Chapter 111: 2 Years Timeskip

Aokumo and Ryūfū were still not home, God knows where they were off to. The old hen, meanwhile, was leisurely sunbathing in the yard, a scene of quiet tranquility.

Torifū was actually quite pleased about this. If those two cranes were at home, he probably wouldn't get any rest. Their squawking alone would keep Torifū from sleeping, and they were often causing a ruckus. Moreover, they still couldn't use ninjutsu or speak. If they ever learned those, the Kumotsuru clan compound would probably be torn down by them. Torifū felt it was time to establish some new rules.

After eating, one tends to get sleepy, and even more so after a full meal. Torifū had barely laid down on his bed when he drifted into a deep sleep. When he awoke, he found it was already dusk outside.

"Goodness, did Auntie Mamiko put a sleeping drug in the food? How did I sleep for so long?"

Looking at the dim, yellow sky outside the window, a sense of loneliness welled up in his heart. But then, the old hen, somehow, walked in, came to Torifū's bedside, and lay down.

"You old hen, you seem to be getting more intelligent."

Ever since the cranes successfully hatched, the old hen had lived a life of luxury within the Kumotsuru clan. And perhaps it was the result of being enveloped by the cranes' divine chakra, but Torifū felt it was becoming more and more intelligent, as if it could understand human speech.

He stroked its head, and the old hen didn't move, just stayed there. Torifū offered a faint smile and softly said, "Then stay here with me."

With nothing else to do, Torifū didn't plan to wander the streets. It didn't matter whether he ate dinner or not, so he simply went back to sleep.

Time was like a streaking meteor across the night sky; though fleeting, it left behind beautiful memories. Two years had passed just like that, and many things had happened during this period. After Torifū and the others returned to the village from their trip to the Capital, they plunged back into training and missions. Though tiring, it felt incredibly fulfilling.

Torifū's strength also successfully broke through to Kage-level with his daily training. He successfully joined Konoha's first tier of combat power, though he had kept his true strength hidden, unknown to anyone.

A few months ago, Hashirama officially decided to resign from the position of First Hokage, with his younger brother, Senju Tobirama, taking over. This news caused a tremor throughout Konoha.

Everyone worried that Hashirama's health might have deteriorated, forcing him to step down. But Hashirama personally appeared and explained that it was simply because the village had passed its initial difficult period and entered a development stage. For protecting the village, no one could surpass Senju Hashirama, but when it came to developing a village better, Tobirama was more skilled.

Upon learning the reason, the villagers were all very supportive. Hashirama had been in office for fourteen years, contributing greatly to the village. It was only right that he now rested. And even if he wasn't Hokage, Hashirama could still protect Konoha Village; nothing had changed. Furthermore, the villagers trusted Tobirama greatly, as he was Hashirama's brother, and he had resolved many major and minor issues in the village. He also had great prestige among the villagers.

The various clans had no objections, and even if they did, it wouldn't matter. The Hokage's handover ceremony wasn't just a few verbal instructions; it required a grand ceremony. The exact date should be within these next two days. This also served to express the villagers' respect for the Hokage, and it needed to be reported to the Daimyō for approval. The Daimyō couldn't interfere with how Konoha Village operated; his approval was merely a formality. In reality, the Land of Fire and Konoha Village managed their own affairs.

Even before officially taking office, Tobirama had already organized various new policies and plans ready for implementation. These were beneficial for Konoha Village's development, and if successfully implemented, they would lay a solid foundation for the future of Konoha.

In these two years, not only had Konoha Village changed, but many significant events had also occurred throughout the entire Ninja World. The First Mizukage Byakuren, the First Tsuchikage Ishikawa, and the First Raikage A all passed away consecutively. The entire Ninja World was shaken, as three of the five strongest individuals who reigned over the Ninja World had died just like that. Everyone had to sigh in lament. Torifū also remained silent for a long time after hearing this news. He remembered talking happily with the two Kage back in Konoha Village. It was also from them that he learned the stories of his grandfather's youth. Life was so fleeting; that parting had indeed become an eternal farewell.

The deaths of Mizukage Byakuren and Tsuchikage Ishikawa were somewhat understandable, as both Kage were very old, and their numerous battles in youth had left them with various hidden ailments. More or less, this would affect their lifespans, and a lifespan of seventy or eighty years was considered quite good. After all, the average lifespan of a ninja in that era was only around thirty.

But what the entire Ninja World couldn't quite comprehend was why the Raikage also died. The Raikage wasn't particularly old; he should have only been slightly older than Hashirama. He was in the prime of his life, so why did he suddenly pass away? Kumogakure also wouldn't reveal how the Raikage died, so everyone could only guess and discuss in secret. For a time, rumors ran rampant.

After the three Kage passed away, their successors immediately took office, inheriting the title of Kage and leading their villages anew. The mindset of young ninja was indeed different from that of the older generation. The Second Kage, after taking office, immediately began sweeping reforms in their villages, and the strength of the three villages increased significantly as a result. It was clear that these successors were not nurtured for nothing.

However, thankfully, everyone seemed to have no intention of tearing up the peace treaties. It appeared they still feared Hashirama. But this time, Hashirama's sudden announcement of his resignation as Hokage spread throughout the entire Ninja World in less than a week. This caused some ill-intentioned individuals to start making plans again. They seemed to believe that Hashirama's stepping down might also be due to some unspeakable reason, such as his lifespan. But no matter what, even if they truly wanted to wage war, it was actually quite overconfident of them. Konoha Village's combat power wasn't solely Hashirama; underestimating Tobirama would lead them to a bad end.

Torifū was woken by the system. He stretched, then got up, dressed, and washed. In these two years, Torifū had barely used any Peace Points, accumulating nearly 200,000 Peace Points, and his Chaos Value had dropped to two points. It seemed to decrease by one point each year, and Torifū also discovered that he could directly remove two Chaos Points by spending 50,000 Peace Points each. But Torifū chose not to remove them. As long as he diligently completed every Chaos Event, the Chaos Value couldn't increase. There was no need to waste two sets of 50,000 Peace Points.

"Torifū.... Torifū, aren't you going out yet?" A clear male voice came from outside the window. Torifū, who had just finished washing up, casually replied, "If you want to go play with Ryūfū, go ahead. You don't need to specifically notify me."