Chapter 10: On the Frailty of the Will of Fire Before Loyalty and Filial Piety...
The second day of the New Year.
The villagers of Konoha gathered in vast numbers before the Hokage Building. Today was the day of the Konoha Hokage Inauguration Ceremony.
Due to it being peacetime, the process for Minato Namikaze to become the Fourth Hokage of Konoha was quite cumbersome... But there was an enthusiastic old man who took care of everything for him...
Whether it was the Jonin trust vote or the appointment by the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire... Besides earning the title "Yellow Flash," the previous Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, practically handled everything for Minato Namikaze's family.
Hmm... including matters concerning Minato Namikaze's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, like her future childbirth... Hiruzen Sarutobi would also need to figure things out... A Nine-Tails Jinchuriki giving birth... very dangerous.
So, you see, there's no such thing as a chosen one in this world; it's just someone else bearing the burden for you.
...
Itachi brought Kitahara to watch... The crowded throng of people jostled shoulder-to-shoulder, making the venue resemble a bustling town market... After all, it was Konoha's grandest event.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't resigned under censure, some ninjas might never have witnessed such a grand occasion in their lifetime...
But if luck was on their side, like this familiar acquaintance nearby wearing a chef's hat... Uncle Teuchi from Ichiraku Ramen could chat and laugh with the Seventh Hokage...
Heh... fate.
Uchiha Fugaku was on the Hokage Building. Although the Uchiha clan held no position among Konoha's high-ranking officials, the Police Force Captain, independent of the system, still had a spot for viewing the ceremony.
All the Konoha villagers at the venue stared at the Hokage Building, lost in reverence... Becoming Hokage was every Konoha child's dream... Becoming Hokage was every adult's aspiration.
"The war is over now, the Fourth Hokage is only in his twenties, isn't that a bit too young!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Use your brain when you say that! If it weren't for the Fourth Hokage, how could the war have ended so quickly!"
"Bastard! You know that's not what I meant... I just think Lord Jiraiya or Lord Orochimaru would clearly be more suitable!"
"But Lord Fourth Hokage was the greatest contributor to the Third Shinobi World War!"
Two ninjas argued, suddenly starting to punch and kick each other.
"...They started fighting," Uchiha Itachi tilted his head, stating blankly.
"..."
Onlookers quickly rushed forward to mediate, pulling the fighting pair apart. However, they continued cursing each other from a distance... Masked ANBU and members of the Police Force appeared before them.
"They fought within the village, they should..."
"Our original mission was to escort them to the Police Force..." The leading ANBU commander waved his hand, "Disperse!"
"..."
The ANBU members suddenly vanished, leaving only the stunned Police Force members, who then escorted the two ninjas away.
This interlude didn't cause much stir among the people, because a familiar figure appeared on the Hokage Building – the short old man who had led them through two Shinobi World Wars.
"I am the Third Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Hiruzen Sarutobi..."
"Wow!"
"Lord Hokage!"
"Banzai!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi held considerable prestige in Konoha. At least in the eyes of these villagers, the old man chewing on his pipe was their sole memory of the Hokage.
"Quiet, I have a few words to say!"
The old man's voice wasn't loud, yet it cooled the fervent atmosphere of the entire venue. The villagers stopped clamoring.
Kitahara found it vaguely familiar... He seemed to have heard Hiruzen Sarutobi's words somewhere before... When could it have been?
"I am the host of today's Hokage Inauguration Ceremony..."
"Since the war began, many of our relatives and friends have sacrificed themselves on the battlefield. Their lives wrote the victorious chapter of the Village Hidden in the Leaves..."
"Everyone will die; life comes only once for each person... Even I am no exception..."
"The new generation of ninjas can already bear the responsibilities they should. The Will of Fire passed down to them has already..."
"Everything we do is for the future of the village, to continue the existence of the Will of Fire..."
"Where leaves dance, fire will also burn eternally. The light of the fire will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout..."
At the moving parts, Hiruzen Sarutobi even choked up. Tears welled in the eyes of many villagers below. There was even a young man in a green jumpsuit whose tears flowed uncontrollably... If he hadn't been clenching his teeth, he probably would have wailed loudly...
Uchiha Itachi seemed deeply touched, his eyes gradually reddening as he muttered softly, "The Will of Fire..."
Hey, hey, hey! Kid, don't be like this! I'm getting a little scared! Speaking of which, have you ever heard of loyalty and filial piety?
"Caw..."
A stream of chakra flowed into Uchiha Itachi's body. Kitahara had long grown tired of the Third's speech; it was making him drowsy... But Uchiha Itachi's reaction jolted him awake!
As Kitahara's chakra entered his body, Uchiha Itachi's eyes finally turned completely red, two tomoe faintly visible...
Each strand of chakra carried a piece of Kitahara's thoughts. Itachi's emotions gradually stabilized, his Sharingan glowing eerily red.
"Kitahara, let's go back and have a proper chat later..." Uchiha Itachi hugged the crow, whispering in its ear.
...
Throughout the ninja world, the concepts of loyalty and filial piety seemed to be appearing for the first time. This was the essence of human history... But there wasn't an honest person in the ninja world...
Uchiha Itachi, however, was currently a good boy...
The speech on the Hokage Building drew to a close.
Hiruzen Sarutobi beckoned Minato Namikaze to his side, removing the conical hat symbolizing the Hokage's status, "My task is complete! Minato! It's yours now!"
"Yes! Third Hokage!"
The young blond man took the hat and placed it on his head. Hiruzen Sarutobi clapped his hands and announced loudly, "Henceforth, the Yellow Flash who struck fear across the entire ninja world is the Fourth Hokage leading all of Konoha, Minato Namikaze!"
Applause surged like a tidal wave; the title "Yellow Flash" was indeed renowned... At the very least, he was a powerhouse...
Minato Namikaze didn't say much, just smiled reservedly and waved. Ever since the Third Hokage started giving speeches frequently, children's aspirations gradually began centering on becoming Hokage.
Minato Namikaze was the first to realize this dream. He watched the villagers below gradually disperse, then turned his gaze to scan the crowd viewing the ceremony... The Ino-Shika-Cho trio... Uchiha... Hyuga... Aburame... Inuzuka... Koharu Utatane... Homura Mitokado...
Compared to the indifference on these faces, the last red-haired woman wearing a ninja headband clearly became emotional... Kushina Uzumaki...
Warmth filled the Fourth Hokage's heart. He nodded slightly towards the crowd, "From today onwards, please offer me your guidance!"
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Not humble at all, are they... this bunch...
Below the Hokage Building, a group of Uchiha clan members in police uniforms surrounded a small boy... attracting quite a crowd of onlookers.
"Lord Itachi! Please don't touch your Sharingan with your hands!"
"We've already gone to notify the Captain!"
"Just endure it a little longer... the Captain will be down soon!"
"Can you try retracting the chakra from the optic nerves around the Sharingan? You can't?"
"...Itachi is only five this year, he probably hasn't learned how chakra flows yet!"
The little boy asked, "I roughly understand how to disperse chakra within my body... Is that okay?"
"...Um, that doesn't seem very useful."
"Then could you... please spread out first? I... I'm not used to... this..." Uchiha Itachi nervously glanced at the villagers pointing and whispering about them.
Clearly, someone misunderstood.
The leader gave a few instructions, and the other Uchiha members walked up to the onlookers, shouting, "Disperse... Disperse... Don't crowd around here..."
"..."
"Caw..."
The culprit was being held tightly by the little boy, unable to breathe.
(End of this chapter)