New Hokage

Inside the Hokage's Office, Konoha's four high-ranking officials discussed what preparations they needed to make if Orochimaru were to become Hokage.

Danzo hypocritically joined the discussion, as though he truly had no objections to Orochimaru succeeding as Hokage.

He even offered all sorts of well-reasoned, supposedly prudent suggestions.

As the discussion continued, the sky outside gradually brightened. By the time dawn had fully broken—

Knock, knock, knock.

The door to the Hokage's Office was suddenly knocked on.

"Come in," the Third Hokage called out.

The door opened.

Orochimaru walked in.

Danzo, Homura, and Koharu, the three elders, all frowned. A familiar scent of blood lingered around Orochimaru, but when they recalled the disturbance caused by collusion from within and without the previous night, they soon relaxed.

It seemed Orochimaru had gone to deal with that unrest.

"Orochimaru, how did it go?"

"I did not fail my mission."

The Third nodded and said, "We were just discussing your succession as the Fifth Hokage. The three elders are all willing to support you."

Orochimaru did not seem surprised in the slightest.

"Senior Mitokado, Senior Utatane, Senior Shimura, thank you for your support."

Orochimaru's smile softened.

He was a clever man. He also knew that after becoming Hokage, he would need to keep up appearances even more.

"Then let us announce our decision," the Third declared.

"So soon?" Utatane Koharu was somewhat surprised.

"Time waits for no one."

The Third picked up his pipe and took another puff. Amid the drifting smoke, he said, "The people of the village also need new encouragement. A new, younger leader can bring them new hopes."

"But an old leader is still better at steadying people's hearts at critical times. Hiruzen, the village's situation is still rather urgent. How about you hold on for a while longer, and hand the Hokage position to Orochimaru after this urgent period has passed?" Mitokado Homura offered this suggestion with his usual prudent mindset.

"..." Shimura Danzō dearly wanted to agree with his old friend Mitokado Homura, but such words did not quite fit the image he had always maintained.

Fortunately, it was Orochimaru.

At worst, he could begin making moves against Orochimaru ahead of time.

So he remained silent.

"Homura, under the village's current circumstances, a younger and stronger leader can better show the people that Konoha is determined to raise morale. You should understand what a new Hokage represents."

Mitokado Homura fell silent as well. Of course he understood. A new Hokage represented new opportunities.

A group of people would receive promotions because of the new Hokage.

And so, the scattered hearts within the village would gather together because of it.

Many people would yearn for such opportunities. And as long as they yearned for them, they would naturally be easier to command.

But acting so urgently gave the old interest groups no time to readjust their interests. Although Orochimaru also belonged to the Hokage faction, new and old were ultimately different.

Wasn't Hiruzen always fond of prudence?

Since when had he been willing to make such a "radical" proposal?

Danzo also looked at Hiruzen in surprise. He too sensed that Hiruzen seemed to have changed somewhat. Had the Nine-Tails' Rampage dealt him one blow after another?

"Hiruzen..." This time, Utatane Koharu wanted to persuade him.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi raised a hand to stop her.

"Everything is for Konoha," he said with a solemn, dignified expression.

With such an unassailable justification, and with his status as Hokage, no one present could say anything further.

"Fine, then let us announce our decision to the village. Orochimaru will succeed as the Fifth Hokage."

As for a vote?

There was precedent in the village for someone being appointed in a crisis.

And this was a critical moment.

Of course, the formal appointment would still require communication with the Daimyo. Only after receiving the Daimyo's envoy could Orochimaru officially assume the position of Fifth Hokage.

But announcing it first would allow him to serve as the "prospective Fifth Hokage" and let everyone grow accustomed to it.

"I agree." Mitokado Homura nodded in approval as well.

Then Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu all turned to look at Shimura Danzō, the last one remaining.

"...I agree as well."

Shimura Danzō voiced his agreement, his voice somewhat dry.

He comforted himself inwardly. So long as the Daimyo's envoy had not formally confirmed the appointment, Orochimaru was not truly the Fifth Hokage.

Before then, all he had to do was expose what Orochimaru had done.

Everything was under control. There was no need to care too much.

"Then let us issue the announcement."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, the two Council Elders from the administrative department, issued the announcement together with the Hokage.

As for Danzo? He was the head of Root. His opinion needed to be consulted, but as Root operated in secrecy, his name would not appear on any public announcement.

Not long afterward, the announcement spread throughout Konoha.

The entirety of Konohagakure erupted in uproar.

After all, the Fifth Hokage had been confirmed.

It was Lord Orochimaru!

Every Konoha ninja close to Orochimaru was invigorated.

The other ninja were stirred as well.

Everyone knew that Lord Orochimaru valued talent more and focused more on results. If one truly performed well, one would be more likely to receive a promotion. Although Lord Orochimaru was also more ruthless, that ruthlessness could, in a sense, be called fairness!

Quite a few ninja began to look forward to the future.

The scattered hearts of the village truly began to gather.

Of course, the final outcome would still depend on how Orochimaru, the newly appointed Hokage, performed.

"Wonderful! I knew Teacher would become the new Hokage!" The Pineapple-haired girl pumped her fist and shouted excitedly.

She planted her hands on her hips, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

This meant she was now the disciple of the Fifth Hokage! Wouldn't she be able to swagger through the village from now on?

"I'm going to eat Dango to celebrate!" Her lips curled upward as she hummed a cheerful tune and headed off to eat her favorite Dango!

The chain reaction triggered by the appointment of the Fifth Hokage had begun.

Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu left the Hokage's Office.

Orochimaru finally stopped restraining himself, and a rare, brilliant smile spread across his face.

"Orochimaru, you seem to be in a very good mood," the Third said.

In his view, that was only natural. He had been promoted, after all—and was succeeding as the leader of a major nation's highest military and defense institution.

But Orochimaru merely smiled and said, "Teacher, Danzo has hidden something that surprised even me."

"Oh?"

"Wood Release."

Orochimaru did not conceal it. After all, the Wood Release experiments had originally been promoted by the Third and Danzo, who had recruited volunteers in an attempt to recreate the Wood Release power that had once allowed the First Hokage to intimidate the world!

But because too many volunteers had died during the experiments, the Third had been forced to halt them.

Yet although they had been halted, Danzo had continued studying Wood Release in secret together with Orochimaru.

The First Hokage's cells had been implanted into infants, and during one phase there had been sixty test subjects.

Orochimaru had once believed that all sixty subjects had failed, but unexpectedly, one had survived and inherited the power of Wood Release. Danzo had hidden that person away.