After hearing Uchiha Madara's words, Senju Hashirama scratched his head with a puzzled expression. "Something's wrong? What's wrong?!"
Madara's sharp eyes glowed with irritation as he crossed his arms. "You idiot! You always say you're smart, but I think you're the biggest fool in history! If you don't need your brain, you should donate it. I'm sure Orochimaru and that scheming brother of yours, Tobirama, would love to study it! A mind as ridiculous as yours must be a rare specimen!"
Hashirama pouted like a scolded child. "Madara, that's too mean!"
Standing to the side, Orochimaru's golden snake-like eyes flashed with eerie interest. He studied Hashirama's head intently, his fingers twitching as if he were already planning an experiment. "Hmm… The brain of the First Hokage... What an intriguing thought..."
Madara shot Orochimaru a sharp glare, his killing intent thick enough to freeze the air. Orochimaru quickly looked away, chuckling nervously.
Watching this unfold, Tobirama sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. He had long since accepted his elder brother's absurd personality, but that didn't mean he had grown immune to it. "Brother… You really have no political sense, do you? When you were Hokage, I had to clean up every single mess you left behind. If I weren't around, Konoha would have collapsed long ago."
Hashirama looked away awkwardly, whistling as if he hadn't heard his younger brother's complaints.
Souta Kazuki, who had been observing the exchange, smiled to himself. Seeing all these legendary figures interact was amusing, but the situation in Konoha was anything but funny.
Tobirama continued, his sharp tone demanding attention. "With Hiruzen dead, Konoha is now without leadership. The village is vulnerable, and Danzo is already tightening his grip on power. The other two elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, have conveniently remained silent. I suspect Danzo will make his move after Hiruzen's funeral. Right now, as acting Hokage, he controls almost every aspect of the village, including the ANBU and Root."
Hiruzen sighed, nodding in agreement. "Danzo is dangerous. His ambition blinds him. He values power above all else and lacks the balance of mind necessary for a Hokage. If he is allowed to take full control, Konoha will fall into darkness. I may have made many mistakes, but even I know that Danzo cannot be trusted with the title of Hokage."
As he spoke, his eyes darted toward Souta Kazuki, gauging his reaction. Hiruzen knew about Souta's ambitions, his dream of leading Konoha toward true peace. Danzo's rise to power was a direct obstacle to that dream.
Souta chuckled, a knowing smirk appearing on his face.
Originally, he had planned to take things slow, steadily increasing his strength and that of his allies. He wanted his friends to at least reach Jōnin level before making any major moves. But plans never survived reality. Orochimaru's unintentional summoning had accelerated everything. The Konoha Crush had taken place ahead of schedule. Tsunade and Jiraiya hadn't even returned to the village yet. Meanwhile, Danzo was already reaching for the Hokage's seat.
"If I wait any longer," Souta thought, "I won't be the Fifth Hokage. I'll be the Sixth."
The idea annoyed him. Not because he craved the title itself, but because of Naruto. That loud, hyperactive knucklehead was always shouting about becoming the Fifth Hokage and then passing the title to Souta as the Sixth. If Souta didn't act now, Naruto would be pushed back to the Seventh. That was unacceptable.
Uchiha Madara raised an eyebrow. "Hmph. What's with that crooked smile of yours? You're plotting something again, aren't you?"
Souta didn't deny it. "Teacher… I'm just thinking about what I told you before. If we want to unite the ninja world in true peace, we need to start by reshaping Konoha. That means taking the Hokage seat. If we delay any longer, Danzo will get there first."
Madara's crimson eyes gleamed with amusement. "Hahahahahaha! That's the spirit, brat! As your teacher, it's only natural that I help you crush any fools who stand in your way. A disciple of mine won't be outplayed by a worm like Danzo!"
Senju Hashirama's eyes lit up, and he jumped forward excitedly. "That's right! Madara, we may have had our differences in the past, but this time, I will stand beside you! Konoha is our creation! You named the village, and I named the Hokage position. Now, let's support our disciple in restoring it!"
The atmosphere grew intense as everyone felt the sheer power of Hashirama's resolve.
For the first time in a long time, he was not the playful fool or the overly kind leader.
He was the God of Shinobi.
A warrior capable of bending the world itself to his will.
The weight of his words settled on everyone, filling the air with an unshakable sense of determination.
And then…
"By the way… Can we eat before we do this?" Hashirama suddenly asked, tilting his head.
BANG!
Madara punched him straight in the face.
"SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT!"
Uzumaki Mito chuckled from the sidelines, covering her mouth with a graceful hand. Tobirama sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. "I should be the one to deal with Danzo. As his former teacher, it's my responsibility to clean up my own mess."
Souta turned his gaze toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, a knowing smirk still on his lips.
"Well then, Third Hokage… It's time for your funeral."
A heavy silence followed his words.
Hiruzen twitched, feeling an eerie sense of unease. "You say that like I'm actually dead…"
Souta just smiled.
The road to Hokage had begun.