News of Konoha's change in leadership spread across the shinobi world before the ceremony was even finalized.
The impact on other villages was measured primarily in one dimension: strength.
Natsuki's combat record spoke for itself. By every metric, he surpassed his predecessor. The Leaf hadn't weakened with the transition — if anything, it had consolidated power further.
Because of that, the succession generated remarkably little turbulence internationally. A weaker Hokage might have invited aggression — the Third Raikage, in particular, would have tested any perceived vulnerability. But no one was eager to provoke the man who'd singlehandedly dismantled four thousand Stone shinobi.
One week later. Konoha's main gate.
Orochimaru appeared for the first time in seven days.
The Fire Daimyō's carriage was approaching.
Tsunade, Nawaki, Natsuki, and the rest of Konoha's leadership stood in formation.
The carriages halted. The Daimyō and his officials stepped out. Orochimaru greeted them formally, pleasantries were exchanged, and the procession moved toward the Hokage Building's conference room.
Inside, the room was already packed with jōnin.
Kushina was present — her first time attending a jōnin assembly. Several shinobi glanced at her with visible confusion. Only a handful recognized her, and even they seemed puzzled by her inclusion.
The doors opened. The room fell silent. Everyone stood.
"Daimyō-sama, please." Orochimaru gestured to the principal seat.
The Daimyō sat without ceremony.
"This contains the results of both the civilian and jōnin votes." Orochimaru handed over a scroll.
The Daimyō glanced at it. In both tallies, one name dominated overwhelmingly.
"The Fifth Hokage shall be Natsuki."
Who occupied the seat was irrelevant to him, so long as Konoha continued to protect the Land of Fire.
Applause filled the room.
"The succession ceremony begins in one hour. Daimyō-sama, please rest until then." Orochimaru stood.
The Daimyō nodded and departed with his escort.
"There will be a jōnin meeting immediately following the ceremony," Natsuki announced. "Everyone — attend on time."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
"Dismissed."
The room emptied except for the inner circle.
"Congratulations, Natsuki." Tsunade smiled.
Nawaki and the others added their well-wishes.
After a few minutes of conversation, everyone filed out toward the plaza in front of the Hokage Building.
Natsuki headed to the Hokage's office. Orochimaru was waiting.
"This was made for you." Orochimaru pointed to the desk. A white haori lay folded on its surface — the Hokage's cloak.
Natsuki pulled it on. The hat would wait for the ceremony itself.
"Sensei — there's an experiment that might interest you."
"An experiment?" Orochimaru blinked at the non sequitur.
"Your laboratory. Let's go."
Natsuki opened an Air Door. Orochimaru's curiosity outweighed his confusion, and he stepped through.
In the lab, Natsuki produced a summoning scroll and unsealed its contents.
A White Zetsu — the one that had been possessed by Madara's Shadow Clone.
He'd spent weeks considering how to use it. Every application ran into the same bottleneck: quantity. One specimen, one use, gone forever.
The solution was cloning.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru had pioneered shinobi cloning technology — eventually producing Mitsuki, his own synthetic son. The foundation of that research had been Uchiha Shin, a ninja with a unique constitution that accepted any transplanted tissue without rejection.
There was no Uchiha Shin in the current timeline. But White Zetsu's biological uniqueness was at least comparable.
"What manner of creature is this? Human?" Orochimaru's interest ignited the moment he saw it. He was already examining the specimen before the question finished leaving his mouth.
"It's called a White Zetsu," Natsuki said — truthful enough. "A special organism I captured on the Land of Earth front. Its exact origins are unclear."
"First Hokage cells?" A moment's examination produced a startled expression. "But with significant deviations from the baseline."
A professional is a professional. White Zetsu were ancient humans caught in the Infinite Tsukuyomi a millennium ago, later modified by Madara with Hashirama's cells. That dual origin produced their unique properties.
"It demonstrated Wood Release in combat," Natsuki said casually. "Possibly a creation from Shimura Danzo's experiments."
Danzo was dead. One more item on his posthumous record changed nothing.
Explaining Madara and Black Zetsu would require hours and accomplish little. Orochimaru had retired — let him focus on research without the burden of existential threats.
"Plausible." Orochimaru's excitement was palpable. "Give it to me. I want to study it."
"That's why I brought it. Can you clone it?"
"Clone it?" A brief consideration. "I'll attempt it. It should be feasible."
Natsuki exhaled. If White Zetsu could be mass-produced, the applications were staggering — intelligence gathering alone justified the effort. Beyond that: sacrificial bodies for the Reanimation Jutsu, Wood Release augmentation, physical recovery, Mangekyō Sharingan sustainability.
One hour later. The plaza was overflowing.
Every civilian and shinobi in the village had gathered.
"Starting today, we're students of the Hokage!" Kurenai's joy was barely contained.
The past week had been surreal. Clan heads and senior shinobi had visited her home bearing gifts. Her father, Yūhi Shinku, had been too excited to sleep.
"This is youth!" Guy's fists clenched, his energy volcanic. From overlooked taijutsu specialist to student of the Hokage — if this wasn't the miracle of youth, nothing was.
Shizune was calmer. But her smile hadn't faded in days.
"Too bad Minato-sensei didn't get it," Obito sighed. A Hokage's student carried prestige that a Hokage Advisor's student simply didn't match.
"Nawaki-sensei was close too," Anko said.
Asuma and Kakashi exchanged a glance. Close was a generous characterization. The gap was a canyon.
Cheering erupted.
On the Hokage Building's roof — the Daimyō, Orochimaru, and Natsuki.
The ceremony was brief and absolute. Orochimaru handed over the hat. Natsuki placed it on his head. The Daimyō made the formal announcement.
Natsuki stepped forward and delivered his first address as Fifth Hokage.
In the crowd, Fugaku's mood was excellent. A week ago, Natsuki had confirmed that Mikoto would continue as Hokage Secretary — and had requested Uchiha support for Nawaki and Minato's advisory appointments, and for Kushina's secretary position.
Every major clan had received the same request. Every one had agreed. The exchange was transparent: clan representation within the Hokage's inner circle, distributed equitably. The Hyūga in particular were ecstatic — they'd never previously held a position at Konoha's center of power.
The ceremony concluded. The jōnin assembled for the new Hokage's first meeting.
Natsuki took the principal seat.
First row: Homura, Koharu, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Hatake Sakumo.
Second row: clan heads — Fugaku, Hiashi, Shibi.
Third row: Nawaki, Kushina, Might Duy, Minato.
Orochimaru was absent. He'd gone straight to his laboratory after the ceremony.
"First order of business." Natsuki didn't ease into it. "Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu are relieved of their positions as Hokage Advisors."
The two went pale. They'd expected it. Expecting it didn't make it painless.
Shock rippled through the room.
"The new Hokage Advisors will be Tsunade, Namikaze Minato, and Nawaki."
"I object!" Koharu was on her feet. "Minato and Nawaki are far too young for advisory—"
"If age is the criterion, then I shouldn't be Hokage."
"Advisory appointments are based on strength and capability, not calendar years." Jiraiya's voice carried from the front row. "I personally vouch for both of them."
"Agreed," Fugaku said immediately.
"Agreed," echoed Hiashi, Shikaku, Inoichi, and Shibi in rapid succession.
With the clan heads leading, the remaining jōnin followed.
Homura and Koharu's faces drained of color. This had been orchestrated well in advance — and they'd been completely excluded from the planning.
"Further objections?"
Koharu's mouth opened. Closed. She sat down.
Pressing harder meant losing more than a title.
Homura sighed internally. They still wanted to live in Konoha.
"Second: Hatake Sakumo, Hyūga Hizashi, Might Duy, and Aburame Tatsuma are added to the Hokage Guard Platoon. Yakushi Nonou, Uzumaki Kae, and Inuzuka Suzume remain unchanged."
Energy surged through the room. The Guard composition was balanced: clan and civilian, senior and younger generation. Every jōnin in the room could see a path for themselves or their people.
Homura and Koharu exchanged a look of grim understanding. This was why every clan had supported the advisory changes. An exchange of interests, perfectly executed.
"Third: Uzumaki Kushina is appointed Hokage Secretary. Uchiha Mikoto and Nara Shikaku remain unchanged."
Koharu's body tensed. The Nine-Tails jinchūriki as a secretary was unprecedented — arguably reckless.
Homura's hand closed around her wrist before she could rise. He met her eyes and shook his head.
She understood. If Natsuki had paved the road for Minato and Nawaki, he'd done the same for Kushina. Objecting would accomplish nothing except making an enemy of the new Hokage.
Kushina's fingers tightened on the fabric of her pants. She'd been bracing for opposition — her identity made her vulnerable to exactly this kind of challenge. She had no personal fame, no battlefield record, nothing to justify the position except Natsuki's will.
No one spoke against it.
She exhaled.
She also understood that the silence was Natsuki's doing — every objection had been preemptively neutralized through the week's negotiations.
The meeting proceeded smoothly through the remaining items. One gap remained: the Anbu Commander position. Natsuki's own former role needed filling, and the candidate had to be someone whose loyalty was absolute.
He assigned Zo as interim commander.
His real choice was Uchiha Shisui — who met every criterion except age. But within the next year or two, during this war, Shisui would make his name. "Shisui of the Body Flicker" was coming. The appointment could wait.
"Final item: office assignments."
Three new advisory offices were needed. Tsunade received Natsuki's former office, adjacent to the Hokage's. Nawaki and Minato would occupy the remodeled former secretary suite on the other side.
The Guard Platoon kept their shared office — their duties were protection, not paperwork.
For the secretaries, Natsuki allocated individual offices to each. The stated reason: workflow efficiency. The actual reason: preventing his personal life from creating workplace incidents.
Nonou received a private office as well — she now held concurrent positions as Guard member, Hospital Director, and Orphanage Director. Tsunade had handed over the hospital directorship without a moment's hesitation. Being an advisor was already more work than she wanted; holding two additional titles was out of the question.
"Dismissed."
Natsuki returned to the Hokage's office.
A knock. Kushina entered.
"Didn't you go pick your office?"
"I did, but the remodeling takes another week."
She walked up to his desk.
"What will you do in the meantime?"
"Learn how to actually be a secretary." She paused. "You'll need to find me a teacher."
"Mikoto can show you the ropes."
In the original timeline, Mikoto and Kushina had been best friends. The butterfly effect had prevented that bond from forming — but this might be the catalyst for it.
"Wait here — I'll get her."
He needed to brief Mikoto first. Certain boundaries had to be established.
"Then I'll test-drive your chair."
Kushina slid into the Hokage's seat with visible satisfaction.
Natsuki smiled and headed to the temporary secretary office.
"Natsuki." Mikoto's face lit up the moment she saw him.
Shikaku was absent. Natsuki stepped forward and pulled her against him, settling onto the sofa with her in his lap. His hand found her thigh, fingers pressing into soft warmth.
"I need you to take Kushina under your wing. She's starting from zero."
Mikoto nodded.
"Only teach her the work."
She froze. Color flooded her face instantly, her eyes going hazy.
"What goes through your head all day?"
He smacked her ass — hard.
A muffled yelp. She dropped her gaze, mortified.
"Come on. Let's go see Kushina."
He released her, and she took a steadying breath, composure snapping back into place with practiced speed.
They returned to the Hokage's office.
"Thank you for this, Mikoto." Kushina's gratitude was genuine.
"It's nothing — we're colleagues now. Looking out for each other is natural."
"You remind me of Nonou, actually." Kushina smiled. "Same energy."
She meant it as a compliment. Both Mikoto and Nonou radiated that same gentle, nurturing warmth.
For her purposes, that was also reassuring. People with that temperament were easy to get along with.
"Let's head to the office — I want to start right away." Kushina grabbed Mikoto's hand and pulled her out.
The door closed.
[Congratulations — Shimura Danzo Template Ability 4: Izanagi has been unlocked.]
Natsuki raised an eyebrow.
The inauguration had triggered it. The last ability of the Danzo template — unlocked by fulfilling the condition he'd been fated to achieve.
Izanagi's value was straightforward: survival. At the cost of one Sharingan per use, any lethal damage sustained during its activation was retroactively erased — as though it never happened.
The cost was steep. With his current eyes, he could use it twice.
Two extra lives. Not bad at all.
He turned to the documents on his desk.
While Konoha had been consumed by the succession, the shinobi world hadn't paused.
The biggest development: the Third Raikage had launched a devastating surprise attack on a Mist stronghold, inflicting over five hundred casualties. Under his leadership, the Cloud now held a decisive advantage over the Mist.
The disparity in high-level combatants was the deciding factor. The Third Raikage and his son alone constituted two Kage-level threats. The Mist couldn't match that ceiling.
But Kirigakure was still one of the Five Great Villages. Collapse wouldn't be immediate. The Third Mizukage, Yagura, Terumī Mei, Hoshigaki Kisame, and others had all deployed to the front. They couldn't match the Cloud's top tier, but they could hold — barely.
And the Mist wasn't facing a single enemy anymore.
Under Natsuki's direction, Pakura had formally declared war on Kirigakure. With the Stone-Sand conflict concluded following the Stone's devastating defeat, the Sand now fought on only one front.
Pakura had dispatched an elite force to harass the Mist's territory — specifically, the Sand's Puppet Brigade, currently commanded by a man named Sasori and his father.
Natsuki set down the report and thought.
If the current trajectory held, the Mist's defeat was inevitable. Squeezed between the Cloud and the Sand, with no allies and diminishing resources, their position was untenable.
The question was how the Leaf should intervene.
The answer took shape quickly: wait until the Mist was on the verge of collapse, then extend a hand. Rescue — at a price.
For instance, an honorary Mizukage title.
Evening.
A celebratory feast — Natsuki's first night as Hokage.
Orochimaru, Tsunade, Nawaki, Minato, Guy, Kakashi, and the full inner circle attended.
After dinner, everyone dispersed.
Natsuki followed his usual routine and went to Kushina's room.
"Put this on."
She held out a blindfold, her cheeks faintly pink. "I have a gift. To celebrate."
Her expression — caught between embarrassment and anticipation — was genuinely intriguing.
Something new tonight.
"No peeking." She pressed the point. "And no chakra."
"Deal."
He smiled, put on the blindfold, and closed his eyes. Without chakra enhancement, his vision went completely dark.
He lay back on the bed.
His clothes disappeared — pulled away with practiced efficiency.
Then — weight settled onto him.
"Don't peek," Kushina whispered against his ear.
But the weight was wrong.
The proportions, the distribution, the way she moved — this wasn't Kushina. He knew her body as well as his own.
His pulse spiked.
Nonou.
He activated chakra before the thought finished forming.
Nonou materialized in his vision — bare, head tilted back, the clean line of her waist curving into her hips.
"I didn't peek." He kept his voice even.
Kushina nodded, apparently satisfied with the technicality.
She switched places with Nonou.
Natsuki winced. Kushina was substantially more... aggressive.
He lasted approximately ninety seconds before pulling off the blindfold entirely.
Two bodies. Two completely different aesthetics. Nonou's elegant proportions and Kushina's athletic curves, side by side.
He grinned.
Kushina shook her head, glaring. "He broke the rules. Nonou — we punish him together."
Natsuki was not remotely intimidated.
In the end, the punishment went the other direction entirely.
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