The appointment of the Fifth Hokage was finally confirmed.
On this matter, Sarutobi Hiruzen raised no objections. In truth, whether in terms of strength, accomplishments, or supporters, Kaede had already far surpassed the limits of Hiruzen's influence and control.
The succession process for the Fifth Hokage required formalities: a report submitted to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, followed by a public inauguration ceremony in Konoha. However, in practice, Kaede had already become the Fifth Hokage long before any ceremony began.
And even before the official inauguration, Kaede had already started displaying an iron-fisted approach, completely different from the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
His first move: Disband the Anbu!
The Anbu was practically Sarutobi Hiruzen's personal unit. Most of his trusted aides and loyal subordinates were embedded within it. Normally, purging this network would require time and delicate maneuvering, but Kaede wasn't interested in playing such games.
The order to dissolve the Anbu met fierce resistance from those loyal to Hiruzen. However, under Kaede's overwhelming authority, and the backing of the major clans, those objections quickly lost all weight.
The Anbu had always wielded immense power and above every other department.
They could even detain members of major clans without prior coordination. So naturally, the clans welcomed its dissolution, as it removed a long-standing threat to their autonomy.
In essence, the Anbu was a tool for the Hokage to maintain dominance. But Kaede had no need for such tools.
After all, there was a certain fox lounging outside Konoha watching TV, whose presence alone outweighed the combined threat of the entire Anbu.
Within days, Konoha's Anbu was no more. What followed was a systematic purge of every shinobi loyal to Hiruzen, no exceptions.
In less than ten days, all remnants of Hiruzen's influence were wiped out. He was left with nothing but an empty title, a retired Hokage with no authority.
In just a few days,
Hiruzen seemed to have aged ten years overnight.
Kaede felt no guilt about it. After all, his father, the White Fang of Konoha, had died as a result of the manipulations of Konoha's upper echelons, a group that included both Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
As Hiruzen's faction was purged, vacancies began to appear across Konoha's administrative and operational departments. Kaede had already prepared for this, he filled the gaps with talent drawn directly from the major clans.
During Hiruzen's reign, the clans had all been suppressed to some degree.
But Kaede didn't see the need.
With power that towered above the entire ninja world, his position was unshakable. The idea that any clan's influence might become too great to control simply didn't apply. Any clan that dared challenge him… could have a chat with the Nine-Tails.
Kaede appointed Nara Shikaku as his right-hand man, responsible for handling Konoha's daily affairs. Yuhi Kurenai was appointed as the head of the Finance Department, taking over the responsibilities left behind by Koharu and Homura.
Bit by bit, he rebuilt the administrative structure of Konoha even before the Hokage inauguration ceremony.
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Hyuga Clan House
Today was a day of celebration for the Hyuga Clan.
The clan head, Hyuga Hiashi, was holding a feast in honor of his daughter's one-month birthday. Just like Sasuke's celebration, many of Konoha's high-ranking guests were invited.
Inside a quiet room, Kaede cradled a baby in his arms and smiled warmly.
"Hmm… not afraid of me at all. Looks like she's even a bit shy. Have you decided on a name yet, Clan Head Hyuga?"
The one-month-old Hinata sucked gently on her tiny fingers, gazing up at Kaede with innocent, curious eyes. She looked timid, but showed no signs of fear or crying in front of a stranger.
It was perfectly natural.
Kaede's current form was that of a perfected Sage Body, radiating natural energy that was calm and harmonious. An infant with no real self-awareness would only sense vitality and a comforting presence.
"I have a few in mind, but I haven't settled on one yet," Hiashi replied with a smile. "Kaede-sama, between Hinata and Hanabi, which do you think suits her better?"
"Hmm… Hinata has a nice ring to it," Kaede said with a soft smile, handing the baby back to Hiashi.
Hiashi carefully took her back into his arms.
But the moment Kaede's warm aura left her side, Hinata started crying. Caught off guard, Hiashi fumbled for a moment before hurriedly handing her over to his wife. Then, turning back to Kaede with an awkward expression, he said:
"She's been like this since birth. Always cries when I hold her. Aside from her mother, you're the only person she hasn't cried with."
"Maybe because your face is a bit too scary," Kaede chuckled, not bothering to explain the effects of natural energy. He turned and walked out of the room.
With Hinata's birth, the "Konoha 12" were now complete.
Only Haruno Sakura, born to civilian parents, and Lee and Tenten, who were born last year and had yet to make waves, remained off his radar. The rest were all children of the major clans, so Kaede had already heard of them.
Some had even invited him to similar celebrations.
But he wasn't that free. Most of his time was still devoted to further refining the Sage Body and Eight Gates.
=============
Outside, at the banquet,
The moment Kaede stepped out, the attending guests all stood and bowed. Even though the inauguration hadn't happened yet, word had already spread across Konoha. The Daimyo had no objections, Kaede was already seen as the Fifth Hokage in all but the ceremony.
Ten days from now, once the formal ceremony was complete, he would officially take the title. His Hokage monument was already under construction.
"Kaede-sama."
"Hokage-sama."
Some ninja had already begun addressing him directly as Hokage.
Hyuga Hiashi stood proudly beside Kaede.
Kaede's attendance at Hinata's celebration signified the importance he placed on the Hyuga Clan. Moreover, during his reshuffling of Konoha's administration, he had handed full control of the Surveillance Division to the Hyuga.
Though on the surface it simply deployed ninja to gather intel and was under the Intelligence Division, in reality, it also monitored internal movements within Konoha itself.
Assigning them this role was a clear sign of Kaede's trust and recognition.
With that, and his presence at today's celebration, the Hyuga Clan's future looked bright.
The only regret…
…was that Uchiha Itachi, eldest son of the Uchiha Clan, was currently Kaede's student.
Combined with the Uchiha Clan's early support for Kaede, their influence still outweighed the Hyuga. They now held full control over Konoha's police force, and had even formed a "Hokage Guard" directly under Kaede's command, taking on part of the responsibilities left behind by the disbanded Anbu.
To surpass the Uchiha and become Konoha's number-one clan…that goal still lay far in the distance.
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