Chapter 483: Release
Inside the Sarutobi Clan Compound, Konoha Village.
Hiruzen had served as Hokage for slightly over thirty years across two separate terms, building an exceptionally grand web of personal popularity. It was a blessing that the active news of his critical illness hadn't been widely disseminated across the village yet, otherwise, one wouldn't even find a baseline foot column to step on inside the Sarutobi estate.
By the time Ryo arrived on location, only a handful of Hiruzen's closest friends and family members were present.
Hiruzen's remaining two former teammates from Team Tobirama still possessed relatively robust, sturdy health profiles. Having a weak baseline capability carried its own structural advantages; they had participated in far fewer active battles during their younger years, resulting in fewer residual physical injuries racking their vessels. Specifically Koharu Utatane—operating as a medical-plus-tactical strategist ninja, she possessed a minimum of six to seven years of natural life left to live.
Aside from those two elders, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shinnosuke Sarutobi alongside his wife, little Konohamaru, Asama, and... Kurenai populated the immediate room.
Hiruzen had actually only fallen ill a brief duration ago, and he was still entirely capable of walking and moving. However, following a comprehensive check-up administered by Tsunade, she had definitively issued a "critical illness notification," forcing everyone to frantically gather here.
Catching sight of Ryo's arrival, Konohamaru directly threw himself forward into his arms: "Great Ancestor, please perform a fresh check-up on Grandpa immediately! Aunt Tsunade must have definitively mapped it out incorrectly!"
Tsunade lightly massaged her wrist, glaring at this little brat—how many times have I told you to address me as Big Sister...
Ryo lightly patted Konohamaru's head: "I recall that you officially graduated from the Academy this exact year, didn't you? Since you have already successfully stepped up to become a Genin, you must exhibit a mature and composed baseline, and command the absolute courage to directly face the impending death of your grandfather."
Konohamaru blinked his eyes, completely dumbfounded.
It was entirely because the words belonged to Ryo; if any ordinary individual dared to deliver such unvarnished prose, they would have long since been beaten to absolute dust by the family members.
"Senior, trouble you to please execute another look over Father anyway," Shinnosuke similarly voiced his unwillingness to accept the baseline reality.
Ryo nodded, taking several paces forward to lock his gaze with a smiling Hiruzen: "What's left to inspect? Hiruzen parses out his own internal state perfectly well."
Despite his words, Ryo still channeled a wave of Medical Ninjutsu chakra through his palms to scan the elder's vessel. A brief moment later, he shook his head: "Whatever he desires to eat or drink, hurry up and arrange it."
Behind him, Konohamaru instantly erupted into a massive, wailing sob, rubbing his streaming tears and mucus straight onto his mother's apparel...
The remaining individuals had likely stood thoroughly prepared for this outcome, their countenances merely washing over with a trace of deep sorrow. Hiruzen himself even managed a lighthearted tease: "Senior, could you not choose to phrase it a fraction more tactfully?"
Ryo shot him a sidelong glance: "What is there to be tactful about regarding death? Tsunade already laid it out for you, didn't she? Following your physical demise, your soul parameters will report straight to the Great Ancestor's spiritual block, and furthermore..."
Ryo given a sudden pause, withholding the remaining segment of his thought. In truth, he was already fully capable of unleashing the Samsara之Life Rebirth Technique (Rinne Tensei), though it demanded a monumental structural toll from his own vessel. While executing a massive, wide-scale resurrection was out of the question, reviving one or two individuals was entirely achievable.
However, a palm and a back of a hand were both made of identical flesh. Picking whomever to revive first would turn into an improper dilemma. Ryo intended to wait until his remaining 600 Witness Points were completely harvested, utilizing a single majestic wave to execute everything simultaneously once his account achieved its maxed-out tier...
And wouldn't a massive harvest of Witness Points be presenting itself very soon anyway?
"Senior, exactly how much duration do I possess left?"
Ryo fell into brief calculation: "In half a month, you will fundamentally be incapable of descending from your bed. Following that, after another ten to eight days, it will be about time to kick the bucket. Just like Kagami back in the day, once a person reaches their natural biological limit, their physical aging manifests drastically from one day to the next."
Hearing that timeline, Konohamaru's wailing grew significantly more ferocious...
Hiruzen's expression stiffened slightly. Even though he had long maintained an absolute psychological readiness, explicitly knowing the definitive date of his own demise still caused a trace of discomfort to twist inside his chest.
However, appraising his lineage filling the hall alongside his two disciples, and reflecting on a Konoha Village that only grew more vibrant and prosperous by the day, his journey through this lifetime could be considered largely devoid of deep regrets. Regrets...
"Less than a single month remaining?" Hiruzen sat up from his mattress. "Shinnosuke, initiate contact to notify Obito. Konohamaru, Konohamaru, come let Grandpa hold you. In another few days, I am afraid I won't possess the physical capability to cradle you anymore."
Ryo shook his head with a gentle smile. As expected of a veteran Hokage, his execution of sentimental emotional framing is truly matchless...
The news that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was on the absolute verge of passing away steadily rippled across every street block of Konoha. Countless waves of citizens traveled to the Sarutobi estate to pay their respects. Ryo occasionally witnessed youths in their fifties or sixties weeping openly as they presented a small token of their personal gratitude to the Sarutobi compound, a stark testament to exactly how profoundly Hiruzen commanded the hearts of his commoners.
True to Ryo's medical prediction, Hiruzen's physiological deterioration progressed step-by-step from day to day. By mid-April, he completely lost the capability to leave his bed, and the Sarutobi clan systematically declined the vast majority of visiting requests dispatched by Konoha ninjas and civilians alike.
April 16, Konoha Year 63, high noon.
At Kushina's house.
Minato had taken Naruto and Tsukika to visit Hiruzen at the Sarutobi compound, leaving only Ryo and Kushina sitting opposite each other to have lunch.
"Kushina, you truly refuse to go?"
"平衡... I'm not going."
"Holding onto a grudge to this extent?"
"Holding onto it!" Kushina stated with absolute conviction.
Ryo shook his head with a laugh: "Back in the day regarding that matter between you and Minato, Hiruzen's execution was indeed fundamentally incorrect, but didn't the ultimate outcome turn out flawlessly? Where else on earth would you hunt down an excellent husband like Minato?"
Kushina blinked her eyes: "You phrase it as if without that specific incident, Minato and I would have failed to walk down the same path. This princess is so spectacularly beautiful; Minato would have definitively and proactively found a method to pursue me on his own, so why on earth did the Third Hokage need to throw a chaotic wrench into the mix?"
Ryo: "..."
You are a literal mother, is it truly proper for you to mimic your own daughter's exact linguistic styling?
"Furthermore, regarding that incident with Naruto during his childhood..." Kushina continued to speak up. "If my Naruto hadn't been naturally endowed with an exceptionally bright mind, he would have likely fallen straight into that old dog Danzo's political traps... In short, the Third Hokage's actions were far too excessive!"
Ryo rolled his eyes. Naruto naturally endowed with a bright mind? You certainly didn't phrase it that way in the past. This was strictly because she noticed Naruto had matured over these past two years, manifesting a subtle trace of Minato's shadow, prompting her to retroactively alter her commentary... Heaven only knew exactly whose chaotic, rowdy behavioral traits Naruto's childhood persona had inherited!
"Great-grandfather, refrain from counseling me further, I will absolutely not go! Under no circumstances should you continue counseling me, don't counsel—"
"Understood, I won't!"
Kushina instantly stood frozen, subsequent to which she fiercely grit her teeth to aggressively shovel rice into her mouth...
Seeing her demeanor, Ryo smiled gently: "How about making a single swift trip over after all? Over these past decades, I haven't exactly spared Hiruzen from all sorts of suffocating, petty grievances, which can comfortably be considered avenging you. No matter how deep an active grudge runs, it should rightfully dissolve into absolute nothingness alongside the arrival of death. Furthermore, there doesn't exist any visceral blood feud between you two; during your childhood years, Hiruzen treated you with immense affection."
"Treated me with affection? Who knows if he simply desired to retain me strictly to serve as Konoha's Hidden Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?" Kushina let out a long sigh. "However, since Great-grandfather is counseling me with this degree of effort, I will make a single trip over then—strictly to grant you face!"
Ryo rolled his eyes yet again. Now that his ocular structures had fully concluded their integration phase, he had successfully re-harvested the pure, instinctual gratification of rolling his dual eyes after a prolonged absence. No wonder Neji constantly executed this routine; this movement could flawlessly communicate the baseline frustration dwelling inside a person's heart...
"Finish eating first!"
Following lunch, Kushina treaded with hesitant, lingering steps behind Ryo to arrive at the Sarutobi estate, entering Hiruzen's residence.
"Mama, Great Ancestor, you've come to visit Grandpa Third!" Tsukika's vocal cords were increasingly vibrant and clear; if she abandoned her actress ambitions in the future, she could comfortably operate as a premier vocalist...
Hearing the commotion, Minato tilted his head, flashing a radiant, sun-like smile straight toward Kushina.
His silent encouragement operated with a baseline efficiency that was leagues ahead of Ryo's prose. Kushina's resolve instantly locked into place as she picked up her pacing, bypassing several high-tier Konoha elders who wore highly complex expressions upon understanding the historical truths of the past, until she arrived right at the foot of Hiruzen's bed.
Exactly as Ryo had detailed, once a person stands at their terminal boundary, their physical decay manifests visually day by day. Over these past two weeks, Hiruzen had withered to an extreme degree, currently resting flat against his mattress as he gazed gently up at Kushina.
"Kushina, you've come. Regarding the matters of the past... the fault lay entirely with my execution. You still harbor a grudge against me, don't you?"
Kushina fell into a brief silence upon hearing those words. It wasn't until Naruto—who razor-sharply parsed out that the atmospheric parameters were anomalous—voiced a low question of 'what's wrong', that she successfully dragged her consciousness back from her historical memories.
Appraising the old man in front of her who had withered past normal recognition, Kushina let out a soft sigh and lightly shook her head: "In truth... I have already completely stopped blaming you!"
The grievances and entanglements of the historical past had finally reached an absolute point of release.
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you