Konoha Ninja Shop System

"Ahem, Lord Hokage, I have some urgent matters to attend to. Please excuse me!" Nara Shikaku said hastily, bowing slightly before dashing out of the Hokage's office with a grave look on his face.

It's over. This time, something is seriously wrong...

Shimura Danzō had truly ascended to the position of Hokage. With him officially in power, the future of the Hidden Leaf Village looked bleak.

Nara Shikaku couldn't waste another second. He had to inform the patriarchs of the major clans immediately so they could prepare before it was too late.

There was a tremendous difference between the authority of an Acting Hokage and an Official Hokage. The Acting Hokage held only a ceremonial role with limited influence.

For instance, the elite Anbu forces—typically the Hokage's direct subordinates—could not be mobilized by an Acting Hokage. They would only take action if the Acting Hokage's life was directly threatened.

But now, Danzō was no longer "Acting."

With his official appointment, the entire Anbu would be under his command. Combined with the members of Root—his personal and fiercely loyal black-ops unit—this gave him unprecedented military power. Together, Anbu and Root formed a terrifying force that could dominate the village.

If Danzō ever found a family displeasing, he had the means to annihilate them entirely.

The thought sent a shiver down Shikaku's spine. "No... I have to warn the others before it's too late!"

---

Inside the Hokage's Office

"Hahaha!" Shimura Danzō laughed maniacally, staring at the appointment letter in his hand. "I never imagined this day would actually come… Me, the official Hokage!"

He had read the letter at least five times already, committing every word to memory. He was so thrilled, so overwhelmed, that he had nearly fainted from sheer excitement.

"Someone, come here!" he shouted suddenly.

The moment he finished speaking, eight figures appeared silently in the office, kneeling on one knee. Their faces were hidden behind animal masks.

Four of them were from Root, and the other four were Anbu.

Danzō's heart raced. The Anbu had actually responded to his summons!

Just three days ago, as Acting Hokage, he had tried to call them—and despite shouting himself hoarse, not one Anbu showed up. Embarrassingly, he had been forced to summon Root operatives instead.

For a supposed leader of the village to yell for his own elite troops and be met with silence—it had been humiliating.

But now, that was over. These powerful, elite shinobi finally obeyed his command.

"Spread the news throughout the village—I am now officially the Hokage!" Danzō handed the appointment letter to the lead Anbu.

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" the Anbu responded with reverence.

Danzō's eyes gleamed. "Say that again. What did you just call me?"

"Hokage-sama," the Anbu repeated, bowing his head.

Danzō closed his eyes, basking in the moment. This was it. This was what he had dreamed of for years, hidden away in the dark underbelly of the village. Now, he stood at the top.

"Very good. You may go."

The Anbu silently disappeared from the room.

"You too," Danzō ordered the Root members.

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" they replied in unison and quickly vanished.

Danzō stood tall, hands behind his back, and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window. From here, he could see the entire Hidden Leaf Village sprawled out below him.

A cool breeze drifted in. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was the feeling he had longed for.

After a while, he opened his eyes and scanned the village with a critical gaze.

"Hiruzen was in power for decades, yet the village economy is still stagnant," he muttered.

His finger pointed toward a dilapidated district. "That outdated sector should be demolished and redeveloped. It's a waste of valuable space."

His gaze then moved toward a large compound at the edge of the village. His pupils shrank sharply.

"The Uchiha…" he growled. "They've taken up so much land for themselves. Such arrogance. Such waste! It's clear they've already chosen their own destruction."

Among all of Second Hokage Tobirama's disciples, only Shimura Danzō had fully inherited his mentor's ideology—an ideology built on deep mistrust and hatred of the Uchiha clan.

To them, the Uchiha were born with darkness in their hearts. Their Sharingan, once awakened, often led to obsession, power-hunger, and ultimately betrayal.

The Uchiha, in their eyes, were a ticking time bomb. And both Tobirama and Danzō believed that the best solution was to defuse the bomb before it exploded.

"The time to execute the Uchiha extermination plan… is near," Danzō muttered under his breath. "But before that—maybe I should go visit an old friend."

Of course, this so-called "visit" was nothing but an excuse. Danzō just wanted to flaunt his new status.

As the saying goes: If you strike it rich but don't return home, it's like wearing silk robes in the dark.

He couldn't wait to see Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression when he saw the Hokage hat on Danzō's head.

He was already grinning at the thought.

---

Sarutobi Clan Residence

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat on the porch, gazing absent-mindedly at the drifting clouds in the sky. Ever since stepping down, he had done nothing but sit and stare, a ghost of the mighty Third Hokage he once was.

Suddenly, he slapped his thigh in frustration. "Ugh! I never should've asked those clan leaders for money!"

He sighed deeply. "If I didn't pay up, that guy would've leaked those damn rumors about me peeking at the women's bath…"

He was stuck—trapped between blackmail and disgrace. He had lost the people's support, and there was no way to turn things around.

"Maybe... maybe this is fate. Perhaps the gods want me to die in disgrace," he whispered.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out.

"Hey, Hiruzen! Taking it easy, huh? Must be nice to retire. Unlike me—busy with the weight of the village every day!" Shimura Danzō walked in, a broad smile on his face.

Hiruzen's eyes fell on the bamboo hat atop Danzō's head.

This heat… and he's still wearing that thing? Isn't he afraid of collapsing from heatstroke?

Danzō chuckled. "Yes, it's a bit warm, but what can I do? I'm the Hokage now. Gotta maintain appearances when I go out."

Hiruzen's lips twitched. "Ah, our Acting Hokage really is a model of diligence," he said, deliberately emphasizing the word acting.

Danzō blinked. "Wait... You already know I've been officially appointed?"

Hiruzen: "???"

"Pfft…" Danzō finally burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Surprised, aren't you? Shocked? I'm officially the Fifth Hokage now!"

Hiruzen's jaw dropped. "That can't be! It's impossible!"

pàtreøn (Gk31)