Sasuke listened to Naruto's enthusiastic explanation of his mass befriending plan and felt something that might have been admiration if it weren't mixed with so much secondhand concern for Konoha's hospital capacity.
As expected of you, Naruto, Sasuke thought. This solution is absolutely once and for all. Brutal. Efficient. Utterly insane. Perfect.
"Naruto's method will definitely be effective," Kakashi said aloud, his voice carrying the hollowness of someone who'd just accepted the inevitable. "Alright. I'll help gather the villagers tomorrow. We'll use the ruins of the Hokage Building as the location. It's central, and there's plenty of space."
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said with genuine warmth. "I really appreciate this."
"It's no trouble," Kakashi lied. It was going to be tremendous trouble, but that was future Kakashi's problem. "I'll just send messages to the clan heads. They'll handle organizing everyone."
His visible eye studied Naruto's face, searching for something. "Naruto, about today... about everything that happened. Can you tell me why? The real reason?"
Naruto saw the concern in his teacher's expression and felt his chest tighten slightly. Kakashi had always been there when it mattered. Had become his friend, had supported him, had stood beside him when choosing sides could have meant death. He deserved honesty.
"Come sit," Naruto said, gesturing toward the cabin's porch. "I'll tell you everything."
They sat together on the wooden steps, and Naruto began to speak. He told Kakashi about finding his parents' remains in Danzo's laboratory. About the rows of glass cylinders containing body parts and children preserved like specimens. About Hiruzen swallowing his inheritance, keeping him poor and isolated as a control mechanism. About Danzo leaking his jinchūriki status deliberately to create the perfect weapon through suffering.
Kakashi listened in silence, his hands clenching and unclenching as the full scope of it unfolded. When Naruto finished, Kakashi's visible eye was wet.
The Copy Ninja opened his arms and pulled Naruto into a fierce hug.
"You did so well," Kakashi said, his voice rough with emotion. "You handled this exactly right, Naruto. Thank you for being strong enough to do what needed to be done."
He held the embrace for a long moment, then released Naruto and stepped back, wiping at his eye.
"However," Kakashi said, switching to his practical voice, "you let those prisoners go. Now other people who didn't know the truth will learn that you killed Sarutobi Hiruzen. Danzo doesn't matter—nobody cared about him anyway. But Hiruzen was Konoha's face to the world. His death reflects on the village's stability."
Naruto's expression remained calm. "Kakashi-sensei, this world respects strength above everything else. Besides, history gets written by whoever wins. We won. So we'll write the story."
Kakashi wanted to argue, but the simple truth of it stopped him. "You're right. I just worry about the complications."
"Let me worry about the complications," Naruto said. "You just help me gather everyone tomorrow. The rest will work out."
Kakashi nodded reluctantly and followed Naruto back toward the cabin. As they approached, he saw figures moving in the distance, making their way up the mountain path toward the farm.
Shikamaru led the group, his distinctive pineapple-shaped hair unmistakable even from a distance. Behind him came Chōji, Shino, Kiba with Akamaru, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata bringing up the rear, her white eyes tracking the ground nervously.
They'd come to check on their friend.
Naruto's face lit up. "Everyone's here!"
He waved enthusiastically, and the approaching group picked up their pace. Within minutes, they'd gathered on the farm's main clearing, their expressions ranging from worried (Hinata) to curious (Shikamaru) to hungry (Chōji, already eyeing the direction of Nine-Tails' kitchen).
"Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly. "Are you... are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Naruto assured her with a warm smile. "But since you're all here, stay for dinner. Kurama's been cooking, and we have plenty."
Nine-Tails emerged from the cabin wearing his white lace dress and a chef's apron, carrying a wooden spoon like a weapon. "If you're staying, you're helping set the table. I'm not your servant."
"Yes, Nine-Tails-san," several voices chorused, already moving toward the dining area.
The meal was impressive even by Nine-Tails' elevated standards. Roasted lamb with herb crust. Grilled vegetables in garlic oil. Fresh bread still warm from the oven. Rice perfectly steamed and seasoned. Multiple types of pickled vegetables. A soup rich enough to be a meal on its own.
As they ate, Naruto told them everything. The same story he'd shared with Kakashi, but expanded with more details, more context. His friends listened in rapt silence, their expressions shifting from shock to anger to grief and back again.
"That's horrible," Sakura whispered when he finished. "How could they do that?"
"They thought they were protecting the village," Shikamaru said quietly. His analytical mind had been working through implications while Naruto spoke. "In their view, creating the perfect weapon justified any method. The suffering was a necessary cost."
"That's sick," Kiba spat. "That's not protecting. That's torture."
"I agree," Shino said, his insects buzzing aggressively inside his coat. "Why? Because such treatment violates every principle we claim to uphold."
Chōji had stopped eating, which was perhaps the clearest sign of his distress. "Naruto, I'm sorry. I'm sorry we didn't realize sooner."
"It's not your fault," Naruto said firmly. "How could you have known? They hid it well."
Hinata's hands were trembling. She remembered the marketplace incident years ago when she'd seen Naruto being pelted with vegetables and insults. She'd wanted to help then but had been too frightened. "Naruto-kun, I should have—"
"Hinata," Naruto interrupted gently. "You've been my friend when it mattered. That's enough."
The meal continued in more subdued tones until Shikamaru cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.
"There's something else we need to discuss," Shikamaru said. He met Naruto's eyes directly. "My father asked me to speak with you on behalf of the major clans. They've decided to recommend you as the Fifth Hokage."
The table went silent.
Chopsticks froze midway to mouths. Eyes widened. Several people forgot to breathe.
"Hokage?" Sakura's voice came out as a squeak. "But we just took the Chunin Exams! How can Naruto become Hokage?"
"Because he's strong enough," Shikamaru said simply. "Because he has the support of every major clan. Because after today, everyone understands that he's the most powerful shinobi in the village."
"This is insane," Ino breathed. "Hokage. That's... that's the ultimate goal. That's what every ninja works their whole life for."
She looked at Naruto, really looked at him, and seemed to be seeing him for the first time. Not just her friend. Not just the boy who'd beaten her in the friendship process. But someone who'd killed the Third Hokage and was about to inherit the most powerful position in Konoha.
It felt surreal. Like a dream that might shatter if she blinked too hard.
Naruto watched his friends process this, his stomach tight with worry. Would this change things? Would they start treating him differently? Would the easy camaraderie they'd built transform into something formal and distant?
But then Chōji resumed eating, his chopsticks moving toward the lamb. "Well, at least we'll have a Hokage who actually cares about people. That's good, right?"
"Indeed," Shino agreed. "Why? Because Naruto has demonstrated genuine concern for his companions. This qualifies him better than mere strength alone."
"You'll need advisors," Shikamaru said thoughtfully. "People to handle the administrative work while you focus on the big decisions. I could help with that."
Sakura leaned forward. "And you'll need medical support. Someone to organize the hospital, coordinate with medical-nin. I could train for that role."
One by one, his friends began offering support, making plans, accepting this new reality and figuring out how they fit into it.
The tension in Naruto's chest released. They were still his friends. Still treating him like Naruto, not like some distant authority figure. The relationships hadn't changed.
Thank goodness, Naruto thought. I was really worried I'd have to do friendship renewal sessions with everyone.
The dinner stretched into evening, conversations fragmenting into smaller groups as people processed the day's events. Eventually, as stars began appearing overhead, Shikamaru pulled Naruto aside for a longer discussion.
They walked to the edge of the farm, where the view opened up to show Konoha spread below, lights beginning to appear like fireflies in the growing dark.
"The families that elected you to this position have expectations," Shikamaru said, his voice low and serious. "They want stability. They want protection. They want assurance that what happened to the Senju and Uchiha won't happen to them."
"I understand," Naruto said.
"Do you?" Shikamaru studied his face. "Because this isn't just about being strong, Naruto. It's about politics. About managing competing interests. About making decisions that will help some people and hurt others, and living with those consequences."
"I know." Naruto's voice was quiet but firm. "I'm not naive, Shikamaru. I know being Hokage means more than just fighting. But I'm also not going to pretend to be something I'm not. I'll lead the way I lead. With strength. With honesty. And by taking care of the people who matter."
Shikamaru considered this, then nodded slowly. "That might actually work. The village needs something different after decades of Hiruzen's style. Your approach could be exactly what we need."
"Besides," Naruto added with a slight smile, "I'm going to make friends with everyone tomorrow. After that, opposition won't be a problem."
"About that," Shikamaru said carefully. "My father wanted me to emphasize that the families support your... methods. Whatever you decide to do, they'll back you."
The unspoken message was clear: Beat the civilians into submission if necessary. We won't stop you.
"Good to know," Naruto said. "But I'm not doing this to create fear. I'm doing it to create genuine bonds. That's what the friendship process does."
Even if those bonds are forged through temporary suffering, Naruto thought but didn't say.
They stood in comfortable silence, watching Konoha below.
Tomorrow would change everything.
Night fell over Konoha like a heavy blanket, but sleep proved elusive for many.
In the ruins of the Hokage Building, a fire had somehow ignited at the Root base across the village. Flames consumed Danzo's underground complex, burning so hot that stone itself seemed to melt. By dawn, nothing would remain but ash and scorched earth.
Some of the Sarutobi clan's surviving members—those too closely associated with Hiruzen's regime to claim innocence—packed their belongings in panicked haste. They slipped out of Konoha under cover of darkness, heading for other villages, other lives, anywhere that wouldn't hold them accountable for their patriarch's crimes.
But before they fled, they talked. They whispered to neighbors, to friends, to anyone who would listen. And the story spread like wildfire through Konoha's civilian population.
The Third Hokage is dead. Uzumaki Naruto killed him. Killed Danzo too. Killed the advisors. Destroyed the entire leadership in a single afternoon.
By morning, everyone knew.
The marketplace buzzed with it. Mothers clutched their children closer when discussing it. Old men in tea shops debated in hushed, angry voices. The prejudice that had been carefully cultivated for twelve years—the hatred of the "demon brat," the fear of the Nine-Tails' container—found new fuel.
He killed Hokage-sama. The man who protected us. Who led us. Who kept us safe.
Never mind that Hiruzen had systematically destroyed powerful clans to maintain his grip on power. Never mind the corruption, the manipulation, the quiet atrocities committed in shadows. The civilians didn't know about those things. They only knew that their leader was dead, killed by the boy they'd been taught to fear and hate.
And then the second message arrived.
The murderer is going to become the Fifth Hokage.
The reaction was explosive.
"How can the person who killed Hokage-sama become the next Hokage?" a shopkeeper demanded of anyone who would listen. "It's madness! It makes Konoha look weak!"
"We'll be a laughingstock," a merchant agreed. "Other villages will see this as instability. They'll think we can't protect ourselves."
"Someone needs to object," a civilian jonin muttered to his companions. "Someone needs to stand up and say this is wrong."
But who? Who had the strength to stand against someone who'd killed the Third Hokage? Who had the political power to challenge the united clan heads?
The answer, of course, was no one.
The civilians raged impotently, their anger finding no outlet, their voices carrying no weight. In Konoha, as in all shinobi villages, power decided everything. And right now, all the power stood behind Uzumaki Naruto.
The Hyūga monitored the survivors carefully. ANBU loyal to the new regime tracked every whisper, every meeting, every potential conspiracy. When necessary, they intervened quietly, making it clear that continued resistance would not be tolerated.
By morning, when ninja began appearing at doorsteps with notices, the civilians had no choice but to comply.
"All residents must gather at the ruins of the Hokage Building. Important announcement. Attendance is mandatory."
The words were polite. The implication was not.
After breakfast—another masterpiece from Nine-Tails' increasingly skilled hands—Kakashi arrived at the farm's entrance.
"Naruto," Kakashi called. "Everyone's gathered at the Hokage Building. The clan heads are waiting. It's time."
Naruto nodded and stood, brushing crumbs from his clothes. Sasuke rose with him, falling into step naturally. Kurama hopped onto Naruto's shoulder, still wearing the white lace dress that had somehow become his signature outfit.
They walked through Konoha's streets together. Morning sunlight painted everything in shades of gold, deceptively peaceful. People watched from windows and doorways, their expressions ranging from fearful to angry to grimly curious.
The ruins of the Hokage Building came into view, and Naruto felt his breath catch.
So many people.
The entire civilian population had gathered, it seemed. Thousands of them, packed into every available space, filling the plaza and spilling into adjacent streets. They stood in tight clusters, whispering to each other, their body language radiating hostility.
When they saw Naruto approaching, the whispers stopped.
Silence fell like a guillotine blade.
Every eye turned toward him. Every face showed some variation of anger, fear, or disgust. The weight of their collective hatred pressed against him like a physical force.
They don't know, Naruto reminded himself. They don't understand why this happened. They only see what they've been taught to see.
But that's going to change. After today, everything changes.
On a raised platform constructed from rubble and salvaged wood, the clan heads waited. Hyūga Hiashi stood at the center, flanked by Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chōza, Aburame Shibi, Inuzuka Tsume, Yamanaka Inoichi. The most powerful civilian families in Konoha, presenting a united front.
"Naruto," Hiashi called, his voice carrying across the plaza. "Come join us."
Naruto climbed the platform, his movements unhurried despite the hostile stares tracking his every step. He positioned himself beside the clan heads, facing the assembled masses.
Behind them, the ruins of the Hokage Building stood as a reminder of yesterday's violence. Of the old order's fall. Of power changing hands through force rather than tradition.
Hiashi leaned close and spoke quietly. "After you succeed as Fifth Hokage, the Hyūga clan will fund rebuilding the Hokage Building. We'll make it even better than before."
"Thank you," Naruto said.
He stepped forward, and the platform creaked under his weight. Thousands of faces looked up at him, none of them friendly.
"Villagers of Konoha," Naruto began, his voice clear and strong. "I've called you here today because I want to tell you something important."
The crowd rumbled with suppressed anger. Hands clenched into fists. Parents pulled their children closer, as if proximity to Naruto might contaminate them.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto," he continued, meeting their hostile gazes without flinching. "And today, here, I want to make friends with all of you."
The reaction was immediate.
"What?" someone shouted from the crowd. "He called us here just to make friends?"
"Is this a joke?" another voice yelled. "After what he did?"
"Make friends with HIM?" A woman's voice, shrill with outrage. "With the demon brat? With the murderer? He's not worthy!"
The crowd began talking over each other, anger building like a wave.
"He's playing the emotional card," a man near the front observed loudly. "Trying to manipulate us so we won't object when he steals the Hokage position!"
"We won't fall for it!" several people shouted in agreement.
"He's a murderer! A traitor! How dare he think—"
Naruto's hands came together in a familiar seal.
The arguing stopped as everyone recognized what was coming.
Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!