The outrageous actions involving the Box of Ultimate Bliss successfully rescued the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, from public disgrace, preventing him from being nailed to Konoha's pillar of shame.
"However, he also understood that, having signed a surrender treaty with Kirigakure and made a public declaration of his own fault, he was no longer fit to be Hokage."
Therefore, immediately after the war ended, he announced the candidate list for the Fourth Hokage.
He also informed the village that the selection would be held on the last day of the year—using the joy of the New Year and the inauguration of a new Hokage to dispel the gloom over Konoha.
This was indeed a clever plan.
The people of Konoha, who had been steeped in mourning, were quickly drawn to this double celebration. Almost everyone across the village was discussing it.
As the first winter snow fell, with the war ended, New Year approaching, and the Hokage election looming, the village gradually buzzed with fresh vitality.
Inside a tavern, a hearth's warmth filled the room, making everyone feel cozy upon entry. Konoha's Chūnin and Genin loved this spot, easing mission fatigue with drinks—Jōnin frequented too, seeking reprieve from war's pain.
A few drunken ninja chatted, cups in hand, the hall buzzing.
"Who do you think will win the Hokage election next week?"
A burping Chūnin at the bar fettered with an oil-slicked tempura and asked the bartender.
The bartender, draining fresh tempura, laughed:
"How would I know? I haven't been a ninja in years."
"But Minato-sama reputation is incredible—without him, we'd have fallen."
"Still, I lean toward Orochimaru-sama. During the Amegakure–Iwagakure–Sunagakure invasions, if not for the Legendary Sannin, we'd have lost countless ninja. I was one of them—thanks to the Sannin. It's a pity about Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama…"
He sighed heavily.
The loss of the Sannin was mourned by every Konoha ninja: Jiraiya died in battle, Tsunade departed, and only Orochimaru remained.
The Chūnin nodded, then shook his head.
"Orochimaru-sama is excellent—powerful, but too aloof. He doesn't connect with Chūnin or Genin. Honestly, I tremble visiting him!"
"Minato-sama is different—like a little sun, so I back Minato-sama."
The bartender agreed with a chuckle.
But an older Chūnin slammed the table:
"Don't be idiots! Minato-sama great, but Orochimaru-sama on another level!"
"The War in the Land of Rain was brutal—Rain, Stone, and Sand ninjas swarmed us. Without the Sannin, you wouldn't be arguing now!"
"And this recent war—on the Sand front, Orochimaru-sama saved us from poison!"
"Then he went to the Stone battlefield, carrying our flag. In achievements, experience, and strength, Orochimaru-sama is unmatched. I support Orochimaru-sama for Hokage!"
His voice, amplified by liquor, commanded attention—many nodded vehemently.
The younger Chūnin slapped back:
"He's strong, but in this war, Minato-sama did more—and he's approachable. I support Minato-sama!"
"I think it's Orochimaru-sama!"
"Minato-sama!"
"Orochimaru-sama!"
"I think it's Orochimaru-sama!"
"Minato-sama!"
"Orochimaru-sama!"
The two began to argue, and with both being drunk, the verbal conflict escalated, eventually turning into a brawl after someone, it's unclear who, threw the first punch. The surrounding ninja gathered in a circle, cheering them on, and the scene became completely chaotic.
The farce only settled when members of the Uchiha clan arrived.
...
At the Uchiha compound—
"Orochimaru versus Minato, huh…"
Fugaku Uchiha's expression was grim as he listened to his clan's reports.
His own name had also been included among the Hokage candidates—but he knew it was symbolic at best. In fact, nearly every clan leader who'd survived the war had been nominated.
But realistically, only a few names were truly viable.
Right now, the only serious candidates were Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze.
"If Shisui were still alive… we Uchihas wouldn't have to sit back and watch the Hokage title slip through our fingers!"
Fugaku slammed a fist onto the desk, his eyes burning with frustration.
Without Shisui, the Uchiha clan had only him—a Mangekyō user. Though the clan's overall strength was still formidable, they lacked a standout powerhouse.
"Father."
A voice interrupted his brooding. Itachi stood at the doorway.
Seeing his beloved son, Fugaku quickly composed himself and smiled.
"What is it, Itachi?"
"I just finished my shuriken practice. Would you please evaluate my technique?"
"Oh?"
Fugaku's eyes lit up. He stood and picked up Itachi, heading for the nearby training yard.
"Come on, show me what you've got! Let's see how far your shurikenjutsu has come!"
"Yes, Father!"
Though he hadn't awakened his Sharingan yet, Itachi's skill with shuriken already rivaled many adult Uchiha who had.
"Try it with Fire Style."
"Yes! Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A roaring fireball erupted. The light in Fugaku's eyes grew ever brighter.
Only four years old, and already able to kill an Iwa genin in solo combat during the recent war—his son was a genius equal to Shisui, if not greater.
"Fine, Shisui."
Fugaku looked at Itachi with pride.
"Even without you, the Uchiha can still rise to the top! If Itachi grows as I believe he will, we may yet compete for the position of Fifth Hokage!"
As for the Fourth…
While Fugaku had no personal bond with Minato, Kushina and his wife Mikoto were close friends—practically like sisters.
And compared to the aloof Orochimaru, Minato's warmth made him a more favorable choice.
Time passed.
Only three days remained before the Hokage election, and the village's excitement was reaching a fever pitch.
At a quiet courtyard in the village center—
Snow fell lightly as Orochimaru, dressed in a white kimono, sat calmly beneath the veranda, watching the flakes drift down.
His outfit was thin, but chakra protected him from the cold.
With only days left before the election, it would be a lie to say he felt nothing.
For a shinobi who inherited the Will of Fire, the title of Hokage held a special place in the heart. Few could be truly indifferent—except perhaps Tsunade, who had already turned her back on Konoha.
Orochimaru observed the atmosphere in the village and weighed his chances.
It was clear his former teacher favored Minato. Orochimaru understood why—he had associated too closely with Danzō, and had covered up various Wood Release experiments.
With their bond strained, and Minato's popularity among the younger generation, the scales were tipping away from Orochimaru.
Honestly, if it were Jiraiya running instead, Orochimaru might have accepted the outcome.
He preferred pursuing the truth behind ninjutsu to drowning in paperwork as Hokage.
Dissecting techniques and inventing new ones always brought a rare, genuine smile to his face.
But—
"Orochimaru-sama, Danzō-sama requests your presence."
A figure appeared in the corner of the courtyard, bowing respectfully.
Orochimaru nodded slightly, and the figure vanished.
Danzō had contacted him multiple times. Their talks always returned to the election.
Danzō had offered his support—if Orochimaru agreed to let him control the ANBU.
Since the war ended, Sarutobi had returned the Root division to Danzō, though it was now greatly diminished.
Orochimaru neither agreed nor refused. If he truly became Hokage, Root would never go to Danzō—but for now, he needed Danzō's backing to stand a chance against Minato.
"Sensei!"
A cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts. A small figure bounced into view, holding skewers of dango.
"Freshly grilled three-color dango!"
"..."
Orochimaru didn't take them. He replied coldly: "You're not from the Akimichi clan. Fat is a burden in combat. Don't eat so many snacks, Anko—you'll get fat."
"N-No I won't…"
Anko quickly hid the dango behind her back, smiling awkwardly.
Orochimaru shook his head, his mind recalling his former disciple.
If that child had survived, everything might have been different…
What a pity.
But life is fleeting—like snowflakes that melt upon landing.
Shinobi like Nawaki, like Jiraiya—all gone.
What truly matters to him now is eternal life.
Still, losing to Jiraiya, he would have been willing.
But losing to Namikaze Minato...
It truly leaves a bitter taste.
The Day of the Election—
Compared to Kirigakure's "whoever is strongest gets elected" policy, Konoha's process was arguably even more absurd.
Candidates were first selected internally, then submitted to the Daimyō, who picked based on personal preference and his advisors' suggestions.
The Daimyō's personal bias was often decisive—as shown during Tsunade's injury and replacement.
Of course, the process wasn't always rigid. Hiruzen Sarutobi, for instance, was directly appointed by Tobirama Senju.
But after a long war, Hiruzen wouldn't allow that. This time, Konoha would present one unified candidate, approved by the entire village.
To achieve this, Hiruzen adopted a radical method:
All registered Konoha shinobi would vote.
It stunned everyone—but also felt oddly appropriate.
Twelve candidates stood on the stage in front of the Hokage Tower:
Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru, Akimichi Torifu, Danzō, Uchiha Fugaku, Hyūga Hiashi, and more.
Thousands of shinobi, villagers, and even television crews gathered. Dozens of ANBU kept order.
One by one, shinobi cast their votes.
Hiruzen sat at the rear, watching with a complex expression.
Fair?
Everyone knew the truth.
When Hiruzen announced this method, the winner was already decided.
Only Minato and Orochimaru showed any real emotion on their faces.
The vote lasted all day.
At sunset, the results were announced:
Minato Namikaze, with over half the votes, became the Fourth Hokage.
On the first day of Konoha's 50th Year—
Minato Namikaze officially assumed the title of Fourth Hokage.
...
"The power to devour souls… the Shinigami… and the Soul Society…"
Staring at the corpse of a Konoha shinobi retrieved from Higashimatsuyama and the now-collapsed formula of the Edo Tensei, Orochimaru's gaze was complex.
He hadn't expected that while he was battling Sunagakure and Iwagakure, a monster of that caliber would emerge on the Kirigakure front—an entity capable of limitless evolution through mastery of soul-based powers. It mirrored a project he himself had been researching for years.
In his plan, he could devour a target's soul, taking over their body and chakra—and thus achieve eternal life.
But the path to immortality was fraught with difficulty.
Foremost among his problems was the purity of his own soul.
He could now devour other souls—but afterward, his own soul would become tainted by the remnants of the target's consciousness. That corruption wasn't just cosmetic—it was fatal. A little contamination might not matter, but as it accumulated, it risked causing:
Psychological instability,
Soul distortion,
Or even possession by the very impurities he'd consumed.
Thus far, Orochimaru's only solution had been to cut away the tainted portions of his soul.
But that was short-sighted.
A soul is finite. Each cut weakened his original self, and the means to restore those fragments were elusive—at present, he had no way to regenerate a damaged soul.
That was why, upon learning about Yuki Yoru, he brought back the corpses of those slain by him—to examine what kind of power could evolve through devouring souls without self-destruction.
"If I don't solve this flaw in the soul, even if I complete this jutsu, it won't truly be eternal life."
"Yuki Yoru... what kind of power do you wield?!"
A strange glint flickered in Orochimaru's golden slit eyes.
Then his expression soured—he sensed something.
He formed a rapid series of hand signs, and a swarm of snakes burst forth, devouring every trace of his experiments—notes, samples, chakra residues—everything was cleansed.
Orochimaru himself vanished from the lab in the same instant.
Moments later, several ANBU ninja appeared, scanning the empty laboratory with tight brows.
Meanwhile, in Kirigakure—
"Lord Fourth, this is a request from Lord Kazahana Sōsetsu, the Daimyō of the Land of Snow."
Mei Terumī handed over a sealed document to Yoru, explaining:
"The Daimyō hopes we can dispatch a squad of elite shinobi to escort his daughter, Princess Koyuki Kazahana, on her overseas travels."
As she spoke, Mei's eyes flicked toward Yoru, then toward Yuki Akira, who stood silently beside him.
Yoru's expression remained composed, but Akira's brow creased ever so slightly.
It was clear that the Yuki clan still harbored resentment toward the Land of Snow—especially since it, too, wielded Ice Release bloodline techniques. But this was an official international mission from a Daimyō, one that aligned perfectly with the Land of Water's newly open foreign policy.
"Land of Snow?"
Yoru raised an eyebrow.
He was familiar with the country—and even remembered Princess Koyuki vaguely.
In the original movie, it had been Naruto's Rasengan that struck down Koyuki's traitorous uncle, ushering in a brighter future for the wintry nation.
"Yes," Mei confirmed. "Lord Kazahana is offering a payment of one million ryō, and hopes we'll dispatch a force powerful enough to guarantee her safety."
A million ryō—a reward on par with S-rank missions.
To pay that much just to escort a princess overseas… even the Fire Daimyō's daughter wouldn't receive that kind of treatment.
What's more—Yoru recalled that the Land of Snow was notoriously poor.
That wasn't speculation, but hard fact.
The country sat in the frozen north of the Land of Iron—year-round snow, harsh climate, and limited resources. Its entire population barely numbered ten to twenty thousand. Its economy was fragile at best.
The Yuki clan had once considered taking over the region but gave up—the land was so poor that it wasn't worth the effort of marching from the Land of Water.
And yet now, that same nation was offering a million ryō to protect their princess?
There was no doubt—they were trying to flee the internal instability caused by political upheaval.
"We'll take the mission. Mark it as S-rank," Yoru said. "And let's send… hmm."
Since this was an international commission, it needed to be done perfectly.
He needed someone strong, someone with presence—someone who could, if necessary, take on the entire Land of Snow solo.
Hm?
Yoru's gaze suddenly fell upon an individual in the ninja archives, his eyes lighting up.
"I remember that not long ago, Kisame applied to use Samehada, right? Tell him to come here."
"Yes, Lord Fourth."