Chapter 208: Ascend to Hokage — Stand at the Summit
News of the Daimyo's death swept across the Land of Fire like wildfire, and the name Shimura Danzō rode that gale into every corner of the nation.
In the Hokage's office, Sakura sat in the chair with a document in hand, studying its contents.
The inauguration ceremony was still three days away, but Sakura had already been appointed Hokage by the late Daimyo's decree. No one objected to her sitting here.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the office windows and fell across her, prompting the man seated on the sofa across from her to set down his teacup and look up.
"Lady Hokage — now that the assassin has been brought to justice, shouldn't the Daimyo return to the capital?"
The man had been the previous Daimyo's most loyal retainer — capable, experienced, and a member of the nobility himself.
"The assassination of Lord Minamoto Yōta by Shimura Danzō — have you learned nothing from it?"
Sakura set down the document — a joint petition from regional nobles requesting that the current Daimyo, Minamoto Musashi, return to preside over affairs of state — and regarded the man calmly.
"Might I ask what Lady Hokage means by that?"
The man's manner was deeply respectful, utterly devoid of the arrogance common to his class.
The nobility commanded shinobi, certainly.
But that depended on which nobles and which shinobi.
The Hokage of Konoha was the head of all shinobi. And he was merely a Daimyo's vassal.
Only the Daimyo himself could give the Hokage orders.
"To prevent any future traitors from harboring ambitions against the Daimyo, Lord Musashi has decided to relocate the capital to Konoha."
"Within Konoha, no one can threaten the Daimyo's safety."
The Hokage's measured tone made the man's eye twitch.
"But the capital has the Guardian Shinobi Twelve to protect the Daimyo."
The man spoke with measured gravity.
Faintly, he sensed the weather was changing.
"The Guardian Twelve?"
"How many of them are actually jōnin?"
The Hokage's words left the man speechless. He desperately wanted to claim all twelve were jōnin-level.
But under this Hokage's gaze, he swallowed the lie.
"Relocating the capital to Konoha... is this the Daimyo's command?"
The man pressed on, his unease deepening.
"It is."
The Hokage's answer was definitive.
And she wasn't finished.
"The Daimyo is young. To prevent rash decisions born of inexperience, all future decrees will be conveyed through Konoha."
"Should you or your colleagues have urgent matters to report, they may be submitted here."
The Hokage's words sank the man's heart to the pit of his stomach.
Here?
And where is "here"?
This is the Hokage's office of Konohagakure!
The entire Daimyo's palace had been annihilated. Only Musashi had survived.
Musashi was now the embodiment of legitimate authority. Whoever controlled Musashi controlled the Land of Fire.
This kind of thing wasn't unprecedented in shinobi history. But in the past, no matter what upheaval occurred — even if a Daimyo were overthrown — a single sentence was all it took:
The traitors grow bold. Summon the shinobi to defend the throne.
And everything would evaporate. No rebellion could withstand the absolute force shinobi represented.
But the person before him was the Hokage among Hokage. The shinobi among shinobi.
In all his experience, apart from Hashirama Senju — founder of Konoha — he could not think of a single Hokage who could match the one sitting before him now.
But... if this Hokage were Hashirama, that would have been a blessing.
Unfortunately, she was not.
And this young Hokage seemed to harbor ambitions she should not have.
"I wish to see the Daimyo."
His composure fraying, the man could only bow his proud frame before the Hokage and make his request.
"Someone."
"Please escort Lord Himura to the Daimyo's residence."
An ANBU operative materialized beside the man, gesturing courteously for him to follow.
"Then — Lady Hokage, I shall take my leave."
The man bowed once more and departed.
Watching him go, something unreadable flickered in Sakura's emerald eyes.
The nobility hadn't maintained their thousand-year reign by being entirely useless.
Among them were individuals of real substance — men like this Himura.
But—
The era was long overdue for change.
Occupying a position of power without possessing the strength to match — that in itself was a sin.
The office was empty now save for Sakura.
Cold wind blew through the open window, stirring the Hokage's hair.
Gazing out at a Konoha that had remained unchanged for decades, Sakura stood and stretched.
One step at a time. None of this can be rushed.
She sat back down and pulled a random file from the stack.
It was an enrollment record from the Ninja Academy. Looking at the admission figures, Sakura's lips curved.
Something caught her interest. This was a routine file requiring nothing more than a stamp, but Sakura opened it anyway — a first.
The entrance exam showed many students failing various subjects. But in the final category — "Will of Fire" — the pass rate was virtually one hundred percent.
Hokage. Academy students. The Ninja Academy.
"That Tobirama Senju really is a crafty old schemer."
In that moment, Sakura found herself praising the man she'd put to work.
She hadn't bothered investigating what came before Tobirama. But after Tobirama — Konoha's shinobi knew only the Hokage. The Daimyo was an abstraction.
Even Minato Namikaze — a Hokage produced by the Academy system Tobirama had built — had been no different.
The implication was clear: Tobirama had planted the seeds for today's situation long ago.
Worthy of the scheming old Senju ghost.
"Talking behind someone's back isn't a good habit."
One idle comment was all it took to draw out the Hokage who continued to serve Konoha diligently even in death.
"What — you'll do it but won't own it?"
Sakura looked at Tobirama, who'd appeared without warning, and smiled.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
Tobirama's feigned ignorance was old hat by now. Sakura didn't waste energy arguing.
"So?"
"You finished with Danzō?"
Danzō had been captured four days ago. Publicly, he was in maximum-security detention. But Tobirama had been fascinated by how Sharingan and Wood Release had been made to coexist in a single body.
After a few suggestive hints, Sakura had signed the paperwork and let him have free rein with his former student.
"I must say — whoever implanted the Sharingan and my brother's cells into Danzō was a genius."
Tobirama first praised Orochimaru's technical skill without hesitation, then sighed and continued:
"Unfortunately, that person held back. He merely grafted the two forces onto Danzō separately."
"Rather than saying Danzō was given Sharingan and Hashirama cells, it's more accurate to say Danzō was his test subject."
Sakura stamped a document without interest and set it aside.
"So you're telling me you got nothing useful out of it."
Tobirama looked mildly embarrassed.
This pinky really didn't spare anyone's dignity.
"Well, if there's nothing to learn, forget it. I don't need it anyway."
Continuing to leaf through the stack of pre-processed files, Sakura spoke at an unhurried pace.
"You're not interested?"
Even though Tobirama had expected this, the itch was still unbearable.
His brother's Wood Release. The Uchiha's Sharingan.
With Tobirama's experience and knowledge, these were the two most powerful forces in the shinobi world.
Even Tailed Beasts would sit down and behave like pets before them.
Why wasn't this pinky interested?
"Why would I be?"
"Other people's power is other people's power."
"And even if it's Sharingan or Wood Release — so what?"
Dismissed in passing — the power Danzō had spent his life pursuing, treated as nothing.
"You may not be interested, but a Hokage needs to be."
Tobirama corrected her thinking.
"Ugh, fine. So, my esteemed Second Hokage — after all that time researching, what did you find?"
"That way I can develop countermeasures."
Tobirama was silent.
This pinky is really asking for it.
"Alright, alright. Since you've been working so hard these past few days, I won't pile on."
"Come look at this."
Sakura smiled mysteriously, opened a desk drawer, and produced a scroll.
Tobirama leaned in with genuine curiosity.
Four characters filled his vision.
Dragon Life Reincarnation.
"What is this?"
Tobirama studied the unfamiliar jutsu with interest.
"As the name suggests — a technique that gives the caster's life to another."
Sakura explained the scroll's contents succinctly.
She hadn't managed to obtain Chiyo of the Sand's Life-Transfer technique, but the Konoha garrison stationed in the Hidden Grass had brought her an unexpected prize.
Dragon Life Reincarnation — the jutsu the heroine Ryūzetsu had used on Naruto in the Blood Prison movie arc.
She'd used her own life to drag Naruto back from death itself — even after a gaping hole had been punched clean through his chest.
In a sense, this was even more potent than the Life-Transfer technique.
After all, with a wound that massive — internal organs certainly shredded — even Sakura would struggle. And still it had revived him. Practically a paladin's ultimate resurrection.
"This..."
Tobirama looked at Sakura with a complicated expression.
That previous conversation — she hadn't been joking.
She genuinely intended to bring him back to life.
"Touched?"
Sakura winked at him.
"I must admit, yes..."
Even in his Reanimation body, Tobirama felt moved.
"Once you're alive again, you can work for me even more enthusiastically. No more hiding in the shadows — I expect real effort on the clock."
Tobirama's feelings of being touched evaporated.
"Oh, so that's your angle."
Tobirama opened the scroll with a blank expression.
"I've studied it. The technique requires someone whose life force is strong enough to bear the weight of your will — and that person must sacrifice their life to fuel your resurrection."
Years of researching Yang Release had given Sakura a unique understanding of the concept of "life."
"And?"
"Who could possibly bear the burden of my will and be willing to die for it?"
Tobirama shook his head.
"What if we implanted Hashirama cells into them?"
!
Tobirama's eyes narrowed.
"They wouldn't even need to fully stabilize. Just long enough — before the Hashirama cells go berserk — to perform Dragon Life Reincarnation."
"Trading their life for your resurrection."
Tobirama studied the scroll in his hands thoughtfully.
It was an exceptionally high-level technique. Even among S-rank jutsu, its complexity was formidable.
"Learning this technique would be extremely difficult."
For Tobirama to call something "very difficult" spoke volumes.
"And how would you convince someone implanted with Hashirama cells to willingly die?"
Tobirama pressed further.
"Have someone from the Yamanaka clan learn the technique."
Tobirama went still.
Mind Transfer Technique!
Possess the Hashirama-cell host. Use their body to perform Dragon Life Reincarnation!
"Worth exploring."
"But there's still one problem..."
Tobirama nodded, acknowledging Sakura's reasoning, then raised another issue.
"How do you ensure the Yamanaka user survives?"
Neither Tobirama nor Sakura believed for a moment that the cost of death could be circumvented so easily.
But the fact that Sakura had devised this approach at all revealed quite a bit about what occupied her mind on a daily basis.
Neither of them discussed who would be implanted with Hashirama cells and sent to die. Sakura didn't bring it up, and Tobirama didn't ask.
Death row inmates were plentiful. Pick any one of them.
In truth, even with a Yamanaka using another's body to cast Dragon Life Reincarnation, unpredictable risks remained.
The cost of a life was both equal and unequal.
Resurrecting an existence of Tobirama's caliber couldn't possibly be borne by a single stand-in implanted with Hashirama cells.
The Impure World Reincarnation alone required a living human sacrifice — and even then, the summoned Tobirama, tactics aside, couldn't beat an ordinary jōnin.
Under such stringent conditions, thinking a single secret technique could cheat death was far too optimistic.
This, in fact, was exactly what troubled Sakura.
The essence of ninjutsu was chakra.
The essence of chakra was body and spirit.
No jutsu existed outside the framework of chakra.
Even Sage techniques worked by mixing natural energy into one's own chakra.
Using Dragon Life Reincarnation necessarily involved chakra — which meant the Yamanaka, as the actual caster, would face consequences.
Whether it was Sakura or Tobirama — neither believed the cost could be so neatly sidestepped.
Sakura leaned back in her chair, thinking. Beside her, Tobirama mulled the same problem.
How to protect the Yamanaka user.
Suddenly, Sakura's eyes opened.
At the same moment, Tobirama's narrowed.
"Izanagi."
They spoke the answer simultaneously.
By sacrificing one Sharingan, a time-anchor could be set. Everything that occurred after that point would be treated as genjutsu — an illusion. When the caster decided to reset, all unfavorable outcomes from that point forward would be erased.
Including death itself.
But aside from Sasuke and Hikaru, Konoha currently possessed only two Sharingan.
Kakashi's Kamui. Uchiha Shisui's Kotoamatsukami.
Two Mangekyō Sharingan.
Sakura was inclined to use Shisui's Kotoamatsukami for Izanagi. But that would require transplanting it into someone — someone with enough shinobi aptitude to learn Izanagi.
Trading one Mangekyō for Tobirama Senju...
Worth it.
Her emerald eyes drifted, seemingly casual, toward Tobirama.
These three years — even if Tobirama never said it aloud—
No sense of taste. No sense of touch. No sense of pain. And he couldn't sleep.
He must have been miserable.
Sunset
The Hokage stood at the office window, watching the man depart.
"What did they discuss?"
The Hokage spoke.
An ANBU operative materialized behind her and reported respectfully:
"Himura asked His Highness the Daimyo if he wished to return to the capital."
"The Daimyo declined, citing safety concerns."
"Himura then spent half the day walking around the village."
The Hokage nodded slightly.
The twelve-year-old Daimyo, whom his father had called mediocre — well, it seemed the assessment wasn't wrong.
But whether the boy was truly mediocre or merely playing the part, now that he was inside Konoha, he wasn't leaving.
No force within the Land of Fire could stand against Konoha. In the entire shinobi world, the only entity that could challenge Konoha was the Akatsuki.
And as things stood now—
The Hokage raised her hand, palm outward, shielding her eyes against the setting sun.
As her hand lowered slightly, the last amber light of dusk sank below the horizon, and night began to fall.
"Lady Hokage?"
The ANBU looked at her, puzzled.
"Tenzō — how would you feel about trying your hand at crop improvement?"
Sakura turned with a smile.
"???"
Tenzō stared in confusion. He was doing perfectly fine as ANBU. Why would he go improve crops?
Was a man who lived by the blade really cut out for that?
"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes."
"Report to the Research Bureau tomorrow."
"Try it for a month. There'll be someone to show you the ropes."
Wait — Lady Hokage, I haven't said anything yet...
Tenzō looked at Sakura with something approaching despair.
He'd been so hopeful when the new Hokage took office. A promotion, a raise — surely just around the corner. He hadn't expected this.
Was this a banishment to the frontier?
"Emm... triple salary, double benefits?"
Perhaps sensing she'd been too forceful, Sakura offered this with a note of hesitation.
"I WILL LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR LADY HOKAGE!"
An ANBU squad captain's base salary, off-mission, was roughly 80,000 ryō per month. Tripled — that was 240,000 ryō!
Meaning he'd basically do nothing all day, channel a bit of chakra to grow some trees, and live in comfort — his standard of living jumping two tiers overnight!
And that wasn't even counting the bonus benefits!
Tenzō felt he could retire early and coast into his golden years.
"Work hard. Your contribution is going to be enormous."
Sakura patted Tenzō on the shoulder with a warm smile.
That night, Konoha lost one ANBU captain — and gained a jōnin by the name of Yamato.
Three days passed in a flash.
The turmoil Shimura Danzō had caused never produced any lasting instability in the foremost shinobi village.
Three years of groundwork meant that any unrest, any disturbance, any anxiety was swiftly and efficiently quelled.
And today—
Konoha would welcome its true Fifth Hokage.
The youngest Hokage in history.
The first woman ever to hold the title of Kage.
No precedent existed among the Five Great Villages.
And now, the first had been born.
Konoha was adorned with lanterns and banners. Ceremonial cannons fired. Flowers blanketed the ground.
Every villager gathered in orderly fashion before the Hokage Building.
To welcome their new Hokage.
The woman who, three years ago in her very first appearance during the Fourth Great Ninja War, had overwhelmed the shinobi world — capturing Tailed Beasts, slaying the Raikage, destroying the Kazekage, felling the Mizukage.
The only being in shinobi history to have killed three Kage in succession and single-handedly hunted a five-thousand-strong army.
And now, at sixteen, she ascended to one of the five supreme thrones of the shinobi world.
Feared by her enemies, who'd dubbed her the Witch. Dreaded so thoroughly that encountering her had been officially classified as not a mission failure.
Now, under gazes of anticipation, worship, admiration, fear, trembling, and awe — she took her seat as Hokage.
Crisp footsteps echoed through the corridor of the Hokage Building.
Homura Mitokado. Koharu Utatane. Tsunade. Jiraiya. Kakashi. Asuma. Every staff member in the building stood in silent rows along both sides of the hallway, watching this sixteen-year-old girl.
One step. Another step. Another. Climbing the staircase that led to the Hokage Building's rooftop terrace.
No one spoke. Nearly a hundred people filled the corridor — the normally spacious passage felt almost crowded.
But aside from the ceremonial cannons echoing from outside, not a single voice was heard.
The young Hokage wore the red-and-white Hokage ceremonial robe. A brand-new Hokage hat sat upon her head. Beneath the flowing robe, a playful pink ponytail peeked out.
It softened what should have been an austere, solemn scene. Those who knew this young Hokage well couldn't help but smile.
One step at a time, she reached the terrace — where an old man was already waiting.
Looking at this familiar figure, brimming with vitality, radiating the unmistakable energy of youth — Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes glistened.
"Sakura..."
He looked at his student, heart overflowing with pride.
"Sensei."
Sakura spoke softly.
"From now on — Konoha is in your hands."
With heavy steps, Hiruzen came to stand before Sakura. He wiped the moisture from his eyes and regarded the student he'd cherished, worried over, agonized about — and to whom he could now, with full confidence, entrust everything.
"I will never let you down."
Looking at the old man before her — his body wasted by old injuries, skeletal and frail, a man who shouldn't have been able to stand at all — who had nonetheless dragged himself up these stairs today on sheer will alone.
The pink-haired girl stepped forward and gently embraced her teacher. Then, under every watching eye, she walked to the edge of the terrace and stood before all of Konoha.
The entire village gazed up at their Hokage in silence.
Under every eye, the girl removed the hat from her head, revealing cherry-blossom-pink hair and the refined, striking face beneath.
Solemnity and beauty. Gravity and youth. Authority and warmth. Timelessness and delicacy — all coexisting in a single Hokage.
"Sakura... she's so cool."
From somewhere in the crowd, Naruto stared up at the flash of pink atop the terrace, slightly dazed.
Beside him, for once, Sasuke didn't argue.
"Everyone."
The young Hokage announced her presence.
"I am Haruno Sakura."
Every eye was fixed on her, not daring to look away.
"Heir to the Will of Fire — I will lead Konoha to the highest peak of the shinobi world!"
Pink hair flew in the wind. The Hokage's hat soared into the sky. The young Hokage made no attempt to conceal her ambition — declaring it before all of Konoha, all of the Land of Fire, all of the shinobi world.
Announcing to this world:
The era of the Land of Fire, of Konoha, of Haruno Sakura — has arrived!
High above Konoha, cherry blossoms filled the sky, carried on the wind — drifting out toward the entire world...
☆☆☆
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