Although Uchiha Akihito had emerged from seclusion, he did not immediately return to political affairs.
During his three years in retreat, the Third Hokage and the two elders had monopolized power. Even Tsunade had gradually been pushed to the margins.
Tsunade didn't fight back.
She simply guarded her Medical Department and watched coldly from the sidelines.
Jiraiya was still wandering the world, refusing to return. And even if he did, his personality made him unsuitable to inherit the Hokage's mantle.
Hiruzen had no successor.
Sooner or later, the Hokage seat would fall to either Tsunade—or Akihito.
Tsunade wanted to see just how long those old men planned to cling to power.
The Next Generation – Team Assignments
After graduation, Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, and the others were assigned to teams.
Under Hiruzen's personal arrangements:
The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi heirs were placed under Asuma Sarutobi.Kurenai Yuhi received Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyuga Hinata—each from prominent clans.
It was clear what Hiruzen was doing.
He was laying foundations for the future.
Asuma might never become Hokage—but securing high-level influence was still possible.
By building relationships now, he could pave the way for his grandson, Konohamaru.
The Hokage position could slip away temporarily—
But the Sarutobi clan must not decline.
Compared to the two Senju Hokage before him, Hiruzen's personal ambitions were far heavier.
Team 7 – A Calculated Risk
As for the most troublesome pair—
Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki—
Hiruzen assigned them to Kakashi Hatake.
The Nine-Tails incident twelve years ago had left deep trauma.
To Hiruzen, "Uchiha" and "Nine-Tails" were nightmares.
Kakashi had grown increasingly distant from the Hokage faction.
If so—
Then let him handle the hot potatoes.
If anything went wrong, public pressure would crush him.
It was the same tactic once used against Sakumo Hatake.
Those who disobeyed the establishment—
Could still be destroyed by "praise."
The Other Villages – Underlying Currents
Though Akatsuki appeared quiet, Akihito knew Nagato would soon move against Hanzo of the Salamander.
Nagato was patient.
He would strike only when Hanzo had aged and weakened.
Elsewhere—
Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, remained cautious as ever.
Since failing to seize Konoha during the Third Great War, he had retreated into defensive stability.
Iwagakure's terrain was nearly impenetrable.
As long as he stayed put, no one would provoke him.
Though the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, had left the village, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han—the "Steam Ninja"—remained loyal.
Kirigakure – The Blood Mist
The Hidden Mist appeared stable.
In truth, it was collapsing internally.
Under Obito's manipulation of the Fourth Mizukage:
Bloodline clans were persecuted.Six of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen defected.Coups erupted constantly.
Kirigakure was rotting from within.
Sunagakure – On the Brink
After the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, Rasa rose as the Fourth Kazekage.
He struggled constantly:
Failed Jinchuriki experiments.Funding cuts from the Wind Daimyō.Military weakness.
Ultimately, he sealed Shukaku into his own son, Gaara.
At first, it worked.
But recently—
Gaara had begun losing control.
Desperation drove Rasa's gaze toward Konoha.
With Akihito inactive and Hiruzen aging—
Perhaps Konoha was easier to manipulate.
Kumogakure – Rising Ambition
The Fourth Raikage, A, had learned from defeat.
After losing to Akihito and surrendering the treasured Amber Purifying Pot, he invested heavily in military expansion.
He swore to face Akihito again.
When Minato Namikaze died, A regained confidence.
Now, seeing Akihito remain politically inactive, he underestimated him.
"One man's strength is just brute force."
"Nations are ruled by strategy."
Raikage A believed he could defeat Konoha without direct war.
Otogakure – A Snake's Ambition
Meanwhile, Orochimaru had perfected Impure World Reincarnation.
He felt the time to rewrite history had come.
Team 7 – The Land of Waves
After mundane missions, Kakashi's Team 7 accepted a C-rank escort mission.
It escalated into battle with Zabuza Momochi and Haku.
Two fierce clashes later—
Zabuza and Haku fell.
Naruto and Sasuke gained real combat experience.
They now possessed genuine chunin-level fighting quality.
As for Sakura—
Still largely useless.
Kakashi, favoring Sasuke due to shared Lightning affinity, began teaching him Chidori.
Naruto felt sidelined.
But it wasn't favoritism—
Naruto's Wind chakra was incompatible.
Jiraiya Enters
While practicing his "Sexy Technique" near the women's bathhouse—
Naruto encountered the self-proclaimed Toad Sage.
Jiraiya.
After witnessing the Sexy Technique twice, Jiraiya's soul was shaken.
"You're a genius!"
Though pretending reluctance, he agreed to teach Naruto.
He began with Summoning Technique.
Soon after, learning Kakashi had taught Sasuke Chidori—
Jiraiya passed on Minato's legacy:
Rasengan.
Despite weak fundamentals, Naruto learned Rasengan in just three weeks.
Jiraiya was stunned.
Minato's will lived on.
He resolved to devote himself fully to Naruto's growth.
Hinata – A Different Path
While Naruto and Sasuke advanced rapidly, Akihito personally trained Hinata.
Most believed Hinata lacked talent.
Akihito disagreed.
The Hyuga focused too much on taijutsu.
In his eyes, that was a mistake.
At best, mastering Gentle Fist produced someone like Hiashi.
But focusing on bloodline evolution—
Could reach Madara or Hashirama levels.
The Hyuga were descendants of Otsutsuki Hamura.
Their potential was immense.
Under Akihito's guidance:
Hinata's chakra control improved dramatically.Her Byakugan mastery deepened.She mastered Twin Lion Fists in two weeks instead of two years.
Her growth rate rivaled Naruto and Sasuke.
The Chunin Exams
With the new generation maturing, the next milestone arrived:
The Chunin Exams.
Originally created by Tobirama Senju to select talent—
Now they also served to display national strength.
Hiruzen, confident in Konoha's new generation, invited:
SunagakureAmegakureOtogakureKusagakureTakigakure
Some saw it as diplomacy.
Others saw it as muscle-flexing.
Akihito saw it differently.
A self-dug grave.
Without this invitation—
Orochimaru would have had no opportunity to launch the Konoha Crush.
Hiruzen wanted to gamble?
Akihito wouldn't stop him.
In fact—
He was curious.
How much chaos could Orochimaru truly unleash?
Otogakure
Orochimaru smiled upon receiving the invitation.
A golden opportunity.
The revenge he had long prepared—
Would finally begin.
Once, Hiruzen had expelled him.
Now—
He would step on the so-called "Professor" and "Strongest Hokage."
And that—
Would be very entertaining indeed.
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