The Nine-Tails attack left the Leaf Village with staggering casualties and financial ruin. Broken buildings, lives lost—there was a mountain of work to be done.
However, before the cleanup could truly begin, there was a more pressing matter at hand.
"...Total casualties are... property damage amounts to... as stated, these are the current losses from the Nine-Tails incident. Detailed statistics are still being compiled."
Inside the office, the village elders—Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, and the others—were all present, alongside the heads of the various ninja clans. Once the recovery and compensation plans were settled, the conversation shifted to the elephant in the room: the Hokage.
Minato had sacrificed himself. The village couldn't function without a leader. They desperately needed to choose a new Hokage.
Koharu Utatane was the first to speak.
"Post-disaster recovery will take time. Right now, our priority is selecting a new Hokage. Does anyone have a suggestion?"
The clan representatives exchanged glances. Finally, Shikaku Nara, head of the Nara clan, spoke up.
"The Fourth died a hero. Perhaps we should pass the mantle to a ninja from the next generation, following Minato's example."
"Seconded."
"Agreed..."
The heads of the Akimichi and Yamanaka clans voiced their support immediately. The "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio stood together; Shikaku's opinion was their opinion.
It wasn't just them; many other clans seemed to find the idea reasonable. However, Koharu and Homura Mitokado were already frowning.
"Minato was already exceptionally young," Koharu countered. "The ninjas after him are simply too young and lack the experience required to lead the entire Leaf Village."
As high-ranking elders, they saw right through the clans' intentions. The younger and less established a leader was, the more they would have to rely on the support of the established clans. A young Hokage meant a significant boost in political leverage for the clans.
But this didn't align with the elders' vision. A village reeling from a catastrophe didn't need a rookie at the helm.
"Does anyone else have a thought?" Koharu asked, scanning the room.
Silence followed. When leadership asks for your opinion but shoots down the first one offered, you know they already have a candidate in mind.
In the corner, the infamous "Shadow of the Shinobi World" felt his heart start to race. Danzo controlled his facial expression, tensing his leg muscles as he prepared to stand up and seize the moment.
However... his lifelong rival had already read the room.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up abruptly before Danzo could move. "Everyone!"
"In a crisis like this, I suppose this old-timer will have to shoulder the burden of the Hokage's duties once more."
"If you still have faith in me, I am willing to temporarily resume the office."
Before the clan heads could even process the suggestion, Danzo's patience snapped. He spoke with a hint of barely contained fury.
"Hiruzen, you held that seat for years. Everyone knows your track record. You already stepped down once—do you really have the strength and vision to lead us again?"
"Last night, you were on the scene, yet you were just as helpless against the Nine-Tails as anyone else. You couldn't even save the Fourth."
Homura Mitokado frowned. "Danzo, that's going too far."
Koharu's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Enough, Danzo. Hiruzen failing to save Minato was due to extreme circumstances. Besides, you're quick to point fingers, but where were you yesterday? Where was Root?"
Danzo gritted his teeth. He had no answer. That was a question he couldn't afford to answer honestly.
The clan representatives watched the drama unfold, the atmosphere growing tense. Hiruzen broke the silence with a soft chuckle.
"Hahaha. It's alright, everyone. I am merely a bridge. Once the village has stabilized, the position should be handed over to someone more suitable."
The elders didn't object. Danzo was backed into a corner, and the clan heads couldn't think of a better alternative. Ultimately, the proposal was accepted.
Hiruzen didn't specify exactly how long "temporary" would be. And Danzo, despite being the most invested person in the room, didn't ask.
He had his own plans.
---
A few days later, the Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen was out of the building. No one had the authority to stop Danzo from entering.
He closed the door behind him and walked slowly to the desk, lowering himself into the chair that represented the pinnacle of power. He swiveled the chair slightly, looking out at the scenery—at the most prosperous village in the world.
This would be his empire.
Recently, he had approached Kakashi Hatake, Hiruzen's personal guard. The young man was transparent and easily swayed, just like his foolish father—all power and no political sense.
It had taken only a few pointed comments about how "Hiruzen caused the tragedy of Rin" and "Hiruzen kept you away from the Nine-Tails fight to let Minato die" to turn the boy's loyalty.
Right now, Hiruzen was on the road to meet the Daimyo. Based on the timeline, Hiruzen Sarutobi should be a dead man by now.
Watching the bright sunlight through the window, Danzo—a man who had lived his life in the shadows—felt a rare surge of excitement.
Hiruzen, you've occupied that seat for far too long.
History has proven you aren't fit for it. Only I—a man who pulls light from the darkness and finds a future through slaughter—am a qualified Hokage.
Just watch, Hiruzen. Under my hand, the Leaf will become the undisputed master of the world.
His heart thundered in his chest. Danzo closed his eyes, trying to master his exhilaration.
He could almost hear it. He heard the people of the Leaf cheering his name. He heard the nations of the world whispering his legend. He heard...
...Breathing behind him.
"I'm sorry, Danzo. But I'm afraid I can't vacate this seat just yet."
The quiet voice exploded in his ears like a lightning strike. The air turned cold, and his heart seemed to stop mid-beat.
He slowly turned the chair around. A familiar, wrinkled face came into view. His old friend, who should have been a corpse, was looking at him with an unreadable expression.
Even though Hiruzen's face was stoic, Danzo could feel the sheer mockery in his eyes. It was the crushing embarrassment of a student caught red-handed doing something shameful by his worst enemy.
Hiruzen spoke calmly. "You seem surprised to see me alive."
Danzo wanted to deny it. He wanted to say something, anything. But his throat was tight. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
After a long silence, Hiruzen spoke again.
"If you like that chair so much, feel free to sit a while longer."
He turned toward the door.
"But Danzo... this is the last time."
Thud.
The door closed. Only then did Danzo start to breathe again, his lungs burning. His exposed eye was filled with humiliation and rage.
Hiruzen... damn you!!
---
With Danzo's "blessing," Hiruzen's inauguration went smoothly. Although there was no grand ceremony, the news spread through the village like wildfire.
The clan leadership remained silent. At a dango shop, a group of young ninjas—Guy, Kurenai, Izumo, and Kotetsu—were gossiping.
"Man, I really thought we'd get a new face as Hokage," one complained.
"I know, right? We even had a betting pool going. I lost big on that."
"Hey, come on, show some respect," Kotetsu said, differing from the others. "He's our Hokage. Besides, Lord Third is getting up there in years; coming back to do all that paperwork must be exhausting."
The others didn't exactly agree. For the various clans, the perspective on the Third Hokage wasn't as rosy as it was for the average civilian.
Sensing the mood turning sour, Kurenai tried to smooth things over.
"Well, well, the Hokage is back in office regardless. Let's celebrate with some dango!"
"Kurenai, you celebrated with dango when the Fourth took office too."
"Exactly! That's why we have to use dango for the Third, too. We're keeping the tradition alive!" Kurenai didn't see the problem and raised her dango skewer like a toast.
"To the Hokage... Cheers!"
"...Cheers!~"