XX-level Hokage

Zabuza had no choice but to sit opposite Kakuzu; he couldn't win a fight against him.

Long ago, Mashiro had specifically told Kakuzu and Sasori that if they didn't want to return to Akatsuki, they could go to the Land of Waves and find Gato. So, after their failed attack on Naruto, Kakuzu and Sasori went to the Land of Waves together.

At first, the two strangely dressed and looking people were looking for Kado. Kado's guards all came out to stop them, but without exception, they were all instantly killed. If it weren't for the fact that they were Mashiro's people, these guards would probably have died on the spot.

Finally, the two arrived at the Chamber of Commerce building, and Zabuza also stepped out of the way.

But the moment he saw Kakuzu and Sasori, he could no longer resist the idea of ​​fighting.

As a former demon, Zabuza naturally knew Kakuzu and Sasori, both S-rank rogue ninjas.

"I wonder what business you two have with Kado?" Kakuzu asked without speaking. "She sent us," Kakuzu replied.

"Her?" Zabuza was still somewhat puzzled. "Hyuga Mashiro," Sasori said.

Zabuza breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out they were on his side. Luckily, otherwise he probably would have died here today. Then, led by Zabuza, the two found Gato.

Knowing that they were Mashiro's friends and powerful, Gato warmly welcomed them, arranged for them to stay at the best hotel in the Land of Waves, and gave them a large sum of money for them to spend as they pleased.

Then, by chance, Kakuzu learned about playing cards, and after becoming familiar with the rules, he spent all his time practicing with Sasori and Zabuza.

As someone who values ​​money above all else, Kakuzu once considered gambling, but gambling is a losing proposition, and Kakuzu's luck was also bad, so he gave up.

Now that he understands playing cards, Kakuzu finds them not only fun but also fair, perfect for making money and passing the time. This happened while Kakuzu was playing cards with Zabuza.

Mashiro appeared out of nowhere in the private room, saw the two playing cards, found it interesting, and watched for a while.

Shortly after, Zabuza threw out his "9," and he won. But Kakuzu didn't pay up and turned to look at Mashiro.

"Let Sasori know in a bit. You can head to Konoha in a week. If Kisame comes too, take him with you," Mashiro said. Kakuzu nodded, indicating that he understood.

Then Mashiro turned to Zabuza and said, "You can set off for Konoha in the next couple of days. I've already arranged a new identity for you, but of course you can choose not to. I'm just helping Shiro fulfill a small wish."

Upon hearing this, he nodded with a complicated expression.

"By the way, Kakuzu, after Zabuza leaves, you'll be in charge of Gato's safety for now." Mashiro suddenly remembered this, turned to look at Kakuzu, and said.

"How much?" Kakuzu asked.

He needed to go to Konoha to live, and he wanted to save up enough for his funeral. "Three times his price," Mashiro said, pointing at Zabuza.

Kakuzu pondered for a moment, then nodded. Then Mamoru sank into the shadows.

The Kingdom of Fire, the Royal City.

Mashiro looked at the scene before her. In her previous life, in order to become the ruler of the Land of Fire, she had personally burned this place down.

The main city of the Fire Kingdom is divided into an inner city and an outer city. The outer city is inhabited by commoners and small merchants.

The inner city was the residence of ninjas, officials, and merchants. At this moment, in the center of the main city, in the main palace, atop the palace...

The lord was holding up a fan with the character for "fire" written on it, listening to the report from the officials below.

"...That's right, the Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning is currently working hard to rebuild," said an official dressed in purple robes.

"I see. Then go ask a daimyo from the Land of Lightning if you need any help," said the daimyo from the Land of Fire, waving his fan.

“Yes.” An official in a blue robe stood up and replied respectfully.

"Also, what are your thoughts on Konoha's newly recommended Hokage?" the Daimyo asked.

"Returning to the main body of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Mashiro is exceptionally talented. He became a Jonin at a young age and is also a disciple of Lord Sarutobi. Your humble servant, the head of the Hyuga clan, believes he is highly suitable," said an official in white robes.

Upon hearing this, the lord nodded and said, "Then it's settled."

In fact, everyone in the palace knew that Konoha's inquiry was just a formality, and under normal circumstances, they could only agree.

Chapter 147: Son of a Hero

Ye sent out assassins specifically to surround him, and there were no other guards in the entire camp.

At this moment, Tianming was reading in his study, one of his few hobbies.

In the corner of the study, a shadow began to tremble.

The daimyo's appointment letter reached Konoha, signifying the official resignation of the Fifth Hokage and the formal appointment of the Sixth Hokage. The Hokage inauguration ceremony officially began.

Almost half of the ninja village's civilians and ninjas gathered near the Hokage Building.

On the rooftop of the Hokage Building, Tsunade handed the Hokage's hat to Mashiro, then stood behind him with the other high-ranking officials. Mashiro walked to the front of the rooftop, feeling the cheers of the people and ninjas below, and with a smile, began his inaugural address.

"Where the leaves dance, the fire will never cease. From the First Hokage onwards, Konoha has always yearned for peace. In the process of pursuing peace, we have encountered many obstacles. The Second and Fourth Hokage died because of this, and the Third Hokage was also injured."

Now, a new storm has arisen: a mysterious organization is plotting to rule the entire ninja world and destroy the long-preserved, fragile peace. I swear in the name of the Sixth Hokage that I will never allow this mysterious organization to destroy the peace of Konoha.

"Upon assuming the presidency, I will make Konoha even more prosperous, achieve deeper development for Konoha, and lead Konoha to prosperity and strength!"

After Mashiro finished speaking, all the people began to shout in unison, "Lord Mashiro! Lord Mashiro! Lord Mashiro!..."

Then Mashiro looked into the distance, where a figure with red hair was watching them.

Mashiro clapped her hands, signaling to stop shouting, then looked away and turned to look behind her.

Kakashi led Naruto over. Kakashi's expression behind his mask was complex, but mostly relieved. Naruto, on the other hand, was quite confused. He had been brought here that morning, but he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

The people below were also confused. Most of the people in Konoha Village recognized Naruto. When they saw Naruto suddenly appear next to Mashiro, most of them looked puzzled, while a small number of them showed disgust.

At this moment, Kushina, who had been observing from a distance, saw this scene. She knew what was about to happen, and tears streamed down her face.

"Everyone should still remember the Nine-Tails' rampage eighteen years ago, right?" Mashiro suddenly asked.

Upon hearing Mashiro's words, the crowd below immediately stopped their commotion and became serious. During the Nine-Tails' rampage, many of their comrades had died, including the Fourth Hokage who had only recently taken office.

Naruto, standing to the side, also looked somewhat pale. He had been mistaken for a fox demon because of the Nine-Tails' attack.

Sensing Naruto's nervousness, Mashiro patted him on the back and whispered to him, "Naruto, no matter what I say next, don't doubt it. Stay true to yourself."

Naruto looked at Mashiro with some confusion, and was about to say something when Mashiro turned to the crowd and said, "One night eighteen years ago, the Nine-Tails suddenly attacked Konoha, causing great panic and casualties."

At the time, the Fourth Hokage's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, was giving birth. However, faced with this unexpected situation, the Fourth Hokage had to leave his wife and go with the Third Hokage to deal with the Nine-Tails' rampage.

Ultimately, the Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage together moved the Nine-Tails outside the village. The Third Hokage stayed behind to guard the village, while the Fourth Hokage went alone to deal with the situation.

In the end, in order to deal with the Nine-Tails, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life by activating a forbidden technique, sealing the Nine-Tails into the body of his newborn child. He and his wife died in the Nine-Tails' attack.

When the Third Hokage arrived, the Fourth Hokage and his wife were dead, leaving only their orphaned children behind.

This child is Naruto. He inherited his mother's surname and his father's name. He is the orphan of the Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto! After Mashiro finished speaking, the crowd below fell silent, looking at each other with puzzled expressions.

Iruka was already in tears.

Sakura and Kiba were incredibly shocked, but also happy for Naruto. Kakashi gently closed his eyes.

Sasuke looked at Naruto with a complicated expression, and finally let out a soft breath.

As for Naruto himself, he felt dizzy, his mind went blank, and countless complex emotions filled his thoughts. Seeing this, Mashiro sighed softly; what a pitiful child.

At the time, the higher-ups in Konoha discovered that the Nine-Tails' rampage was influenced by human intervention. Therefore, in order to protect Naruto, the Third Hokage, after discussing with the higher-ups, concealed Naruto's true identity and wanted him to live an ordinary life.

Now that the forces behind him have been revealed, there's no longer any need to hide Naruto's identity. Therefore, the Third Hokage specifically sought me out and told me about this, wanting me to take this opportunity to announce Naruto's identity: he is not the Nine-Tailed Fox, he is the son of a hero, the son of a hero of Konoha. "Mashiro continued.

This is an attempt to defend the Third Hokage. After all, the Third Hokage's handling of the matter was not very fair. However, the Third Hokage is still known as the Third Hokage of Konoha and is still Mashiro's teacher, so Mashiro can only try to make amends for him.

A long silence followed.

A commoner suddenly shouted, "I am the owner of a fruit shop in the South District. I want to apologize for the son of a hero. I had been treating him coldly and refusing to sell him fruit because I heard that he was the incarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox. I am deeply sorry for this."

The person who shouted was a middle-aged man, whose face was covered in tears.

Led by the man, the civilians and ninjas who had bullied Naruto began to pay their respects.

"I am..." "Me too..." "I'm sorry..."

Hearing these words, Naruto remained composed, seemingly unable to comprehend what was happening.

At this moment, Mashiro looked at Naruto and asked, "Naruto, do you know the meaning of your name?" Naruto looked at Mashiro and gently shook his head.

Both your father and mother love you deeply, because you grew up with the surname given by your mother and the name given by your father. You are unique, Naruto Uzumaki.

After Mashiro finished speaking, tears began to well up in Naruto's eyes and streamed down his face.

From that moment on, he was no longer a demon fox without parents; he was the child of Konoha's heroes, the one and only Naruto Uzumaki.

"Naruto, do you still remember your dream?" Mashiro asked. "Yes."

Naruto wiped away his tears, revealed a bright smile, and said, "Mashiro-nee, I will definitely work hard to become Hokage, and the Seventh Hokage will be mine."

Mashiro didn't speak, but chuckled softly. [Naruto's Affection +10]

[Kushina's favorability +10, reward: Nine-Tails Chakra] Mashiro's smile deepened.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Mashiro's inauguration ceremony came to a successful close. Meanwhile, at the Akatsuki's base...

Obito convened a meeting of the Akatsuki organization and announced that he had officially become its leader. Unfortunately, at this time, the Akatsuki organization had only a handful of members left.

Deidara, Zetsu, Kisame, Kaguya Shinji, and Obito himself were present at the meeting, but Itachi did not attend.

After the meeting, Shinichi asked Obito, "It seems we have no one left to use."

Obito said softly, "Didn't he have a younger brother now? As a member of the Uchiha clan, hatred is the easiest motivation to manifest. If Sasuke knew the real reason for the Uchiha clan's annihilation, do you think he would hate Konoha?"

Chapter 148: Sasuke VS Itachi (Part 1)

Stepping through the gates of Konoha, Samui looked around the village with curiosity. Although he had learned about Konoha from books, this was still...

This is her first time visiting Miyo.

“Please follow me,” an ANBU member appeared and said to Samui.

Samui nodded and followed the appearing Anbu towards the Hokage Building.

In the years following her appointment as Hokage of Konoha, she enacted numerous laws concerning the village's development.

The first step was to separate commercial functions from the finance department and establish a dedicated business and investment department.

In addition, a factory system that had just emerged in the Land of Waves was introduced, and the area of ​​Konoha was expanded, with the establishment of inner and outer villages.

Then, the plan is to attract farmers and small traders from other parts of the Land of Fire with the new job opportunities, and to invest in some small countries in the ninja world.

Originally, Konoha's finances could not support these things, but Gato from the Land of Waves Commerce Association led the entire association to Konoha, bringing a large amount of cash and commodity production technology. As a result, Gato became the Minister of Konoha's Commerce Department.

Although many senior Konoha officials, led by Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, initially opposed allowing an outsider to become a department head in Konoha,

They had lost their voice at this point, and the large amount of revenue brought by Kado had changed the minds of many in their faction.

In addition, Mashiro established a special life committee system, with Hyuga clan ninjas serving as committee members to be responsible for all the daily affairs of Konoha residents. Unlike ninjas, they do not charge fees, but are limited to daily affairs, and things like helping with planting and cutting grass are not within their scope of responsibility.

The "Root" also became an independent organization, just like the Anbu, serving as a special force directly under the Hokage's command. However, unlike the Anbu, which was responsible for areas outside the Land of Fire, the Root was responsible for areas within the Land of Fire.