Time passed.
The bloody stench that had hung over the Forest of Death faded a little more each day.
The morning sun shone down.
Just after leaving Ichiraku Ramen, his belly round from eating, Uzumaki Naruto instinctively hunched his shoulders.
In the past, whenever he walked down this street, he was met with stones or cold stares.
But today, just like yesterday, the villagers he passed actually nodded to him when their eyes met, even if their smiles were still a little stiff.
Naruto scratched his head and craned his neck, feeling confused, yet somehow sensing that this was a good thing...
The Third Hokage had died. I should be sad, shouldn't I?
At the thought, a long-dormant trace of guilt stirred in Uzumaki Naruto's heart.
Over the past five days, every aspect of his life had improved noticeably.
On the very first day word spread that the Hokage had been assassinated by the villain Danzo, a young woman wearing a Forehead Protector had come to his door to clean his room, throw away the expired instant noodles and milk, and restock his fridge with fresh fruit.
He no longer had to worry about running short on money when he went out for ramen.
He had just received a payment.
He'd heard he would get one every month from now on!
Ichiraku Ramen, Yakiniku Q, Kanakuri Kan, three-colored dango—he could eat whatever he wanted.
After school, his classmates Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino sometimes invited him to hang out at their clans' compounds.
Most importantly, nobody inexplicably called him the Nine-Tailed Fox from some dark corner anymore.
"Hehe, Sasuke, you big show-off! Sakura-chan, here I come~"
"The Fifth Hokage really knows how to get things done."
Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, wiped the sweat from his brow. As he watched Naruto bounce away after lifting the curtain, his kneading slowed without him realizing it.
"Dad, I'm back~"
His daughter Ayame returned from grocery shopping. Before entering the shop, she instinctively glanced up at Kage Rock.
The steady clang of tools rang out from there.
The craftsmen were at work.
The face of Lord Xiu, the Fifth Hokage, was taking shape in the sunlight. They had already carved the details of his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
So handsome!
Recently, quite a few kunoichi had started bringing him up of their own accord while eating ramen.
The orphanage was being renovated.
The Sealing Team, Barrier Team, and Medical Team had received more funding.
The treatment of war orphans was visibly improving.
Word was that Lord Fifth had taken a huge sum of gold from his own pocket to subsidize Konoha.
Business was flourishing as a result.
"Dad, this is a freshly printed copy of the New Regulations for Village Harmony. We have to put it in the most visible spot in the shop before sunset."
"Oh? What does it say?"
"It explicitly bans all forms of verbal abuse and bullying... It also establishes the Crime of Provoking Trouble. Serious offenders will be arrested by the Konoha Military Police Force."
"Hahaha, that's good."
As Teuchi saw it, Naruto wasn't the only one benefiting. That chubby kid, Choji Akimichi, had recently started coming in for ramen and daring to loudly order ten extra portions of roast pork. Nobody dared to sneer that his whole clan was a bunch of pigs.
Ninjas had big appetites. Wasn't that only natural?
Chakra didn't come from nowhere.
In short, the village was changing rapidly, in ways nobody had expected.
And the source of the changes was the Hokage's office.
At the same time.
The mission assignment hall.
Several civilian Genin who had completed a C-rank mission were turning in their paperwork. As they spoke quietly among themselves, they no longer complained, as they had throughout the Third Hokage's tenure, that their pay wasn't enough.
Instead, they talked about the free training ground that had just completed its first expansion, as well as the Mission Risk Insurance Ordinance issued that morning!
Another pay raise~
With every completed C-rank mission outside the village, they could save money as planned and still take their wives and children out for sukiyaki a few more times, while restocking and repairing their ninja tools.
"Things are great." The Genin Iwasaki Yusuke glanced toward the Hokage's office. Sunlight glinted off its windows.
"That lord... His methods are a little extreme and rather controversial," he said after carefully considering his words, "but the changes he's brought are plain to see and touch."
The other broke ninjas nodded in agreement.
Loyalty!
Clearly, as their lives improved in tangible ways and past injustices and malicious gossip were swept away by a firm hand, fear and discomfort gradually gave way to a complicated, cautiously accepting attitude.
If the Fifth Hokage could keep going for five, ten, or fifteen years, what would Konoha be like when the next generation came of age?
"Hehe, with two sons and a daughter, higher mission pay and better benefits mean a lot more to me than the Will of Fire."
"Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that Danzo succeeded in assassinating the Third Hokage~"
"Exactly! Damn Danzo!"
On the other side of the village.
In the Uchiha Clan compound, the young clan members walked past the newly built Konoha Military Police Force headquarters with their backs straight.
At the clan head's residence, Elder Setsuna, who had always worn a sour expression, seemed to have suddenly attained enlightenment. He smiled warmly at everyone.
More dovish than the doves.
All because the Fifth Hokage's name was Uchiha!
That alone was enough to lift the years of pent-up frustration weighing on the hawkish clan members. Now, even when they tried to resolve problems through persuasion before resorting to force, they could do so with a smile.
What was more, after Xiu took office, the Uchiha's policing authority had been clearly defined: maintaining the village's security, including guarding the gates, patrolling, keeping watch, enforcing laws within the village, and responding to sudden threats.
The police force's dedicated prison had also been retained.
"The daimyo doesn't care at all about what really happened that night. When he heard one of our Uchiha had become the Fifth Hokage, he even raised the village's funding. It's a whole ten percent more than when that old Sarutobi was in charge."
Uchiha Yashiro, who had just returned from a mission to the capital, laughed as he sat cross-legged. "Hahaha, the Uchiha have a long legacy. We're no mere family of warriors, and certainly no small clan."
"Exactly. The nobles and aristocrats also want the Hokage to be one of their own. When we were leaving, they even said they'd issue more commissions to the village from now on—the easy, lucrative kind."
Several elders sipped their tea smugly.
At that moment, Elder Shin of the moderate faction reminded them:
"I hear our princess, Princess Tsunade, is returning to the village today. Jiraiya may already be here."
"That's true, Old Man Shin. Don't worry about it. Fugaku and Shisui are with Xiu. Nothing can go wrong." Uchiha Setsuna was brimming with confidence. "Besides, I gave Xiu another ten Three-Tomoe Sharingan. I've hardly got any in reserve now."
"Good. Jiraiya and Tsunade were already unhappy with the old order. They must understand... the external crisis has only just begun."
Old Man Shin, who had watched Uchiha Xiu grow up, set down his teacup. "By the way, it's fine to call Xiu by his name in private, but remember to use his title at work!"
"Lord Hokage!"
At that moment, in the Hokage's office, where everyone was watching him, openly or otherwise, the newly promoted jonin Yuhi Kurenai pushed open the door.
She wore a short black-and-white ninja skirt, her hair falling over one shoulder. Her delicate face was striking, especially her deep red eyes.
"Princess Tsunade has arrived."
As she spoke, a blonde beauty stepped in behind her.
She wore a sleeveless top beneath a green coat, which concealed her voluptuous figure.
On her lower half, she wore pale blue capri pants that hugged her long, shapely legs.
In the corner of the office.
At a newly added desk, Hyuga Hiashi bent over a stack of documents, dealing with all manner of tedious data.
Hearing the commotion, he raised his eyes and nodded to the princess in greeting. Then he lowered his head again and continued being the Fifth Hokage's errand boy.
Handling all sorts of tedious chores.
Hokage Assistant!
That was the courtesy Lord Xiu had shown Konoha's second-greatest clan, the Hyuga.
The night Hiashi heard of his appointment in the Forest of Death, he could hardly believe it.
When the elders of the Main Family got the news, they nearly jumped for joy.
They even said they had to find a way to marry off a daughter of the Main Family to Lord Hokage, forming a marriage alliance, without the slightest concern that the Byakugan bloodline might spread beyond the clan.
That was what you called a powerful alliance!
As for marrying off a woman from the Branch Family with the Caged Bird Seal? They couldn't be that reckless as to insult Lord Fifth.
I just can't figure out why the Hokage asked for Byakugan. He hasn't restarted any research into kekkei genkai...
Hiashi muttered to himself.
Not long ago, for the Main God Space's reincarnation project, Uchiha Xiu had asked the Hyuga Clan for a pair of Byakugan from the Main Family.
Just as Elder Setsuna kept Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his collection, the Hyuga Main Family had a similar custom in private.
Whether out of awe for the strength of their Fifth Hokage or as an exchange for the key position he had given the Hyuga Clan—
An all-seeing Byakugan, secured!
Combined with the Hyuga gene serum seized from Root's secret laboratory and the reward points, the foundation for a powerful reincarnation had been laid.
All that remained was to return to the space.
"Princess Tsunade."
"Princess Tsunade."
Standing behind Uchiha Xiu like a lackey, beside the clan head Fugaku, Shisui greeted the princess.
—In terms of bloodline, status, combat strength, and accomplishments, she had more right than anyone to compete with Xiu for the Fifth Hokage's seat.
"I never imagined... the Uchiha Clan would rise to power this way."
Taking a deep breath, the buxom Tsunade spoke up and stared straight at Uchiha Xiu, who held the Scroll of Seals.
The Fifth Hokage—the man who had miraculously mastered both Wood Release and the Sharingan—leaned casually against his chair, looking utterly relaxed.
Behind the building, craftsmen were carefully carving the details of his face into Kage Rock.
The clang of their tools mingled with the distant sounds of children laughing and vendors hawking their wares.
In terms of people's livelihoods alone, Konoha had not only shaken off the bloodshed in a mere five days, but had also developed rapidly.
And the reason was simple...
This man was throwing money around like crazy!
He was actually paying to be Hokage!!
Five whole tons of pure gold were gradually being turned into supplies desperately needed throughout the village.
"Even Fourth Kazekage Rasa of Sunagakure, who was supported as their leader for using his kekkei genkai to mine gold dust and subsidize the village's finances, isn't as..."
After struggling to find the words, Tsunade managed to finish:
"...devoted to his village as you are."
"Money? It's dirt." Uchiha Xiu looked up from the Scroll of Seals, calmly replying as he worked to strengthen himself.
He wasn't putting on an act. Gold really was dirt cheap in the Main God Space.
Five tons, a hundred tons, a thousand tons—it didn't matter. He could redeem however much the village needed.
What about inflation? There was no need to worry about that for now. The Ninja World had plenty of people, and demand for precious metals had always outstripped supply.
"..." The money-loving Tsunade was struck speechless.
She had loved money since childhood and was also fond of gambling. She couldn't even imagine the blissful life she'd lead with five tons of gold.
Subsidize the village?
You must be joking!
Even the First Hokage, who had founded Konoha alongside Madara, had never been this selfless with money.
"You really are a one-of-a-kind Uchiha."
"Don't give me too much credit. Anyone else would've done the same if they'd taken the position. Heh, at least the old man did one decent thing before he died."
Fugaku and Shisui, who had been wary that Tsunade might suddenly attack with the Strength of a Hundred Technique, both relaxed.
"Exactly... You can't hold a knife to someone's throat and forbid them from fighting back."
Another deep voice came from outside the door.
Guided by Yuhi Kurenai, the white-haired Jiraiya walked into the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage's treatment of his beloved student's son, Uzumaki Naruto, had been far too poor!
None of the Third Hokage's excuses held water.
Fortunately, the cold treatment Naruto had endured had been turned around completely after this young Uchiha took office.
Perhaps it wouldn't be long before Naruto's reputation as the son of a hero was restored.
"Pervert Toad, you're finally back?" Tsunade said with disgust. She'd recently heard rumors that the lecherous creep had been peeping at women bathing in the Land of Fields.
The consequences had been appalling!
"Hehe, I got back to the village three days ago. I looked around at the changes, and things really are better than when the old man and Danzo were in charge."
Under Uchiha Xiu's scrutiny, Jiraiya hurriedly explained, "Don't worry, Fifth Hokage. I didn't peep. Hehe, the village's new laws clearly define a crime of lewd conduct."
"Good."
Uchiha Xiu didn't press the issue.
Jiraiya was no ordinary man. He couldn't possibly lack that much self-control, nor was he the sort to make promises he didn't intend to keep.
"In the village I lead, no one is allowed to harass anyone's wife, mother, or daughter while she's bathing or using the toilet."
"Excellent!" Tsunade said, full of admiration, conveniently ignoring the fact that someone had once written the bestselling book Young Obito.
It was only fantasy.
As long as it didn't turn into action, it was fine.
In the oppressive Ninja World, it would be strange if men weren't lecherous at heart.
"Lord Hokage."
"Lord Hokage."
At that moment, Nara Shikaku, Jonin Commander and senior advisor, arrived.
Behind him was Hatake Kakashi, recently promoted to Anbu Captain.
With the two of them there, the office grew a little more crowded.
"The Shadow Guard captain, Shisui Uchiha; the Konoha Military Police Force's commander-in-chief, Uchiha Fugaku; and now Tsunade and Jiraiya have returned. With all this going on, is the Fifth finally considering war abroad?"
Shikaku, the village's chief strategist, perked up.
"If we weather this crisis, the village's rapid rise won't just be a fleeting dream."
No one from the old Hokage faction, now out of power, made trouble.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu voluntarily handed over their authority and retired.
Hiruzen's youngest son, Sarutobi Asuma, bowed his head before the Memorial Stone, then dutifully returned to the Land of Fire to serve as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
Call it knowing what was best for the village or accepting defeat, but the young Fifth Hokage had truly seized complete control!
How to respond to the enemy nations' imminent probes—and even the Fourth Shinobi World War—was his only major test.
"Four Violet Flames Formation, activate."
The next moment, centered on the Hokage Building, Jonin from the Sealing Team joined forces to perform a jutsu at the east, south, west, and north points, creating a barrier of purple flames.
Until the meeting ended, anyone outside who tried to touch the barrier would be burned.
"Fifth, the price of grain and iron in the Land of Earth has been rising every day. Iwagakure will definitely send troops to the border."
Jiraiya delivered the intelligence with a grave expression.
"That's expected. Ōnoki was beaten by our clan's former leader... Uchiha Madara, and it left him with a lasting trauma."
"Now that he knows I have the Sharingan and have awakened the Wood Release kekkei genkai, it'd be strange if he didn't send troops to test us."
As he spoke, Uchiha Xiu beckoned Kakashi over.
The perplexed Anbu commander approached, completely off guard.
The same thing that had happened to Shisui happened again!
One Kamui eye, acquired.
"Excellent. I've got the traitor Obito by the throat."
"One Kamui eye, one Kotoamatsukami Eye. Heh, a perfect pair."
Jiraiya and Nara Shikaku came to their senses.
"Fifth."
"Fifth!"
Tsunade, trembling all over as her hemophobia flared, forced herself to stay calm and used the Mystical Palm Technique to treat Kakashi.
"Quiet. Today's discussion starts with the Night of the Nine-Tails, six years ago!"
"This concerns Konoha's highest-level secret: when and where the Fourth Hokage's wife, the former Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Uzumaki Kushina, gave birth, how our forces were deployed, and how the Uchiha traitor learned of it."
"..."
Supported by Nara Shikaku, Kakashi sensed that something was coming. He felt as though every last bit of strength had been drained from him.
Hyuga Hiashi, who had pledged his loyalty, opened his Byakugan and monitored every corner of the flames' interior.
When it came to gathering intelligence, who in the Ninja World could match me?
Before you continue