After successfully ascending to the position of Hokage, Uchiha Fugaku no longer blocked the news.

The news that the Third Hokage "died of illness" and that he became the Fifth Hokage spread quickly, and the other four great ninja villages received the news at the earliest possible time.

In the Hidden Mist Village, behind the short Fourth Mizukage, the figure of Uchiha Obito walked out from the shadows.

"The Third Hokage died of illness, and Uchiha Fugaku became the Fifth Hokage?"

Hearing the news, he chuckled.

He wasn't surprised that Uchiha Fugaku became the Fifth Hokage.

Ever since he discovered Uchiha Fugaku's immense strength, he had suspected that Fugaku harbored grand ambitions.

Years of silence had likely been preparation to overthrow the Third Hokage and seize the Hokage seat.

With the Third Hokage dead, Fugaku naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to rise.

"And did the Third Hokage really die of illness?"

The corners of his mouth curled upward.

The Uchiha clan had always been at odds with the Third Hokage. After Uchiha Fugaku revealed his strength and stopped pretending, the hostility only deepened.

Rather than believe the Hokage died of illness, he was more inclined to believe the Uchiha clan launched a coup and killed him.

"It seems I'll have to prepare a 'gift.'"

Although he spoke of sending a gift, the expression under his mask turned icy.

Being defeated by Uchiha Fugaku was one of the few defeats he had experienced in recent years, and he naturally bore a grudge.

Now that Uchiha Fugaku had become Hokage, he couldn't help but want to stir trouble—as a "congratulatory gift" to mark his ascension.

Sunagakure, Kazekage's Office.

Next to a window, a man stood, staring through the glass at the endless windswept desert.

He was of medium build, with short brown hair, dressed in a Kazekage robe—blue on the inside, white on the outside.

It was the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

"The Third Hokage died of illness?"

Staring at the swirling sand, he frowned. This was not good news.

After the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha, as the victor, had recovered quickly due to war reparations.

Sunagakure, as the defeated side, had signed a series of unequal treaties, and coupled with the Wind Country's weak economic situation, its recovery had been painfully slow.

He had always been wary of Konoha, which had essentially restored its strength. Fortunately, the Third Hokage had shown no intention of aggression.

But now that the Third Hokage had passed and Konoha had elected a new Hokage, it made him uneasy.

Would the new Hokage maintain the previous peace with Sunagakure?

Would he intend to launch a war?

These were not baseless worries. Power transitions often changed national policies.

"The new Fifth Hokage is not Tsunade or Jiraiya, but Uchiha Fugaku, head of the Uchiha clan."

He had expected Tsunade or Jiraiya to succeed the Hokage title—not Uchiha Fugaku.

He didn't know much about Fugaku, only that the man had recently displayed strength surpassing the Kage-level standard and had quickly made a name for himself in Konoha.

Even so, he had thought Tsunade or Jiraiya more likely candidates.

"I hope he has no intention of attacking Sunagakure."

He sighed.

The village hadn't yet recovered from war. If another broke out, Sunagakure would be devastated.

"Someone come."

He called out, and a man in an Anbu uniform entered.

"Lord Kazekage."

The shinobi knelt on one knee.

"Prepare a generous gift to send to Konoha as congratulations to the Fifth Hokage."

"Yes."

The ninja obeyed and left.

Inside the room, the Fourth Kazekage's expression gradually darkened.

As the leader of a village, being forced to flatter another Kage made him feel humiliated.

But there was no helping it—Sunagakure could not afford another war.

"Konoha, one day I will repay the humiliation Sunagakure suffered after the Third Great Ninja War."

He swore to himself.

Kumogakure, inside the Raikage's Office on the top floor.

A middle-aged man stood. His hair was slicked back, he wore black trousers and a white robe with his chest exposed, revealing solid muscles.

This was the Fourth Raikage.

"The Third Hokage died, and Uchiha Fugaku became the new Hokage?"

He showed little emotion upon hearing the news.

After the Third Great Ninja War, although Kumogakure had recovered significantly, it still hadn't reached its peak and wasn't ready for war.

So despite learning of the Third Hokage's death—Konoha losing a Kage-level combatant—he didn't plan to exploit the situation.

"I've heard Uchiha Fugaku is powerful. I wonder if he's stronger than Minato Namikaze was."

What intrigued him was the strength of this new Hokage.

Minato Namikaze had left a deep impression on him. He was one of the few worthy opponents the Raikage had faced.

The fight with Minato was still vivid in his mind.

He was quite curious whether the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Fugaku, surpassed the Fourth Hokage, Minato.

"I guess I'll know the next time we fight."

Although he didn't intend to provoke conflict now, he would eventually.

The Land of Fire held the most fertile territory, and that tempted him.

Suddenly, the door burst open and a woman with tan skin and white hair entered anxiously.

"Lord Raikage, bad news—Lord Killer Bee is making a fuss about leaving the village again."

"Bee—"

The Fourth Raikage's face turned red with anger. He stood up, turned, and sprinted toward the wall with the window.

"Lord Raikage! Please use the door!"

Knowing what was about to happen, the white-haired woman tried to stop him.

But it was too late.

Boom—

With a loud crash, a human-shaped hole appeared in the wall as the Fourth Raikage smashed through it and jumped from the Raikage Building, lightning enveloping his body as he bolted toward the village gates.

Inside the office, the woman rubbed her forehead with a helpless sigh.

That wall had been smashed like this countless times.

Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Office.

"What wonderful news."

The Third Tsuchikage smiled when he heard it.

In recent years, Konoha had seen a rise in powerful ninja, putting a lot of pressure on him.

The death of the Third Hokage was the best news he'd received in a while.

"Now that there's a new Hokage, there may be an opportunity to retrieve the Genin detained during the Chunin Exams."

His thoughts turned to the past.

Last time, he had attempted to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki but failed, and over twenty Genin he had sent to Konoha for the Chunin Exams were captured.

Negative rumors spread in the village because of how these Genin were abandoned.

Although it didn't shake his position as Tsuchikage, it badly damaged his reputation.

He had once sent negotiators to Konoha to recover those Genin, but the Third Hokage refused.

Now that there was a new Hokage, there might be a chance to recover them.

(End of this chapter)

***

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