Chapter 527: The Seventh Hokage
Danzō, Shikaku Nara and the other clan members, and Hiruzen Sarutobi—after the three parties had negotiated for a while, Kakashi also arrived at the exit of the Root secret passage.
Thus, he had the honor of becoming the first person Danzō released from the Tongue-Cursing Seal.
Next were the clan ninja who were still in the village. Their numbers weren't large to begin with—most were still in the Land of Wind, and a large number had died in the previous battle—so the process of removing the seals was quick.
Danzō exhausted the chakra he had just recovered in order to release the Tongue-Cursing Seals. As a result, his bare upper body looked even weaker. Hiruzen Sarutobi, watching from the side, felt a pang of sympathy, wishing he could immediately go comfort his old friend.
With Hiruzen present, Shikaku Nara and the others did not go back on their word. In the end, they allowed Danzō to leave Konoha in disgrace, protected by only a small number of subordinates.
Immediately after, Shikaku Nara turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi, Konoha faces internal strife and external threats. We ask you to take the position of Hokage immediately."
Kakashi was completely bewildered. What's going on? I didn't do anything. I was just sitting at home, and the position of Hokage fell into my lap?
When the fighting broke out, Kakashi hadn't gone to Root headquarters right away. Unlike Hiruzen, he had no clansmen gathering intelligence for him. Kakashi needed to assess the situation himself. By the time he figured out what was happening and arrived at Root, the battle was already over.
Of course, there was another important reason: Kakashi didn't want to participate in the fight between Danzō and Shikaku's group. Both sides were, in a way, his own people. Kakashi couldn't bring himself to attack them. If Danzō had ordered him, as Hokage, to fight, it would have been even more awkward.
So, Kakashi was late again.
The moment he arrived, he was arranged to have the Tongue-Cursing Seal removed. After it was removed, before he could even take a few breaths of free air, he became the Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not object to Shikaku Nara rushing Kakashi into the position; he also supported Kakashi. He was already old; it was right to hand the village over to the younger generation. Hiruzen still had that much awareness. His main concern now was whether Danzō, having left Konoha, would eat well and sleep soundly. Without his company, would Danzō feel lonely?
"Sigh... when you get old, you always think back to the passionate days of youth." By the time Hiruzen came back to his senses, the crowd had already surrounded Kakashi and was heading back to Konoha.
Kakashi was told he would become Hokage in the morning. By noon, he had already completed the Jōnin confidence vote and his inauguration speech. Even the Hokage Rock was already being carved with his likeness. Now, aside from the official recognition from the Land of Fire's Daimyo, Kakashi's position as Hokage was secure.
All of this was, of course, pushed forward by Shikaku Nara and the others. No matter how you looked at it, they were rebels who had attacked the sitting Hokage. They needed to legitimize themselves as quickly as possible. Thus, Kakashi became the fastest Hokage to ever take office in Konoha's history.
Wearing the Hokage cloak emblazoned with "Seventh Hokage" and the Hokage hat, Kakashi stood before the large window of the Hokage's office. Watching the workers carving his face onto the Hokage Rock, Kakashi felt as if he were trapped in a genjutsu. None of it felt real. Just a few hours ago, he had been right here, kneeling on one knee to report a mission to Danzō. Now, he was the master of this place.
In the afternoon, Kakashi received the first document he needed to handle after taking office.
Kakashi looked at Shikaku Nara and the others, then back at the document, his eyes wide with shock. "Danzō embezzled that much money?"
"And this many forbidden jutsu? Where did all these things go?"
Shikaku Nara sighed. "Most likely, they fell into Iwagakure's hands. But there's no written evidence of Danzō's trades with Iwa."
Kakashi read through the entire document again carefully. "Shikaku-senpai, you're saying... Danzō traded for Wood Release insights from Iwa?"
"Where did Iwa even get Wood Release insights? And even if they had them, why would they trade them to Danzō?"
"Don't they know how powerful Wood Release is? Aren't they afraid we'll produce another First Hokage?"
"Don't tell me it was for the money. The Tsuchikage stirs up trouble everywhere; Iwa is probably the richest village right now."
Shikaku Nara shook his head. "I can't figure it out either. The Tsuchikage doesn't seem afraid of Danzō learning true Wood Release. It's almost as if he intentionally helped him."
Kakashi thought for a moment, then joked, "Could it be... that the Tsuchikage predicted you would fight Danzō, and that Danzō would use Wood Release to weaken you?"
Even Kakashi didn't believe his own joke.
But Shikaku Nara's expression froze. Kakashi's reminder seemed to trigger something.
Kakashi clearly saw Shikaku's reaction. "Shikaku-senpai, have you guessed something?"
Shikaku's face turned grim. "The Tsuchikage probably didn't predict our actions. He likely guessed long ago that Danzō wouldn't last long as Hokage, that Danzō would eventually turn against the village."
"The Tsuchikage wasn't cultivating a Hokage like the First for us... he was cultivating an enemy like Madara Uchiha for us."
Hearing this, Kakashi felt a chill. Thinking back on Ishiro's actions over the years, Kakashi felt this possibility was very high. Just the thought that Ishiro had predicted long ago that Danzō would leave Konoha, even become its enemy, and had started laying plans... it made Kakashi's hair stand on end.
Kakashi stood up, bowed to Shikaku Nara, and said, "Shikaku-senpai, the previous Hokage lineage went too far. I apologize on their behalf. I guarantee that the same situation will not happen again."
"I also ask Shikaku-senpai to persuade the other clan heads. From now on, let us cooperate sincerely and lead Konoha back to glory."
Shikaku Nara was stunned. He looked closely at Kakashi. In that moment, he felt Kakashi was somehow different than before. Various thoughts raced through Shikaku's mind as he rapidly analyzed the pros and cons. Finally, Shikaku Nara said very simply, "Lord Hokage, rest assured. I will."
...
Iwagakure. By the time Ishiro was summoned to the Tsuchikage's office, two days had already passed since the coup in Konoha. Iwa's intelligence was clearly lagging this time; they had learned of the drastic change in Konoha from their public announcement. To this point, Iwa still hadn't fully figured out what exactly had happened. They only knew a coup had occurred, and afterward, Kakashi had replaced Danzō as the Seventh Hokage. But the details of the coup, who led it—Iwa's high council was completely in the dark.
Ikura looked at the still somewhat dazed Ishiro. "Ishiro, what do we do next?"
Ishiro was still reeling from the shock of Konoha suddenly changing Hokage. Only when Ikura called him did he snap back to reality.
After thinking for a moment, Ishiro said, "What else can we do? Military intervention, of course."
Megumi was startled. "Ishiro-sensei, is that wise? We haven't even figured out what happened in Konoha."
"Acting rashly... could we fall into a Konoha trap?"
"Besides, even if there's no trap, the Seventh Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, has already taken office. The situation in Konoha has stabilized. We probably don't have an opportunity anymore."
Kawakita was also surprised. "Ishiro-sensei, are you planning to go to war directly with Konoha?"
Hearing Kawakita's words, everyone tensed and immediately turned their eyes to Ishiro.
Ishiro shook his head. "War with Konoha is naturally impossible. I have always firmly believed that Konoha's problems must be solved by Konoha's own people."
"But..." Ishiro slammed his hand on the table, his voice filled with righteous indignation. "The Five Great Shinobi Villages are one family! We all signed the alliance treaty!"
"The Sixth Hokage, Danzō, was a Hokage recognized by our Iwagakure! He signed peace treaties with us many times!"
"During Danzō's reign, Iwagakure and Konoha always maintained a very friendly relationship!"
"We exchanged resources, cooperated fully, achieved mutual development, and got along very happily!"
"Now that Hokage Danzō is in trouble, how can we stand by and watch?"
"Kakashi Hatake actually betrayed the Hokage! I must stand up for Hokage Danzō! Give the order! Mobilize the troops!"
Ishiro spoke with passionate fervor about seeking justice for Danzō, leaving everyone else stunned, their mouths agape.
After a while, Megumi stammered, "Ishiro-sensei... the current Hokage is the Seventh, Kakashi Hatake. Danzō has already stepped down."
Ishiro glared at her. "What Seventh Hokage? I haven't recognized him."
"Hokage? I only recognize Danzō."
"Anyone else who tries to replace Danzō is just a rebel."
Megumi finally understood. Ishiro was looking for a pretext for war. If they acknowledged Kakashi's legitimacy, then Iwa would have no reason to pressure Konoha.
Thus, everyone in the conference room exchanged glances, then spoke in unison: "As you command!"
Sōkai looked around blankly, then followed suit.
Seeing this, Ishiro nodded in satisfaction. His eyes glinted as he said, "This time, call Kirigakure too. Let's carve up the Land of Fire together."
"Kiri stated their position last time. As the 'big brother,' when it's time to pull them along, we can't be stingy."
"Even if we can't occupy new territory this time, we must suck a large amount of blood from Konoha."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Do whatever you want. As long as you're happy.
Only then did Ishiro remember his "ally," Danzō. Since they were acting in his name, he needed to understand the basic situation. "By the way, is Danzō dead?"
Saka replied, "The intelligence doesn't mention it. But based on Konoha's public announcement, Danzō should still be alive."
Ishiro nodded. "Very good. Remember, this time, we are acting at Hokage Danzō's invitation, sending troops to Konoha to quell the insubordination."
Ikura then asked, "Ishiro, sending troops to Konoha... how many people should we mobilize?"
Ishiro thought for a moment. "Land of Snow, Land of Demons, Land of Bears, Land of Waterfalls, Land of Hot Water, Northern Land of Wind, Central Land of Wind, former Northwest Land of Fire... we have eight branch bases."
"One thousand troops from each base, plus three thousand from the village. That's eleven thousand total. We'll announce it as twenty thousand."
"In terms of top-tier strength: myself, Kawakita, Han, Sōkai, Izumi—that's five. Then notify Lord Third and Shinya. Seven total. Make sure their names are known."
"Ikura, Kitsuchi, Rōshi, Deidara will stay to guard the village."
"Oh right, bring Akino Atsumi. I plan to ambush someone this time."
"Hiss~" Everyone in the office sucked in a sharp breath.
Bella nearly jumped up. "Ishiro, are you crazy? Are you really going to war with Konoha?"
"Mobilizing such a massive army... just to intimidate Konoha? The cost to the village will be enormous!"
Ishiro waved his hand. "Precisely because we are only going to scare them, our display must be grand."
"Bella-senpai, rest assured. The losses from this mobilization will be fully borne by Konoha afterward."
"We were invited by Hokage Danzō to quell a rebellion in Konoha. Naturally, Konoha pays the military expenses."
Everyone was first stunned by Ishiro's seemingly insane move, too shocked to speak. But hearing his shameless words that followed, they all rolled their eyes at him.
Finally, Kitsuchi asked cautiously, "Ishiro... you won't suddenly change your mind on the front lines and decide to actually go to war with Konoha, will you?"
Ishiro grinned. "Excellent. If even my own people in this room believe I'm going to war, then Konoha will have no doubts."
"That settles it. The grander the display, the louder our voice at the negotiating table."
(Actually, Ishiro also wanted to fight Konoha directly. But he wasn't sure if such an aggressive move would displease the Sage of Six Paths. So, he decided to stick with the 'boil the frog slowly' method, bleeding Konoha bit by bit.)
...
After the Iwa high council meeting ended, the shinobi world exploded with activity.
Konoha had suddenly changed Hokage again. Other villages were only on their Fourth Kage; Konoha was already on its Seventh. People even started speculating how long Kakashi would last and when he would step down. Who would be the Eighth Hokage—some old fossil, or some young upstart?
One wave hadn't settled before another rose. Before everyone could finish digesting the Konoha news, Iwagakure began a large-scale troop mobilization. Before the mobilization was even complete, news spread: Iwa was sending an army of 20,000 to utterly destroy Konoha. The list of seven Kage-level fighters, including Ishiro, was also quickly circulated.
Seven Kage-level ninja, an army of 20,000, aiming to flatten Konoha. War clouds gathered, instantly shattering the overall peace of the shinobi world. The key point was that Iwa was acting in the name of "seeking justice for Danzō." This undoubtedly made the situation even more suspicious. No one knew when Danzō had gained Iwagakure's approval. Iwa was loudly proclaiming that Danzō had been ousted by a rebellion led by Kakashi.
The scale of Iwa's mobilization was too large; Konoha quickly received the news. In fact, it was impossible not to receive it. Iwa had practically dropped leaflets on Konoha. Iwa's ANBU within Konoha were indeed secretly spreading rumors:
"Without Danzō, Konoha is a toothless tiger."
"Konoha destroyed its own Great Wall. The village's destruction is imminent."
Ishiro even had people spread: "Back then, Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by and watched as White Fang was attacked by public opinion, ultimately leading to his suicide."
"Kakashi is avenging his father."
The rumors spread like wildfire, detailed and vivid, as if someone had personally witnessed Kakashi's entire coup.
...
Hokage Tower, Conference Room.
Kakashi had summoned the heads of all the major clans, including Shikaku Nara, to a high-level meeting. This was Kakashi's way of responding to the factions that had supported his rise. Hiashi Hyuga and the others mentally gave Kakashi a thumbs-up, feeling that their risky move to oust Danzō had been correct.
This scene made Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was also attending, feel very uncomfortable. Although he didn't support Danzō's radical methods, he wasn't opposed to suppressing the major clans. On the contrary, he had always advocated weakening the clans and cultivating ninja from commoner backgrounds. But he didn't say anything. Konoha was facing an external enemy now. One wrong move, and the village could be destroyed. The Hokage lineage still needed these people to fight for the village.
Kakashi looked around. Besides Hiruzen and the clan heads, there were also two new high-level officials he had just appointed. Seeing everyone was present, Kakashi signaled an intelligence ninja to analyze the current situation.
The ANBU intelligence ninja, wearing a fox mask, opened a file. "It has been confirmed. Iwagakure is indeed massing a large army."
"The scale is enormous. All their branch bases, including the ones under construction in the Land of Hot Water and the central Land of Wind, are mobilizing."
"Adding the mobilization within Iwagakure itself, the number of troops Iwa will deploy is at least ten thousand."
"Even if it's not the absurd twenty thousand rumored outside, it's enough to fight a full-scale war with us."
"As for whether they have the rumored seven Kage-level powerhouses, we cannot confirm."
"However, Iwa's mobilization speed is not fast. It will likely take several more days for them to complete their assembly and move the army to the front lines."
Shikaku Nara frowned. "Iwa's actions are highly abnormal. It doesn't look like they're preparing for an immediate war. It looks more like they're intentionally creating a spectacle to pressure us into conceding benefits."
Shikaku's words made everyone present ponder. They also felt it made sense.
But Hiruzen sighed. "Even if Iwa only intends to threaten us, we must prepare for the worst."
"At the very least, we cannot let Iwa think we are unprepared, lest they actually choose to start a war."
Kakashi nodded. "We will prepare as if Iwa is invading. Time is short. Shikaku-senpai, you make the deployments."
Shikaku Nara nodded and began to allocate Konoha's forces. After Shikaku finished outlining his plan, Kakashi asked, "Shikaku-senpai, do you think Kirigakure will invade this time as well?" Shikaku had deployed a significant number of troops in Kiri's direction.
Hearing this, Hiruzen also frowned. He didn't think Shikaku's deployment was wrong, but simply felt that Kiri's involvement would make things too difficult. He interjected, "Have we contacted the Fourth Raikage? Is he willing to send troops to support us?"
Kakashi nodded. "The Fourth Raikage has replied. He is already mobilizing his forces, ready to launch an amphibious assault on the Land of Earth at any time."
"He stated that if Iwa truly deploys seven Kage-level shinobi, he will personally lead an invasion into Iwagakure."
Only after Kakashi finished did Shikaku Nara have a chance to answer the previous question. "It's hard to say if Kiri will participate. They have recovered one Tailed Beast and now have some confidence."
"Kiri may not be truly willing to remain Iwa's little brother forever."
"If Iwa chooses a full-scale invasion this time, Kiri most likely won't participate. They might even choose to support us if we face annihilation."
"But if Iwa is just making thunder with little rain, then Kiri might actually invade."
"One, it coordinates with Iwagakure, deepening their cooperation. Two, Kiri also wants a piece of the pie from us."
"That's why the troops I deployed in Kiri's direction are elites. This is to increase our leverage during negotiations."
Kakashi nodded. He then looked at Hiashi Hyuga and the others. "Hiashi-senpai, Chōza-senpai, Inoichi-senpai, Shibi-senpai, Tsume-senpai, Shinku-senpai... the village faces a crisis of annihilation this time. I ask for your cooperation."
Hiashi Hyuga thought for a moment, then finally nodded. "Alright."
These were the only two words Hiashi had spoken since the meeting formally began. He was currently very frustrated. Attending his first high-level meeting, he had originally wanted to make a good impression, to display the might of Konoha's number one clan. But, regrettably, Hiashi found he simply couldn't keep up with the thinking speed of the people in this room. In the Hyuga clan, his word was law, and he was used to speaking slowly and deliberately. He had never witnessed these schemers rapidly discussing how to plot against the enemy and how to prevent being plotted against. Not wanting to look foolish, Hiashi could only maintain a facade of calm indifference throughout the meeting.
After Hiashi agreed, the other clan heads could only grit their teeth and agree as well. Inwardly, however, they were cursing: "Hiashi Hyuga, that idiot! He didn't even make any demands at a time like this! Now we can't voice our own requests either!"
Kakashi was somewhat surprised by Hiashi's quick agreement. He had been prepared to offer major concessions, but Hiashi hadn't asked for anything. "Is he indifferent? Is he waiting for me to bring it up? Or does he just not understand?" Kakashi pondered.
However, regardless of whether Hiashi truly didn't understand, Kakashi knew what to do. Although they had agreed, he immediately spoke up, indicating he would make concessions on certain policies regarding the major clans.
Hearing Kakashi's words, the clan heads finally nodded mentally, thinking: "Kakashi, this new Hokage, is not simple. We didn't see it before."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction at Kakashi's performance. Some of Kakashi's actions today were things he had taught him; some were Kakashi's own ideas. But regardless, although Kakashi had only just taken office, he was gradually starting to look like a true Hokage.
(End of Chapter)
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