Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

Chapter 135 The Fourth Hokage

On June 1st, 1961, Konoha Village was in an uproar from early morning.

Konoha ninjas and villagers gathered early at the Hokage Building, where they would witness the historic moment of Tsunade's succession as the Fourth Hokage at 10 o'clock.

With the Senju clan once again leading the village, and with the added advantage of being a victorious nation, the village's future looks bright.

Inside the Hokage Building, the Jonin team arrived at the rooftop early. Nara Shikaku noticed that the Fire Country Daimyo and the Twelve Guardian Warriors were all there, and couldn't help but whisper to his companions, "Lady Tsunade is indeed the one everyone hopes for! The Fire Country Daimyo is very satisfied."

The elders of the clan recounted the circumstances of the Third Hokage's succession. At that time, the village was still somewhat turbulent. Nara Shikaku looked at the Third Hokage's back and admired his contributions to the village.

Choza Akimichi didn't have that many thoughts. In his opinion, Tsunade was destined to become Hokage. Even if she didn't appear on the front lines, her disciple's merits were enough to support the position: "Of the three legendary Sannin, Lady Tsunade is the most suitable."

"Even the Uchiha clan strongly supports him, so becoming Hokage is only natural!"

Yamanaka Inoichi laughed heartily upon hearing this, patted his companion on the shoulder, and said that the three clans had also benefited greatly this time. The herb business had been booming in recent months, thanks to the Akimichi clan's steadfast investment.

Fugaku Uchiha was chatting with several daimyo, accompanied by Hiashi Hyuga of the Hyuga clan.

"The Fourth Hokage will likely increase the number of Anbu members, right? Clan Head Hiashi, do you have any plans regarding this?"

As they were leaving the daimyo, Hiashi Hyuga suddenly heard a question and looked at Fugaku Uchiha with some surprise. After calming himself down, he replied, "There are no such plans within the clan for the time being."

The Hyuga clan has no ambition to seize too much power; maintaining stability within the clan is their top priority. As long as the Byakugan remains, the village will not forget them.

"What a pity."

Fugaku Uchiha expressed regret, but a smug look appeared on his face. Hiashi Hyuga felt that the Uchiha had changed drastically in the past few years, and as they walked towards the Jonin group, he secretly wondered, "Is it because of the drugs?"

With only 5 minutes left before their appearance, Tsunade, dressed in the red cloud-patterned Hokage robe bearing the inscription "Fourth Hokage," was still lamenting in front of the mirror: "Just a few words, and it took a whole month to write them!"

"The old lady should have retired by now. If it weren't for her final instructions, this dress wouldn't have been finished..."

Wearing a Jonin green vest, Furukawa Osamu chuckled and responded a few times. He then placed a hand on Tsunade's shoulder and reminded her again, "Sensei, it's already perfect. Time's almost up, so don't be late. Everyone's waiting for you."

Tsunade took a deep breath, feeling a little nervous, and suddenly felt her left hand being grasped. She couldn't help but look up at her disciple.

As always, Osamu Furukawa wore a gentle smile. After their fingers intertwined, Tsunade deliberately turned her head, pulled her disciple aside, and whispered, "Thank you, Osamu, let's go!"

Below the Hokage Building, Shizune and Anko squeezed to the front. Furukawa Osamu had been busy every day lately, and they were both looking forward to seeing each other more often when things were a bit easier.

The loud-voiced Might Guy is handing out ribbons to the younger students. For the students still in the Ninja Academy, changing Hokage is just a major holiday that they can enjoy.

Behind the crowd, Kakashi pulled Nohara Rin along, looking up at the higher ground.

Noticing the girl's eager expression, Kakashi couldn't help but warn, "There are too many people, Rin. Be careful, hold my hand tightly!"

Dressed in casual white clothes, Nohara Rin tilted her head to look at Kakashi. She was no longer shy. After they intertwined their fingers, the girl even laughed and said, "Seriously, this is a historic moment. We should be at the front to witness it."

"Don't worry about me, Kakashi. Didn't Shu say that my body has fully recovered?"

Kakashi didn't say anything, but simply held the girl's hand tighter. Rin Nohara sensed his affection, and a bright smile appeared on her face.

Might Guy, who was about to present the two with ribbons, lost all interest after witnessing this scene. Thinking about how few "youthful battles" had been happening lately, he felt a pang of sadness: "Kakashi, 'youth' doesn't need romance!"

When the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, handed the Hokage's hat to Tsunade, the Jonin on the rooftop immediately applauded.

When Tsunade slowly walked to the fence with her straw hat in hand, she looked down at the dark mass of people below, took a deep breath, and then put the Hokage straw hat on her head while holding onto the railing.

"The Fourth Hokage!"

A huge shout and cheer erupted from the crowd. Jingyin saw her teacher's increasingly youthful face waving vigorously, her little face filled with admiration. She silently cheered herself on, thinking, "I can't let my teacher down!"

Mitarashi Anko suddenly felt that Tsunade was excessively beautiful, especially her figure, which was completely different from her "bean sprout" appearance.

Although she was still young, Anko always felt that the Fourth Hokage and Osamu Furukawa were too close; the two were always together.

Tsunade simply waved her arms, adjusting her straw hat, as the cheers grew louder and louder. Her emotions surged, and memories surfaced in her mind. She murmured to herself, "I have fulfilled your dreams."

Behind the Jonin squad, Jiraiya stood with his arms crossed, solemnly witnessing Tsunade's succession as the Fourth Hokage. He watched Kushina whispering to Minato, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Orochimaru, what exactly happened in Amegakure?"

"Have you seen Nagato? Now that Tsunade has taken over, don't cause trouble for the village."

Seeing Jiraiya's concerned gaze, Orochimaru's eyes flickered, his heart throbbed with pain, and the cursed seal controlled by White Zetsu within him seemed to be reminding him that his life was in the hands of others.

"Jiraiya, you're still the same as ever."

"I will not betray the interests of the village; in the future, I will only focus on research and work in the shadows."

Despite the excruciating pain in his heart, Orochimaru uttered these words.

Jiraiya noticed his companion's increasingly pale face and immediately whispered with concern, "Is something wrong with your body? You can have Tsunade and Shu check you up."

"No need. I understand my body better, Jiraiya. If you want to gather information about Amegakure, you can make more use of the Anbu's power."

Orochimaru struggled to control his body and responded in a low voice, his right hand clenched into a fist in his sleeve. This feeling of having his life controlled was absolutely awful!

Jiraiya looked at Orochimaru for a while, and seeing that his friend was indeed alright, he forced a smile, patted him on the shoulder, and suggested, "Let's have a few drinks with Sarutobi-sensei tonight!"

"Time flies. The next time I witness a moment like this, it might be Minato becoming Hokage."

"Haha, I'm not such a failure as a teacher!"

When Furukawa Osamu and Minato arrived in front of the two, Orochimaru had already returned to normal. He vaguely sensed that White Zetsu seemed to be trying to hide, and a strange expression flashed across his face.

"Lord Orochimaru, I have prepared a list of personnel changes and matters concerning the Anbu!"

"Remember to review it when you have time; the budget for the second half of the year can also be submitted now."

Furukawa Osamu bowed slightly to remind him, and Orochimaru nodded calmly as usual. Minato, oblivious to anything amiss, smiled brightly and suggested, "Tsunade-sama's succession is the will of the people. Jiraiya-sensei, why don't you stay in the village too!"

"It just so happens that we can cultivate together during this period..."

Jiraiya realized that Minato was referring to Sage Mode. Thinking of the changes predicted in the prophecy, he patted his disciple's shoulder forcefully and instructed him, "Minato, look after the village for me. I still have some things to do."

Minato sighed helplessly. He could only cultivate immortal arts alone and enjoy the insect dishes by himself.

After finishing her pleasantries, Tsunade sidled up to the group and gave her old friends a scathing critique, then patted Minato on the shoulder with a grin: "Jiraiya's unreliable, Minato, those backlog of S-rank missions are all up to you!"

Minato Namikaze solemnly agreed. Tsunade reminded Orochimaru to finish the documents as soon as possible, then called to Osamu Furukawa, "Osamu, let's go. We still have a lot of work to do this week."

Furukawa Osamu responded with a smile, then quickly transmitted his voice to Orochimaru before immediately following behind Tsunade, his smile vanishing: "As expected, they were captured by Obito. Another puppet technique?"