Chapter 249: The Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Dan

Sarutobi Hiruzen was waiting for a spectacle to unfold.

If Dan truly acted without restraint and executed the Daimyō in front of everyone, his audacity would surely raise concerns and fears throughout the shinobi world.

This would sow seeds of instability in the Uchiha's rule over Konoha.

Hiruzen's plan was to continue refining the Edo Tensei jutsu until he could perfectly resurrect all the previous Hokages of Konoha.

That would be the ideal time to return to Konoha.

Soon after,

With the departure of the Daimyō and his entourage, followed by Hiruzen and his group, the once bustling temple was left deserted, leaving only traces of their presence.

For the temple's visitors and devotees, this would remain an unsolved mystery.

Two days later,

Early in the morning, as dawn broke, the entire Hidden Leaf Village was bustling with activity.

Today was a significant day for Konoha.

Guests from other villages had arrived.

The first to reach Konoha were the shinobi from the Hidden Mist Village. A group of Mist ANBU escorted the radiant and elegant Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī, to the entrance of Konoha.

Accompanying Mei were her three disciples—

Hōzuki Suigetsu, Chōjūrō, and Haku.

The three youngsters were brought by Mei to gain experience.

More precisely, to witness the might of the Uchiha clan, especially the soon-to-be Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Dan.

After all, in the future, they would inevitably interact with the Uchiha clan on behalf of the Hidden Mist.

Getting acquainted with the Uchiha's temperament and style in advance was essential for these young shinobi.

"Huh?"

Upon entering the village, Mei expressed surprise.

She noticed an old man with bandages on his head, wearing tattered clothes and covered in dirt, sitting on a large rock by the roadside.

Oddly,

Despite his beggar-like appearance, he sat with an air of importance, as if he were someone of great significance.

That's because,

A group of children, no older than ten, curiously surrounded the rock, listening intently to the old man's passionate speech.

"Listen well, I am the greatest Hokage in Konoha's history, the embodiment of the Will of Fire, and the chosen savior by the heavens!

If you all loyally serve me, I promise you will rise above others."

The old man assigned roles to each child, emphasizing their importance in the future of Konoha.

However, the children exchanged puzzled glances.

One chubby kid asked, "But isn't Uchiha Dan the Hokage of Konoha? Today is his inauguration, and we're all going to watch."

The other kids nodded in agreement.

The old man's face darkened with anger, "What nonsense about Uchiha Dan? I am the Hokage!"

He yelled at the children, accusing them of betrayal and supporting an imposter. "Guards!"

The children scattered in fear, but soon realized the old man was merely bluffing; no one came to his aid.

"What's going on?"

The old man called out again, "Guards! Where are the ANBU? Arrest these traitors!"

The long-awaited moment finally arrived.

However, the ones who responded to the old man's calls were merely two low-ranking shinobi from Konoha.

"Making a ruckus so early in the morning, what's all this shouting about?" One of the shinobi, clearly annoyed, reprimanded the old man, kicking him off the large rock he was sitting on.

The other shinobi recognized Lady Mei and her entourage and quickly approached, apologizing, "I'm sorry, Lady Mizukage, for this embarrassing scene. We'll take this madman away immediately."

As they spoke, the two shinobi, one on each side, forcibly dragged the old man away.

"Release me! How dare you assault me? By the authority of the Hokage, I'll strip you of your shinobi titles and throw you into the ANBU prison!" The old man continued to shout defiantly, even as he was being dragged away.

The villagers on the street watched the scene with cold, indifferent eyes. They held no sympathy for this beggar-like old man, only disdain and annoyance.

"Lady Mizukage, who is that crazy old man? He... looks so pitiable," Haku asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

His kind-hearted nature couldn't bear such a scene, especially since the old man's situation reminded him of his own past, wandering the streets and living like a beggar.

Compared to the cold-hearted villagers of Konoha, even the people of Kirigakure seemed more compassionate. Hōzuki Suigetsu commented, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Lady Mei shook her head, looking at the retreating figure of the old man, and informed her disciples, "You don't need to pity him. For the shinobi and villagers of Konoha, even if he died a thousand times, it wouldn't quench their hatred. That man is the Fifth Hokage of Konoha — Danzō Shimura."

Danzō?

Hearing this name, Haku, Suigetsu, and Chōjūrō were all taken aback. They might be young, but as disciples of the Mizukage, they had heard tales of Danzō.

From the perspective of the other major ninja villages, Danzō was seen in a relatively positive light. But for the people of Konoha, their Hokage was nothing more than a traitor.

Haku tried to empathize with the villagers of Konoha, and his sympathy for Danzō quickly evaporated.

"Let's move on," Lady Mei suggested, leading her disciples into Konoha, heading straight for the Hokage Mansion.

Following Kirigakure's arrival, representatives from Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure also arrived in succession.

The arrival of a Kage from another village is a significant diplomatic event, and typically, a grand welcome would be arranged. However, Konoha, either due to oversight or deliberate choice, did not send anyone to greet the four Kages.

Despite their discomfort, the four Kages chose to remain silent, swallowing their pride. After all, in Uchiha Dan's eyes, they were merely defeated foes.

At the end of the main street, the towering Hokage Mansion stood tall, gleaming under the sun. This magnificent nine-story tower symbolized the current Uchiha clan, standing proudly atop the ninja world, looking down upon all.

In its presence, everyone had to bow their heads in respect.

It wasn't until the four Kages reached the entrance of the Hokage Mansion that members of the Uchiha clan finally emerged to greet them.

"Please, come in," Itachi and Izumi, standing side by side, calmly invited the Kages inside, showing neither subservience nor arrogance.

Walking through the corridor, Itachi spoke, "We'll take you to the lounge now. If you have any matters to discuss, please wait until after Dan's official inauguration as Hokage."

As he spoke, both Itachi and Izumi turned to look at the group, their Sharingan eyes suddenly activating, sending chills down everyone's spine.

"Of course," Ōnoki replied with a forced smile, "We're here to offer our war reparations and to congratulate Dan."

Itachi nodded, "On behalf of my uncle, I thank you for your kind gesture."

Haku, Suigetsu, and Chōjūrō, the young prodigies of Kirigakure, looked at Itachi and Izumi with awe. The two Uchiha, only a few years older than them, were clearly on another level, both in terms of power and maturity.

Even when facing the four Kages, the two Uchiha held their ground, exuding an aura of dominance.

The three young shinobi from Kirigakure finally understood the true meaning of the phrase 'there's always someone better.' They realized what a real prodigy looked like.

Lady Mei sighed, seeing her disciples' disheartened expressions. Expecting them to catch up to the prodigies of the Uchiha clan was indeed too much to ask.

Well, one step at a time.

Two hours later, the streets of Konoha were deserted. From a bird's-eye view, the plaza in front of the Hokage Mansion was packed with thousands of villagers, looking like a sea of ants from above.

More villagers, unable to squeeze into the plaza, gathered on distant rooftops and streets.

The scene was unprecedented.

Under the gaze of tens of thousands, a figure appeared atop the Hokage Mansion.

It was Dan.

Now, he had exchanged his usual high-collared blue robe for a pristine Haku Hokage cloak. However, this Hokage cloak had been redesigned, adding the Uchiha clan emblem on the chest.

Dan leaned over the railing, looking down.

The crowd below, numbering in the tens of thousands, fell silent for a moment. Everyone looked up, holding their breath, their eyes fixed on Dan.

Dan didn't say a word but made a simple gesture.

He picked up the red Hokage hat and placed it on his head.

After a moment of silence.

Boom.

The plaza erupted with deafening cheers, reaching the skies, even dispersing the clouds above.

Uchiha Dan, the Sixth Hokage of Konoha, had officially taken office.

Seeing Dan don the Hokage hat,

Among the Uchiha, an elder with Haku hair, Shana, was now in tears.

For an elder like him, who had longed for an Uchiha to become Hokage since the era of Hashirama Senju, he had once been imprisoned in the ANBU jail by the Second Hokage due to a failed coup.

Shana had waited for over fifty years, and now, as he was nearing the end of his life, he finally saw this day.

This fulfilled elder, with tears in his eyes, looked contentedly at Dan's figure atop the Hokage Mansion.

Soon after, he wiped away his tears, feeling that even if he passed away at this moment, he would have no regrets.

It wasn't just Shana.

There were Fugaku, Mikoto, Shisui, Hachidai, Kensan, Tetsuhi, Itachi...

All the Uchiha, whether they were once moderates or radicals, were deeply moved at this moment, many shedding tears of joy.

"Dan has become Hokage," Mikoto murmured, reflecting on everything that had happened so far, as if it were all a dream.

"Yes, Dan has become Hokage," Fugaku repeated his wife's words, holding her shoulder, equally lost in thought.

Beside the couple, young Sasuke stared blankly at his revered uncle, who was now the center of attention. The cheers around him deeply impacted him.

From this moment on, a dream was planted in his heart.

The dream of becoming Hokage.

"Director Dan has become Hokage! Long live Director Dan!"

"Watch your words. From now on, we can't call Dan 'Director' anymore. We should address him as Lord Hokage."

"But 'Director' sounds more intimate. I bet Dan wouldn't mind."

A group of Uchiha clan members began a serious discussion about how to address Dan.

Listening to the clan members earnestly discussing a title, Itachi couldn't help but shake his head and smile. He then turned to Shisui and said, "Shisui, our dream has finally come true. Uncle Dan not only protected the Uchiha but also saved Konoha, bringing peace and hope to the village... Shisui, what's wrong?"

As he spoke, Itachi suddenly noticed something amiss with his friend.

To his astonishment,

Shisui, with a smile on his face, was slowly disintegrating into countless particles, ascending to the sky.

His Edo Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu) had been undone.

Soon, many clan members noticed Shisui's condition and gathered around, their eyes filled with concern.

"Father, what's happening?" Itachi quickly asked Fugaku, thinking he might have undone Shisui's Edo Tensei.

Fugaku slowly shook his head and explained, "Those resurrected by Edo Tensei are souls with lingering attachments to the living world. Once their innermost desires are fulfilled and their hearts are at peace, their souls will naturally ascend. That's what's happening to Shisui."

Normally, to prevent this, the caster would implant a talisman in the reanimated person's brain, erasing their personality and consciousness, turning them into mere tools. But the Uchiha would never do that to Shisui, for he was family.

"Lord Fugaku is right," Shisui spoke, smiling at Itachi, "My dream has been realized by Dan, and I'm content. You should also strive hard in the future, aiming to become the next Hokage of Konoha. I'll be cheering for you from afar."

Before Itachi could reply, Sasuke suddenly shouted, his face red with determination, "The next Hokage of Konoha will be me! I won't let Brother have it!"

"Sasuke..." Itachi looked at his younger brother, surprised and amused.

The rest of the clan burst into hearty laughter.