Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.
Ever since creating the forest that now bordered the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire, Kaede had not made another move. He spent these past two years in Konoha, focused solely on refining his taijutsu.
During this time, Uchiha Shisui gained fame across the ninja world as "Shunshin no Shisui," or "Shisui of the Body Flicker." At just thirteen, he rose to the rank of elite Jonin in Konoha.
Meanwhile,
With the help of Kaede's time-acceleration ability, Kakashi took just over half a year to elevate his chakra to the kage level. He also made significant progress in his sage training. A few months later, he successfully completed the foundational transformation of his body into that of a Sage and implanted the Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan.
Relying on his partially completed Sage Body and the power of the Kamui Mangekyo, Kakashi faced Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, in battle and dealt him a severe defeat, shocking the entire ninja world!
Following that battle, Kakashi officially assumed command of the First Division of the Hokage Guard, an elite force established by Kaede.
The Second Division of the Hokage Guard currently had no captain. Its vice-captain, a member of the Yamanaka clan, specialized in interrogation and extracting intelligence from captured enemies or corpses.
Shisui took over as captain of the Third Division and received one of the Seven Ninja Swords, specifically, the Thunder Sword: Kiba, from Kaede.
Nohara Rin was appointed captain of the Fourth Division, with Shizune serving as her vice-captain.
Notably, Tsunade, having lost several gambling bets, was forced to take on the position of Konoha advisor. She assisted Kaede in handling the village's various administrative affairs.
The Fifth Division was led by Angel Konan. Originally, Kaede had intended for Uchiha Itachi to command it, but at only eight years old, Itachi wasn't even qualified to be a vice-captain. Konan, however, had earned Kaede's full trust over their two years together.
Of course,
As a former ninja of Amegakure, Konan's appointment as captain of the Fifth Division's support unit raised concerns among some, including Shisui and Rin. But Kaede quashed all dissent.
The Sixth Division also lacked a captain. Yuhi Kurenai served as its vice-captain. Now sixteen years old, Kurenai had already become an elite Jonin of Konoha, gaining recognition from nearly all of her peers.
The reason was simple: strength.
Kurenai specialized in genjutsu. After Kaede ascended to the Six Paths level and awakened the Rinnegan, his mastery of spiritual and genjutsu techniques became profound, allowing him to directly mentor her. Additionally, techniques like cell activation applied to her just as well.
Through Kaede's guidance, Kurenai steadily reached elite Jonin level. Even Shisui, without using his Mangekyo Sharingan, found it difficult to defeat her and needed considerable effort in battle.
The Seventh Division also had no captain. Its vice-captain was a civilian-born ninja.
He wielded the massive Samehada, one of the Seven Ninja Swords, and demonstrated exceptional compatibility with it. Thanks to this, his combat strength neared kage level.
Inoichi Yamanaka was appointed as captain of the Eighth Division.
The Ninth Division had no captain yet, with Might Guy serving as its vice-captain. At sixteen, Guy had become one of Konoha's Jonin. Though not as exceptional as Kakashi, he had mastered up to the Sixth Gate of the Eight Gates technique, qualifying him both in strength and in rank.
Of the Seven Ninja Swords, five had been distributed. Only the Executioner's Blade and the Blunt Sword: Kabutowari remained, the two most difficult to wield.
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Konoha Village.
On the great stone cliff behind the village, the faces of the Hokage were carved in sequence, from the First Hokage Senju Hashirama to the Fifth, Hatake Kaede.
At this moment, a lone figure sat atop Kaede's carving.
Draped in the ceremonial robes of the Fifth Hokage, he looked down calmly over the now-thriving village. Compared to two years ago, Konoha has expanded significantly.
Whoosh!
Just then,
A figure appeared behind Kaede.
"Hokage-sama."
It was Uchiha Shisui. His gaze was full of respect as he knelt on one knee and presented a box sealed with complex fūinjutsu patterns.
There had been a time when Shisui considered himself Kaede's rival, but those thoughts vanished the moment Kaede's name shook the ninja world and he was appointed as the Fifth Hokage.
Especially when,
Kaede's policies were enacted one after another, pulling Konoha out of the post-war gloom and into rapid prosperity under the joint leadership of him, Tsunade, and Shikamaru Nara. Shisui's respect for Kaede eventually surpassed even what he felt for the head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku.
That's just the kind of ninja he was.
To him, the village came before the clan.
"The resistance from Hoshigakure has been crushed. We've taken control of the Daimyo's palace in the Land of Bears. The Daimyo has already signed the treaty, converting the Land of Bears into 'Bear Town', annexed into the Land of Fire. As agreed, he'll remain as the town's Daimyo."
Shisui reported swiftly, then extended the box. "This is the source of Hoshigakure's power, the meteorite they called 'The Star.' It contains a dark and sinister energy. I've sealed it for now."
"I see," Kaede replied calmly. "You may go."
Still seated, Kaede continued gazing quietly at the village below.
Shisui nodded, gave a soft "Yes," and disappeared with a flicker, leaving the sealed box containing "The Star" behind Kaede.
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"Hokage-sama~!"
Another voice called out, not from behind, but from below the Hokage Rock.
A group of young girls had gathered not far from the base of the cliff, waving enthusiastically at Kaede, trying their best to catch his attention.
Kaede's gaze passed over the village and landed on the group of girls. He smiled slightly, then stood up and waved back.
It was like pouring oil on fire,
The crowd instantly erupted.
Even from several blocks away, people in the bustling marketplace could hear the commotion. Many looked up toward the Hokage Rock and, upon realizing what was happening, could only chuckle and shake their heads.
"Hokage-sama is way too popular."
"Well, he is our Fifth Hokage. My daughter's head over heels for him, but she's only ten. If she were older, I'd support her chasing after him."
"Haha, give it a rest!"
A nearby companion laughed and added, "You think your daughter can outshine Jonin like Yuhi or Nohara? Even they're still trying."
The man rolled his eyes. "Tch, love doesn't follow logic. A guy like you will never understand."
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria