Chapter 208: The Fourth Hokage
It seems like the Seventh Hokage and his team have always inherited the mantle of leadership. Or perhaps, disciples following in their master's footsteps is simply the way of things. However, this outdated system was eventually overturned in Boruto's era. Kakuzu had no qualms about accelerating that change.
After hearing those words, Sakumo fell into silence.
...
The Battle of Kikyo Mountain was the decisive confrontation between Konohagakure and Sunagakure. As the Kazekage and supreme commander, Rasa wanted to end the conflict swiftly. But such matters were never his to decide alone. His opponent was Orochimaru, a strategist whose intelligence matched his formidable strength. Under Orochimaru's steady and methodical approach, Sunagakure's supply lines eventually collapsed.
Half a year later, the northwest of Konohagakure became the final battleground—the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. This was Iwagakure's offensive against Konoha, with another ten thousand Iwa shinobi launching an assault. However, this time was different from the confrontation with the Third Raikage.
The Third Raikage, after all, was an unparalleled force of his time, a warrior comparable to a Tailed Beast. Even if his troops couldn't win, they could at least hold the line. Konoha, however, had no such figure. Not even Minato Namikaze, the rising star of the new generation, could compare.
If those ten thousand shinobi reached Konoha, the village would be forced into a brutal clash, leaving the number of casualties to fate. Konoha's only viable strategy was to destroy Kannabi Bridge, the crucial supply route. Without it, Iwagakure's army would crumble without a fight.
And so, Konoha accomplished exactly that.
In the end, the Land of Fire signed peace treaties with the Lands of Wind and Earth. However, its conflict with the Land of Lightning remained unresolved, with skirmishes along the borders persisting. But none of that truly mattered. Such localized conflicts couldn't shake the entire shinobi world.
In the silent mist left behind by war, the Third Great Ninja War gradually came to an end.
...
Konohagakure, Hokage Building—top-level conference room.
Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe lightly, his eyes filled with melancholy.
"Our misjudgment of Kumogakure's movements in the war... I cannot absolve myself of responsibility. I am willing to step down as the Third Hokage."
With those words, an era came to an end.
After twenty years of leadership, Konohagakure was finally changing hands. The minds of those present began to stir with ambition. However, Sarutobi immediately shattered certain individuals' expectations.
"Danzo, we are of the old generation. It's time to leave such matters to the young."
"Especially to those who contributed the most on the battlefield. They are the ones who can lead the village forward and illuminate the path for the next generation. Don't you agree?"
Thick smoke filled the air. Danzo, feeling its sting, also sensed the path before him closing off.
A new era was beginning. Having grown up together, Sarutobi understood Danzo's nature far too well. He would never allow the 'Darkness of the Shinobi World' to take control of Konoha.
Danzo's expression darkened, but he said nothing. After all, he had other plans in place.
From this point forward, the selection of the next Hokage was no longer their concern—at least, not on the surface.
...
When Konoha was first established, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had been elected through the collective decision of all the major shinobi clans. By Sarutobi's era, the process had changed—now, the village's Jōnin held a collective vote.
Without their majority support, no candidate could truly secure the Hokage seat. This was why recognition from the people was essential for anyone aspiring to the position.
The candidates for the Fourth Hokage were many. Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Minato Namikaze...
Jiraiya, having disappeared without a trace, was out of the running.
Tsunade voluntarily withdrew and instead proposed a name: Sakumo Hatake.
This brought the village's hero back into the public eye.
Had it not been for Sakumo's actions during the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha's miscalculation regarding Kumogakure could have led to countless more casualties. Although he once bore the weight of so-called "disgrace" in Konoha, Sakumo never forgot the words Kakuzu once spoke to him:
The will of the people is like water. It can carry you forward, but it can also drown you.
A true leader must learn to guide the flow, lest it spiral out of control.
This time, Sakumo stood tall once more.
The Hatake Clan had contributed greatly to Konoha over the years. If others could take on the mantle of Hokage, why couldn't he?
As for Minato Namikaze, his performance in battle had been commendable. From the destruction of Kannabi Bridge to his encounters with the A-B brothers, he had made great contributions. However, compared to Orochimaru and Sakumo, he was still a step behind. At just over twenty years old, he was still seen as the junior of the two.
And then there was Orochimaru.
...
On the eve of the vote, Sarutobi summoned Orochimaru to his office for a private conversation.
The discussion lasted over an hour.
When Orochimaru finally emerged, his expression was unreadable. Then, slowly, a sly, almost sinister smile crept across his face. His shadow stretched long beneath the setting sun.
...
"Aren't you afraid of alienating Orochimaru?"
Hearing the voice from the adjacent room, Sarutobi did not turn around. He simply exhaled another plume of smoke and shook his head.
"I know my students well. Tsunade and Jiraiya would have been fine. But deep within Orochimaru's eyes, I have seen a different ambition. I cannot entrust Konoha to him."
After a long silence, Sarutobi spoke again.
"Lord Kakuzu, I hear Tsunade is heading back to the Land of Dragons after all this."
"Yes. She still owes me a gambling debt."
...
It's kind of amusing when you think about it—Tsunade's salary in the Land of Dragons wasn't low at all, considering she was one of the few medical-nin around. But every time she got paid, she never even considered paying off her debts. Instead, she dove straight into the gambling dens, racking up even more credit on top of what she already owed. One debt after another, piling up endlessly. At this rate, she might never be able to pay it all back in her lifetime.
Once Tsunade's debt reached an amount she truly couldn't repay, Kakuzu was already prepared to have her work it off in other ways.
Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a helpless sigh. Three disciples—each more troublesome than the last.
"Kakuzu-sama, please go easy on Tsunade," he said as he slowly got up, glancing at the chair he had occupied for the past twenty years. To say he was completely at ease with stepping down would be a lie. But at this moment, as he stood, the weight that had burdened him for so many years finally eased—just a little.
Only those who had actually sat in the Hokage's seat would understand that it was anything but comfortable. A Hokage had to be both the village's guiding light and the shadow that bore its darkness. If one couldn't withstand that dual pressure, then the best course of action was to find someone else to share the burden. Otherwise, it would only crush them in the end.
...
"Congratulations, Sakumo."
"Not at all, Kakuzu-sama. If I've made it this far, I owe a lot of it to you."
Sakumo scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed. If not for Kakuzu's intervention back then, he would have died a meaningless death. His understanding of the village had changed completely since then.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot to introduce him—this is my son, Hatake Kakashi."
"Kakuzu-sama, nice to meet you."
The boy, barely in his teens, wore a black mask, clearly trying to act cool. Kakuzu stepped forward and ruffled his soft white hair. He had to admit—it felt pretty nice. Though from the look on Kakashi's face, he wasn't exactly thrilled about it.
That was fine. Kakuzu rather enjoyed seeing that expression on him.
"Your left eye doesn't belong to you, does it?"
Hearing Kakuzu's question, Kakashi touched his scarred left eye, his expression turning somber.
"You're right. It belonged to my closest friend."
Kakuzu said nothing. If his guess was correct, Madara down in the underworld should already be dead by now.
Next up—it was Obito's time to stir things up.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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