Chapter 597: From Tomorrow On, You Are the Hokage

"We're surrounded."

Within the Thunder Country, Qianshou Feijian crouched on the ground, closed his eyes and sensed the surroundings by touching the earth with his fingers.

"The enemy numbers... twenty."

"From this tracking ability, it appears to be Cloud Hidden, likely Jin Jiao's elite troops."

After the first Ninja World War ended, Second Hokage Qianshou Feijian led six guards to the Thunder Country to sign a peace treaty.

During the journey, the Jinyin Jiaoyin Brothers staged a coup, ambushed on the spot and killed the Second Generation Raikage.

Feijian and his six guards escaped, but the Jinyin Jiaoyin Brothers were not going to let them go, leading elite forces in pursuit.

While the Cloud Hidden forces pursued temporarily, listening to Qianshou Feijian's account, everyone fell into silence.

Facing this situation, they realized they were likely doomed today.

"Including the Second Generation Great Person, there are only seven of us," Shuihu Menyan said gravely, "This situation is truly hard to handle."

He voiced many thoughts that were in people's hearts.

"Shuihu Menyan, why be so cowardly!" Zhuan Qin Xiaochun said discontentedly, "The enemy hasn't precisely pinpointed our location yet; we should set an ambush and strike to create an opening for escape!"

She felt that even in a desperate situation, one must not abandon hope of escape.

Even if there is only a sliver of chance, everyone must not give up on themselves!

However, her words did not receive her companions' approval.

"Useless, Xiaochun," Uchiha Jing said, "In this situation, someone must act as bait to draw them away."

Although he really didn't want to do this to everyone, this is the only chance to escape!

"Bait?" Qiu Dao Qu Feng whispered low, "Surely we'll die."

Anyone present who became the bait would also face the Jinyin Jiaoyin Brothers, plus a host of Cloud Hidden elite ninjas.

There is no chance of survival!

"Who will go?"

Upon hearing Qiu Dao Qu Feng's words, the room fell silent for a moment.

Indeed, who will act as bait to draw away the Cloud Hidden ninjas and give comrades a chance to escape?

Everyone was tangled in conflict.

They aren't afraid of death, but if they could live, who would still be willing to die?

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang half‑kneelt on the ground, caught in hesitation and turmoil.

"I am a ninja, I've long decided to die on the battlefield like a ninja."

"Yuanfei, what are you thinking now?"

"Do you have that resolve?"

Thinking that way, his hand resting on his knee tightened unconsciously.

"Speak it, quickly!"

"I... why, why can't I say it?!"

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang actually had the resolve to die, but the fear of death prevented him from speaking it.

Not everyone can face death calmly and go willingly.

Just as he was conflicted, Yuanfei Rizhan suddenly spoke up.

"I'll go!"

At those words, everyone looked at him.

"Yuanfei."

"Rizhan, you..."

Seeing the crowd's complicated gazes, Yuanfei Rizhan said with a smile.

"Don't worry, even though I look like this, I think I'm the strongest among you. I won't die..."

For some reason, after Rizhan stepped forward, the fear in Tuan Cang's heart suddenly vanished.

Damn, I was a coward after all!

Burdened with guilt, Tuan Cang felt a hand pat his shoulder.

"Tuan Cang, from now on we entrust everything to you."

All this time, Rizhan regarded Tuan Cang as a friend, a confidant he could entrust his life to.

But before he could finish, his angry friend cut him off.

"Shut up, I was about to raise my hand! Don't let you be the only one showing off, let me be the bait!"

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang realized that since Rizhan was willing to become a hero and sacrifice himself to protect everyone, why couldn't he do the same?

At that moment, the fear of death that had lingered in his heart instantly vanished.

"Tuan Cang..." Yuanfei Rizhan looked at his friend in surprise.

The previously silent Qianshou Feijian, seeing the two willing to step forward as bait, said in a deep voice.

"The bait, of course, will be me."

"You are all future young heirs of the Will of Fire who will protect the Village."

"No, you're the Hokage!" Zhi Cun Tuan Zang protested loudly, "There is no ninja stronger than you in the Village!"

In his view, only a powerful Hokage can lead the Village's development; no one should be sacrificed, especially not the Hokage!

"Tuan Cang, you and the monkey are always competing," Qianshou Feijian said calmly, "But what we need now is comradeship; don't bring personal grudges into this."

"Indecision is a fact. First, one must examine oneself, stay calm and understand oneself; if we act like now, it will only plunge comrades into danger."

"In any case, at your age you need not rush; the moment of death will inevitably come."

"Before that, keep your lives alive first."

Qianshou Feijian stood up and looked at Yuanfei Rizhan.

"Monkey, protect those who admire the Village and trust you. Then train them to become people you can entrust with the next era."

"From tomorrow onward, you are the Hokage."

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang looked at Yuanfei Rizhan in disbelief.

"Monkey, Konoha is now yours!"

"Yes!"

Not far away, three figures suppressed their aura and hid in the shadows, witnessing what transpired.

Madara Uchiha sat on a tree, propping his cheek with one hand, and boredly yawned.

"Feijian this guy, truly ugly!"

Aren't they just two Shadow-level weaklings and a bunch of Jonin minnows?

"What about that whole life-and-death drama?"

At this moment, Qianshou Feijian's attention was entirely on these young juniors and the Cloud Hidden pursuers rapidly arriving.

He did not notice the three who were concealing their aura.

"So this is how I missed the Hokage Position…"

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang's expression was complex, yet he did not blame his own self in this timeline.

Back then, he perhaps truly lacked the resolve to die like Ri Zhan.

"Kid, aren't you going to help Feijian?" Madara Uchiha just turned his head and found that Lian Ye had already vanished.

Only Zhi Cun Tuan Zang remained by his side.

Madara Uchiha: "..."

It seems this kid truly cares about Feijian's life or death!

If he had cared about himself like this, the Moon's Eye project would have been realized long ago.

He wouldn't need to traverse time and space to see his future self achieving Ninja World Peace.

"No need to say more, I'll be the bait to draw the enemy away, you return to the Village and properly assist the monkey."

Qianshou Feijian interrupted the others' persuasion.

He is already of advanced age, so naturally he cannot let the juniors be bait for a suicide mission.

This does not align with the Village's Will of Fire!

Such matters can only be entrusted to him; it can be called the Village's legacy.

"Lord Hokage!" the crowd looked at Qianshou Feijian with lingering reluctance.

"Tsk tsk, the scene of parting is truly moving."

An ill‑timed voice broke the sorrowful atmosphere.

Everyone instinctively looked toward the direction of the voice, only to be shocked to find it coming from directly above their heads.

They saw a long‑haired man in a black robe, propping his cheek with one hand, sitting on a tree and watching them with keen interest.