Soon enough the entire camp forces arrived before the Hokage building, or rather next to it where a large platform stood.

As they all stood in line, thoughts and memories flashing through their heads, a man appeared on top of the platform.

He wore a long cloak of sorts with a large hat, the kanji for fire embroidered in it.

It was the third Hokage, his face showed a soft expression however his aura was commanding beyond belief.

Kazuo who stood near the front of the shinobi had a clear look to it.

He had already experienced the aura of the man during a previous turn however this was the first time that he had seen it in its full glory.

It was like he was standing in front of a towering beast, though the aura felt more protective than dangerous.

'Is he using chakra as a way to increase it? I don't see any other logical explanation, his aura almost feels physical.' Kazuo thought as he gazed at the man who would later be called useless by most of the people in his previous world.

However at this moment, he wasn't the professor, he wasn't Naruto's grandfather figure.

He was a god amongst shinobi and he didn't ask for respect, he demanded it.

A smile bloomed on Kazuo's face, his entire being was overtaken by sheer excitement.

'Can I reach that level? No, I must and I will.' Kazuo thought to himself.

Finally, the god of shinobi arrived at the front of the platform and started his speech.

His voice towered over any other sound as he welcomed his shinobi back into the village.

Hundreds of villagers had already gathered around, their hearts being ignited by the man.

"I welcome on this day people who have triumphed over our enemies and have given everything they have for the prosperity and safety of our home." The man started, his gaze seemed to pierce into every shinobi.

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His next speech was convoluted if Kazuo had to say so, every work felt like it had been specially crafted to ignite the so called will of fire into the shinobi and to turn their depression and hatred into fuel that continued the fire that was housed inside the village.

As a way to better control and manipulate everyone, so that they followed his orders even in death.

'Frightening, the amount of charisma required to turn battle-worn shinobi, killers who have fought with death itself and then turn that back into its original state of well behaved dogs that will do anything for him, for a sense of justice that has been crafted by the village.' Kazuo thought his smile twitching as he continued listening to the man.

The speech lasted for twenty-five minutes before the man nodded, amidst the erupting cheers of the shinobi and villagers alike.

And then he disappeared back into the Hokage tower, the villagers mostly dispersed and the tired ninja soon followed, each heading to their own homes.

To meet their family and lovers. For them the war wasn't over however they had won a significant battle.

Kazuo followed suit and used the body flicker to head to the apartment at the edge of the village, where his memories told him his home was.

Arriving at the apartment, Kazuo found nothing but filthy roads, old buildings that seemed to be on the verge of collapse, and unsightly people hanging around the roads.

'Seems like the place I was given as a genin really isn't all that huh? Though I already knew from the memories, experiencing it yourself really does put everything into perspective.' Kazuo thought with a slight sneer before heading to the door of his apartment only to realize that his keys had been melted and completely destroyed with his tent.

*Sigh*

Releasing a soft sigh, Kazuo put two fingers on his wrist guard, summoning a kunai which he quickly slashed at the lock.

*Klang*

The lock fell down and he gained entry into his home once more.

Heading through the door, he saw a single bed with white walls that looked like they had been smeared with shit and some old drawers to the left that had seen much better days.

'Not only was that bastard lazy in the academy but he also lived like a fucking pig.' Kazuo thought in annoyance, closing the door behind him and walking to the bed.

Sitting on the bed, Kazuo put his feet up and lay down fully.

'I'll rest for a while, we will have around two weeks of vacation before we get sent to the next battlefield. I expected less but it seems like the war is coming to a quick close.' Kazuo thought as he gazed at the ceiling.

At that moment a loud sound was heard and the bed under him crashed to the floor.

A twitching smile was the only change in Kazuo's expression, he hadn't even moved when the bed had collapsed from under him.

'Ah, why is the war camp starting to look like a good place all of a sudden.' Kazuo thought before quickly jumping out of the bed and heading to the door.

Grabbing a ninja wire, he tied it around the door and then tied the other end to the handle of a kunai he threw a few feet behind him, effectively making a lock.

Heading back to the bed, Kazuo lay down once more, this time closing his eyes, hoping that he wouldn't have any nightmares today.

His hopes were utterly crushed however as he spent his entire time asleep dreaming about his deaths, each one more harrowing than the other.

Be it being impaled through the chest, exploding into smithereens, having his head blow up from a jutsu, having his head decapitated, or having his entire upper half slashed through by a root ninja.

At the end of each death, he saw a singular non-changing figure.

A large black sea, on top of which a small wooden row boat stood and the man rowing it was a dark skeleton with a large weathered black cloak, the holes in his skull piercing as they gazed at Kazuo.

A shrill laughter was the only thing heard before Kazuo dreamed of another painful and harrowing death.

Only at the end of the dream, did the skeleton finally say something.

"You will never escape Destiny, for it has already ensnared you in its web."

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