Three days passed in a rush after Jiraiya returned to the village.
At three in the afternoon, two of the four ANBU assigned to protect Mitokado Homura on his trip to meet the daimyō of the Land of Fire returned.
The pair had traveled through the night, and as soon as they entered the village, they headed straight for the Hokage's office.
Hatake Sakumo was slacking off in the office when he suddenly heard a knock at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and the two ANBU dropped to one knee, holding a document high in both hands.
Hatake Sakumo perked up. From the designs of their masks, he recognized them as the ANBU who had accompanied Mitokado Homura to meet the daimyō.
Judging by their manner, Hatake Sakumo knew the letter of appointment had arrived. Otherwise, the ANBU could have simply made their report. There would have been no need to present it so solemnly.
He hurried to his feet and took the document, his eyes falling on the words written on it.
It began with a string of official language: "The daimyō of the Land of Fire hereby, by decree of the nation..." The final sentence read: "Hatake Sakumo is hereby appointed Fourth Hokage!"
A vermilion seal had also been stamped beside it, its red glaringly bright.
When Hatake Sakumo finished reading, he burst out laughing.
"Good! Excellent!" His laughter came from the heart, and even his brow relaxed. "You've rendered a great service on this trip. Get up."
The two ANBU thanked him in unison before rising to their feet.
Hatake Sakumo mentally gave Mitokado Homura a thumbs-up. The man was quite reliable. As if something had occurred to him, he gave an order:
"Please bring Nara Shikata here."
The ANBU acknowledged the order and left.
Before long, Nara Shikata opened the door and came in. As soon as he saw the joy on Hatake Sakumo's face, he understood what had happened, though he merely cupped his hands in greeting:
"Lord Hokage."
Hatake Sakumo grunted in acknowledgment and got straight to the point. "Councillor Mitokado Homura has obtained the daimyō's letter of appointment."
Having said that, he fell silent and said no more.
Nara Shikata was a clever man, and he immediately understood what Hatake Sakumo meant. Lord Hokage wanted him to set a date for the succession.
He thought for a moment, then spoke:
"Lord Hokage, conflicts between the nations have been constant lately, and friction at the borders is growing worse. Konoha has been without a leader long enough. You should assume the position as soon as possible to stabilize the situation."
Hatake Sakumo grunted, signaling for him to continue.
"Five days from now would be an auspicious day." Nara Shikata weighed his words. "What do you think?"
Hatake Sakumo was overjoyed, but kept his composure. Putting on a reserved air, he paused before nodding as though he had made a momentous decision.
"All right. Since you say it's an auspicious day, Shikata, let's set it for five days from now. I'll leave this to you. I'll have the ANBU assist you."
Nara Shikata agreed and turned to take care of it.
He worked quickly indeed. By evening, he had delivered a draft plan for the succession ceremony, along with arrangements to expedite the making of a new Hokage hat and the Fourth Hokage's haori.
Everything had been accounted for.
Hatake Sakumo leafed through the plan, growing more satisfied the further he read.
The Nara Clan really did have sharp minds and handled matters without leaving a single loose end.
After returning home and eating, Hatake Sakumo told Kakashi about it.
Hatake Sakumo looked at his son's bewildered expression and laughed. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"
Kakashi's tone was flat. "No, Dad, I'm very happy."
Two days later, Mitokado Homura returned to Konoha from the Land of Fire.
He had traveled back from the Land of Fire at a normal pace, protected by two ANBU.
As soon as he returned to Konoha, Hatake Sakumo sent someone to bring him over.
"Councillor Homura, thank you for your hard work!" Hatake Sakumo patted him on the shoulder, his voice full of genuine satisfaction.
"You handled this trip beautifully. What did you say to the daimyō?"
Mitokado Homura wore a broad smile, but he didn't dare be too ostentatious. After all, he had traded the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal for his position as councillor, and he still felt somewhat uneasy about it.
He gave a vague reply. "I merely reported Lord Hokage's qualifications and reputation truthfully. Once the daimyō heard them, he readily approved it."
Hearing this, Hatake Sakumo was even happier.
"Good, good, good," Hatake Sakumo said with a smile. "Councillor Homura, you've rendered a great service. Once the succession ceremony is over, I'll reward you handsomely."
Mitokado Homura repeatedly said, "I wouldn't dare," and after exchanging a few pleasantries, took his leave.
After he left the Hokage Building, the smile slowly faded from Mitokado Homura's aged face.
Having accomplished something so important, he had to go "show off" to Utatane Koharu.
Mitokado Homura walked briskly, pondering what to say along the way.
When he saw Utatane Koharu, he first gave a cough, putting on an inscrutable air, before speaking leisurely:
"Koharu, you have no idea. On this trip to the Land of Fire, I used my powers of persuasion to convince the daimyō and successfully obtained the new Hokage's letter of appointment."
Utatane Koharu looked at him, snorted, and shot back:
"All right, Homura, I know you've rendered a service. Stop showing off in front of me."
Mitokado Homura suppressed a smile and lowered his voice. "In three days, our new Hokage will officially take office."
Utatane Koharu remained fairly calm and merely grunted in acknowledgment.
Three days flew by, and the day of the Fourth Hokage's inauguration ceremony arrived. It was scheduled for ten in the morning.
Perhaps the villagers had cleared Hatake Sakumo's name because of the line in the announcement: "The incident in which Hatake Sakumo rescued his comrades and abandoned a mission, causing the village heavy losses, was in fact a plot by Shimura Danzō to frame him."
Or perhaps it was because they knew Hatake Sakumo was the new Hokage and had obtained the daimyō's letter of appointment, making him someone they couldn't afford to offend.
In any case, the square in front of the Hokage Building was packed that morning, lively enough to raise the roof.
Hatake Sakumo and Kakashi had been waiting in the Hokage's office since early that morning.
Kakashi sat to one side, clenching the hem of his clothes, letting go, then clenching it again.
He had always been a quiet, composed child, but now he couldn't sit still. One moment he glanced up at the clock on the wall, and the next he looked away, shifting restlessly in his seat.
Hatake Sakumo leaned back in his chair, amused. Though he knew the answer, he asked, "Nervous?"
Kakashi pressed his lips together and mumbled, "No."
Though he denied it, his fingers twisted together of their own accord. Looking so at a loss, he finally seemed like the seven-year-old child he was.
Hatake Sakumo couldn't help laughing aloud.
When eight o'clock came, father and son went up to the roof together.
As a family member, Kakashi was allowed to watch from nearby on the roof, much like the scene in the anime when Kushina had watched from the roof as Minato became the Fourth.
On the roof stood Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and the heads of the major clans, including the Uchiha, Hyūga, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Inuzuka Clan, forming a dense crowd.
The man of the hour had arrived, and the time had come.
The Third had already passed away, so the task of presenting the hat fell to Mitokado Homura, while Utatane Koharu held the Fourth Hokage's haori.
Hatake Sakumo walked toward the two of them, step by step.
Mitokado Homura cleared his throat and adopted an official tone.
"Hatake Sakumo, the future of Konohagakure is entrusted to your hands. We believe you will be an outstanding Hokage."
With that, his eyes curved into a smile, and he personally placed the Hokage hat securely on Hatake Sakumo's head.
Utatane Koharu also stepped forward, holding the Hokage haori, and spoke in an official tone. "From this day forward, Konoha's fortunes rest on your shoulders. May you keep the Will of Fire in mind and protect the peace of this village."
As she spoke, she held the haori out to Hatake Sakumo and looked him over, with the solemnity of an experienced elder regarding a junior.
Hatake Sakumo took it and put it on himself. The Hokage haori settled heavily on his shoulders, making him straighten his back a little more.
He turned to face Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, then looked at each of the major clan heads present before speaking unhurriedly:
"I'll remember the esteem you two councillors have shown me and the trust of all the clan heads. Konoha is my home. Now that I've accepted this hat, I'll shoulder the responsibility that comes with it."
He paused and looked at each of the clan heads. His voice wasn't forceful, but every word was clear:
"I won't hold the past against anyone. From now on, only by working together can we keep Konoha stable. If anyone harbors other intentions and causes trouble behind the scenes... I, Hatake Sakumo, will show no mercy."
When he finished, no one present responded.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance and were the first to nod. The clan heads also cupped their hands one after another, repeatedly saying they wouldn't dare.
After speaking, Hatake Sakumo walked to the edge of the platform atop the Hokage Building and looked down.
A sea of people stretched out below.
As the figure wearing the Hokage hat appeared on the roof, the crowd below erupted, waves of cheers rising one above the next.
Hatake Sakumo looked at the villagers with their mouths open and hands waving, and a sudden rush of emotion welled up in him.
Only days ago, these same people had been calling him a good-for-nothing behind his back, cursing him for bringing harm to the village.
Now he stood atop the highest place in Konoha, and they were cheering below.
The villagers of Konoha, the village of bullying, really were pragmatic.
On impulse, Hatake Sakumo took the hat off his head and held it in his hand. Like a straw hat, he waved it high toward the sea of people below...