(Thanks for the support, one more chapter coming today)
"I knew the moment you set foot in Konoha."
Ren smiled faintly, looking at Tsunade like he'd been waiting for her.
Tsunade's pupils tightened. She took two steps forward, voice cold.
"Oh? Then aren't you afraid I'll come after you?"
"You killed the Third Hokage—my teacher, Hiruzen."
Ren shrugged, completely unconcerned.
"I'm not afraid."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Because you can't beat me."
Tsunade froze.
Then her teeth ground together.
Annoying… but true.
Four great villages had joined forces—and still got crushed. What could she possibly do?
Ren's gaze sharpened, his voice turning colder.
"If you want revenge for the Third, you can strike anytime."
"And if I had to choose again—"
"I'd still wipe out that political clique led by Hiruzen."
"They were rotten to the core."
"They deserved to die."
Tsunade went silent.
Revenge?
No… she didn't even have the right to speak that word.
Not when the Senju had been bled dry.
Not when people in her clan died "accidentally," one after another—some without bodies ever returned.
Not when she'd been pushed out, isolated, hated… even as one of the Sannin.
And not when even her grandfather's body…
had been taken apart by Konoha's "higher-ups."
Her fists clenched.
Then—slowly—she exhaled.
Ren watched her, then spoke again, more serious this time.
"Tomorrow is my inauguration."
"I want you there."
"Represent the Senju."
He looked around at the ruined compound, voice steady.
"Konoha was built by the Uchiha and the Senju together."
"The Senju shouldn't keep sinking into the dirt."
The moment he finished—
whoosh.
Ren vanished, leaving only a gust of wind.
Tsunade stood alone in the ruins, staring at broken houses and collapsed walls.
"…Can the Senju rise again?"
She didn't know.
She only knew her chest felt heavier than it should.
After a long silence, Shizune finally stepped out from the shadows, careful and quiet.
"Lady Tsunade… should we go?"
Tsunade's eyes hardened.
"We're going."
She spoke like placing a bet.
"My luck has always been terrible."
"But after Konoha's higher-ups died… my luck changed."
She stared into the distance.
"Now I want to see…"
"whether my life's fortune has finally changed too."
Shizune nodded hard.
She'd seen it herself.
Lady Tsunade had turned into a monster at the tables—winning again and again.
Almost like the goddess of gambling had finally smiled on her.
The next day.
A single announcement detonated across Konoha like thunder:
The Fire Daimyō had approved unconditionally.
Today—
Uchiha Ren, the "God of the Shinobi World," would hold his Hokage inauguration ceremony.
The village erupted.
Because unlike the Third Hokage—who hid behind slogans and the "Will of Fire"—
Ren had never relied on words.
He climbed to the top with blood and power.
Brutal.
Violent.
But undeniably effective.
And in Konoha right now…
that was exactly what people worshipped.
Inside the newly renovated Hokage office—
Kurenai Yūhi and Yūgao Uzuki placed the Hokage hat onto Ren's head.
Kurenai couldn't help blurting out, eyes bright.
"Wow… this is insanely cool."
Yūgao nodded, genuinely impressed.
"Once you put on the Hokage cloak… your aura changes completely."
Ren glanced at the mirror and nodded once.
"Not bad."
Years of taijutsu refinement.
The boost of an absurd physique.
The calm arrogance of absolute strength—
all of it fused into something hard to look away from.
Kurenai steadied her breathing, forcing herself to focus.
"Ren… the ceremony is about to begin."
Ren stretched lazily.
"Alright."
"Let's go."
Ten minutes later, Ren stepped onto the main platform outside the Hokage Tower.
The square exploded.
"Uchiha Ren!!"
"The Fifth Hokage is here!!"
"Konoha is entering a brand-new era!"
"Hokage!!"
"Hokage!!"
The roar was insane—like the entire village had gone mad.
In one corner of the crowd—
a group of kids stared up with pure worship.
Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Sakura, Shikamaru…
Under the new regime, many sealed truths had been dragged into the light—
including the identity of the Fourth Hokage, and who he left behind.
Naruto puffed his chest out, pointing dramatically.
"My dad was the Fourth Hokage!"
"And Ren is the Fifth!"
"So I'm gonna be the Sixth Hokage!"
Sasuke snorted.
"Dream on."
"I'm going to be Hokage."
Naruto shot back instantly.
"Just because you're a Uchiha doesn't mean you're special!"
Sasuke glared.
"And just because you have the Nine-Tails doesn't make you special!"
Their arguing was so normal it almost felt unreal.
Because in this world—
Sasuke never lost his clan.
And Naruto never lived as a hated monster.
Ren's existence had changed everything.
Ren stood at the front of the platform, watching the cheering sea of faces.
"So this is what it feels like…"
No wonder everyone wanted the title.
The weight of being watched by tens of thousands—
it was intoxicating.
Then—
his expression shifted.
His perception stretched outward.
Three powerful presences cut into Konoha at high speed.
"…They're here."
Ren's eyes narrowed.
And before anyone could react—
three figures flashed onto the platform.
Standing beside him, like they belonged there.
The crowd went dead.
Faces turned white.
Because the three people who had just appeared—
were the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama…
the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama…
and the Third Hokage—
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
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