"Congratulations, Princess Tsunade."
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire, handed over the Hokage's hat.
"Thank you," Tsunade said as she casually put it on.
The Hokage hat symbolized the transfer of authority. From this day forward, she was officially the Fifth Hokage.
The ninjas watching this scene had varied expressions. Some were concerned, while others were hopeful.
Regardless of their feelings, the upcoming jonin meeting was going to be a moment of judgment. The future direction of the Leaf Village depended on the new Hokage's decisions.
Most were optimistic, though—after all, she was one of the Legendary Sannin, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, and the true princess of the Leaf.
"Yugao," Tsunade said, taking a speech draft from Shinho Aburame, "post this on the bulletin board outside the Hokage building."
"Understood." Yugao Uzuki took the speech and vanished.
"Let's head to the conference room," Tsunade said, ruffling Shinho's hair before handing the Hokage hat back to him.
The hat was uncomfortable on her head.
Jiraiya observed this with a slight pause, noting the unexpectedly close relationship between the two.
Tsunade rarely showed such warmth. As her teammate, he was more accustomed to her iron-fisted care—though admittedly, that was mostly his own fault.
Given his knowledge of Tsunade, he had assumed she had taken on this student casually, on a whim.
"Shinho has quite the talent, huh?" Jiraiya asked as he followed Tsunade, trying to walk alongside her, though Shinho was already occupying that space.
"More than just talent," Tsunade glanced at Shinho with a smile. "His talent in medical ninjutsu even surpasses mine."
"Really?" Jiraiya looked genuinely shocked. "I find it hard to believe anyone could surpass you in medical talent."
"He'll be on par with me, in about ten years," Tsunade said with a proud tone. "You'll be even more amazed then."
As a teacher, there's nothing better than finding a capable student to pass on your knowledge. Now that she had a student who wasn't just capable but exceptionally gifted, she was naturally delighted.
Moreover, Shinho Aburame matched her expectations in all aspects—he was perfect.
"That's truly impressive," Jiraiya said with a touch of admiration.
He believed her, knowing Tsunade had no reason to deceive him. It seemed she had indeed found a prodigy as a student.
His thoughts wandered to Minato Namikaze, and he couldn't help but sigh.
"Why the long face?" Tsunade asked casually.
"Just thinking..." Jiraiya paused, then asked, "Minato's kid should be about six years old by now, right? How's he doing?"
Ah, so he was thinking about Minato.
Tsunade understood and replied, "He's doing well now."
"Now?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Was he not before? Who would dare mistreat him with the old man around?"
Back when Minato sacrificed himself, Jiraiya had returned to the village. He had considered taking Naruto away with him, but Hiruzen Sarutobi had refused, arguing that Jiraiya's constant travels left him no time to care for a child.
Jiraiya had reluctantly agreed, trusting Hiruzen's promise to look after Naruto well, in honor of both Minato and Kushina's wishes.
"Yamato," Tsunade ordered, "bring Naruto's records."
"Yes, ma'am." Yamato disappeared, returning in under ten seconds since the Hokage's office was nearby.
"See for yourself," Tsunade said as she entered the conference room.
The room was already filled with jonin.
Tsunade had taken her time walking over from the courtyard, but the other jonin had arrived swiftly.
The layout of the room was divided into three sections. At the front was the Hokage's seat, facing the gathered jonin.
In the front row sat the Hokage's advisors and the heads of various ninja clans.
Behind them sat the regular jonin.
Shinho Aburame, as Tsunade's student, sat in the front row—though he was by far the youngest there.
Whether intentionally or by coincidence, Shinho found himself seated between Uchiha Mikoto on his left and Hiashi Hyuga on his right.
Technically, Shinho didn't have the qualifications to attend the meeting, as he wasn't yet a jonin. But with Tsunade's endorsement, no one dared to object. After all, it wasn't worth crossing a newly appointed Hokage over such a trivial matter.
Truthfully, Shinho hadn't wanted to come, but Tsunade insisted, saying that since he had contributed many of the ideas, he should attend. Besides, it would be a chance to see his teacher in action.
"Aunt Mikoto," Shinho greeted her.
"Shinho," Uchiha Mikoto managed a faint smile.
Today, she wore a black kimono, her face drawn with fatigue, exuding an air of sorrow.
Part of this stemmed from the death of her husband, Fugaku Uchiha, but she was also deeply worried about the future of the Uchiha clan. After all, Fugaku and Itachi had led a rebellion.
"Don't worry, Aunt Mikoto," Shinho said, knowing the situation in advance.
"Thank you," Mikoto said softly, patting his head.
She had been extremely grateful to him ever since learning that he had brought Sasuke back to his senses. Her treatment of him had become as tender as if he were her own child.
Tsunade took her seat, facing Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado directly.
However, she was surprised by how calm they appeared. Did they have something up their sleeves?
It only took a moment for Tsunade to piece things together. Koharu and Homura had been advisors for decades, so they certainly had their share of connections.
They likely had significant support behind them.
But Tsunade had come prepared.
Jiraiya, seated next to Homura, was flipping through Naruto's records, his anger growing with every page he read.
Especially the parts about villagers treating Naruto like a monster.
This boy was the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze!
Minato had given his life to end the Nine-Tails incident and chose to seal half of the Nine-Tails inside his newborn son.
It was an act of self-sacrifice!
As most jinchuriki in the five great villages lived under terrible conditions, subjected to endless testing or confined in isolation, many considered Minato's decision to seal the Nine-Tails inside Naruto as an ultimate sacrifice.
Jiraiya closed the file and sighed.
The old man had certainly failed in this regard. Jiraiya understood the delicate nature of jinchuriki, but there had to have been better ways to handle it.
For Naruto to grow up in such an environment and still maintain a positive outlook was truly remarkable.
Perhaps that was Minato's spirit living on in him.
"Everyone's here, so let's begin," Tsunade clapped her hands and said, "I don't like wasting time, so let's get straight to the point."
Everyone in the room immediately refocused their attention.
That one-sentence speech during the ceremony had already made her no-nonsense attitude clear.
"The first agenda: the elimination of the position of Hokage advisors," Tsunade said casually, raising her index finger.
"I disagree!" Koharu shot to her feet, her face flushed with anger.
"So do I!" Homura stood up alongside her.
They had expected Tsunade might try to reduce their influence, perhaps by adding new advisors.
But to outright abolish the role entirely? That was far more extreme than they had anticipated—it was akin to cutting their lifeline.
Falling from a position just below the Hokage to an even lower status was something Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado could not accept.
While other jonin weren't as vocal as them, they all had similarly stunned expressions.
Did she really have to start off this strong?
For the first time, many saw Tsunade in a new light. They had always heard about her fiery temper, but they never expected it to be this intense.
"Shut up!" Jiraiya slammed the table and stood up angrily. "Who are you to oppose when the Hokage is speaking?"
He had just gone through Naruto's records, and his frustration was boiling over. He had long been displeased with these two old-timers, and with Tsunade's request for support, he decided to confront them head-on.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were dumbfounded. They had never seen Jiraiya like this.
Have you lost your mind too?
"Jiraiya!" Koharu's face turned crimson with anger.
"Why do you have the right to abolish the position of Hokage advisors?" Homura, maintaining a more composed demeanor, questioned sternly. "We have devoted ourselves to Konoha for decades, making countless contributions to the village."
"So you do remember that it's been decades," Jiraiya retorted with dissatisfaction. "You've occupied these roles for far too long—how do you expect the younger generation to get any opportunity?"
"How dare you!" Koharu was immediately provoked by this accusation.
"The Hokage advisors must be adept at analysis, with rich experience to guide the village's development," Homura tried to reason, pulling Koharu back. "The younger generation still needs more time to mature."
"And how can they mature if you don't give them the chance?" Jiraiya shot back. "You're just using that justification as an excuse to cling to power."
"Jiraiya!" Homura, struck by the accuracy of Jiraiya's words, lost his calm.
The room was abuzz with tension.
A new Hokage had just stepped into power, and there was already such a dramatic event playing out?
A verbal showdown between the Hokage's advisors and one of the Legendary Sannin—this was something you'd only witness once in a lifetime.
Most jonin were just here to watch the spectacle unfold, adopting a bystander's attitude. Whether or not the position of Hokage advisor was abolished didn't directly impact them.
However, a few jonin felt their opinions shifting. Many agreed with Jiraiya's perspective. Homura and Koharu had indeed held their positions for far too long.
"Enough." Tsunade knocked on the table, bringing the arguments to a halt.
The three of them knew well that the decision ultimately lay with the Hokage.
"Tsunade," Homura took a deep breath, pressing forward. "I hope you can provide a reasonable explanation for this. Without one, you won't gain the support of the village."
"Because of the Will of Fire," Tsunade replied calmly.
"...?" Homura looked puzzled, as did Koharu and even Jiraiya.
Especially Jiraiya—he couldn't help but think, Please don't use that line, it's seriously unsettling.
Had she somehow automatically learned to wield the concept of the Will of Fire upon becoming Hokage?
"The fire's light will illuminate the village, allowing new leaves to sprout," Tsunade continued with a serious expression. "The younger generation has grown up. It's time for the older generation to trust and encourage them."
Koharu and Homura were momentarily speechless.
For the first time, they found themselves in a painful position—being on the opposing side of the Will of Fire. In the past, invoking the Will of Fire made their actions go much more smoothly. Even Danzo had loved to say, "It's all for the sake of Konoha."
Moreover, it was almost impossible for them to argue against Tsunade on this point. As the granddaughter of the First Hokage, she held the highest authority in interpreting the Will of Fire within Konoha.
"Are you now questioning the Will of Fire left behind by the First Hokage?" Tsunade asked suddenly, her tone icy.
"Of course not!" Koharu and Homura hastily replied.
In Konoha, no one could afford to deny the Will of Fire outright—that would lead to a huge backlash.
At this moment, they felt a twinge of regret. They should have opposed Hiruzen's widespread promotion of the Will of Fire when they had the chance.
"I understand your concerns," Tsunade shifted her tone. "You don't trust the younger generation enough, thinking they'll make mistakes."
"That's true," Koharu blurted out reflexively.
But as soon as she said it, she realized her mistake. Compared to them, almost all the jonin present could be considered part of the "younger generation."
Yet, having spoken, she could only dig in. She couldn't afford to lose the power of the Hokage advisor position.
"My proposal is to distribute the responsibilities of the Hokage advisors to the newly formed Hokage Guard Platoon," Tsunade said, staring directly at her. "I have a list of candidates. I'd like your feedback on it."
"…"
Koharu's expression instantly froze, and Homura's face also darkened.
This was a trap! A blatant one!
Not playing fair, Tsunade was turning the tables on them.
Suddenly, they realized that the real issue wasn't just with Tsunade—it was with the power shift at play.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya cracked a smile.
This was a brilliant strategy.
The conflict had initially been between the Hokage advisors and Tsunade. Now, it had shifted, pitting the advisors against the rest of the jonin.
"Nara Shikaku, Hatake Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, Uchiha Mikoto, and Yamato," Tsunade read out the list.
She chose Sarutobi Asuma to offer a final gesture of respect toward Hiruzen, while also causing a rift among Koharu and Homura's allies. Uchiha Mikoto's inclusion served as a way to repay Itachi Uchiha and stabilize the Uchiha clan.
Plus, Uchiha Mikoto genuinely had the qualifications of a Jonin, so having her on the Hokage Guard Platoon wasn't a stretch of rules.
Though the new Guard Platoon would take over some responsibilities of the Hokage advisors, their overall authority would be notably less.
For Tsunade, the plan was simple: appoint the highly intelligent Nara Shikaku as the main decision-maker, with the other four assisting, in handling most of her workload.
Shinho Aburame couldn't help but smile.
Tsunade really is suited for the role of Hokage, especially with that commanding demeanor—it's quite inspiring.
The announcement of the list plunged the room into a tense silence.
Tsunade's words were clear: from now on, the Hokage Guard Platoon would function as a replacement for the Hokage advisors. The five members listed would see their status rise significantly.
"Huh?" Uchiha Mikoto was stunned.
She never would have imagined being chosen as a member of the Hokage Guard Platoon.
From another angle, this also meant that the rebellion led by Fugaku and Itachi hadn't completely ruined the Uchiha clan's standing.
Uchiha Mikoto couldn't help but glance toward Shinho. Connecting this with his previous words, she realized that he must have known about this plan all along.
Suddenly, it hit her—Shinho was now Tsunade's student. It would be wise to strengthen her ties with him.
Uchiha Mikoto wasn't one to think about such political maneuvers before, but now she was the leader of the Uchiha clan.
Even if not for the clan's sake, she had to think about Sasuke's future. The closer her relationship with Shinho, the more advantageous it would be.
The most surprised by this turn of events were the members of the Sarutobi clan. They had been prepared to walk away empty-handed since Tsunade had gained power through a coup. They had allied with Koharu and Homura hoping for some favor from the advisors.
But now? Why would they bother with that?
They knew how to prioritize things. Supporting Tsunade now would secure them a position in the new Hokage Guard Platoon.
Hiashi Hyuga, observing the situation, let out a sigh.
As expected, there was no place for the Hyuga clan. There was no helping it—after the Uchiha's decline, the Hyuga clan had become the strongest clan in Konoha.
Granting them a spot on the Hokage Guard Platoon would have concentrated too much power.
Now, Hiashi's only hope was that Tsunade's arrangement for Hanabi would meet his expectations. Otherwise, he would have to harbour some resentment.
As murmurs filled the room, Koharu and Homura remained stiff and motionless.
They had a singular thought in mind:
It's over! Completely over!
Their opposition now meant they stood against the Hyuga, Uchiha, Sarutobi, and Ino-Shika-Cho clans.
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