Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 57 Raising Pigs? Me?

"S-rank... a long-term mission?"

Sakumo Hatake's body tensed up instinctively.

As one of Konoha's top assassin ninjas, S-rank missions are nothing new to him.

That usually means infiltrating enemy territory to assassinate an important figure or steal top-secret information.

Each time, it was accompanied by a near-death experience.

He was ready to go back to the battlefield.

However, what Hiruzen Sarutobi said next left him completely stunned.

"That's right, an S-rank mission."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was as serious as could be. "I appoint you as the first director of the newly built Konoha Ecological Farm. You will be fully responsible for all construction, production, and security work on the farm."

"What?!"

"I?"

Sakumo suspected there was something wrong with his ears.

Farm manager...?

Raising pigs? Farming?

Is this an S-rank mission?

Not only him, but everyone else in the conference room was looking at the Hokage with extremely strange eyes.

This...this is even more outrageous than making Akimichi Tokifu go on a diet.

"Lord Hokage, you...you must have made a mistake?"

Sakumo's lips twitched. He felt that his ninja career might be about to reach a major turning point.

"I'm not mistaken, Sakumo."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone left no room for argument.

He walked up to Sakumo, patted him on the shoulder, and his eyes became deep and sincere.

"Shuomao, do you think a military fortress that provides manpower for the front lines is important?"

"...Important." Sakumo nodded.

"Isn't that farm, which provides food and meat to the entire Hidden Leaf Village, hundreds of thousands of ninjas and civilians, important?"

Shuo Mao was stunned.

"This farm is the future food lifeline of Konoha. Its strategic significance is even greater than that of any border fortress! Absolutely no mistakes can be made here."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was filled with solemnity.

"Therefore, I must entrust this position to the person I trust most and who is also the most capable."

"And that person is you, Hatake Sakumo."

These words struck Shuo Mao like a jolt.

Food security...strategic significance...

He never looked at "agriculture" from this perspective.

"But, Hokage-sama, I... I have absolutely no idea how to farm or raise pigs," Sakumo said somewhat unsure of himself.

"If you don't understand, you can learn."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled. "I believe that a top swordsman who can precisely sever an enemy's chakra threads can also precisely plan the spacing of each ridge."

"A top assassin who can patiently lie in wait in the desert for three days and three nights can also patiently observe the growth cycle of every single rice plant."

"Besides, you're not fighting alone."

Hiruzen Sarutobi pointed to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and the head of the Inuzuka family beside him, "They will all be your right-hand men."

"Sakumo, I'm entrusting you with this mission not just because I trust your abilities." Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone softened.

"I hope that you can feel a kind of power in this mission that is completely different from killing."

"That kind of power—watching seeds sprout, watching life grow, watching your companions smile with the joy of harvest because of your efforts—is called protection."

"Go, Sakumo. Go and feel the warmth of this land."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's words were like a warm current, deeply touching Sakumo Hatake's heart.

Missions and companions.

Slaughter and protection.

He had been pondering this question ever since he made that difficult choice in the Land of Wind.

And now, it seems that the Hokage has pointed out a completely new path for him.

Looking into Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, which were full of trust and expectation, all his doubts and resistance vanished.

He took a step back, knelt on one knee, and spoke with a firm voice.

"Yes, Hokage! I, Hatake Sakumo, will not let you down!"

Thus, the most peculiar scene in the history of the ninja world was born.

A luxurious agricultural team, led by Konoha's strongest swordsman and comprised of elites from top-tier secret technique families such as the Ino-Shika-Cho and Inuzuka clans, was officially established on a wasteland outside Konoha Village.

Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang who struck fear into the hearts of countless enemies, took off his ANBU uniform and put on a simple farmer's outfit. In his hand, he no longer held the blood-soaked dagger, but a brand-new hoe.

At first, everyone thought this was a dubious idea.

But soon, they were completely impressed by the amazing abilities that Sakumo had displayed.

He used the precision of assassination on dividing the field ridges.

The length, width, and spacing of each plot of land were measured with a ruler, with an error of no more than one centimeter, making them as neat as a military parade formation.

He used his patience for tracking on observing crop growth.

He gets up before dawn every day to personally check the growth of each rice seedling in the field, recording changes in temperature, humidity, and light, caring for them even more than his own son.

The management model used in the dark was applied to the operation of the farm.

They established an extremely strict schedule and a system of rewards and punishments.

"Nara family, the A area you're in charge of is 3.5% slower than yesterday. Everyone work overtime tonight to catch up!"

"The Akimichi family, the soil you turned using the Multiply Technique wasn't deep enough, affecting soil aeration. Your barbecue rations for today are being deducted!"

"Inuzuka family, your dog Wangcai stole a carrot from the pig feed last night. Today, it's punished by having to patrol the pigpen one hundred times!"

Under his iron-fisted management, the entire farm exhibited an exceptionally high rate of construction.

In just one month.

Large tracts of wasteland have been reclaimed into neat fields, and irrigation canals and systems have been laid.

Pigsties and deer pens sprang up, and plump, healthy piglets and deer purchased from various places were settled inside.

Shuo Mao even went so far as to create detailed health records for each pig, recording their weight, food intake, and even... bowel movements every day.

That day, after finishing his road paving project, Shimura Danzo took some time to inspect the farm.

He came with a critical mindset, like, "Let me see how your farm is doing."

As a result, when he saw the fields that were planned more neatly than his construction site, when he saw the piglets that were "herded" obediently and jumping around by the ninja dogs, when he saw Hatake Sakumo holding a small notebook, looking very serious, studying something on a pig's buttocks...

One Hundred Ways to Care for Sows in Konohagakure

Danzo fell into a long silence.

For the first time, in the field of construction, which he was most proud of, he felt a strong sense of crisis and competition.