The Ninja Hospital.
Kakashi had just woken from his coma.
With the personal care of Tsunade, the strongest medical ninja, as long as there was still a breath in you, there was hope of survival.
"Lady Tsunade, you really did come back to Konoha?"
Kakashi gave a dry cough.
Deep down, he had thought that if the Third Hokage died,
the next Hokage would surely be one of the Sannin.
Now it seemed that the Fifth Hokage was definitely Tsunade.
But just as Kakashi glanced to the side,
a figure appeared outside the door.
Strange.
Judging by their height, they didn't look like an adult.
Either it was an old person hunched over, or a young Genin.
Kakashi's heart sank. Could it be that the Third Hokage hadn't died?
"Lord Hokage!"
Even Kakashi, wearing a mask on the hospital bed, sounded a little delighted.
"You caught me."
"Kakashi-sensei, it's me. I became Hokage."
Naruto raised his head, revealing a young face beneath the Hokage Hat.
"Naruto!"
Kakashi almost laughed in disbelief.
"You're playing a prank again. Cut it out."
Knowing Naruto was deliberately messing with him again,
Kakashi had grown used to it.
"I really am Hokage now. A few things happened in the village while you were unconscious, and then I became Hokage just like that."
Naruto spread his hands and walked over to Kakashi.
He patted him on the shoulder.
"Get better soon. The village is in ruins, and we still need you all to go on missions!"
Naruto turned around and clasped his hands behind his back.
"Granny Tsunade, let's go treat Sasuke. We should let Kakashi, an Elite Jonin, rest a little longer."
Naruto put on a solemn air and left the room.
"You've got quite the Hokage swagger, Naruto!"
Tsunade left with him, looking pleased.
Shizune stayed behind, nodding to Kakashi.
"It's true, but he's only Acting Hokage. The reason is probably that Danzo, who's always been stubborn, chose to come forward and support Naruto."
After speaking, Shizune quickly left with the piglet in her arms.
Kakashi was left on the hospital bed, looking utterly dumbfounded.
"I wake up from a nap, and Naruto's become Hokage!"
Kakashi turned to look out the window. Could this world really be this absurd?
He had to get out and find out what was going on.
Could this be Itachi Uchiha's genjutsu?!
Sasuke's Hospital Room.
Sakura was keeping watch beside the bed.
She was a little tense when she saw Tsunade and Naruto arrive.
It was mainly because Naruto becoming Hokage in one leap was just too hard to accept.
It was like getting promoted from Genin to Chunin yesterday, only to be told the next day that you'd reached the pinnacle of your ninja career!
"Take it easy, Haruno Sakura."
Naruto was training under Tsunade.
He had come to the Ninja Hospital today both to save people and to learn more Medical Ninjutsu.
Naruto had already mastered the Mystical Palm Technique, as well as using chakra to examine injuries throughout the body, including the internal organs, meridians, and bones.
After Naruto treated him by following Tsunade's example,
Sasuke slowly woke from his deep sleep.
Sakura, beside him, was stunned.
When had it happened?
Naruto had become so powerful, whether in battle, providing support, or in medicine—he could do it all.
He was nothing like them, Genin who had only just gone through their transformation.
He was powerful and someone they could rely on.
Sakura looked at Naruto's calm profile, as if recalling their conversation beneath the streetlight that day.
From that moment on,
Naruto had grown at an astonishing pace, right up to this very day!
"He really did it."
Haruno Sakura sighed. As someone who had witnessed a miracle being born, she felt all the more moved.
"Where am I?"
The moment Sasuke sat up, he saw Naruto wearing a Hokage Hat and an Acting Hokage robe.
"Naruto? Are you pulling a prank?"
Sasuke had been plagued by nightmares while he was unconscious.
In his nightmares, Naruto's battle with Gaara had far surpassed anything he could have imagined.
Forests and mountains had been no match for them.
And he himself had been pitifully weak.
When he had finally gone to save someone, he'd seen Itachi Uchiha, the man he wanted to kill, only to be easily defeated.
Powerful!
The ninjas who had once traveled alongside him had all become strong. Only he, Sasuke Uchiha, had been left behind.
So he had to become even stronger!
Sasuke had been full of determination.
But when he opened his eyes and saw Naruto dressed in a Hokage outfit, he'd almost lost it.
Was Naruto always goofing around, no matter the situation?!
"Don't get the wrong idea."
Naruto patted Sasuke on the shoulder.
"I'm not the real Hokage. I'm still just Acting Hokage while they test me. And you, Sasuke Uchiha, a Genin, need to get better soon so you can carry out missions for the village!"
Naruto sighed and spoke to Sasuke in a grave, earnest tone.
Then he turned and left.
"Idiot!"
Sasuke couldn't help but mutter.
Who would believe you were Hokage?!
The letters on your back are stuck on!
"Lord Naruto! Lady Tsunade, it's time to treat Rock Lee. That kid's been hoping he'll recover for days!"
Might Guy was so excited, you'd think Rock Lee was about to recover right away.
"Okay, I just learned the Chakra Scalpel, so I might as well try it out! Let's start with Rock Lee!"
Naruto had already formed a Chakra Scalpel in his hand, sharp as could be!
"Naruto, surgery isn't that simple for a medical ninja. Don't take it too lightly!"
Tsunade took Naruto to Rock Lee's room.
Sasuke was left looking at Sakura in confusion.
"Did Guy just call Naruto Lord Hokage?"
I think I just heard something that definitely wasn't normal!
"Yeah."
Sakura looked embarrassed.
"It's hard to explain, but while you were asleep, Naruto really was appointed Acting Hokage."
Huh?
Cold sweat appeared on Sasuke's forehead.
"How long was I asleep? Ten years?"
Terrifying!
But everyone around him still looked so young.
It had to be Itachi!
There was no way this wasn't genjutsu!
"It wasn't that long. Naruto defeated and brought back Orochimaru, who killed Lord Third Hokage, and brought Lady Tsunade, one of the Sannin, back to Konoha to establish a new Medical Ninja Department."
"And just like that, he went from dead last to Hokage."
Sakura also thought it was unbelievable, but the day she saw Naruto use the Summoning Technique in the village, he had still left a lot of people stunned.
"Naruto became Hokage!"
"Is Konoha crazy?"
Sasuke really felt like he still hadn't woken up.
In the end, the world had gone crazier than he could ever have imagined.
Rock Lee's Hospital Room.
Rock Lee sighed sadly when he heard that he might die during the operation.
"Is there really no way? Lady Tsunade! Rock Lee is going to be Konoha's strongest Taijutsu ninja!"
Guy couldn't accept this either.
"What will you choose, Lee?"
Tsunade wanted to save him just as much.
Rock Lee lowered his head, struggling in agony.
"Hey!"
Naruto stepped forward and knocked Rock Lee out with a chop.
His other hand formed a Chakra Scalpel.
He activated Nine-Tails Chakra Mode by instinct and began treating Rock Lee.
"Let's begin! Granny Tsunade, with my chakra helping him heal, even if his nerves are affected, he won't be able to die even if he wants to!"
Naruto's move startled Guy and Tsunade, who had been caught up in the somber mood.
That was a little too reckless!
"It might work, but Lee will have to endure unbearable pain!"
Tsunade had also prepared her Chakra Scalpel.
"Naruto, watch closely. This is the art of a medical ninja!"
The two of them worked together.
They gave Rock Lee as much anesthesia as they could.
Naruto also treated him with an immense amount of chakra.
Whenever he was in danger of going into shock, they used Lightning Release to shock his heart and revive him.
A day and a night later,
Rock Lee lay on the hospital bed, bound from head to toe.
"Wonderful!"
Guy was overjoyed, having witnessed the most unbelievable operation with his own eyes.
"Naruto! You truly deserve to be Hokage!"
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. Konoha's future ninjas are incredibly lucky to have a teacher like you!"
Outside the room,
Tenten was overcome with indescribable joy.
"Rock Lee can keep living as a ninja? Naruto has already inherited Lady Tsunade's teachings!"
At that moment,
Neji was standing outside the room too.
He watched as one Shadow Clone after another emerged from the various rooms.
"Over the course of this day and night, Naruto didn't just heal Rock Lee. He treated every ninja and civilian admitted to the hospital during the Konoha Crush Incident!"
"The importance of medical ninjas is now impossible to overlook. A Medical Ninja Department will naturally be established!"
Yuhi Kurenai was amazed by Naruto's work.
"Exactly. Most importantly, Naruto has earned the gratitude of every one of those ninjas and civilians, and their families!"
Sarutobi Asuma walked out of the hospital with Kakashi, his hands in his pockets.
"Konoha's changed."
Kakashi looked down at Konoha's streets. They had been rebuilt overnight.
"It was Yamato. He was primarily responsible for the Konoha Restoration War."
"Whether they were former Root members or current ones, all the elite members will be directly under Naruto's command."
"Everyone outside is wondering whether Konoha is about to become the Bloody Mist Village!"
Asuma put out his cigarette.
"Everything depends on what that boy Naruto plans to do!"
Yuhi Kurenai watched Naruto leave the hospital.
Not far away,
Danzo, Orochimaru, and Kabuto were already waiting respectfully for Naruto.
"The Konoha Academy of Sciences is officially established today!"
Standing beside Naruto were not only the advisors but also his assistant, Shikaku Nara.
From Root's guards, to the clans, to the aid of the strong,
Naruto was steadily gaining real control over Konoha.
Meanwhile,
the Young Hokage Incident had already shaken the entire Ninja World.
Amegakure.
The Akatsuki had gathered for a meeting with all its members present.
"Itachi, has the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki fully grown up?"
Deva Path Pain spoke from the darkness.
"If he's dead, he won't grow anymore!"
"Let me blow him up already!"
Deidara happily stuck out his tongue.