Year 33, August 15
Following the war's conclusion on August 8th, the Konoha shinobi deployed across various fronts returned to the village in successive waves. Only a minimum defensive force of three hundred ANBU remained stationed along the border towns.
With Sunagakure and Iwagakure completely defeated, Kumogakure fractured by internal civil war, and Kirigakure having made an early exit from the war, the twenty-six-year-old Sarutobi Hiruzen earned immense prestige and a staggering list of achievements early in his tenure as Hokage. The suffocating grief and depression that had hung over Konoha completely dissipated, replaced by non-stop village-wide festivities. Though the first day of celebration was the grandest—with the Third Hokage personally welcoming the first batch of shinobis and initiating the celebration—every subsequent division that returned later was met with roaring applause and waves of bouquets from the civilian populace.
The Uchiha clan, in particular, gained unprecedented fame and public approval due to their overwhelming victories on both the Kirigakure and Sunagakure fronts. As their popularity surged, many Uchiha clansmen felt a rare sense of relief and satisfaction. Furthermore, with the Uchiha Gourmet initiative and the clan actively providing free signature dishes for the celebrations, the Uchiha's standing among the civilian population reached new heights.
However, beneath this veneer of public adoration, the reality remained tense. Most of the noble ninja clans and high-ranking jonin who were aware of the truth behind Kagami's tragic final operation viewed the Uchiha's skyrocketing fame with guarded approval or outright distrust, misinterpreting it as predatory ambition. Regardless, the Uchiha elders and the clan leader, Uchiha Sōsuke, were deeply satisfied with their current status, tempered only by their grief over Kagami and their lingering regret and dissatisfaction regarding Hiruzen's sudden ascension to power.
Unknowingly manipulated by the calculations of Senju Genshiro, Hiruzen performed flawlessly to win the Uchiha clan's trust. When the final batch of Uchiha warriors returned from the Land of Rivers, the Third Hokage personally stood at the main gates of Konoha to greet them, paying his respects to Uchiha Kagami's recovered remains with deep sincerity. This display profoundly moved the Uchiha clansmen, particularly the Seventh Division, causing them to temporarily forget the backstabbing actions that Kenji and the ANBU shadow guards had committed against them in the desert.
On the surface, Konoha seemed to be scaling an unprecedented peak of development, fueled by aggressive peace treaties that heavily exploited the neighboring minor nations to supercharge the village economy. Yet, underneath the grand, week-long celebration, a silent and massive power seizure was taking place. With Tobirama gone, Grand Elder Genshiro and the Senju radicals began systematically usurping administrative authority under the clever guise of providing guidance to the young, inexperienced Hokage.
With treaties that basically exploited the neighboring smaller nations boosting Konoha's economy to another level and vigor and excitement of winning against all other four major nations, on the surface Konoha seemed to be reaching a new height in their development. However, underneath the light and grand celebration that span for more than a week, a grand power seizure was taking place. : With Tobirama gone, grand elder Genshiro and Senju radicals began to seize power under the disquise of providing guidance for the young inexperienced hokage(26 years old Hiruzen).
With Kagami dead, Torifu bedridden in recovery, Danzo consumed by his ANBU integration duties alongside Kenji, and Hiruzen buried under mountains of unexpected paperwork, the youthful leader was left exposed. Idealistic about the village's unity and placing naive trust in the Senju elders, Hiruzen willingly complied with the Grand Elder's suggestions. He unknowingly signed away his own centralized authority, surrendering and dividing the Hokage's administrative responsibilities across multiple newly independent departments.
***
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky transformed into a black canvas sparkling with a glittering spectacle of stars. Below, the streets of Konoha remained blindingly bright, illuminated by endless rows of festive lanterns.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood beside the grand windowsills of the Hokage Office, a warm, content smile gracing his face as he observed his happy citizens.
Knock! Knock!
Hiruzen turned back toward the interior of the room as the door swung open following the polite knock. An old man leaning lightly on a wooden cane walked inside. He wore a light green hakama, light grey pleated pants, and a beige haori with Senju emblem on its back.
"Hokage-sama, I hate to interrupt your fleeting moment of peace, but there are urgent duties you must complete as the leader of this village."
"Grand Elder Genshiro..." Hiruzen offered a wry smile, turning his head toward his massive oak desk, which was currently piled high with mountains of unread paperwork.
Genshiro noted the young man's overwhelmed expression, lightly shaking his head as he approached. With practiced ease born of decades of political involvement, the elder began flipping through the documents, sorting them into neat stacks. "I understand that you are not yet accustomed to the realities of desk work, and that your heart still wishes to be out on the field."
"Haha..." Hiruzen chuckled nervously, hurriedly rushing back to sit behind his desk. "What are you talking about, Genshiro-sama... I..."
"Do not worry too much," Genshiro interrupted gently as his fingers gracefully organized the documents one by one. "Your ascension was admittedly abrupt, but you must remember that you were Tobirama's chosen successor."
Hiruzen looked up, a trace of confusion in his eyes. "?"
"Did you truly not notice it when Tobirama brought you back to Konoha during the war?" Genshiro continued. Without looking up, he answered Hiruzen's unspoken doubt with a casual elderly tone. "In his mind, you were already the Third Hokage long before he died and perhaps long before this war too."
Hiruzen's eyes widened in profound realization. "!"
"Tobirama would have passed the hat to you eventually, even if he hadn't fallen in battle," Genshiro continued smoothly. "The plan was always for you to master your skills, teach your own disciples as Tobirama once taught you, and take the position when you felt ready."
"But... I am not ready," Hiruzen murmured, staring down at his hands.
"Who says you are not?"
"But I—"
"Do you not have your comrades to rely on, Hokage-sama?" Genshiro interjected softly.
"!"
"Even the First Hokage, Hashirama-sama, relied on Tobirama to handle the sophisticated logistics of controlling Senju clan and establishing Konoha in his reign," Genshiro noted. He compiled a small, finalized stack of papers requiring the Hokage's official signature and raised his head, locking his wise eyes with Hiruzen's. "Even Tobirama relied heavily on you and his other disciples to build the ANBU, organize the shinobi ranking system, and manage the infrastructure. He utilized the clan leaders and elders to run specific departments."
Genshiro paused, accurately reading the wave of emotion and vulnerability in Hiruzen's expression, and smiled warmly.
"Do not carry this burden alone. I will personally complete the administrative training that Tobirama did not have the time to give you." Genshiro reached out, gently tapping Hiruzen's shoulder. "And when the time is right—when you have firmly carved out your own path as Hokage—you and your friends can completely take over the reins, finally allowing this old man to retire. Just don't make me wait until I die of old age."
Hiruzen looked up at Genshiro, his heart overflowing with intense gratitude and warmth. "Then... what should my immediate focus be?"
"Train," Genshiro advised, gripping his cane as he slowly turned toward the exit. "Ultimately, in this world, your raw strength as a shinobi will stabilize your political power far more than your title as Tobirama's chosen disciple ever could. Teach your pupils well. You will find that you learn far more from the experience of guiding the next generation than you could ever teach them. Cultivate them properly, so that they may rise to support your back in the future, just as you and your colleagues once did for Tobirama."
Hiruzen bowed his head in deep respect as Genshiro departed, before happily and energetically diving into the neatly organized documents the elder had prepared for him.
What the naive young Hokage failed to notice, however, was the cold, satisfied look that flashed across Genshiro's face the moment he crossed the threshold. Hiruzen had innocently swallowed the bait, complying perfectly with the Grand Elder's dangerous advice.
The moment Genshiro returned to his humble estate deep within the Senju compound, the trap snapped shut. Alongside Kenji and the radical Senju elders, Genshiro began making a series of subtle, calculated moves. They immediately seized control of the village's vital infrastructures and departments, taking over the finance, mission allocation, and sensory barrier departments.
Simultaneously, Genshiro pulled political strings to relocate Utatane Koharu to the head of the Medical Department—a sector primarily staffed by Senju and ex-Senju medical ninjas—while placing Mitokado Homura in charge of Civil Management, the department dealing directly with civilian affairs, who were also largely comprised of integrated ex-Senju clansmen. The two of them willingly followed his decision under the guise of learning and training their administrative abilities to support Hiruzen. Finally, he successfully ensnared Shimura Danzō into joining his cause, granting him full command over the ANBU forces alongside Kenji. Of course, true to his cautious nature, Genshiro ensured that Danzō remained completely blind to the dark secrets and lethal existence of the Senju Shadow Guards hidden within the ANBU.