Souta Kazuki stood at the center of the ruined Konoha, his Hokage robe billowing slightly in the wind as he stretched out his hand, his voice firm and resolute.
"All the ninjas of Konoha Village! I am the Fifth Hokage, Souta Kazuki! I won't waste time with empty words! I will only say one thing! I will make Konoha Village great again!"
A deafening roar erupted from the crowd of shinobi gathered before him.
"Hokage-sama!!!"
"Hokage-sama!!!"
The voices of countless ninjas echoed through the devastated streets of Konoha. Even though the village had just endured a war, leaving its infrastructure in ruins and its foundations shaken, the spirit of its people had never burned brighter. Konoha had suffered losses, but at this moment, it was stronger than ever before.
Meanwhile, outside the gates of Konoha, three figures raced toward the village at incredible speed. Dust clung to their clothes, their expressions grim as they took in the sight before them.
Tsunade, her golden hair flowing wildly behind her, clenched her fists as she saw the destruction.
"Jiraiya! What the hell is going on?! Didn't you say you were returning for the funeral of the Third Hokage?! But now, the village looks like it was hit by a war!"
Jiraiya, his white hair streaked with dirt from their journey, looked equally stunned.
"I have no idea! The last message I got from sensei was about a student from the Academy being summoned to a strange place. He wanted me to check if the kid was worth taking as a disciple. Then, the next thing I heard, Orochimaru attacked the village and sensei was killed. I was told to return for the funeral and to help decide Konoha's next Hokage. That's when I ran into you at the casino."
Shizune, clutching Tonton tightly, looked around in worry.
"Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama… there aren't even guards at the village gate. That means something big must have just happened!"
Hearing this, Tsunade's eyes narrowed.
"Jiraiya… could this be Danzo's doing? Did he try to take over the village?"
Jiraiya frowned. "Even if Danzo wanted to become Hokage, I doubt he'd destroy Konoha in the process. What would be the point of ruling over ruins?"
Tsunade took a deep breath, suppressing her anger. "No point in standing around guessing. We'll find out soon enough once we get inside."
The three of them hurried through the ruined streets, their ears catching the sound of loud cheers coming from the direction of Hokage Rock.
"Hokage-sama!!!"
"Hokage-sama!!!"
"Hokage-sama!!!"
The shouting was frenzied, almost celebratory.
Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged glances. Could it be that Danzo had already been appointed Hokage?
They rushed forward, and when they reached the heart of the commotion, they were stunned by what they saw.
A massive crowd of shinobi had gathered, cheering loudly. But the figure standing at the center, draped in the Hokage's robe, was not Danzo. It wasn't even someone they recognized as a high-ranking official.
It was a young man.
Tsunade's breath caught in her throat as her entire body tensed. Her eyes widened, her pupils trembling as she took in the sight of one particular person standing amongst the crowd.
The color drained from her face.
Then, without warning, she broke into a sprint.
Jiraiya was caught off guard. "Tsunade?! What's wrong?!"
But she wasn't listening. Her focus was solely on the man standing in the midst of the crowd.
As she drew closer, he turned toward her.
Senju Hashirama smiled.
"Ahahahahaha! Little Tsunade! You're back!"
Tsunade nearly collapsed from shock.
Her grandfather—Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage—stood before her, laughing heartily.
Tsunade's lips trembled. "Grandpa… is it really you?!"
Hashirama tilted his head. "Of course, it's me, little Tsunade! You're looking more and more like Mito every day!"
Jiraiya, who had caught up by now, looked around in utter disbelief. His eyes darted across the crowd.
There, standing together, were Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and even Tobirama Senju.
Jiraiya felt his stomach churn.
No.
This didn't make sense.
He had come back to Konoha for a funeral.
The funeral of the Third Hokage.
But now, that very same Hokage was standing right in front of him—alive and well.
And it wasn't just Hiruzen.
Minato… Kushina… Hashirama… Tobirama…
They were all supposed to be dead.
His mind raced.
Had Konoha been turned into a village of the undead?!
Jiraiya staggered backward. "This… this has to be a genjutsu…"
Just then, Sarutobi Hiruzen approached him with a warm smile. "Jiraiya, it's good to see you again."
Jiraiya's entire body stiffened in terror.
He took several steps back, his voice cracking. "T-Teacher… I… I'm sorry!!!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned in confusion. "Sorry? What are you talking about?"
Jiraiya's face paled. "I should've returned to Konoha sooner! I should've been here to stop Orochimaru's plan! But I failed! And you—You died because of it! You died with regrets! I… I swear I know I was wrong! But please! Please don't take me away with you!!! I'm not ready to die yet!!!"
As Jiraiya panicked, he suddenly felt something wet and slimy press against his cheek.
His breath hitched.
Slowly, hesitantly, he turned his head—only to come face-to-face with Orochimaru's eerie, pale features.
Jiraiya shrieked.
"O-O-O-Orochimaru?! You too?! Are you dead too?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed in exasperation. "Jiraiya, calm down! No one here is dead!"
Jiraiya's eyes darted back and forth, his breathing uneven.
No one was dead?
But how was this possible?!
Just then, Orochimaru leaned in close to Sarutobi Hiruzen's ear and whispered something.
"Sensei… I have an idea."