This Is My Will of Fire!

"Everyone, I can see a blazing fire in your eyes!" Kagami Uchiha swept his gaze across the crowd and spoke in a steady voice.

The square fell silent the moment he finished. Ten thousand people held their breath, waiting for the new Hokage's declaration.

"I, Kagami Uchiha, was once an insignificant ninja. Lord Tobirama saw something in me and entrusted me with this position. Since then, I've spent many sleepless nights fearing I lack the ability and virtue to bear this responsibility. I've feared I might fail to protect Konoha's peace or lead its people toward a better future."

His clear, powerful voice reached every corner of Konoha Square. Every word was sincere, without a trace of arrogance.

Kagami Uchiha's tone grew heavier. "After taking office, the first thing I did was have someone investigate the families of every ninja who died in service."

"The results were shocking."

His brows drew together, pain entering his voice. "Across Konoha, more than a thousand families lost the people who supported them on the battlefield. They struggle with poverty every day."

"It is appalling. This is a grave failure on my part as Hokage, and a failure of every village leader!"

Each forceful word struck the hearts of the ninja and villagers alike.

"Those Konoha ninja gave their lives to protect our home, yet their families live in such hardship..."

"Is that right? Can we face those fallen heroes?"

The square went still for a moment. Then came stifled sobs and murmurs of agreement.

Among the crowd, many who had lost loved ones felt their eyes redden. Years of buried anguish finally broke free.

"Lord Hokage is right... Life has been so hard for widows and orphans like us."

"My husband died fighting at the border. His meager death benefit has shrunk year after year while prices keep rising. My two children and I have nearly run out of food more than once. We couldn't even afford a full meal..."

Quiet cries rose from all around, laden with long-suppressed grief and helplessness.

Kindhearted villagers hurried to comfort them, deeply moved and grateful.

"It isn't your fault, Lord Hokage! You've only just taken charge. These old problems had nothing to do with you!"

"You see the suffering of people like us and speak up for us. Even if we have to live on scraps, that alone warms our hearts!"

Their voices mingled across the square—sorrow, gratitude, and guilt filling the ceremony grounds.

Hearing the sobs and words of gratitude below, Kagami Uchiha slowly raised a hand. The scattered voices subsided.

He looked over the thousands before him. The pain in his eyes gave way to unwavering resolve.

Leaning forward slightly, he spoke again. The heavy accusation was gone from his voice, replaced by a steady, ringing conviction that made every word sound like a promise he would stake his life on.

"From today onward, village funds will go first to supporting the families of our fallen heroes! Their parents must have someone to rely on in old age. Their spouses and children must never want for food or clothing. Their families must live with dignity and security, and their children must have the resources to train without fearing for their future!"

"Not even I, the Hokage, will stand above this ironclad rule!"

Kagami Uchiha turned to the leaders behind him, his gaze calm. His voice was quiet but left no room for argument. "Does anyone object?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression shifted. Frowning slightly, he spoke first. "Kagami, you didn't discuss this rule with us beforehand. If so much funding goes toward it, the reforms you proposed earlier will all be affected."

Before he could finish, Shimura Danzō cut him off. His face was cold, his stare sharp, and his voice pressed hard. "Monkey, Kagami is thinking of the village's countless comrades, and you dare stand in his way? Can you face our teacher after what he entrusted to us on his deathbed? Are you still an heir to the Will of Fire? Answer me!"

"You—Danzo, you know that's not what I meant!" Hiruzen Sarutobi protested in a panic.

Kagami Uchiha was about to intervene.

The entire square erupted in thunderous applause and roaring cheers!

"Long live Lord Hokage!"

"If only Lord Kagami had been born twenty years earlier!"

"Long live Lord Kagami!"

"This is the Hokage we've always dreamed of!"

"I'll gladly give my life for Lord Hokage!"

Thousands of villagers were moved to tears. Even the Konoha ninja, trained to endure and restrain themselves, had red-rimmed eyes and racing hearts.

"Ooooooh! Lord Hokage! That's so youthful!"

In the crowd, Might Duy dropped to both knees. Trembling and streaming with tears, he shouted himself hoarse, overwhelmed by emotion.

Kagami Uchiha raised a hand for silence, but the applause went on and on.

The hidden villages of the Shinobi World occasionally aided bereaved families, but none had ever established an ironclad policy that placed their welfare above all else.

Goodwill went both ways.

Put the people first, and they would lift you high.

At last, Kagami Uchiha said firmly, "All right!"

The noisy square fell silent at once.

"This is what the ninja who gave their lives for Konoha deserve! And it is what I, as Hokage, must do!"

Kagami Uchiha placed deliberate emphasis on "Hokage." The word rang with responsibility.

"Where Konoha's leaves dance, fire burns without end."

"The heroes burned through their lives for Konoha. The warmth they left behind should reach their families!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the fervor in the eyes around him and felt a pang of melancholy.

Teacher, Kagami truly loves the village.

But I...

Before the crowd could collect itself, Kagami Uchiha spoke again. "Is that enough for you?"

His gaze was firm, his voice carrying across the square. "Death benefits are only the bare minimum."

"Beyond that, I'm adding one more permanent policy!"

"Every serving Konoha ninja will receive a yearly allowance from the village to help support their household!"

"It will be paid every year, without fail!"

"I believe every Konoha ninja is an heir to the Will of Fire."

"Wasn't the reason the First Hokage founded this village, and the Second Hokage worked so hard to develop it, to give everyone a better life?"

"Like the last rule, this will be an ironclad village priority."

Hiruzen Sarutobi no longer dared question him. If he said anything more and word got out, the Sarutobi Clan's houses might be set on fire tonight...

After Kagami Uchiha finished, the square erupted all over again!

Now it was the ninja in the crowd who were beside themselves, alongside the ordinary villagers and the orphaned children of fallen ninja. Genin, Chunin, Jonin—every one of them was visibly excited.

They were professionally trained to control their emotions and expressions.

Unless they simply couldn't help it...

Ninja might earn money quickly, but they spent plenty too. They ate more than ordinary people, went through ninja tools, and had the everyday costs of training in Ninjutsu...

Even ordinary Chunin and Jonin lived on tight budgets. Only the most elite Jonin might have some savings.

More importantly, they earned every coin by risking their lives.

Every ninja stared at Kagami Uchiha as though witnessing something sacred.

They did not make much noise, but their faces might as well have declared:

Lord Hokage, you have our loyalty!

Kagami Uchiha looked at the people below, all so deeply moved, and felt a tangle of emotions.

Ninja had it hard. So hard that a little decent treatment was enough to overwhelm them.

Even with his steady temperament, his eyes grew faintly red at the sight.

He looked out over the crowd, steadied himself, and spoke through the catch in his throat.

"My friends, the Will of Fire has never been mere words. From today onward, I, Kagami Uchiha, officially take office as Hokage."

"I promise you this: what the village does for you will not end with these two policies."

"But I am still young and have little experience. In the days ahead, I ask you all to keep lending me your strength."

"Let us work side by side to build a better Konoha, so the seeds of the Will of Fire take root in its soil and flourish forever!"

The moment he finished, cheers shook the heavens and earth. The crowd gave Kagami Uchiha its warmest possible answer.

Chakra surged through countless ninja, their blood racing.

The Uchiha Clan's ninja, in particular, wanted to launch several Great Fireballs into the sky on the spot and blast their excitement into the clouds!

This is the Hokage of our Uchiha Clan!

Our Uchiha Clan loves this village more than anyone!

Do you see that, Tobirama Senju? You old ghost, you finally did one great thing before you died!

Uchiha Setsuna could not stop himself from roaring inwardly in the crowd.

Atop the Hokage Building, the leaders stood gazing at Kagami Uchiha's back, their expressions complicated and their eyes full of emotion.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō most of all.

So this is what it means to have the people behind you.

So this is what it means to win every heart.

To experience a moment like this—even dying on the spot afterward would be worth it!

What Konoha ninja had never dreamed of becoming Hokage as a child?

If they became Hokage, would they be as beloved as Kagami?

Probably not...

Just then, Kagami Uchiha beckoned the people behind him closer.

"Next..."

"I want to introduce several Konoha ninja who have made tremendous contributions to the village's development!"

Behind him, Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils suddenly contracted.