Chapter 129 - Naruto Has Something to Say
On the day Hiruzen Sarutobi announced the election results, the entire village of Konoha rejoiced at Orochimaru's successful bid for Hokage. At the same time, they were appalled by Elder Danzo's actions.
Due to the sheer impact caused by Kazane's flying slash, the commotion that took place during the election couldn't be completely concealed.
However, it wasn't as if the village could simply tell the civilians that Danzo had been conducting human experiments within Konoha.
So Orochimaru and Hiruzen settled on a unified story for public explanation: Danzo, unwilling to accept his loss in the election, used a forbidden technique in a final, desperate attempt to take down Orochimaru, the newly elected Fourth Hokage. Fortunately, Kazane intervened in time to slay Danzo and protect everyone's safety.
Many villagers, who had never even seen Danzo before, were naturally curious about who he was. But after learning of his extreme personality, they were relieved that he didn't win the election.
After all, who would want someone that radical to become the village's highest leader?
In any case, the name "Danzo" was now burned into the villagers' memory. Whether the deceased Danzo would feel pleased or sorrowful knowing how he was remembered—well, who could say?
Orochimaru's Hokage inauguration was set to take place once the official decree when the Daimyō arrived.
The village itself had entered a joyous state of celebration, preparing for the occasion as if it were a major holiday.
Hiruzen took the opportunity to show his "favorite disciple" a more amicable, supportive side.
He also began gradually handing over the responsibilities of the Hokage position to Orochimaru.
On the very next day following the election, Hiruzen personally sought out Kazane and gave him the promised Scroll of Seals.
Naturally, with Orochimaru ascending as Hokage, the saying "a new emperor, a new court" held true—Konoha was due for a change in leadership.
First to be adjusted was the village's administrative hierarchy. All those who had quietly supported Orochimaru were now eyeing the seats left vacant.
The elder council saw the first major shift. From the original three elders, the council expanded to four members.
However, there were also significant personnel changes.
The former elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, feeling that they were getting on in years, voluntarily stepped down from Konoha's leadership.
The four new elders were:
Jiraiya the Gallant, one of the Legendary Sannin, like Orochimaru himself
Princess Tsunade, the Slug Princess and the greatest medical ninja of the Sannin
Uchiha Fugaku, head of the Uchiha Clan
Hiruzen Sarutobi, now retired from the Hokage position and serving as the head of the Ninja Academy
Thus, Uchiha Fugaku finally got what he'd long hoped for—becoming a village elder of Konoha.
This signified that the Uchiha Clan had officially stepped out of the isolation imposed upon them for over forty years.
Uchiha shinobi began transferring from the Police Force into other major departments within the village.
Notably, elite shinobi like Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Kōtan were assigned to important positions in the ANBU and Interrogation Division.
Konoha's key departments also welcomed new leadership:
ANBU: Led by Konoha's hero and strongest shinobi, Hatake Kazane
Administration: Managed by the Nara Clan's Nara Shikaku
Medical Corps: Remained under the leadership of Princess Tsunade
Education Department: Overseen by the retired Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as the "Monkey Shinobi"
Analysis Division: Headed by the Yamanaka Clan's Yamanaka Inoichi (The Analysis Division falls under ANBU and the Interrogation Division but operates independently. Its duty is to extract intelligence by reading the memories of captured enemies.)
Interrogation Division (Prison): Led by Uchiha elite Jonin Uchiha Kōtan (This division specializes in interrogating and monitoring enemy shinobi, especially spies and defectors. Orochimaru placed it under Kazane's ANBU command.)
Konoha Police Force: With former head Uchiha Syōma killed during the war, the position was assumed by new elder Uchiha Fugaku.
As for fellow Sannin Jiraiya, he declined Orochimaru's offer to manage a department. Instead, he finally had the time to dedicate himself to his "literary contributions" to the shinobi world.
And so, Konoha fully entered a new era under Orochimaru's leadership.
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Konoha Village
Today, the skies were clear—perfect weather for going out or taking care of children.
That morning, as soon as Kazane got out of bed, Orochimaru roped him into a favor. He handed over two of his disciples to Kazane and tasked him with training them in basic taijutsu.
In recent days, Orochimaru barely left the Hokage Building except to sleep. He spent nearly every moment handling paperwork and transitioning responsibilities with Hiruzen.
But newly appointed officer Kazane was a completely different story. He had become the definition of a "hands-off supervisor."
The moment he took over ANBU, he transferred Kakashi into the unit. Along with Kakashi came the man known as the "Yellow Flash" and fastest shinobi in the world—Namikaze Minato.
Originally, Minato was supposed to become the new team leader of Konoha's elite Jonin Squad. But under Kazane's repeated requests, Orochimaru eventually agreed to reassign him to ANBU.
Kazane's argument was simple: Minato was the only ninja in Konoha who could use the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Under normal circumstances, no matter where you placed him, it would be a waste of his talents.
After all, even if Minato wanted to teach others the technique, no one else could master such high-level space-time ninjutsu.
Besides, in times of peace like now, leaving someone as powerful as Minato idle in the village would be a shame. Instead, placing him in ANBU would maximize his value—his Flying Thunder God could be used for espionage, assassination, or emergency evacuation.
After confirming Minato's consent, Orochimaru approved the transfer.
Kazane had no doubts about Minato. In the original timeline, Minato took over as Fourth Hokage around this time.
If he could manage an entire village back then, managing a small department like ANBU would be child's play.
Of course, none of the "favors" Kazane had promised Orochimaru were ever fulfilled. He even cut off Minato's path to leave for missions.
Poor Minato. Ever since joining ANBU, he had taken on the work of department head under the title of "deputy leader."
And Kazane? He started living the dream life.
Every morning after his training, he'd show his face at ANBU HQ, grab breakfast, then go back to more training—or slacking off.
In the evening, he'd clock out with another quick appearance and score a free dinner before heading home to relax.
ANBU meals were top-tier—both Kazane and Kakashi agreed on that.
Since ANBU had just undergone a handover between old and new members, internal coordination was still shaky. The newcomers weren't fully up to speed on their duties.
And Minato, with his earnest, model-worker nature, had stayed at ANBU HQ for several nights in a row.
In a way, you could say that Kazane had single-handedly delayed Naruto's birth.
Naruto: "You've gotta be kidding me—"
But Kushina Uzumaki—fiery and headstrong since childhood—wasn't the type to sit quietly while her husband failed to come home, choosing instead to "sleep with paperwork."
He was never there to accompany her, instead drowning himself in work that wasn't even his.
So when Kushina couldn't find Kazane, she turned to the one person who had always protected her—Big Sis Tsunade.
She begged Tsunade to help her find Kazane and force him to free Minato.
Of course, what Kushina didn't know was... how terribly Tsunade had once been beaten by Kazane.