In the crowd, Anko stood with her hands on her hips, exclaiming, "When senior comes back, you'd all better cheer loudly! Let him see how sincere we are, got it?"
Iruka clenched his fist, "Don't worry, ma'am! I won't stop even if I have to shout myself hoarse!"
He would never forget that night seven years ago, when Lord Seiki had saved his mother's life!
Hayate Gekko coughed twice, his pale face flushed with excitement, "I'll do my best too!"
Izumo Kamizuki rolled his eyes, "With your body condition? Please, don't pass out on us!"
"Hey, are you two going to keep watching much longer?" Neji asked from another direction, holding Naruto up with a red face.
Riding on his shoulders, Naruto clutched at his hair to keep his balance, "Almost there! I think I can see someone coming!"
Sasuke, similarly riding on Naruto's shoulders, said, "Neji, quit shaking around! How am I supposed to see like this?"
"You say that like it's easy!" Neji gritted his teeth, "It's not like you're the one on the bottom!"
Naruto teased, "Come on, just hold on a bit longer! Think about Lord Seiki's signed photo—it makes you more motivated, right?"
Through gritted teeth, Neji asked, "You can really get me Lord Seiki's autograph?"
"Of course! My parents are really close with Lord Seiki!" Naruto replied, a bit wistfully. Only yesterday had he found out—he was born as the child of a former Kage!
Too bad the family had fallen on hard times!
At that moment, the crowd suddenly stirred.
"Wah! It's Lord Seiki!"
"Let me see too! Wait, which one is Lord Seiki?"
"Obviously the best-looking one!"
"Oh~ Now that you say it, I totally get it!"
As the crowd surged, the already unstable Neji got pushed from somewhere and stumbled, falling flat onto the ground.
Although Naruto was sitting on his head, preventing him from being trampled, there were still multiple footmarks on his butt.
Watching nearby, Hinata couldn't help but feel for him, "Poor Neji-niisan... selling his body for a photo was clearly a bad idea!"
Outside the village, watching the cheerful faces before him, Danzo walked beside Seiki, seething with jealousy. He never got such a reception when he was in power!
Could it really be just because this kid was good-looking?
Lord Seiki's warm voice spread through the air, carrying an almost invisible calming power that soothed the excited crowd, "I understand you might have fears about the future, which is why your expectations for me run so high. Though my abilities are limited, I will certainly live up to those expectations—no one from Akatsuki will dare step foot in Konoha again!"
It wasn't exactly a rousing speech, but it was exactly what most people wanted to hear.
The Hokage was someone who protected the village during times of crisis!
In an instant, cheers erupted from the crowd.
Standing to the side, Danzo looked thoroughly displeased, "I haven't even stepped down yet, and this brat already acts like he's the Hokage!"
Just then, a cry rose from the crowd.
"Lord Seiki, please be our Kage!"
Since Danzo still hadn't officially resigned, everyone had been holding back up to this point. But once those words were spoken, it triggered a chain reaction, erupting like mountains collapsing and seas surging.
"Lord Seiki, become our Hokage!"
"We've waited so long for a Hokage like you, my lord!"
The moment Danzo heard the word "Kage," he knew something was wrong. He couldn't shut out the noise in time before the "demonic sound" blasted into his ears.
"Phew! Phew! Phew!" He vomited so violently it felt like the sky and earth were flipping upside down and the sun and moon had lost their light!
It was as if he were spewing filth everywhere!
Everyone was stunned by what they saw, their cheers dying down instinctively.
After a long silence, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
"Elder Danzo is truly ruthless! To stop us from supporting Lord Seiki, he actually resorted to self-mutilation!"
"I've seen people spit blood as self-mutilation before, but never someone vomiting like this to sabotage a ceremony!"
Although they knew Danzo was stepping down, they didn't know many of the details.
Even the Third was deeply shaken. "I never imagined Danzo's obsession with being Hokage had become so twisted!"
Lord Seiki then stepped forward to check on Danzo before addressing the crowd. "Thank you all for your welcome, but it seems Hokage-sama's health is a bit fragile right now. I'll take him to the hospital first."
No one dared to stop him, of course. With the guest of honor gone, there was no reason for anyone to stay.
And just like that, the grand welcoming ceremony ended hastily because of Danzo's sudden interruption!
...
On a distant mountain peak overlooking the Land of Fire, far from Konoha yet still faintly visible in the distance.
"No wonder he's my senior. Even after seven years, he hasn't been forgotten—returning like a king reclaiming his throne!" Obito said enviously, then gave a bitter laugh. "If it were me, I'd probably be public enemy number one, hunted down and cursed by everyone."
"It's your own fault," Shisui rolled his eyes. Even now, he still couldn't understand the twisted logic that drove his clansman to betray the village.
Besides, he had gone as far as betraying and murdering his teacher and mentors—there should have been no way back. So why, after his identity was exposed, had he thought about switching sides so quickly?
Shisui shook his head slightly, giving up trying to understand Obito's mindset. He said solemnly, "I heard from Itachi today. He said the Uchiha clan is planning a coup and hopes that you and I will join them!"
"A coup?" Obito was taken aback, then nodded thoughtfully. "It must be because our identities have been exposed. They're afraid Danzo will take this opportunity to retaliate, so they've decided not to hold back anymore."
"But now that they know Senior is going to be the Hokage, they won't launch the coup anymore, right?"
Shisui sighed. "They've known about Senior becoming Hokage for a while."
Obito's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are they insane? They didn't launch a coup when Danzo was going to be Hokage, but now that Senior is going to be Hokage, they suddenly decide to launch it?"
"One reason is that they've been suppressed for too long. Once that fire's burning, it can't be put out. On the other hand..." A mocking smile flickered across Shisui's lips. "They believe Lord Seiki has a broad mind, and even if the coup fails, he won't punish them too severely."
"Absolutely insane!"
Obito's mouth twitched violently. He thought he was already crazy enough, but hadn't expected there were actually people in the clan who took crazy to another level!
"What kind of nonsense is this? Are they all a bunch of lunatics?"
"No matter what they're thinking, this is actually your chance!" Shisui analyzed. "Use those coup plotters as proof of your loyalty. It might help you regain their trust!"
"Regain their trust?" Obito scoffed bitterly. "Someone like me doesn't even deserve the right to ask for their trust. I just need them to bring Rin back to consciousness!"
"Rin?" Shisui frowned slightly. He had heard of this senior whose incident indirectly ended the Third Great Ninja War. But wasn't she supposed to be dead already?
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>