Chapter 281: Captain of the Guard Squad

Chapter 281: Captain of the Guard Squad

Originally, the mission was simply to escort the Konoha ninjas from the battlefront in the Land of Taki back home.

However, due to the sudden betrayal of Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, the final battle between Konoha and Suna was forced to begin ahead of schedule.

As the Hokage, Tonari rushed to the battlefield in the Land of Rain from afar, ultimately playing a crucial role in reversing the situation. In the end, he successfully captured the One-Tails Jinchūriki of Sunagakure, seizing Suna's greatest weakness and forcing them to sign a ceasefire agreement with Konoha. This victory did not come without cost.

Standing inside Konoha, watching the returning ninjas slowly entering the village, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but feel emotional.

Konoha had finally endured what was possibly the most difficult challenge since its founding. The pressure he had once faced as Hokage had been immense.

He had hoped that he could personally turn the tide and save Konoha from crisis.

But he was old now. As the years passed, he found himself increasingly powerless.

As his gaze fell on Tonari, who was at the front of the procession, receiving cheers from nearly all of Konoha's people, Sarutobi Hiruzen was filled with mixed emotions.

At his waist was the Hokage's hat, symbolizing the highest authority in Konoha, and he wore a pristine ceremonial robe. On the back of the robe were five fiery red characters—"Fourth Hokage."

This was the strongest person in Konoha at present!

Thinking back to the reports from the front lines, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but sigh in awe.

Just look at what Tonari had accomplished during this campaign—things that others might not even dare to dream of achieving in their entire lives.

He had overpowered the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Ōnoki of Both Scales, a man who wielded the ultimate Kekkei Tōta, capable of countering all Kekkei Genkai. Tonari had completely overturned the alliance conditions that Danzo had previously approved, forcing Iwagakure into an unconditional alliance and bringing an end to the war with them.

Immediately after, he rushed to the battlefront in the Land of Rain, intercepting Ame forces that had already breached Konoha's defensive lines. In single combat, he slew the so-called "Demi-God," Hanzō of the Salamander, on the battlefield, completely breaking the morale of Amegakure's forces and forcing them to surrender.

Without pause, he then engaged in battle against Suna's One-Tail Shukaku and Rasa, the strongest candidate for the next Kazekage. With his own hands, he subdued the One-Tail Jinchūriki, Bunpuku, and used this leverage to force Sunagakure into signing a humiliating ceasefire agreement.

And all of this… was accomplished within just two days.

If one were to count from his battle against Ōnoki to the ceasefire agreement with Suna, it had all happened within the span of a single day.

Such achievements left even Sarutobi Hiruzen—who had received the information barely an hour ahead of the rest of Konoha—completely astounded.

Upon becoming Hokage, the first thing Tonari focused on was public opinion, something that the previous three Hokages had largely overlooked. To ensure better control over information, Tonari even proposed the creation of a new department—the Press Division—and intended to establish a newspaper in the village.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had only heard rumors about this, as he was now little more informed than the average Konoha resident. Apart from a few remaining loyalists in the ANBU and the lingering prestige he still held among the village's shinobi, his influence had significantly waned.

On one hand, this demonstrated that Sarutobi Hiruzen had indeed relinquished much of his power. On the other, it showed that in just a few days, Tonari had already gained a solid grasp over Konoha's internal systems.

With the war contributions he had earned, there was no longer anyone in Konoha who could challenge his position.

Not among the ordinary residents. Not among the shinobi.

Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but reflect on the past.

Originally, he had been deeply fearful of passing the Hokage title to Tonari, especially after the incident with Danzo and the secrets that Tonari had hidden.

But looking at the results now, at least from the perspective of all the people of Konoha, it was the best decision he could have made.

A Hokage this powerful—there was nothing more reassuring than that.

Following closely behind Tonari were Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi, both overwhelmed by the passionate cheers from the crowd.

As per tradition, after a victorious return, the Hokage was expected to give a speech.

Before becoming Hokage, Tonari had always felt that Sarutobi Hiruzen's speeches were full of unnecessary rambling.

But now that it was his turn, he found that he too had an endless number of things he wanted to say.

The feeling was…

Damn, this is amazing!

Thankfully, he still had some self-restraint. As he saw the shinobi below listening intently to his words, he also longed to reunite with his family.

Thus, he kept it brief, leaving behind a few key individuals before concluding his address.

Even though he had been on the battlefield, he had left shadow clones behind, allowing him to stay updated on Konoha's affairs.

Now that he had dispelled his clones, all the matters they had handled were absorbed into his mind.

As his strength continued to grow, many of his fundamental skills had reached bottlenecks, and the usefulness of shadow clones for training had diminished. Instead, he mainly used them for handling daily affairs—such as managing the responsibilities of the Hokage.

Arriving at the Hokage's office, Tonari's face broke into a satisfied smile as he saw the spotless desk.

"Lingxiang, could you bring everyone some tea?"

Lingxiang, who had been quietly standing behind the desk, nodded obediently.

The day after Blue had told him she would bring Lingxiang back, he had already arranged for her return.

And at that time, as a newly appointed Hokage, Tonari had found himself overwhelmed with paperwork. Unlike Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was an experienced administrator, Tonari decided to simply make Lingxiang his secretary.

As the saying goes: "If there's work, the secretary handles it. If there's no work… well, even better."

Thanks to Lingxiang's help, the Hokage's office had remained immaculate. The desk, which should have been buried under a mountain of documents, was instead neatly organized.

Lingxiang carefully poured tea for everyone present.

In addition to Tonari, Lingxiang, and the uninvited Sarutobi Hiruzen, the room was filled with familiar faces.

His sworn brother and best friend, the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato, and Minato's girlfriend, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Kushina.

The trusted elder and head of the Jōnin Corps, Nara Shikashin, along with his son, Nara Shikaku—the latter of whom Tonari particularly enjoyed teasing.

And of course, the ever-united Ino-Shika-Chō trio, represented by the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans.

Additionally, the Hyūga Clan was present, represented by the brothers, Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hizashi.

Finally, the de facto leader of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Fugaku, was there to represent the recently returned Uchiha forces.

These individuals were among Konoha's most influential figures.

"Let's skip the formalities," Tonari said. "First, I want to express my gratitude to all of you for your efforts on the battlefield. On behalf of all the people of Konoha, I extend my deepest thanks."

After briefly acknowledging their contributions, Tonari moved on to the serious matters at hand.

To be continued…

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