The sun hung high in the sky.
Uchiha Ren was still sprawled across his bed, fast asleep.
Last night's celebration had gone far beyond moderation. He had no idea how much he'd been forced to drink—only that at some point, consciousness had simply… vanished.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The urgent pounding on the door shattered the silence.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Kuro, curled up nearby, groaned in irritation and stumbled over to open it.
The moment the door swung open, an older woman rushed inside without hesitation.
She had come—
To deliver the Hokage robe.
The ceremonial robes worn by the First and Second Hokage had both been made by her. The embroidery of "Third Hokage" demanded absolute precision, and from the moment news of Tobirama's death spread, she had worked day and night without rest.
Thankfully—
She had finished in time.
Ren recognized her.
She had lived from the era of Senju Hashirama… all the way to the future when Naruto would become Hokage.
A living relic of Konoha.
Ren quickly got dressed, offering his thanks before taking the robe.
He draped it over his shoulders.
Placed the Hokage hat upon his head.
"Kuro!"
He turned toward the mirror, admiring himself.
"How do I look?"
The reflection staring back at him—
Commanding.
Elegant.
Perfect.
A grin spread across his face.
He looked every bit the Hokage.
"Handsome!"
Kuro raised a paw enthusiastically, answering with complete sincerity.
Ren chuckled and gestured.
Kuro leapt smoothly onto his shoulder, settling in comfortably.
"Let's go."
"Time to take office."
—
Before long, Uchiha Ren arrived at the Hokage Building.
It stood at the very heart of Konoha.
Behind it—
The towering stone faces of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama overlooked the village.
Ren's own monument…
Was still under construction.
A delicate task.
As the first Uchiha Hokage, Uchiha Raizen was personally overseeing the work. It would take time before it was completed.
Below the building lay a vast plaza.
Packed.
Shinobi.
Civilians.
A sea of people stretching in every direction.
All gathered—
To witness the rise of Konoha's new Hokage.
Ren stepped forward.
His voice rang out clearly.
"From this day onward—"
"I am the Third Hokage of Konoha."
"The future of this village… is mine to protect."
For a brief moment—
Silence.
Then—
The crowd erupted.
Cheers thundered across the plaza.
The loudest voices came from the Uchiha.
The Hyuga joined in, equally enthusiastic.
The Senju—
Clapped.
Reluctantly.
Their expressions stiff.
Their pride wounded.
But they still offered the bare minimum of acknowledgment.
All the major clans were present.
Yet one figure was missing.
Mito Uzumaki.
Ren noticed.
No doubt—
Her injuries hadn't healed yet.
—
The ceremony lasted the entire morning.
By afternoon—
The first official meeting under the new Hokage began.
—
Inside the conference room.
Ren sat at the center.
To his left—
Uchiha Raizen.
To his right—
Senju Toma.
The remaining clans were seated according to strength and influence.
Ren looked around the room.
"This is my first day as Hokage."
"Konoha has much to rebuild."
"Speak freely. Share your thoughts on the village's future."
He opened the floor.
Let them talk.
Let them reveal themselves.
But before the discussion could even begin—
A voice cut in.
"Lord Hokage."
Senju Toma's tone was cold. Formal.
No trace of a smile.
"Before discussing development…"
"Let's address the matter of debt."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Toma pulled out a document.
Unfolded it.
"Here are the outstanding debts Konoha owes the Senju."
Ren's gaze dropped to the paper.
His expression changed.
Strategic supplies alone—
Eight hundred million ryo.
More than double what the Uchiha had contributed.
And that wasn't all.
Casualty compensation.
Genin: 312 dead.
Chunin: 158.
Jonin: 48.
Even at minimum compensation rates—
Nearly three hundred million ryo.
Altogether—
Konoha owed the Senju…
One and a half billion.
Ren's fingers tightened slightly.
Tobirama had been Hokage.
The Senju had borne the brunt of the war effort.
Naturally—
They had paid the highest price.
And now—
They wanted repayment.
If Tobirama were still alive—
They might have endured.
But now?
With Uchiha Ren in power—
Not a single coin would be forgiven.
"…That much?"
Ren muttered.
His head started to ache.
An S-rank mission paid around one million ryo.
To cover this debt—
He would need to complete over a thousand such missions.
An absurd number.
A mountain.
Toma placed a thick stack of receipts on the table.
Stamped.
Signed.
Indisputable.
"If the Hokage doubts it—"
"You may verify the accounts."
Ren flipped through them.
His brows furrowed deeper.
Before he could respond—
Another voice spoke.
"Lord Hokage."
Hyuga Takuma stood.
Looking slightly embarrassed.
"Konoha also owes the Hyuga… over eight hundred million ryo."
He began listing the details.
Calm.
Precise.
"…"
Ren didn't respond.
The lines on Tobirama's face tightened.
Then—
One by one—
Other clans spoke.
No more hesitation.
No more politeness.
If the Senju and Hyuga had stepped forward—
Why should they hold back?
Better to demand openly—
While someone else stood at the front.
Ren's eyes reddened slightly as the numbers piled up.
Ten billion.
Eleven billion.
And Konoha's treasury?
Empty.
Worse than empty.
A complete deficit.
"Enough."
Ren slammed his hand lightly against the table.
"I will handle these debts."
His voice was tight.
Controlled.
But his gaze—
Cut sharply toward Senju Toma.
First meeting.
And they had dropped this on him.
Toma didn't react.
Didn't even look back.
His mind was elsewhere.
Already calculating.
Once the funds were secured—
He would begin the experiment.
Hashirama's cells.
Power.
—
"Meeting adjourned."
Ren didn't bother arguing further.
The room dissolved into motion.
His first meeting as Hokage—
Had ended in complete failure.
—
Hokage's Office.
Ren collapsed into his chair.
Exhausted.
"This is a disaster…"
"How am I supposed to repay all of this…?"
He stared at the ceiling.
For the first time—
The weight of the Hokage's position truly settled in.
Beside him, Uchiha Raizen stepped forward.
"Lord Ren."
"There is something you may have forgotten."
Ren turned.
"The Fire Daimyō."
"He has agreed to provide financial support to Konoha."
Ren froze.
Then—
His eyes lit up.
"That's right!"
He slammed his hand onto the desk.
He had been so overwhelmed by the debt—
He'd forgotten completely.
A lifeline.
A crucial one.
Ren stood up immediately.
No hesitation.
"We leave at once."
There was no time to waste.
Because somewhere beneath the surface—
Pressures were already building.
And if he didn't move fast—
That mountain of debt might just bury him alive.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read chapters ahead on Patreon → patreon.com/c/MythArcStudio