Chapter 92: The Birth of the Fourth Hokage
If you were to ask what kind of ninja Sakumo Hatake was, you would get different answers from different people.
His teammates would say he was reliable. His subordinates would say he was strong. His superiors would say he was loyal.
But in the end, he was a pure ninja.
So pure, in fact, that he had never imagined that one day he would have to become the Fourth Hokage.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi had approached him with the idea, Sakumo had refused.
Slitting an enemy's throat was second nature to him. Assassination and infiltration were his bread and butter. But being the Kage of a village, handling the countless affairs of state, was not something he was suited for. Being the ANBU commander was the limit of his administrative abilities. The position of Hokage was far beyond him.
"Lord Hokage," he had said, "my abilities are not sufficient for the position of Fourth Hokage."
"The position of Kage is indeed a grave responsibility," Hiruzen had replied calmly. "But at this time, there is no one more suitable. I will take full responsibility for the defeat in the war against the Cloud. And you, you have performed with great merit in the war against the Sand. If I step down, there will be little resistance to your appointment."
He had taken a drag from his pipe and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "As for the duties of a Hokage," he had continued, his voice muffled by the smoke, "you need not worry. I and the other advisors will not be abandoning you. We will teach you, assist you, one step at a time. You can adapt slowly. First, just get the ANBU's affairs in order. There is no rush to take on all the duties of the Hokage at once."
"My lord," Sakumo had said after a moment of thought, "the situation is not yet so dire. Perhaps you do not need to step down."
Hiruzen had shaken his head. "Sakumo, you don't understand. Leaving the position of Hokage now is the best choice, for me and for the village. The anger over the defeat needs an outlet. That outlet will be me. And Konoha needs a new leader to move forward. That leader will be you."
Seeing that Sakumo was still about to refuse, Hiruzen had bowed his head. "Sakumo-kun," he had said, his voice filled with a solemn gravity, "I'm counting on you."
Hiruzen's sudden nomination had silenced the meeting room. Some, who were already in the know, remained calm. Others, who were completely unprepared, were in a state of shock.
But no matter what anyone thought, the decision for Sakumo Hatake to become the Fourth Hokage was passed smoothly.
Among the clan heads and representatives, some had agreed out of respect for Hiruzen, some out of admiration for Sakumo's own military achievements. But for most, it was a compromise. A compromise with a man who was willing to take full responsibility for the defeat and step down, allowing the other high-ranking leaders to escape the public's wrath unscathed. If Hiruzen hadn't done so, and the public's anger had been allowed to fester, his own position would have been untenable, and it would have eventually affected the other leaders and clan heads as well. After all, were they not also responsible for the defeat?
Though a formal Jonin vote had not yet been held, the high-ranking leaders present represented the vast majority of the village's Jonin. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Konoha would have a new Kage within a month.
After the meeting, everyone left the Hokage Tower with their own thoughts.
Orochimaru was leaning against a wall outside, waiting for his teammates.
"Tsunade, Jiraiya," he said, "you two still look terrible."
Tsunade, her expression gloomy, and Jiraiya, his face a wooden mask, emerged from the building.
Orochimaru had never thought that one day he would be the one trying to console his teammates. After returning to Konoha, though he had been dejected by their capture, his ambition to master all jutsu and understand the secrets of life and death had allowed him to quickly recover. He had immediately returned to his research.
But he had heard that his two teammates were not doing so well. Jiraiya had begun to doubt his own abilities as a ninja and had thrown himself into a frantic training regimen, practically living at the training grounds. Even in his student days, the cheerful Jiraiya had never worked so hard. And Tsunade was even more withdrawn. She had barely left her house since returning. If it hadn't been for the appointment of a new Hokage, she probably wouldn't have come out at all.
Jiraiya's manic energy was one thing. Training was not a bad thing. But Tsunade's problem was more complex. She had lost her brother just before the war, and her lover during it. When they had been prisoners in the Hidden Rain, Orochimaru had already sensed a growing world-weariness in her.
"To be told I look terrible by you," Jiraiya said with a forced smile, "that doesn't exactly cheer me up."
"Is there something you want?" Tsunade said flatly. "If not, I'm going home."
Orochimaru suddenly felt that he was not suited for this. He opened his mouth, but couldn't find the right words.
"Well then," Jiraiya said, patting him on the shoulder, "I'm going back to training."
Tsunade just nodded and, without a word, left with him. But at the entrance to the Hokage Tower, they went their separate ways. Under the setting sun, all three of them looked burdened with their own thoughts.
The news of Sakumo Hatake's impending appointment as the Fourth Hokage quickly spread through the village. Some were surprised, some were excited, some were dismissive. But there was no denying that the "White Fang of Konoha" was, at present, the strongest ninja in the village, besides the Third Hokage, and the one with the most distinguished military record.
The common people, who did not understand the complex politics of the village, were very accepting of the choice.
With the appointment of a new Hokage, the tense atmosphere in the village began to ease. There were some who tried to stir up trouble, but they were quickly suppressed. People even began to feel sorry for Hiruzen, saying that defeat in war was inevitable, and that by taking responsibility, he had shown himself to be a good Hokage, just an unlucky one. And the newly defeated Konoha needed a younger, more dynamic leader, and who better than the powerful and decorated Sakumo Hatake?
This sentiment swept through the village in just a week. Any dissenting voices were quickly silenced. It was the will of the people, an open and honest move, the kind of move Danzo would never understand.
Two weeks later, the "Jonin vote of confidence" for Sakumo Hatake was held. As expected, it passed smoothly.
"Prepare yourself, Sakumo," Hiruzen said. "Tomorrow is your inauguration. Show them your best."
"As you command, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen waved his hand. "Don't call me that anymore," he said. "The vote has passed. You are already the Fourth Hokage. Tomorrow is just the ceremony."
He took off his Hokage hat and handed it to Sakumo.
With a complex mix of emotions, Sakumo took the hat and went home.
His four-year-old son ran to greet him.
"Dad," he said excitedly, "they say you're going to be Hokage! Is it true?"
Sakumo was taken aback for a moment, then a smile spread across his face. "Yes," he said. "That's right. Dad is going to be Hokage. You have to work hard too, Kakashi."
The young Kakashi jumped for joy. "I will!" he shouted. "Dad is the Fourth Hokage, so I'm going to be the Fifth!"
After putting his son to bed, Sakumo returned to his room. He placed the Hokage hat on a stand and knelt quietly on a cushion.
On the wall in front of him was a photo of a woman with a bright, cheerful smile, watching him silently.
He lit three sticks of incense and placed them in front of her photo, and remained there for a long time, in silence.
The next morning, the streets of Konoha were empty. Everyone was gathered in front of the Hokage Tower, waiting for the new Hokage to appear.
Behind the balcony, Sakumo Hatake was adjusting his clothes. The white Hokage robe, on his tall frame, made him look even more heroic.
"I had them change the style of the robe," Hiruzen said with a nod. "The one I wore was too old-fashioned. A young Hokage needs a young look. Seeing you in it, I know I made the right choice."
Even with his cool demeanor, Sakumo had to admit that the robe was stunning, far superior to the wide, baggy robe the Third had worn. It was white, with red flames that seemed to burn, a symbol of the Will of Fire. It gave him an air of ambition and integrity.
He put on the hat, took a deep breath, and, after a moment of silence, nodded to Hiruzen and walked forward.
The crowd below was a sea of people. The noisy crowd fell silent the moment he appeared.
Hiruzen, wearing a standard Jonin flak jacket, stood behind him. "As you can all see," he announced, his voice booming, "from this day forward, Sakumo Hatake is the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village!"
The declaration echoed from the Hokage Rock.
The crowd erupted in cheers. The gloom of the defeat seemed to have been lifted. The young Kakashi Hatake jumped up and down, pulling on the arm of a boy with a bowl cut next to him. "That's my dad!" he shouted. "My dad is the Hokage!"
On another rooftop, a handsome, blonde-haired boy waved in approval. Then I'll just have to be the Fifth, he thought to himself.
In a dark corner, Danzo Shimura's fists were clenched so tight his nails dug into his flesh. From the shadows, he stared at the gleaming white robe in the sunlight, his eyes bloodshot.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! Sakumo Hatake!"
And as the entire village was captivated by the birth of a new Hokage, two figures left the village gate, the noisy village behind them as if it were a world away.
"I never thought we'd not only have the same idea, but also choose the same day," Jiraiya said, looking at Tsunade, who was also carrying a backpack.
"Today is the only day the old man won't have time to bother us," she said, her voice low. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to travel the world," he said after a moment of thought. "Improve my skills, and search for the Child of Prophecy."
"You still believe that nonsense from the toads?"
"Well," he said, rubbing his nose, "I'm not so sure. But traveling the world can't be a bad thing. I want to see other places, other people."
He was silent for a moment, then looked at her and held out his hand. "Why don't we go together?" he said, his voice earnest. "We can travel the world together. I'll go wherever you want to go."
But his only answer was silence.
After a moment, a dejected look crossed his face. He forced a smile. "Wow, that was a pretty cool line, wasn't it?" he said. "Well, it looks like I'm on my own. Be safe, Tsunade."
As his lonely figure walked away, Tsunade said, in a voice he could not have possibly heard, "I'm sorry, Jiraiya. I can't go with you. I have to go and pay a debt."