Chapter 94: Approval Ratings Rose Instead

Chapter 94: Approval Ratings Rose Instead

At midday, the Hidden Leaf Village was bathed in bright sunlight. The weather was pleasant, and so, it seemed, were the days ahead.

Today marked a significant occasion—the day of the Hokage succession. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was set to deliver a speech at the Hokage Building, formally stepping down and passing on the mantle.

Uchiha Dali would be ascending as the Fourth Hokage.

News of the Uchiha Clan's achievements had long spread throughout the village, and by now, the villagers already had a basic understanding of the new Hokage thanks to word of mouth.

With joyful smiles and hearts full of anticipation, the villagers gathered in the open square beneath the Hokage Building, eagerly awaiting the inauguration ceremony.

Just then, a sudden commotion swept through the densely packed crowd along the main street.

People at the front instinctively turned around, only to see the crowd parting down the center like a tide.

A group of imposing Anbu walked forward, carrying several bodies of fallen shinobi.

The villagers were instantly thrown into a state of confusion and alarm. Whispers filled the air as they asked each other what was going on.

No one knew what had happened.

"What's going on? Has another war broken out?"

"Those dead ones look like Anbu too, don't they? They're incredibly strong—what kind of enemy could possibly kill them?"

"Hey, look at that figure! Isn't that Lord Danzo? That senior official who rarely ever appears in public?"

"Is it war again?"

"…"

As the villagers saw the corpses of shinobi being carried back, unrest began to ripple through the street.

Nervousness and anxiety quickly spread throughout the crowd.

Many couldn't help but associate it with the recently concluded Third Great Ninja War.

The sudden appearance of dead shinobi naturally led to the assumption that war had resumed—or that enemy shinobi had infiltrated the village.

Before their very eyes, the Anbu, who reported directly to the Hokage, displayed the corpses of Shimura Danzo and his subordinates on the front of the Hokage Building.

This bizarre move only left the villagers more bewildered.

At first, they thought the deaths were due to renewed conflict or an enemy village invasion. But now, it no longer seemed that simple.

The crowd slowly quieted down.

Sensing something was off, people instinctively held their breath, waiting for the village leadership to come out and clarify the situation.

Sure enough, a few figures soon appeared on the rooftop of the Hokage Building.

At the center stood none other than the well-loved Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Beside him was the Fourth Hokage, Uchiha Dali.

To the left and right were Konoha's two senior advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, as well as Minato Namikaze, once the most promising Hokage candidate and now the Hokage's assistant.

As these figures came into view, a heavy silence fell over the entire village—you could hear a pin drop.

All eyes turned to them, awaiting an explanation.

And the higher-ups did speak.

"We're deeply sorry," Sarutobi began, "This morning, something rather unfortunate occurred in the village, and it caused panic among you all. I sincerely apologize… On behalf of all the shinobi and the village leadership, I offer my most heartfelt apologies."

"I have governed Konoha for many years, and have been fortunate to receive your trust and support. But due to my own oversight and negligence, I allowed Danzo to create such a grave security threat."

"If the Fourth Hokage, Uchiha Dali, had not personally intervened and resolved the situation today, the village might have suffered far greater losses. I have failed your trust, and I am unworthy of the Hokage title… I accept full responsibility."

As he spoke, Sarutobi bowed deeply.

Then, he slowly began explaining the sequence of events.

He revealed that Shimura Danzo had led his subordinates in an attempted coup, plotting to assassinate the Fourth Hokage Uchiha Dali and the Hokage assistant Minato Namikaze.

Following Sarutobi's detailed explanation, the villagers finally understood what had happened.

While Danzo had once been a respected figure in the village, he rarely appeared in public, and most villagers had little personal connection with him.

They weren't his followers or supporters, nor did they know much about him.

Now that they learned of his heinous actions, it was no surprise that many reacted with outrage, calling for justice.

And since it was the Third Hokage himself explaining the situation, public opinion quickly turned one-sided.

No one expressed sympathy for Danzo or his men. Instead, many praised Uchiha Dali for righteously eliminating a threat from within, declaring he had cleansed the village.

"No wonder our village's combat strength seemed so high, yet the war dragged on for so long with so many casualties. Danzo—no, that old traitor—must've played a big role in that!"

"He was clearly sabotaging things. Root was never about protecting the village—Danzo only ever cared about himself!"

"Unbelievable he would go that far. It's disgusting. But if the Fourth Hokage managed to defeat so many powerful shinobi by himself, including Danzo, his strength must be incredible!"

"Exactly! Lord Dali is amazing—he really deserves to be the Fourth Hokage!"

"With someone like Lord Dali protecting our village, we'll definitely grow stronger and better!"

"…"

After learning the truth of Danzo's crimes, the villagers not only withheld any sympathy but grew even more supportive of Uchiha Dali.

They also came to the conclusion that Uchiha Dali was far stronger than Shimura Danzo.

For a village that revered strength, this was excellent news.

After all, the Hokage was the village's shadow, its guardian and protector. The stronger he was, the better.

This was precisely the result Uchiha Dali had hoped for.

Seeing the villagers cheer and rally behind him with fervent support, Uchiha Dali nodded in satisfaction and stepped forward to deliver a few ceremonial remarks.

Even so, he was unexpectedly met with thunderous applause.

At long last, the troublesome inauguration ceremony came to an end.

His position as the Fourth Hokage was finally solidified.

After the ceremony, back in the office, Minato Namikaze said to Uchiha Dali, "You haven't met my wife yet, have you? I'd like to invite you over to our home—if that's all right with you?"

"Visit your home?" Uchiha Dali was a bit surprised.

"Sure!" he agreed with a nod.

"I was a little worried you might say no now that you're Hokage…"

Minato let out a relieved sigh.

"By the way, how's your injury? You all right?"

"Of course. And honestly, I should be thanking you for saving me today, so I plan to treat you to a proper welcome."

Minato casually waved his hand as he spoke.

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