I Become Sarutobi Hiruzen?

What's going on? Where is this? After finally getting promoted, he was drinking with his friends until he's drunk. He closed his eyes and squinted. When he opened his eyes, he was being carried by others. These group of people seemed to be running away from something and the clothes they wore were so weird that he has never seen before.

Damn, something resemble a dart was aimed at me, but I managed to dodge it.

Ow! The branch just scratched my face!

How did he jump up to the high tree? Where is this?

"Fire Style - Fire Phoenix Technique" (Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu)

"Wind Style - Vacuum Blade" (Fūton: Shinkūjin)

A voice came from behind: "Homura, take Hiruzen and get him to safety. We'll handle these troublemakers."

T-This is this the world of anime "Naruto"? Why do I understand it's language?

A sudden memory surged through my mind— Ninja World War? Sensei left behind? Sarutobi Hiruzen? My vision blurred, darkness consumed me, and I lost consciousness.

When I woke up again, I was already inside a cave, and my memories had fully merged.

It's been a day since l was reborn in this body. I merged all my memories in a daze and knew that it was the 19th year of Konoha, the end of the first Ninja World War, when the Second Hokage and the Second Raikage signed a peace agreement. The aggressive Kinkaku and Ginkaku of the Hidden Cloud Village launched an attack using the Six Paths Ninja Tools, killing the pacifist Second Raikage A, and continue pursuing the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama. While being exhausted and cornered, Tobirama assessed his disciples and chose Sarutobi Hiruzen as the Third Hokage of Konoha before staying behind to face the enemy. Now, two days have passed, and there has been no news.

I thought to myself: I will live as Sarutobi Hiruzen from now on.

"Where are Homura, Kagami and Danzo? How are they doing?" He encountered an attack while escaping. He killed five jonins, nine chunin and 28 genins together with his teammates Uchiha Kagami, Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura Utatane Koharu and Akimichi Torifu. During this time Danzo was blinded one eye, Kagami was seriously injured, and Sarutobi Hiruzen was overdrawn and unconscious due to the "reborn" effect.

"Koharu has been taking care of Kagami but Kagami hasn't woken up yet. Danzo has woken up and has left the cave to be on guard while Torifu went to the back to set traps to prevent the pursuers."

Hiruzen leaned against the cave wall, scanning his surroundings. Koharu sat nearby, resting against the stone wall as she nibbled on some dry rations. On a makeshift mat, Kagami lay pale and motionless, his body wrapped in bandages. His breathing was shallow, a clear sign of his weakened state.

Noticing Hiruzen, Koharu looked up and handed him a bag of rations. "Kagami isn't doing well," she said grimly. "We've bandaged his wounds, but he has several broken ribs. We don't know if his internal organs are damaged, and he's lost a lot of blood." She sighed before adding, "As soon as Torifu gets back, we should return to the village. Maybe sensei managed to escape and is already waiting for us there." Despite everything, there was a flicker of hope in her eyes.

While Hiruzen was deep in thought, two figures entered the cave—a burly man and a one-eyed warrior. The larger man spoke first, his voice firm yet weary.

"Hiruzen, we need to move. We can't let sensei down."

This was Akimichi Torifu, his expression were serious despite his usual easygoing nature.

"Although I don't think I'm inferior to you, I

respect sensei's decision. I will cover the pursuers for you so you should return to the village as soon as possible to succeed as the Hokage." Danzo said although he was a little unwilling.

"Danzo is right, Kagami needs to be treated as soon as possible. Danzo and I will cover your retreat together." Homura also agreed.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath and spoke decisively, "We'll discuss cover later. Right now, we're about to cross the Fire Country's border, and our priority is to send a message back to the village to prevent any unforeseen incidents."

He turned to Danzo. "Danzo, head to the border post and use the ninja eagle to deliver the message. Once you've crossed the border, you'll operate alone, your task is to locate and gather the mission squads within the country as the Hokage Guard. If you encounter an Anbu team, assign them to investigate the Hidden Cloud's coup. Any standard mission teams you find will patrol a 50-mile radius along the border between the Fire Country and the Lightning Country. After completing your mission, return to the village immediately."

Hiruzen then addressed the rest of the team. "Koharu and I will take the route through the Valley of the End. Torifu, set up a few traps behind us and create false tracks to make it appear as though six people traveled this way."

Danzo smirked. "Trying to lure the enemy into chasing us? Smart move."

Without another word, the group sprang into action. The cave echoed with the sound of hurried footsteps as Koharu followed closely behind Hiruzen. Meanwhile, Mitokado Homura shot a glance at Shimura Danzo before dashing out after them.

The one leading the way was Utatane Koharu, the one in the middle was Hiruzen Sarutobi carrying Uchiha Kagami, and the one at the rear was Akimichi Torifu. Suddenly, there were several explosions in the distance.

'was the trap triggered?' Hiruzen Sarutobi thought silently. Torifu took out a yellow ball from the ninja tool bag on his waist and stuffed it into his mouth. He chewed a few times, then silently turned his head, rolled over, and hid beneath the tree.

The two figures in the tree glanced back before continuing forward, their movements swift and silent. The dense forest blurred past them as they leaped from branch to branch.

After a while, the distant sound of clashing steel and explosions echoed through the trees. Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened. He frowned and said, "Koharu, take Kagami and go ahead. I'll go help Torifu."

Without hesitation, he quickened his pace, catching up with Koharu. Carefully, he lowered Uchiha Kagami from his back and turned toward the battle.

Koharu watched as Hiruzen disappeared into the distance. Her hands trembled slightly, her teeth clenched as if holding back tears. But she didn't hesitate. Swallowing her emotions, she hoisted Kagami onto her back and pressed forward, determined to follow orders.

Watching the intense battle unfold before him, Sarutobi Hiruzen concealed himself behind a tree, his hands forming seals with an unsteady familiarity.

'is this the seal for Fire Dragon Flame Bullet? Then I just need to add fire chakra, aim… and release it?' he thought.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared to unleash the jutsu,

"Torifu dodge!" he shouted, warning his comrade just as he prepared to attack.

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet" (Katon: Karyū Endan)

Five massive fire dragons roared forward, scorching everything in their path. "Shouting out the jutsu name really makes it more exciting," Hiruzen thought to himself.

The blazing dragons engulfed the battlefield, forcing everyone back except for Akimichi Torifu, who managed to withstand the heat. The intense flames crackled as they burned through the leaves, filling the air with the scent of charred wood.

"Next is this seal…" Hiruzen's hands moved swiftly. "Earth Style – Earth Dragon Bomb!" (Doton: Doryūdan)

The ground trembled as an enormous dragon of hardened earth rose up, ready to strike.

"What jutsu should I follow up with?" Hiruzen pondered for only a moment before deciding.

"Let's unleash a Water Dragon Bullet next."

Taking a deep breath, he focused his chakra, preparing to release the Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu—a technique that, when combined with the Earth Dragon Bomb, would create a devastating sequence of attacks.

As Hiruzen was forming seals for his next jutsu, a voice interrupted him. "Hiruzen, they're all dead. Your ninjutsu is too destructive now maybe even Sense wouldn't stand a chance against you."

It was Akimichi Torifu, his tone half-admiring, half-concerned. "Stop and conserve your chakra. Those techniques must have drained you a lot."

Hiruzen paused, glancing at Torifu with a puzzled expression. "Consume a lot of chakra?" he thought. He didn't feel tired at all. In fact, he was certain he could unleash dozens more jutsu without issue. 'Do I look that weak?' Still, he chose not to argue. Just as he was about to respond, something strange happened.

A panel suddenly appeared in front of him.

Sarutobi Hiruzen – Status

Body: 11/12

Spirit: 75/88 ↑

Elementary: 13/28 ↑

Combat Skills:

Advanced Taijutsu Mastery

Advanced Combat Instincts

Ninjutsu Mastery:

Fire Style – Advanced Mastery

Earth Style – Advanced Mastery

Lightning Style – Advanced Mastery

Wind Style – Intermediate Mastery

Water Style – Intermediate Mastery

Sealing Jutsu – Intermediate Mastery

Genjutsu – Intermediate Mastery

Energy Control:

Chakra Flow: Advanced Mastery

Looking at the handwriting that only I could see in front of me, I felt a wave of confusion. "What is this? My golden finger? How do I use it?". My eyes scanned the numbers again. "Only a dozen points in Body? Am I really this weak?" Then, my gaze fell on the rising arrow next to spirit "What does this mean? Is my mental power increasing? How is this happening?" I clenched my fists. No answers came immediately, but one thing was certain this strange ability was real.

After tinkering with the panel for a while, I gradually understood its structure. [Body] represents physical strength, with an ordinary human having a value of 1. Skills like walking, running, and jumping fall under physical mastery, which progresses into combat skills. [Spirit] integrates mental strength, willpower, and focus, with a normal person's value also being 1. [Elementary] represents vitality, chakra, or true energy which is the foundation of a shinobi's power. [Energy, Ninjutsu and Combat] reflects how well I control and utilize chakra, progressing from basic mastery to advanced techniques.

Looking at Akimichi Torifu who was cleaning the battlefield in the distance, a data frame slowly appeared on him.

Akimichi Torifu – Status

Body: 13/33

Spirit: 5/9

Elementary: 11/27

Combat Skills:

Advanced Body Mastery

Intermediate Combat Mastery

Ninjutsu Mastery:

Earth Style – Intermediate Mastery

Energy Control:

Advanced Energy Body Mastery

Danger Assessment: Low

"Wow, his body is so strong... I'm not weak, but his physical strength is almost three times mine. And his spirit is only 9?"

My eyes lingered on Energy Body Mastery. Is this their clan's secret technique? When I watched "Naruto" before, I remembered that the Akimichi Clan stored chakra by converting food into fat. This fits perfectly.

Then there's the danger assessment... So it's relative to me? The levels seem to be Very Low → Low → Medium → High → Very High. "But how is it actually assessed? Low should mean no threat... In other words, I can't beat him? Can I understand it this way?"

Suddenly, a frame appeared in the distance, and it seemed to be moving towards his side. Let me see what the frame says:

Shimura Danzo – Status

Body: 7/11

Spirit: 6/10

Elementary: 8/13

Combat Skills:

Advanced Body Mastery

Advanced Combat Mastery

Ninjutsu Mastery:

Wind Style – Advanced Mastery

Sealing Jutsu – Elementary Mastery

Energy Control:

Advanced Energy Mastery

Danger Assessment: Low

It turned out to be Danzo, didn't I ask him to

send a message? Why is he coming from

behind?

After a while, Akimichi Torifu, who heard the noise, quickly retreated toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, pulling out a kunai and staying on guard. Hiruzen reached out and pressed down on Torifu's hand, calming him. "It's Danzo," he said.

At that moment, a figure landed on a tree at the edge of the battlefield—Shimura Danzo. He stood there silently, scanning the battle traces. His sharp eyes caught massive footprints, evidence of the Partial Multi-Size Jutsu. Not far away, the ground was scorched black, while deep trenches from an Earth Style jutsu stretched across the battlefield.

'Fire Release and Earth Release? The scale of destruction is this large…' Danzo narrowed his eyes. 'Hiruzen… is getting stronger.'

"Hiruzen, you've become stronger again"

"Yes, the suffering that doesn't kill us will only make us stronger." Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but feel a slight sense of self-satisfaction, but he quickly pushed it aside and continued, "Tell me, how did you get here from behind?"

"I met the Ino-Shika-Cho team. They were able to communicate quickly, so I relayed the message through them. But I was worried about you, so I followed the traces to find you," Shimura Danzo replied.

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. Danzo still seems full of positive energy of youth at this stage…

But then his thoughts wandered on humorous nickname given to Shimura Danzo by Chinese fans of Naruto "Wood Industry Pot King", 'Who was he taking the blame for?' [It plays on the idea that Danzo takes the blame (背锅, "carry the pot") for many of Konoha's dark events] 'Was it someone else all along? No, stop overthinking. I almost lost myself there'.

He shook off the thought and refocused. "Retreat. Koharu is carrying Kagami ahead."

With that, the three figures leaped into the trees, disappearing into the distance.