The day of the Hokage election arrived—a rare and momentous occasion in Konohagakure.
From early morning, families gathered outside the Hokage Tower, with even villagers from settlements beyond the village walls showing up to witness the historic event. A sea of people filled the streets, waiting anxiously for the final result.
Ninja perched on balconies, rooftops, and tree branches, maintaining order as the crowd grew restless.
On the rooftop of the Hokage Tower stood the most elite shinobi of the village. At the highest point were the Third Hokage, the Elders, and the two candidates—Uchiha Fugaku and Namikaze Minato.
Below them were the clan heads and various representatives of the village's great families, as well as many of Konohagakure's registered jōnin.
Chūnin and genin, however, had no voting rights in the Hokage election—a policy established at Konoha's founding. The most iconic example of this system was the fair competition between the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara. As for the Second and Third Hokage selections, opinions differed.
"Wherever there are leaves, fire burns. The shadow of the fire will illuminate the village and cause new leaves to sprout…"
The Third Hokage's deep, nostalgic voice carried across the rooftop as he spoke of the Will of Fire, his eyes filled with distant memories. While some of the jōnin were visibly moved, most maintained expressionless faces.
After concluding his speech, the Third turned to Namikaze Minato with a gaze full of expectation.
"As the Hokage, I support—"
"Wait, Lord Hokage," Uchiha Fugaku interrupted, stepping forward. His action caused a ripple of surprise and irritation across the gathering, but he remained unbothered.
"I, Uchiha Fugaku, formally withdraw from this election. On behalf of the Uchiha Clan, I declare our support for Namikaze Minato as the Fourth Hokage. The Uchiha will always fight for Konoha."
With that, Fugaku descended from the stage, leaving behind a stunned audience—even Danzō was caught off guard.
The information that Shisui had provided to Danzō indicated that the Uchiha Clan was firmly against Minato's candidacy. Danzō hadn't been surprised, most of the Uchiha were blinded by their obsession with clan pride. To him, arrogance and ignorance defined them.
But Fugaku's unexpected move…Danzō glanced at the Uchiha's great elder standing below, whose clenched jaw and dark expression betrayed his anger. He then turned back to Fugaku, a hint of admiration flickering in his eyes.
I underestimated him, Danzō thought. He has more guts than I anticipated. Perhaps I should lend him a hand.
As the crowd struggled to process Fugaku's announcement, Danzō stepped forward.
"As the leader of Root, I also support Namikaze Minato as the Fourth Hokage."
Following Danzō's lead, Hyūga Hiashi took a step forward, his face emotionless.
"The Hyūga Clan supports Namikaze Minato as the Fourth Hokage."
One after another, the other clan heads made their declarations:
"The Akimichi Clan supports Namikaze Minato as the Fourth Hokage."
"The Aburame Clan supports Namikaze Minato."
"The Yamanaka Clan…"
"The Nara Clan…"
With even the only other candidate having stepped aside, Minato's election was inevitable. His support had reached nearly 100%.
In front of the village's top shinobi and officials, Namikaze Minato was officially chosen as the Fourth Hokage. His prestige within Konohagakure was about to reach its peak, ensuring that no one would take his decisions lightly as the newly appointed leader.
Danzō turned to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who watched the scene below with a calm smile. But Danzō, who knew him well, could tell he wasn't as pleased as he seemed.
"This is the Will of Fire—carried by those destined to surpass us. It's your time now, Sarutobi."
Two Anbu approached with a Hokage cloak they had prepared in advance. Minato took the cloak and draped it over his shoulders, his confident, radiant smile enough to make even Danzō feel a pang of envy.
I probably looked just as dashing at twenty…Minato accepted the Hokage hat from the Third Hokage's hands, officially taking on the mantle of the Fourth Hokage.
"Lord Hokage!"
The assembled jōnin knelt on one knee, their resounding voices shaking the air. Down below, the villagers erupted into wild cheers, eager for news of the election's outcome.
When Minato stepped to the edge of the Hokage Tower, fully visible to the crowd below, the jubilant cries reached a fever pitch.
"The Fourth Hokage!"
"Hokage!"
The overwhelming cheers made even Danzō's ears ring. With this, the era of the Fourth Hokage had officially begun.
At the same time, intelligence agents from every nation scrambled to relay the news back to their respective villages.
But something else was stirring.In Amegakure, chaos erupted. A mysterious force had crippled the networks of spies infiltrating the village, and further infiltration attempts had become nearly impossible.
Amegakure had shut itself off from the outside world.
Only Danzō, who understood the larger picture, knew what had transpired.
The "Akatsuki" had arrived.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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