Konoha basked in sunlight.
The streets were lively again. Laughter carried through open windows, shinobi moved without urgency, and the village wore the fragile calm of a place that believed it had survived the worst.
Inside the Hokage Tower, the atmosphere was quieter.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, pipe resting between his fingers, eyes fixed on the image forming within the crystal orb. Children ran through the streets below. Civilians chatted freely. Patrols moved in steady, predictable patterns.
For the first time in months, the village looked… whole.
He exhaled slowly, smoke curling upward.
"It's finally stabilizing," he said, more tired than relieved.
Across from him, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane sat with their tea, composed as ever.
"You've carried a heavy burden lately, Hiruzen," Koharu said evenly. "No one doubts that."
Hiruzen's hand paused.
"…Orochimaru," he said quietly. "Whatever path he's drifting toward, this wasn't how I wanted things to end up."
The words carried regret. A teacher's regret.
Homura set his cup down.
"This isn't about how you feel as his mentor," he replied. "Orochimaru chose Root. He aligned himself with Danzo. That was his decision."
Koharu nodded. "Once someone steps into the shadows willingly, responsibility no longer rests with the Hokage."
Hiruzen said nothing.
They were right. He knew that.
But knowing did not erase the weight.
"Orochimaru has become dangerous," Homura continued. "Not only because of his research, but because of who he's close to. The Hyuga. The Uchiha. If he became Hokage, the balance we've maintained for decades would collapse."
The words were calm. Calculated.
The truth behind them was simpler.
Power, once redistributed, never returned quietly.
"The village has only just recovered," Koharu added. "Another political reshuffle now would tear open wounds that haven't healed."
Hiruzen stared into the crystal orb again.
"…Perhaps you're right," he admitted at last. "Orochimaru is not Minato."
Minato Namikaze had risen without a faction. Without a power base. He had needed allies. That had made him manageable.
Orochimaru was different.
He already had people.
Hiruzen lowered the Hokage hat slightly, shadowing his eyes.
"This discussion ends here," he said firmly. "Konoha's stability comes first."
From a political standpoint, the decision was sound.
The Third Shinobi War had bled the village dry. Genin had died on battlefields meant for jonin. Before Konoha could even recover, the Nine-Tails attack had taken its Hokage and countless veterans with it.
Another upheaval now would be disastrous.
If Orochimaru took office, power would be redistributed. Old alliances would fracture. The village would turn inward on itself.
And Orochimaru's obsession with forbidden research made him unpredictable.
Hiruzen would not gamble the village's survival on that.
"We only need a few years," Koharu said. "Three to five. That's all Konoha needs to recover fully."
Homura nodded. "And by then…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Koharu did.
"Shinnosuke will be ready."
The room fell silent.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke. Hiruzen's son. Former ANBU commander. Now a frontline leader with rising prestige.
Not a Sannin. Not a legend.
But young. Stable. Controllable.
Hiruzen's gaze dropped.
Everyone in that room understood what this meant.
This wasn't just Koharu or Homura's desire. It was the consensus of the Hokage faction. The clans aligned with the existing structure. The political bloc that already held the village together.
If Shinnosuke became Hokage, nothing would truly change.
Konoha would remain Konoha.
"…Very well," Hiruzen said quietly.
From a political perspective, it was the safest path.
From a personal one…
A father allowing his son to inherit the village.
No one was free of selfishness.
"There is one more matter," Homura added. "The Uchiha."
Hiruzen frowned slightly.
"With the borders stabilizing, dissatisfaction may surface," Koharu said. "They must be watched."
"They already are," Hiruzen replied. "ANBU surveillance has begun. At the same time, we'll start engaging the younger generation."
He looked up, eyes sharp despite his age.
"The Uchiha need shinobi who truly inherit the Will of Fire."
Surveillance, and recruitment.
Pressure, and assimilation.
Koharu smiled faintly. Homura nodded in approval.
"As expected of you, Hiruzen."
The meeting ended without further discussion.
Outside, the village remained bright and peaceful.
Inside its foundations, decisions had already been made.