Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 346 Let this fire burn even brighter

Hinata Kumokawa nodded slightly, and with a wave of his arm, draped the cloak, which carried the aspirations of countless people in Konoha, over his own shoulders.

For a moment, the room fell silent, and everyone's eyes were involuntarily focused on him.

Hinata Kumokawa's features appeared even more striking against the backdrop of the sacred robe. His tall and slender figure, clad in the robe, made his broad shoulders and back appear even more imposing, exuding a sense of reliability that was truly captivating.

Feeling a large amount of spiritual energy converging towards him, Hinata Kumokawa didn't say much, but simply strode towards the door leading to the rooftop open-air platform.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere outside the Hokage Building had reached its climax.

Red, yellow, and blue triangular flags hung in the air above the square, fluttering in the breeze. Although the sky was slightly overcast, the vibrant colors still ignited the atmosphere.

The building’s rooftop terrace, surrounded by low stone railings, offers a panoramic view of the entire plaza and the eager crowds below.

Several ANBU ninjas stood silently around the platform like statues, while Mitokado Homura and Sarutobi Hiruzen were already standing on the platform.

The square was bustling with people, young and old, all beaming with joy. They craned their necks, eagerly anticipating the view from the top of the Hokage Building.

Whoosh... slap!

A series of crisp explosions ripped through the sky as several fireworks soared into the air, bursting into plumes of white smoke and bright flames.

Although it lacked vibrant colors, the crisp sound instantly brought the atmosphere to a climax, drawing excited cheers from the crowd.

Amidst the sounds of fireworks and cheers, Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in a white divine robe and wearing a Hokage hat, slowly walked to the railing of the platform and appeared in the sight of the crowd below.

In an instant, the once noisy and bustling square quickly fell silent, and countless eyes focused on the old man.

"Distinguished guests, everyone!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward, his voice aged yet steady: "Thank you for your kind invitation. Today, I, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, will preside over the inauguration ceremony of the Fifth Hokage."

"Where leaves dance in the air, fire will never die. Today, we will witness together a new flame taking on the responsibility of illuminating the path to the village's future!"

After saying that, he paused, turned to the side, stretched out his arm towards the entrance of the platform, and suddenly raised his voice: "Now then."

"Let us welcome our protagonist today with the warmest anticipation and respect, as he officially assumes the position of the Fifth Hokage..."

He deliberately drew out his words, raising everyone's expectations to their peak.

"Hyuga Kumokawa!"

As Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, a figure stepped into everyone's view, his handsome face displayed without any obstruction.

He wore a divine robe, the flame pattern on the hem and the words "Fifth Hokage" on the back were particularly eye-catching, and his beautiful eyes were gentle and deep.

After a brief silence.

"Oh!"

"Lord the Fifth Hokage!"

"Hyuuga Kumokawa-sama!"

The square erupted in thunderous cheers and applause.

The sound surged skyward as if it were a tangible force, as if it would shake the low-hanging dark clouds apart, and people waved their arms.

The most excited were those in the Hyuga clan's area, especially the members of the branch family.

They clenched their fists, their eyes reddened, and their bodies trembled slightly with excitement.

"Yun Chuan! This is youth!"

Compared to the restraint of the Hyuga members, Might Guy was moved to tears, raised his thick arms high, and unleashed a terrifying roar that made everyone around him cover their ears.

At the front of the crowd, a group of children from the ninja academy were particularly excited. They had all been rescued by Hyuga Kumokawa earlier, and now their little faces were flushed red as they jumped and screamed.

"Akamaru, do you see that? The next Hokage will definitely be me!" Kiba Inuzuka hugged Akamaru, his face full of longing, and Akamaru barked "woof woof".

Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka clapped enthusiastically, but at the same time, they both showed a hint of regret and whispered, "If Naruto and Sasuke were here too..."

In contrast, Nara Shikamaru yawned widely, scratched the back of his head, and muttered, "Ugh, it's the weekend, getting up so early is such a hassle... Huh?"

Suddenly, he felt a damp coolness on his forehead. He subconsciously looked up and another drop of water landed on his face.

"Is it really going to rain?" Shikamaru's languid expression vanished, and his brows furrowed immediately.

Despite his complaints, the intelligent young man was well aware of the ceremony's importance to Konoha at this moment. Meanwhile, amidst the deafening cheers and the intense attention of the crowd, Hyuga Kumokawa and Sarutobi Hiruzen stood side by side, their gazes sweeping over the villagers below who were celebrating for him.

His gaze was very gentle, and everyone felt that they were being watched by him, which made them even more excited.

Hinata Kumokawa's gaze was indeed very gentle at this moment, so gentle that it was as if he were looking at one experienced baby after another.

At this moment, within his body, the Hogyoku was continuously absorbing the spiritual energy dissipated by the people of Konoha, filled with feelings of worship, longing, envy, gratitude, and anticipation...

This spiritual energy continuously flowed into Hinata Kumokawa's body, making him appear more gentle and kind, and more approachable.

but……

Name: Hinata Kumokawa

【Age: 18】

[Bloodline: Otsutsuki Clan (40% → 44%)]

Chakra Limit: S-rank

[Chakra Properties: Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, Yin, Yang]

[Ninjutsu: ...]

[Secret Techniques: Cero, Black Cavity, Shadow Domain, Sanctification...]

[Bloodline Limits: Rinnegan, Hurricane Release, Tenseigan (97.4% → 98.2%) [Abilities: Mental Puppet, Chakra Rosary, Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, Tenseigan Chakra Mode, Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion]]

[Divine Arts: 'Growth' (Evolving), 'Unknown Divine Arts' (Awakening)]

[Item: Hogyoku (positive 10% → 21%; negative 15% → 17%)...]

【Achievement:……】

[Remaining realization points: 49841]

Hinata Kumokawa's consciousness swept across the panel that only he could see, his gaze lingering briefly on the [Divine Arts] entry.

Is divine magic finally about to evolve?

Previously, the divine technique "Growth" felt more like a seed, which he used for "Shadow" to complement the shadow's abilities.

However, it is clearly still far from being a true divine art.

After all, he wasn't a true member of the Otsutsuki clan, and couldn't inherit divine techniques directly through bloodline like Isshiki and the others. He could only wait for his body to awaken its own divine techniques.

Now, because the Hogyoku is driving the evolution of the Otsutsuki bloodline and physique, the divine arts that were originally just "seeds" are about to undergo a transformation, and there is another divine arts as well.

"I'm a little curious about what kind of divine magic I've awakened, but..."

Hinata Kumokawa glanced at the progress of the Hogyoku and thought to himself, "The completion of this half of the Hogyoku in my body is taking longer than I expected."

[正]The Hōgyoku naturally refers to the half of the Hōgyoku within his body, which is used to absorb pure spiritual energy.

The "reverse" Hogyoku refers to the half of the Hogyoku within the "Shadow" that is used to absorb negative spiritual energy.

When both parts are completed to a certain percentage, and then combined into one, it becomes a truly complete Hogyoku.

He went to great lengths, acting as Hokage and savior, as well as as the mastermind and hero, all to complete the Hogyoku.

However, despite this scene of "flowers in full bloom and oil sizzling over a raging fire," the progress of completing the project is only slightly ahead of the other half.

Is it true that it's harder to be a good person than a bad person?

"In that case..."

Hinata Kumokawa slowly raised his head, his deep eyes gazing at the overcast sky. Raindrops fell on his sacred robe, spreading dark watermarks.

His gaze remained gentle, but beneath that gentleness lay a detached understanding of everything.

Indeed, we should let this fire burn even brighter.

Thinking of this, he raised one hand and stretched it towards the sky...

(End of this chapter)