
"Don't worry, brother. I was just planning to give you the gift I mentioned earlier for when you succeed me as Hokage. Но since you've already completed the Sage's Body, I might as well hand it over now."
Yeruashi patted Kakashi on the shoulder and leisurely walked past him.
A few seconds later.
He stepped onto the stage specially erected for the Academy graduation ceremony.
The moment he appeared, the entire grounds erupted. The Academy students held nothing but the deepest respect and admiration for the legendary Fifth Hokage.
While the eyes of girls like Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno sparkled brighter than ever, some were so overwhelmed with excitement that they began to cheer and shout.
"Lord Hokage... he's so handsome..."
It was a rare instance where such fawning didn't draw any resentment from the boys.
Even the two most popular boys in the class, Naruto Namikaze and Sasuke Uchiha, found themselves forced to agree.
Truly.
He was the most handsome Hokage in history.
There was simply no arguing that.
"Alright... I’m definitely going to be the next Hokage!"
Naruto looked up at the Fifth Hokage on the stage with pure reverence.
Yeruashi had personally overseen his training several times, and Naruto knew that after his father's death, Yeruashi had been the one to look after him and his mother. All of this had softened his competitive drive to surpass the Fifth Hokage.
"Hmph. I intend to be the first Hokage from the Uchiha Clan, so someone's going to have to step aside," Sasuke, standing beside him, said coldly with a condescending glance at Naruto.
In truth, he hadn't initially cared for the position, but because Naruto was constantly shouting about it, Sasuke—as his eternal rival—had eventually made it his own goal as well.
"Lord Hokage, I love you!"
A girl's voice cried out from somewhere in the crowd.
Yeruashi, already standing center stage, smiled helplessly at the outburst. "Careful now, they might throw me in jail for that..."
The children across the grounds burst into laughter.
At that moment, the eyes of many girls watching Yeruashi began to shine even brighter.
"This isn't the first time I've given a graduation speech. There won't be anything new this year; most of you probably heard the same thing last year."
Yeruashi smiled and scanned the faces of the children, his gaze lingering on several familiar ones before coming to a stop on Hinata. "The mission of every shinobi is to aid the development of this world so that everyone can lead a better life..."
"Each of you who is about to graduate and shoulder this burden will become an essential stone in the foundation of peace. You will become heroes..."
Yeruashi continued his speech with a warm smile.
Kurenai, Shizune, and several other young women appeared in the wings of the stage, their gazes fixed intently on Yeruashi's figure.
"...Remember."
"The flames of the Will of Fire will burn forever!"
Yeruashi concluded his speech with his usual signature phrase and stepped off the stage with a smile, accompanied by a thunderous wave of applause.