Chapter 20: Death of the Fourth, Reinstatement of the Third
"The Fourth Hokage has unfortunately sacrificed himself in the line of duty while confronting the Nine-Tails. Moving forward, I shall temporarily resume the position of Hokage until a Fifth Hokage is chosen."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood upon the Hokage's balcony, the wind whipping his Hokage robes.
Every soul present felt the crushing weight of sorrow. The Fourth had been in office for less than a year; the passing of a leader in the prime of his youth was a shock that neither the residents nor the shinobi could easily process. No one expected that while the Great War hadn't claimed the Fourth, he would fall before the Nine-Tails.
Tonbo Tobitake stood within the ranks of the shinobi, positioned alongside Shimon and the others, looking up at the aged Third.
He wondered why it wasn't the Third who had made the sacrifice. Between the forbidden techniques left by the Second and the jutsus developed by others, surely there were other ways to handle the situation? The Nine-Tails had existed for thousands of years; there was no reason it could only be controlled now. Perhaps the Third simply wasn't proficient enough in Sealing Jutsu to seal the beast into Naruto himself. It felt like a reach, and since the original story never clarified it, even with Tonbo's intelligence, he couldn't find a definitive answer.
"Sigh, we finally ended the war, and now things are probably going to be chaotic again for a while!" Shimon sighed.
"Yeah, the days ahead are going to be tough," Tonbo agreed.
The impact of the Fourth's death was monumental. Much like the deaths of the Third Kazekage or the Third Raikage, it caused a massive shift in the landscape of the shinobi world. The disappearance of the Third Kazekage led to the Third Shinobi World War; the death of the Third Raikage led to Kumogakure's failure in the war. Later, the death of the Third Hokage would lead to an internal vacuum in Konoha.
With Minato Namikaze gone, many resources invested in Konoha by the Land of Fire and other nations would surely be snatched away by other villages. The most direct consequence would be a decrease in mission volume—the very thing that served as the foundation of Konoha's strength.
Tonbo judged that the Land of Fire and other nations, seeing a Hokage die after less than a year in office, would lose trust in Konoha, leading to fewer requests. Fewer missions meant less growth for Konoha's shinobi, a chain reaction of decline. To stabilize the situation, the higher-ups didn't risk electing a new Hokage immediately. Instead, they let the Third continue to use his "remaining heat" to steady the village.
With the Third reinstated, the next step was to console the souls of the departed. Between the Fourth's death and the loss of a large number of Jonin who fought the Nine-Tails, the crowd before the Memorial Stone was filled with grief and indignation. Among those most affected were Kakashi and Iruka.
Tonbo had participated in many such memorial services; one occurred after every war. He felt fortunate that his family was still safe. Thus, his focus was on honoring the Fourth. He respected the radiant Fourth Hokage and his wife—their character was truly noble.
A long time had passed since the Nine-Tails incident. Life continued for the living.
"Tonbo Tobitake, the Hokage has summoned you to his office."
An Anbu suddenly appeared while Tonbo was engrossed in a book titled Theoretical Research on Barrier Ninjutsu.
"Do I need to prepare anything?" he asked, closing the book.
It had been a year and a half since the Third's reinstatement. Tonbo had grown significantly taller. He had been diligent and never slacked off in his duties at the Analysis Team. He didn't understand why the Hokage would suddenly seek him out.
Anbu: "No need."
Tonbo stepped out of his house. The sun was shining brightly, suggesting no clouds in the sky. Inwardly, he sifted through the possibilities of why the Third wanted to see him.
He was an elite of the Analysis Team with outstanding abilities. He had even been promoted to Special Jonin. The reason he achieved this rank was that his Psycho Mind Transmission had already surpassed that of Inoichi Yamanaka. Since the Analysis Team rarely engaged in combat, his other abilities were seldom showcased. It was highly likely this involved an escort or field mission. Some missions required going out to extract intel on-site in the shortest time possible.
Knock, knock!
Tonbo arrived at the Hokage's office and knocked. "Lord Hokage, Tonbo Tobitake reporting as requested."
"Come in."
Creak—
Opening the door, he saw the Third looking over. A mountain of documents sat before him, with two ninjas assisting at his side.
"Lord Hokage."
"Mm. It seems you've been training well these past few years; you're looking sturdier," Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled.
"Lord Hokage, allow me to correct you. This look is 'elegant' and 'tall,' but definitely not 'sturdy.'"
Tonbo had a slender build; he truly couldn't be described as sturdy.
"Haha, indeed. My old eyes must be failing me," Hiruzen laughed. This kid really doesn't give me any face at all! "I called you here to give you a mission."
"Yes."
"As you know, the war and the Nine-Tails incident caused massive losses to Konoha's core strength. Even after a year, we haven't fully recovered."
"Yes." Tonbo understood this, but he wasn't sure what the Third was getting at.
"It's like this: your abilities have been recognized by myself and the Elders. You are someone who has experienced the battlefield and possesses rich experience. Therefore, I want you to lead one of the new Genin teams graduating from the Academy this year. What are your thoughts?" Hiruzen asked.
"Lead a team?"
Tonbo hadn't expected this. He had been guessing for a while. Although he wanted to stay quiet in the Analysis Team to develop, his public persona was that of a man who inherited the Will of Fire. He couldn't possibly refuse such a request. Besides, he hadn't been out in a long time; leading a team sounded like a nice change of pace. He could appreciate the scenery of the shinobi world.
"No problem. It is my duty to add new fuel to the fire of Konoha," Tonbo promised solemnly.
Hiruzen was very satisfied with his firm response. He hadn't misjudged the boy. A year ago, he felt this child had inherited the Will of Fire, and that remained true today.
"Excellent. Here is the list of the team you will be leading."
Hiruzen handed over a document. Tonbo opened it and read: "Iruka Umino, Mibu Shinobu, Togetake Tetusen."
He recognized the first name, then looked at their files.
Iruka Umino: Excellent theoretical grades, average practical grades, excellent mastery of the Three Basic Jutsus, average Taijutsu.
Mibu Shinobu: Good theoretical grades, average practical grades, excellent mastery of the Three Basic Jutsus, average Taijutsu.
The photo showed someone whose head was wrapped in bandages just as uniquely as Tonbo's, with only a few hairs sticking out from the top and his facial features visible.
Togetake Tetusen: Excellent theoretical grades, excellent practical grades, excellent mastery of the Three Basic Jutsus, excellent Taijutsu. Specialized in Space-Time Ninjutsu and Ninja Tool Manipulation.
The photo was of a youth with his hair wrapped up, possessing quite a 'protagonist' look.
Yo, it looks like I'm going to be the teacher of Naruto's teacher. But looking at the data, Iruka really is better suited for teaching! Why is Mibu Shinobu wrapping his head? Doesn't he think it's ugly? You don't have my level of looks. And Togetake Tetusen... she gives off a serious Tenten vibe! To be specialized in Space-Time Ninjutsu and tool manipulation before even graduating—her family must be loaded, and her parents' strength can't be low.
Tonbo made his initial judgments about his three disciples.
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