In the dense forest near the northern border of the Land of Fire, two figures swiftly darted through the trees, one ahead of the other.
The fleeing figure was a male ninja, while the pursuer was a white-haired ninja wearing a face mask, with a short blade strapped to his back.
This chase was unfolding because the Iwagakure spy up ahead had been exposed while gathering information.
His companions were all captured, leaving him the only one on the run.
As they raced through the forest, a sudden black streak shot out from an unknown direction.
The sharp whistle of a weapon slicing through the air forced Kakashi to come to an abrupt halt.
In a flash, his short blade was drawn like lightning.
Sparks flew as he parried the massive spinning shuriken, diverting its trajectory.
The weapon's redirected force cleaved cleanly through a towering tree nearby.
Looking back at the fleeing ninja, Kakashi was surprised to see him now standing boldly on a branch not far away.
Gone was the previous air of desperation; instead, he wore an arrogant expression.
Dozens of figures slowly emerged on the surrounding branches, encircling Kakashi completely.
This was the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass — clearly a planned ambush.
Seeing the situation, Kakashi's expression darkened slightly as he gripped his short blade tightly.
The Iwagakure ninja who had fled earlier sneered, "This guy is the Hokage's personal bodyguard. Capturing him alive will yield critical intel!"
In an instant, dozens of enemies swarmed toward Kakashi.
He lifted the tilted forehead protector, revealing the Sharingan with its three tomoe patterns.
His white short blade moved in sync with his body, creating a whirlwind of lightning, water surges, wind blades, and shattered earth.
Clanging metal and chaotic sounds filled the forest as Kakashi struggled to fend off attacks from all directions, fighting while retreating.
Despite his considerable strength, he quickly showed signs of defeat.
Eventually, Kakashi was forced out of the forest and onto the edge of a cliff.
The Iwagakure ninjas taunted him, "Konoha really is on its last legs. The Hokage is just a snot-nosed brat, and even his bodyguard is nothing but a joke! It's like they're playing house."
Breathing heavily, Kakashi stood with his back to the cliff, his gaze sweeping over the enemies before him.
Twenty-seven in total.
Ten seconds — that should be enough.
Taking a deep breath, his entire demeanor abruptly changed.
A sudden whirlwind formed around him out of nowhere.
Black markings appeared mysteriously around his eyes, exuding an ominous aura.
Without waiting for any reaction from the Iwagakure ninjas, Kakashi's figure suddenly vanished from their sight.
In the next instant, several Iwagakure ninjas' heads flew into the air, blood gushing out in arcs.
The warm liquid splattered onto their comrades' faces, leaving them stunned and speechless.
The stronger among them only caught glimpses of a dark shadow darting through their ranks, moving as if teleporting.
Wherever it passed, bodies were left headless.
The remaining Iwagakure ninjas were in utter panic, frantically looking around, unable to catch even a trace of their ghostly foe.
When Kakashi finally reappeared, he had pinned the previously fleeing Iwagakure ninja to the ground, his short blade thrust directly into the man's mouth.
The ninja's terrified eyes reflected Kakashi's cold, sharp expression.
"Wouldn't it have been easier to surrender earlier? Why make me resort to this?" Kakashi muttered.
With a swift motion, he drove the blade straight through the man's skull.
The black markings around Kakashi's eyes faded, and he collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.
Behind him lay a gruesome scene — corpses strewn everywhere, rivers of blood flowing across the ground.
Nearly thirty ninjas had been slain — an unimaginable feat accomplished in just ten seconds.
Kakashi waited there for about ten minutes before a squad finally arrived.
"Kakashi!"
The newcomers were Hyuga Hakumen and Might Guy, accompanied by several Anbu operatives.
"You're late," Kakashi said.
"There were other spies to deal with," Hakumen replied, glancing at the blood-soaked battlefield without showing any surprise.
Noticing Kakashi's exhausted state, he added, "You entered Sage Mode, didn't you?"
Kakashi nodded. "There were too many enemies — I had no choice."
The Sage Seal allowed Kakashi to enter Sage Mode, granting him immense power for a short time.
The duration of this state was directly tied to his chakra reserves.
Since forming Sage Chakra required a balanced combination of physical, spiritual, and natural energy, Kakashi, who already had limited chakra due to his Sharingan, found it even more difficult after an intense battle.
His time in Sage Mode was fleeting.
After experiencing the power of the Sage Seal, Kakashi increasingly felt that the Sharingan was a burden.
His self-created technique, Chidori, had a high demand for visual perception, which necessitated the aid of the Sharingan.
However, in Sage Mode, his five senses were greatly enhanced, enabling him to see clearly regardless of speed or motion.
But the Sharingan held deep sentimental value — it was a gift from a dear friend.
Beside him, Guy teased, "Kakashi, this is all because you've been slacking off in training. If you had chakra reserves as abundant as mine, all these problems would be solved."
Kakashi rolled his eyes, too tired to respond.
Guy also possessed the Sage Seal, being the third bearer, though his was the most complex, with seven distinct seals on his body.
He could now open up to the Sixth Gate of the Eight Gates Formation, with each of the seven seals corresponding to a different state, from his normal state to the sixth gate.
However, neither Hakumen nor Kakashi had ever seen Guy unleash his full power with all restrictions removed.
After clearing the battlefield and destroying all the corpses on the spot, Kakashi ensured no survivors were left since the village had already captured other spies.
The group returned to the village and made their way to the interrogation department, where they met the two spies captured earlier.
The head of the interrogation department respectfully addressed Hakumen, "Lord Hakumen, the interrogation will yield results soon. We've already broken through one of their mental defense techniques."
Hakumen nodded calmly. "Once you have the results, compile them and send them to the Hokage as soon as possible."
"Understood!"
The three had already left the Anbu.
The Fifth Hokage had established a new organization named "Crown," symbolizing the sun's corona.
It was similar in nature to the Anbu, as it operated directly under the Hokage, but its duties were entirely different.
While the Anbu handled covert operations and secretive tasks, sometimes working in the shadows, the Crown served as the Hokage's official agents, conducting all their duties openly and with transparency.
However, the newly formed organization was still in its infancy, yet to make a name for itself in the ninja world.
It had only four members so far: Hakumen, Kakashi, and Guy among them.
The original Anbu had also undergone expansion, increasing its ranks by half.
Many clan ninjas were recruited, with almost every family in the village represented.
Numerous civilian ninjas were also brought in, and the unit was now under the leadership of Hyuga Hizashi.
The Anbu had become the village's largest armed force, fully taking over the responsibilities of the former Konoha Police Force, now tasked with maintaining public order and security.
The Uchiha clan, however, was not disbanded.
Instead, they became a helpful presence within the village.
Villagers would often seek their assistance in emergencies.
The Fifth Hokage even built a dedicated building for them, named the Konoha Fire Department, with the Uchiha acting as fire and rescue personnel.
Though it seemed somewhat comical, Uchiha clan leader Fugaku was quite content with the arrangement, entirely indifferent to his clan members' opinions.
With a new Hokage in office, shifts in power among the village clans were inevitable.
The Hyuga clan naturally became the most influential family in Konoha, which had already been the case during Orochimaru's tenure.
Members of the Hyuga family had taken over key village positions, replacing the Sarutobi clan.
However, after taking office, Makoto chose to redistribute some of these important roles, appointing members from various clans to different positions.
One long-vacant yet extremely crucial role was finally filled: Captain of the Jonin Unit.
In the original timeline, this position was held by Nara Shikaku, a loyal and steadfast supporter of the Hokage faction.
The previous captain had perished in the war, and the role had remained empty throughout Orochimaru's reign.
Although Namikaze Minato would have been the best candidate, Orochimaru would never have entrusted it to him.
Makoto could easily have had Hyuga Hizashi take on the role since he was a trusted confidant, and outsiders wouldn't have objected.
Instead, Makoto appointed a "Eternal Genin" — Maruboshi Kosuke.
He was not a clan ninja, which made him more approachable to the village's civilian ninjas.
Moreover, the veteran ninjas of the village were well aware that this seemingly unremarkable old man was, in fact, incredibly powerful.
Initially, Maruboshi Kosuke was unwilling to break his long-standing vow to remain a Genin.
However, when Makoto spoke to him, he emphasized the village's urgent need for capable people, using moral persuasion and flattering compliments.
Left with no choice, the old man reluctantly agreed.
Makoto had relied on him several times even before taking full control, and Kosuke held great respect for the young leader who managed the village so efficiently.
The transition of power did not stir up any unpleasant commotion.
In fact, it couldn't really be called a "transition" at all, as power had always been firmly in Makoto's hands.
His position as Hokage was solid and unshakable.
Hakumen arrived at the entrance of the newly built Hokage office.
Looking inside, he saw the Hokage he respected most warmly chatting with a group of newly graduated Genin.
Understanding the situation, Hakumen wisely refrained from entering to disturb them.
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