After Chiga finished speaking, he gave Tsunade and the others no chance to respond. In a flash of lightning, he vanished.
The room fell into a stunned silence. Tsunade and the others exchanged uncertain glances, the weight of the moment heavy between them.
For Tsunade, it wasn't about power or pride—she'd never been one to cling to the Hokage title. But this abrupt, forceful shift in leadership… it unsettled her deeply.
Shikaku broke the silence after a moment.
"Tsunade sama… are we really going to acknowledge Uchiha Chiga as the Hokage?"
A faint, bitter smile crept onto Tsunade's face.
"What choice do we have? He doesn't need our approval."
Shikaku lowered his head.
"…Then, we play along for now. We wait for Jiraiya san to return and discuss the next step."
Tsunade nodded weakly.
"Let's do that."
With the pressure finally lifted, Tsunade's legs gave out. She collapsed onto the ground, her gaze drawn to the Hokage Rock outside the window.
She murmured,
"Grandpa… what should I do now?"
---
Later, at Konoha Park…
The sky was streaked with orange and gold as the sun began to set. A quiet wind rustled through the trees.
On an old swing, Kurenai Yuhi sat alone, gently swaying back and forth. Her face was clouded with worry.
She stared down at the tips of her shoes and muttered,
"What's going on with Chiga senpai…?"
News of Uchiha Chiga declaring himself the Sixth Hokage had already spread across Konoha. To most, the name was unfamiliar—just a ghost from the past. But to the older generation, it stirred old memories.
Those who remembered spoke cautiously, reverently.
Uchiha Chiga—once a prodigious shinobi of the Uchiha Clan. A decade ago, he developed the original Lightning Cutter, an S-rank Ninjutsu that later inspired techniques like the Chidori. His strength and creativity had made waves in the village.
But what truly set him apart was not just power.
Unlike the cold pride that often marked other Uchiha, Chiga was warm, gentle, and kind. The Third Hokage had handpicked him for the ANBU and eventually promoted him to Captain. Even the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had intended to elevate him further—but that plan was mysteriously shelved.
Whispers claimed it was due to opposition from Konoha's elders. They couldn't stomach the idea of an Uchiha holding that much authority. And Minato, new to power, lacked the political strength to fight back.
Chiga had never complained. That quiet humility only made him more admired.
But then came the war.
His entire squad was wiped out. Only he returned, and after that, everything changed. He became quiet, detached.
Shortly after the Nine-Tails attack, he was declared dead during an external mission. People moved on. His name faded from memory.
But not for Kurenai.
To her, Chiga was unforgettable. She could still see him, kneeling down to help her practice Ninjutsu, his voice calm and steady.
He used to say to her,
"Kurenai, don't rely too much on Genjutsu. One day, it might betray you."
Girls in the shinobi world often matured fast—many formed deep attachments at a young age. Kurenai was no exception. Her admiration for Chiga grew over time, turning to quiet affection.
She once promised herself that when she became a Jonin, she would confess her feelings to Chiga senpai.
Under his guidance, she excelled. Her Ninjutsu progressed far beyond the levels seen in the original timeline, and paired with her innate Genjutsu talent, she became a Jonin in record time.
But by then, Chiga had already been gone for three years.
She never accepted his death. It made no sense to her—the strongest Uchiha of his generation, vanishing without a trace?
Suitors came and went. Asuma Sarutobi, the Third Hokage's son, was among them. She turned them all away. Her heart waited for someone she believed would one day return.
Now, he had.
But the Chiga who returned felt... different.
His appearance hadn't changed—if anything, he was more striking than before. But his demeanor had shifted. The kind, dutiful shinobi she'd adored had come back and, in mere hours, challenged Konoha, publicly executed Danzo, and declared himself Hokage without waiting for consent.
(He did say he reverted his appearance from what it previously was)
It was all too much. She couldn't process it.
She sighed and stepped off the swing, ready to head home and collect her thoughts.
But then she looked up—and froze.
Under a large tree nearby stood a familiar figure, arms crossed.
Her breath caught.
"…Chiga senpai?!"
He smiled gently, having been watching her for a while.
Back at the Root base, Kurenai's reaction had been clear—a heartfelt confession in everything but words. Chiga had been taken aback by it.
In the Pirate World, he'd lived more freely. But in Konoha? Back then, survival came first. Romance had no place in his life.
His youth could be summed up in one sentence: "Had brothers, no women."
He had always found the young Kurenai endearing. Teaching her Ninjutsu came naturally. But he'd never imagined it would mean so much to her.
No wonder Asuma had looked at him like that. In hindsight, it all made sense.
Thinking of it, he chuckled.
Kurenai's heart stirred at the sound. That laugh—so familiar. So real. The doubt in her chest began to fade.
She lowered her head and softly mumbled,
"Chiga senpai, I…"
Her voice trailed off into something almost inaudible, but with the Goro Goro no Mi and his control of magnetic fields, there was no sound Chiga couldn't hear if he wished.
She had said,
"Chiga senpai… I missed you so much."
He dropped his arms and walked closer. With a nostalgic smile, he reached out and pinched her cheek—something he often used to do when they trained.
That one simple touch melted the last of her hesitation.
What did it matter anymore?
Chiga was back.
Tears welled in her eyes. She lunged forward, burying herself in his arms, wrapping around his waist like she never wanted to let go.
"Chiga senpai… You're finally back!"
---
From a distance, a masked woman with violet hair stood frozen, hidden in shadow.
She had seen everything.
Her expression didn't change, but something inside her tightened. A moment later, she disappeared into the darkness without a sound.
---
Thanks for the Power stones.