One month after returning from the Kirigakure battlefield.
Takeshi held Kabuto by the left hand, Yamato by the right, and had Itachi trailing behind him. The four of them arrived at the dango shop together.
"As expected of Takeshi—have you become a kindergarten principal or something?"
As soon as they entered, Takeshi heard Asuma's teasing voice.
Looking toward the source of the voice, Asuma was leaning against the doorframe, grinning as he looked at Takeshi and the children holding his hands or following behind.
"Well, once in a while, we all need to enjoy a peaceful and quiet life, don't we?"
Takeshi smiled and led them into the shop.
"Come on, say hello to Asuma. Once you greet him, he'll treat you to something tasty."
Kabuto, Yamato, and Itachi: "..."
This guy really treats them like little kids!
Still, under Takeshi's oppressive aura, the three reluctantly mumbled, "Asuma."
"You bastard—"
Asuma rolled his eyes, but in front of the kids, he obediently pulled out his wallet.
"Get whatever you want. Order freely."
"Asuma, I want something delicious too~"
Seeing that Asuma had actually pulled out his wallet, Takeshi's eyes lit up as he deliberately put on a cutesy voice, trying to mooch something as well.
"Get lost! You're not a kid. If you keep this up, I'll beat you."
Though he said that, Asuma still turned his head and called out to the shopkeeper:
"Auntie, put Takeshi and the kids' bill on me."
"As expected of my first-ever teammate, Asuma!"
Letting go of the two little ones' hands, Takeshi patted Asuma on the shoulder, very pleased with his performance.
Asuma just rolled his eyes again in response.
Not long after, with the enthusiastic service of the shopkeeper, everyone had received their own dango.
Takeshi picked up the soy sauce-flavored dango in front of him. After living in Konoha for so many years, he'd gotten used to this strange taste.
"How was the Kirigakure battlefield?"
Asuma sipped a bit of red bean soup and asked in a low voice.
"Better than the Kumogakure front. Although the overall quality of the Kirigakure shinobi isn't low, they lack top-tier combatants."
Recalling the performance of the Kiri-nin, Takeshi gave a fairly neutral evaluation.
The Bloody Mist did improve the quality of the average shinobi significantly, but it also wiped out their spirit of teamwork.
And their persecution of Kekkei Genkai users meant they didn't have enough elite forces to match the Uchiha clan on the frontlines.
"Your return from there means the Kumogakure front has concluded too?"
Takeshi didn't like sweet drinks, so he ordered a cup of tea. Feeling it was a bit too hot, he picked up the cup and then set it down again, starting to ask about the situation on Asuma's side.
"The Fourth Raikage has withdrawn his forces, but I heard they haven't agreed to a peace treaty. They're probably stockpiling strength for the next invasion."
Asuma's face showed a trace of admiration.
"Minato-sama really is strong. He's fought the Fourth Raikage multiple times without losing ground, and even took down a large force of Kumo-nin singlehandedly. That's what finally forced them to retreat."
"The Yellow Flash certainly earned his name."
Takeshi, already aware of Minato's power, wasn't surprised.
"And what about you, the so-called White Reaper?"
Asuma's tone turned teasing.
"Stop it, it's embarrassing."
Being called by his nickname by one of his own felt awkward for Takeshi, so he decided to change the subject.
"Not bad, huh? This war finally came to an end."
Takeshi was quite satisfied with how things had turned out. Obito hadn't been crushed by a falling boulder, Rin was still alive, and Kakashi, though still as broody as ever, wasn't spiraling into despair like in the original story.
Everything seemed to be moving in a good direction.
"Yeah, I heard my teacher went out early this morning with my old man. Not sure where they went, but probably to discuss peace with the Daimyō."
Asuma nodded and casually grabbed a skewer of dango from Takeshi's plate.
...
Fire Country Daimyō's Residence
The Daimyō, wearing his strange headdress, gently fanned himself as he expressed regret over Hiruzen Sarutobi's resignation.
"What a pity… the Third was doing pretty well..."
But he didn't get to finish the sentence before a single glance from Danzō, seated near the end of the row, silenced him.
The Daimyō instinctively used his fan to cover half his face. Every time he faced Danzō, he felt a chill.
"If we trace it back, it was precisely because the Third Hokage's ideals were too naive that the village was pushed to such a desperate position. What we need now is someone who will fully uphold the shinobi code to lead Konoha forward."
After listening to Danzō's words, the Daimyō summoned his courage and looked at him.
"Do you have a suitable candidate?"
Everyone present turned their attention to Danzō.
"I recommend Hatake Sakumo."
Danzō said clearly.
"What does the Third think?"
The Daimyō's expression didn't change much upon hearing the name. He turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The officials in the Daimyō's court began whispering.
Some of them remembered that Sakumo had once brought shame to the Daimyō's court. They were about to bring it up when Hiruzen's next words interrupted their plans.
"Hatake Sakumo is an excellent jōnin of the village. He defeated the Suna-nin during the Second Great Shinobi War. He is indeed a suitable candidate for Hokage."
Seeing that Hiruzen also supported Sakumo, the court officials stopped trying to argue. They all fell silent, awaiting the Daimyō's verdict.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged surprised glances—they hadn't expected the two of them to agree on something for once.
The room quieted down.
"What do the others think?"
To break the silence, the Daimyō asked for opinions from his own officials.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, the Daimyō also nodded and approved Hatake Sakumo as the Fourth Hokage.
...
"Konoha is in your hands now, Sakumo."
Sitting before the large characters that read "Will of Fire," Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke gently to the kneeling Sakumo before him.
He informed Sakumo that the Daimyō had approved his appointment.
Faced with the Hokage position, Sakumo remained calm.
"I won't betray the trust you and the Daimyō have placed in me."
"What a shame. I had hoped to complete your succession ceremony under more stable circumstances. Unfortunately, as you know, Konoha is still surrounded by threats."
Sarutobi, seeing how composed Sakumo was, knew he didn't need to explain much. The man had the vision and judgment to deal with the current crisis.
Sure enough, just as he'd expected, Sakumo raised his head with determined eyes.
"I'll drive out all of Konoha's enemies and uphold the will of the generations before us who protected this village!"
"Good. I believe you will."
Sarutobi smiled.
"Now that you're Hokage, you'll need your own team. There happens to be someone suitable in the village. I'd like to recommend him to you."