"Silence!"
Under Yamanaka Inoichi's "broadcast," everyone shut their mouths and focused their gazes on the rooftop of the Hokage Building.
There, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hyuga Wuye slowly approached, appearing before everyone's eyes.
The Third was steeped in a solemn, heavy air of age, while Wuye's Hokage robe fluttered lightly, brimming with youthful vigor and life.
Their utterly contrasting temperaments left many people dazed. Only at this moment did they truly realize that the Third Hokage's nearly thirty-year reign had genuinely reached its end.
The figure who had once led Konoha to a glorious victory in the Second Shinobi World War had gradually grown old, nearly burying Konoha in the Third Shinobi World War.
He had reformed the great and minor clans, allowing countless civilian ninja to rise, thoroughly reshuffling Konoha's ruling class and making the village's interests everyone's highest principle.
During his thirty years in office, his own clan had not developed rapidly and had even faced many restrictions. It was nowhere near as prosperous as the Shimura Clan.
Though judging by the outcome, there had certainly been problems with his rule. After all, Konoha had gone through such perilous moments in the Third Shinobi World War.
But it was precisely because of his determination to weaken the clans that a wave of civilian ninja had gradually risen within Konoha, bringing more outstanding ninja to the village.
Led by Minato Namikaze, they had formed a group capable of rivaling the clan ninja.
This had benefited Konoha's transformation from a Konoha of clans into a Konoha for everyone.
It was only that the process had been too hasty, and using suppression to force down the clans had been a poor strategy...
"Hyuga Wuye..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi silently looked over all the people of Konoha, his gaze moving from Tsunade to the various