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The Land of Wind had joined the Senju Nation.
This news instantly caused an uproar in the meeting hall.
The expressions of the envoys from various factions drastically changed, and their moods plummeted.
Now, the situation stood as follows:
The Land of Water.
The Land of Lightning.
The Land of Earth.
The Land of Wind.
Four of the Five Great Shinobi Nations had chosen to join the Senju Nation.
Only the Land of Fire remained.
The Land of Fire was home to the Hidden Leaf Village and was practically tied to Senju Hashirama. It could almost be considered that all five Great Nations had merged into the Senju Nation.
This was no longer just half of the ninja world.
It was poised to encompass the entire shinobi world.
In an instant, everyone present had made their decisions.
"The Land of Fields joins the Senju Nation!"
"The Land of Crafts joins the Senju Nation!"
"The Land of Vegetables joins the Senju Nation!"
"The Land of Birds joins the Senju Nation!"
"The Land of Rivers joins the Senju Nation!"
"The Land of Bears joins the Senju Nation!"
"The Land of Snow joins the Senju Nation!"
One after another, the envoys from various powers made their statements. They were all influential figures who understood that unifying the shinobi world was now inevitable.
Time ticked by.
Until the last voice fell.
The hall returned to silence.
"Anyone else?"
Hashirama surveyed the room. In his view, there were still a few factions that hadn't joined yet.
His mission was to achieve the complete unification of the ninja world.
If even the smallest part remained outside his control, it couldn't be called true unification.
No one spoke.
No one could respond.
The envoys who had already declared their allegiance began contemplating their next moves.
The structure of the ninja world had shifted.
"Jiraiya, make a list of the factions that haven't yet joined the Senju Nation and give it to me."
Hashirama turned to Jiraiya, assigning him the task.
"Understood!"
Jiraiya nodded without any unnecessary words and immediately began working on the list.
"I'll leave this to you. Explain the procedures to them, and let's get ready for the official Shinobi Conference."
With that, Hashirama left the conference room.
...
At this moment...
Outside the Hokage Office building in the Hidden Leaf Village, beneath the iconic Hokage Rock, a sea of people had gathered.
The entire village had come together at this spot.
All eyes were fixed on the empty terrace of the Hokage's office.
Everyone knew.
Today was a monumental day for the Hidden Leaf Village.
A new Hokage was about to be inaugurated.
The Fifth Hokage.
This was no secret—almost everyone already knew who the Fifth Hokage would be.
Yet, despite this knowledge, anticipation still ran high.
After all, this was the official inauguration of the Fifth Hokage.
The ceremony had to have a certain sense of grandeur!
As time passed, the village didn't have to wait long before a figure appeared on the terrace of the Hokage Office.
It was none other than the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Dressed in his familiar Hokage robes of red and white, with the Hokage hat atop his head, Sarutobi stood tall—just like always.
Only, this time would be his last.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
The moment the Third Hokage appeared, a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd below.
Then came a wave of applause, honoring the years of dedication Sarutobi had given to the village.
Standing on the high platform, witnessing the scene before him, Hiruzen was overcome with emotion. His eyes reddened slightly.
He hadn't had enough.
He wished he could remain Hokage for decades more!
"Ahem, ahem..."
Clearing his throat, Sarutobi silenced the crowd. Everyone knew he was about to speak.
"My friends."
"Today, I've gathered you all here."
"To witness a very special moment for the Hidden Leaf Village."
"I am the Third Hokage, inheritor of the wills of the First and Second Hokage."
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The fire's light will illuminate the village and cause the trees to sprout new buds."
"The Will of Fire shall never be extinguished!"
"And now..."
"My student Jiraiya, one of the Sannin and an outstanding ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, will inherit the Will of Fire and become the Fifth Hokage!"
"Please join me in welcoming the Fifth Hokage, Lord Jiraiya, with a round of applause!"
With his distinctive style, the Third Hokage introduced Jiraiya. Not only was he the host of this important ceremony, but he also played a vital role in passing on the title of Hokage.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
The crowd of gathered shinobi erupted into cheers, each one eagerly awaiting Jiraiya's appearance and the arrival of their new Hokage.
People are strange like that.
When living in a period of change, they yearn for stability.
But once things have been stable for too long, they start craving change.
The Hidden Leaf Village had been stable for far too long.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been Hokage for years.
The village's leadership had barely changed.
Even its policies had seen little fluctuation over the years.
As time went on...
People grew accustomed to it. They grew numb.
With the emergence of a new Hokage, inevitable changes were on the horizon. Some would lose their influence, while others stood to benefit.
The applause continued to surge, the collective clapping of hundreds and thousands of people creating a powerful wave of sound.
Under the expectant gazes of countless Hidden Leaf villagers, Jiraiya stepped out onto the terrace of the Hokage office building, already dressed in the red and white Hokage robes.
On the back of his robe, five large characters were emblazoned:
The Fifth Hokage.
Jiraiya walked to the edge of the terrace, looking down at the crowd below, who waved up at him eagerly. He suddenly felt the weight of the enormous responsibility resting on his shoulders.
This was different from when he had served as the acting Hokage.
With the formal transfer of power, Jiraiya was acutely aware of the great responsibility that came with great power.
"Jiraiya, from this moment on, you are the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, gazing up at the taller Jiraiya, removed the Hokage hat from his own head and reached up to place it on Jiraiya's.
Jiraiya bowed slightly to allow Hiruzen to place the hat on him.
All eyes were locked onto this moment, as the crowd held its breath, eager to witness this pivotal moment in the history of the village.
In the next instant, the Hokage hat was set on Jiraiya's head. The hat, emblazoned with the kanji for "fire," covered his white hair, transforming his once carefree demeanor into one of solemnity and dignity.
"Thank you all for attending my inauguration ceremony!"
Jiraiya immediately began his Hokage address, his eyes scanning the massive crowd below.
These were the people he would now be responsible for leading and protecting.
The invisible weight on his shoulders grew heavier.
"Uh..."
"That's all I've got to say!"
Jiraiya's brief speech left the crowd chuckling, as his mind, which excelled at writing novels, struggled to craft a formal address.
"Now, onto the next part."
"Let's hear even more applause, because the next person to stand here is..."
"The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama!"
(End of Chapter)