Fifth Hokage! Chiba!

Konoha.

Senju Clan Compound.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Today, Konoha was filled with an unprecedented atmosphere of fervor.

Early in the morning.

Naruto put on a brand-new outfit and anxiously paced in circles around the courtyard.

"Big Brother Chiba."

"Are you really going to become the Fifth Hokage?"

When he saw Chiba push open the door.

Naruto dashed over in a flash.

He tilted up his little face, his blue eyes sparkling like stars.

"Mm."

Chiba adjusted his cuffs.

His expression was calm, but his answer was certain.

"That's amazing!"

"If Big Brother Chiba becomes Hokage, let's see who in the village still dares bully me!"

Naruto excitedly jumped on the spot, waving his little fists.

After breakfast.

Chiba took Naruto and left the Senju Compound.

The streets on both sides had long been packed tight with villagers who had come of their own accord.

The moment Chiba appeared.

Deafening cheers erupted from the crowd.

"Lord Fifth Hokage!"

"Long live the Senju Clan!"

The waves of cheers rose higher and higher, soaring into the sky.

Konoha's villagers were practical people.

They might not understand lofty politics.

But they clearly remembered that Chiba could summon that Wood Golem hundreds of meters tall.

It was an absolute power capable of destroying everything, and protecting everything.

In the perilous Ninja World.

Only by following such a powerful figure could they live in peace.

What was more.

The blood of the First Hokage flowed through Chiba's veins.

Legitimate, and invincible.

Under Shikaku Nara's careful arrangements.

The route from the Senju Compound to the Hokage Building had been cleared into a broad avenue.

Uchiha and Hyuga ninja stood on both sides to maintain order.

The descendants of these prestigious clans, usually so proud and aloof, now all stood straight, their gazes toward Chiba filled with fervor.

Chiba held Naruto's hand and walked forward with steady steps.

With every step.

The aura around him grew stronger.

When he reached the plaza before the Hokage Building.

The heads of every major clan and the upper-level elite had already gathered there.

On the raised platform in the plaza.

Sarutobi Hiruzen wore the Hokage Cloak that belonged to the Hokage.

His back was hunched, and his aged face was etched with deep exhaustion.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura stood behind him, their faces pale as they did not even dare raise their heads.

The tide had turned.

All they could do now was cooperate obediently and pray that Chiba would leave them a way to survive.

Chiba released Naruto's hand and stepped onto the platform alone.

Sarutobi Hiruzen removed the Hokage Hat from his head with trembling hands.

He looked at the young man before him, far too young, yet so powerful that he inspired despair.

"Chiba..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was hoarse. He seemed to want to offer a few words of encouragement.

But Chiba gave him no chance to speak.

He directly took the hat symbolizing Konoha's highest authority from Sarutobi Hiruzen's hands.

Then he turned around.

Under the watchful eyes of the villagers and ninja.

Chiba placed the Hokage Hat on his head.

The white Hokage Cloak snapped loudly in the wind.

There was no lengthy speech.

No tired platitudes about the Will of Fire.

He merely looked coldly down at those below.

An immense chakra pressure, suffocating in its scale, instantly swept across the entire plaza.

"From this day onward."

"I am the Fifth Hokage!"

Carried by his chakra.

Chiba's voice rang clearly in every person's ears.

After a brief, deathly silence.

Cheers like a volcanic eruption completely ignited Konoha's sky.

Countless ninja dropped to one knee, their eyes burning with absolute submission to strength.

Seeing this.

Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

His era, an era filled with compromise and balance, had completely ended.

A more domineering, more iron-blooded Konoha was about to make the entire Ninja World tremble.

The inauguration ceremony ended.

The celebrating villagers gradually dispersed.

But the true struggle for power had only just begun.

The largest conference room in the Hokage Building.

Several hundred Konoha jonin had gathered there.

This was the most complete gathering of jonin since Konoha's founding.

No one dared breathe too loudly.

Everyone was waiting for that man to appear.

Because they all knew.

What was about to happen would completely reshape Konoha's power structure.

The crowd naturally divided into several factions.

The jonin of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans stood at the front, faintly carrying an air of high spirits.

The Hyuga and Uchiha stood on either side.

For the first time ever, these two great dojutsu clans were not glaring at each other.

The civilian jonin were packed around the outskirts.

They exchanged glances, their palms slick with sweat.

And in a corner of the conference room.

Sarutobi Hiruzen wore an ordinary black ninja uniform, his back bent.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura stood to his left and right like two weathered stone statues.

Behind them stood the jonin of the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado Clans.

These descendants of prestigious clans, who had once swaggered through Konoha unchecked, now did not even dare raise their heads.

They feared that the slightest sound would bring catastrophe upon them.

"He's here."

Shikaku Nara caught the sound of footsteps outside the door.

They were neither heavy nor light, their rhythm terrifyingly steady.

With every step, everyone's heartbeat seemed to skip a beat.

Creak—

The solid wooden doors were pushed open.

Chiba strode over and took his seat at the head of the table.

The absolute pressure of one in power was like an invisible hand gripping every person in the room by the throat.

Even the most unruly Uchiha clansmen lowered their heads one after another.

"I don't like wasting words."

"Now, I will announce the new appointments!"

A moment later.

Chiba slowly spoke.

His voice was not loud, yet it exploded into layer after layer of echoes throughout the conference room.

Everyone shuddered in unison, but not a single person dared speak first.

What came next.

Would be the moment of judgment that determined life and death.

"Shikaku Nara, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Choza."

Chiba called their names directly.

The three clan heads immediately stepped forward and dropped to one knee.

"At your command!"

Shikaku Nara's voice was slightly tight.

But he desperately controlled his facial muscles, refusing to let the wild joy in his heart show.

"From today onward."

"The Administrative Department will be fully taken over by your three clans."

"The village's daily administrative affairs, the issuance and review of missions at every level, will all be handled by Ino-Shika-Cho."

"The village's financial accounting and fund allocations will also be assisted by you!"

The instant Chiba's words fell.

A wave of sharply suppressed gasps rang through the conference room.

He was directly handing Konoha's purse strings and its administrative power to Ino-Shika-Cho.

This newly appointed Fifth Hokage was being far too generous!

"We swear to serve the Fifth Hokage unto death!"

Very quickly.

The three of them shouted in unison, their voices filled with undisguised excitement.

They had won their gamble.

The Ino-Shika-Cho Clans had welcomed their greatest glory since the village's founding.

Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes.

He heard the death knell of his clan's complete decline.

Ignoring everyone's reactions, Chiba continued with the second appointment.

"Kakashi Hatake."

At the back of the crowd.

The silver-haired young man in a mask abruptly raised his head.

Extreme astonishment flashed through his one visible eye.

He was merely a squad captain in the Anbu.

At such an important occasion.

Why would the Fifth Hokage call his name?

"Step forward."

Chiba's voice allowed no doubt.

Kakashi appeared before the desk in an instant and dropped to one knee.

"Effective immediately, you will serve as the head of the Anbu."

"All Anbu operations will answer to me alone."

Chiba looked at the young man before him, who had once struggled in the darkness.

He intended to use Kakashi.

Because Kakashi's blade was fast enough, his background was spotless, and he had an absolute bond with the village.

Most importantly, as long as he was allowed to uncover the truth behind White Fang's death, Kakashi would become the most loyal hound.

Kakashi's chest rose and fell violently several times.

He had originally thought he would rot away in the mire of Anbu for the rest of his life.

"Yes!"

Kakashi slammed his head heavily against the floor.

"Shisui Uchiha."

Without pausing, Chiba continued calling names.

This time—

A commotion immediately erupted within the Uchiha Clan's formation.

Fugaku Uchiha suddenly clenched his fists.

Shisui?

That genius who had always wavered between the clan and the village?

Shisui Uchiha stepped out from the shadows and came to stand beside Kakashi.

"You will serve as Deputy Captain of Anbu."

"Assist Kakashi. Dig out every rotten root within Anbu and clean it up completely."

Chiba's gaze lingered on Shisui Uchiha for two seconds.

Such a solid Kage Level fighter—

Not using him properly would truly be a waste of talent.

Shisui Uchiha's eyes widened.

An indescribable emotion surged within those black eyes.

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, he had actually become the Deputy Captain of Anbu!

Was this really not a dream?

"This subordinate accepts the order."

A moment later.

Shisui Uchiha came back to his senses and hurriedly replied.

The Uchiha clansmen exchanged looks, the fervor in their eyes nearly overflowing.

Deputy Captain!

The Uchiha Clan had finally entered Anbu openly and honorably.

This also meant that the era of their suppression had been personally buried by Chiba.