Chapter 683: Succession
October 16th should have been a very ordinary day for Konoha.
However, after this year, it would no longer be ordinary. Perhaps some people would remember that on October 16th of a certain year, the Fourth Hokage officially succeeded to his position.
"Don't push me! You're practically pushing me into the Hokage Building!"
"Back up, back up a bit! Otherwise, we won't be able to see Assistant Mugetsu. No, I mean Lord Fourth!"
In front of the Hokage Building, a large number of ninja and Konoha citizens crowded together, waiting for the Hokage succession ceremony to conclude.
The Hokage succession ceremony was held on the rooftop of the Hokage Building. Due to space limitations and safety concerns, only a small number of jonin were qualified to attend the ceremony on the rooftop.
The remaining ninja and citizens could only wait outside, waiting for the outgoing Hokage to hand over the Hokage Hat, which symbolized the Hokage, to the new Hokage. Then the new Hokage would walk to the rooftop railing and deliver a brief inaugural speech to the people below.
Since the Hokage Building was very tall, it was easy to see Mugetsu speaking, but one could not get too close to the Hokage Building, nor could one stand too far away.
However, there was only a limited area with good viewing spots, and with so many people present, it naturally became crowded.
Fortunately, there were quite a few ninja among them, so a stampede was avoided. If any accident occurred, the nearby ninja would immediately intervene.
Compared to the ground below, the rooftop was very quiet.
No one spoke a word.
The only sounds were the murmuring of people from below and the rustling of clothes in the gentle autumn breeze.
Hiruzen stood in the central area of the rooftop, while Mugetsu faced him, standing about three meters away.
The two Advisors, Koharu and Homura, stood behind Hiruzen. Yagura, the Hidden Mist envoy who had come to observe the ceremony, stood beside Homura.
Further back were Konoha's renowned jonin, such as Orochimaru, Tsunade, Chen sensei, and Minato.
Besides them, this row also included ninja clan leaders or high ranking officials from important Konoha departments, such as Shikaku, Choza, and Fugaku.
In addition to merit and position, special status also allowed one to stand in the front row, such as Kushina.
Although Kushina did not have the same fame as Minato, nor was she a ninja clan leader or the leader of some squad, she was a Jinchuriki, so she was also qualified to stand in the first row beside Minato.
In the row behind them were veteran jonin with some achievements, such as Mimurabe Ketsu, followed by rising star jonin such as Obito, Shisui, and Kakashi.
Rin was originally not qualified, but she was, after all, Mugetsu's disciple, so she still obtained the opportunity to observe the ceremony on the rooftop, just like Obito and the others.
Otherwise, everyone else would be watching from the rooftop while Rin, who was also a jonin, would be treated the same as Yamato, who was still in the Ninja Academy. That would be a bit awkward.
Hiruzen gazed at Mugetsu, who stood before him.
Mugetsu had already put on the specially made Hokage robe. He was only missing the Hokage Hat to truly become the Hokage.
Mugetsu seemed very suited to wearing this white robe. Although it was not a complicated garment, when worn by Mugetsu, Hiruzen found it exceptionally refreshing and dazzling.
Seeing Mugetsu like this, Hiruzen could not help feeling a little envious.
His own Hokage succession ceremony back then had been extremely simple due to various reasons. It had merely been held for the sake of holding a ceremony.
Such a once in a lifetime ceremony had been rushed through so perfunctorily. Looking back now, it was indeed a great pity.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen took a deep breath, took the Hokage Hat from his head, and held it steadily with both hands.
He could not return to the day his Hokage ceremony had been held, so he was even more determined to ensure that Mugetsu's succession ceremony went smoothly and left Mugetsu with no regrets.
Thump, thump.
Hiruzen held the Hokage Hat and walked slowly and solemnly toward Mugetsu, each step making a clear sound.
"In the future, I also want Teacher Mugetsu to pass the Hokage position to me like this!" Obito looked at this scene, his heart filled with soaring ambition.
From entering the Ninja Academy until now, Obito had experienced a great deal and changed quite a bit, but his dream had never changed.
He wanted to become Hokage.
He wanted to become an excellent Hokage who eliminated war and made everyone in Konoha live better lives.
Obito used to hate reading, to the point where simply looking at books would make him feel sleepy without even realizing it.
However, after realizing that he could not be a good Hokage, or even become Hokage, without reading, Obito forced himself to read every day. Now, even when looking at the math books he used to dread the most, he would not feel the slightest bit of drowsiness.
"Teacher Mugetsu officially becoming Hokage means the clan's problems will definitely be resolved faster," Shisui thought to himself.
The Uchiha Clan's problems were both internal and external. As the pinnacle of power in Konoha, with Mugetsu in charge, Shisui had no worries about external factors.
Furthermore, because of Mugetsu's teacher and student relationship with him and Obito, it also had a significant positive effect internally.
When Hiruzen walked to within half a meter of Mugetsu, he stopped, looked directly into Mugetsu's eyes, and offered the Hokage Hat to him.
Mugetsu extended both hands to receive the Hokage Hat, then raised his right hand and put it on.
Throughout this process, neither Mugetsu nor Hiruzen spoke a single word.
Clap! Clap!
The moment Mugetsu put on the Hokage Hat, Homura and Koharu began to applaud. Immediately afterward, the jonin behind them quickly joined in.
For a moment, thunderous applause filled the air.
The applause lasted for about twenty seconds.
"I entrust this to you, Fourth Hokage," Hiruzen said with a serious expression.
From the moment Mugetsu put on the Hokage Hat, Konoha's Hokage was no longer Hiruzen, but Hayate Mugetsu.
"I will do my best," Mugetsu replied solemnly.
Clap! Clap!
Another round of applause erupted.
"The Hokage of Konoha, who was not even a squad commander a few years ago," Yagura sighed, marveling at the impermanence of life.
He had once only considered Mugetsu a troublesome opponent. Now, he could not even stand as an equal opponent to Mugetsu.
"What groceries should I buy later?" Tsunade showed a thoughtful expression.
She did not care whether Mugetsu became Hokage or not, but the celebration party for the Hokage could not be sloppy.
"How about buying all the dishes I want to eat? After all, this is a celebration for becoming Hokage, so it's reasonable for it to be more lavish than a regular celebratory meal."
Tsunade decided to get everything.
Only children made choices.
"He has finally taken office. The Fourth Hokage," Fugaku thought, the corners of his lips curving slightly into a smile.
The Uchiha's best era was about to arrive. Once Obito and Shisui matured a little more, the Uchiha would restore their former glory.
"Teacher Mugetsu, you're definitely going to be the best Hokage!" Obito shouted while clapping vigorously.
It was well known that Sage Mugetsu was omnipotent, so becoming Hokage was a piece of cake for him.
Many jonin instinctively looked at Obito, thinking he was truly bold.
The best Hokage?
Would that not mean surpassing all previous Hokage?
Forget about the deceased First and Second Hokage. The Third Hokage was still standing right there.
Kakashi, standing to Obito's left, felt that the sun was unusually strong today, making his face feel as hot as if it were on fire.
Rin, standing to Obito's right, looked as if she wanted to speak but stopped herself, ultimately remaining silent.
"Fourth Hokage, your burden is not light. Everyone has high hopes for you," Hiruzen said with a chuckle, stroking his long beard.
At this point, Hiruzen certainly would not be angry or resentful over such a small matter.
Moreover, in his opinion, Mugetsu did indeed have great potential and the hope of surpassing him.
Mugetsu smiled slightly, his gaze quickly sweeping over all the ninja present. Then he nodded and turned to walk toward the railing.
It was time to deliver his inaugural speech.
When the ninja and citizens below saw Mugetsu wearing the Hokage Hat, a tremendous cheer erupted instantly.
"Lord Fourth Hokage!"
Whether jonin, chunin, genin, or citizens, they all shouted Fourth Hokage.
When Mugetsu took off the Hokage Hat and showed a warm smile to the people below, the roar of the crowd reached its peak.
At this moment, the sun was at its strongest, and the golden sunlight shone on Mugetsu, making his golden hair exceptionally dazzling.
Mugetsu's smile at this moment seemed to truly possess warmth, making the ninja and citizens feel a reassuring heat in their hearts.
Then Mugetsu raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
Under Mugetsu's powerful charisma, the previously noisy environment quieted down in the blink of an eye.
"I am Hayate Mugetsu. From now on, I will serve as Konoha's Fourth Hokage," Mugetsu looked at the crowd and said slowly.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The next moment, cheers and applause reached their peak, even louder than when Mugetsu had first appeared.
Countless people cheered and clapped with all their strength, celebrating Mugetsu's succession as Hokage.
"I actually worked in the same office as the Hokage, asked him to substitute teach, drank and ate with him, and borrowed money from him," Ikeya Yu clapped enthusiastically, his mind involuntarily recalling his memories of Mugetsu when he had first arrived at the Ninja Academy.
If Ikeya Yu were to describe Mugetsu's journey of growth, it could only be called fantastical.
At first, he had simply thought Mugetsu was a somewhat capable and good natured colleague, someone with more potential than him, but limited.
As a result, Mugetsu became the Vice Principal of the Ninja Academy in less than two years, directly leaping out of the Ninja Academy.
After that, it was a blaze of glory, so incredible that Ikeya Yu could not even comprehend it.
Four years.
Just over four years.
From a chunin teacher to Hokage.
Even ninja novels would not dare write something like that.
"Truly remarkable," Shimono Hisanobu exclaimed.
As the head of the teacher squad, he had witnessed how Mugetsu rose step by step in the Ninja Academy.
He had once worried that Mugetsu would replace his position as head of the teacher squad.
Clearly, he had underestimated Mugetsu.
The Ninja Academy was too small for Mugetsu. Mugetsu's stage was all of Konoha, and even the entire Ninja World.
"Lord Danzo, if his spirit in heaven knew, he would surely be comforted," a former Root ninja, now a training squad leader, could not help sighing.
He was a survivor of the Root ninja stationed at the base.
All Root ninja knew that Mugetsu was Danzo's most prized creation. They often used phrases like "Mugetsu is the most excellent Root ninja" to motivate new Root members, encouraging them to strive to become like Mugetsu.
He thought that Lord Danzo's favorite Root member had become the Hokage, the very position Lord Danzo had wanted most.
If Mugetsu's Root identity were not illegal and did not need to be kept secret, this would surely become a beautiful story.
"He has finally officially taken office," Yamato smiled genuinely, applauding Mugetsu.
He was the only one of Mugetsu's disciples who was not observing the ceremony from the rooftop, but Yamato understood.
After all, he was not even a ninja yet.
"Teacher Mugetsu, I always thought you should be Hokage!" Asuma shouted excitedly.
He had not been promoted to jonin for long and did not hold any important position, so he could not attend the ceremony on the rooftop and could only watch from below.
Asuma did not mind this.
He personally disliked his elderly father using Hokage privileges on him. Besides, he was not the only jonin down there. Most jonin were not qualified to observe the ceremony from the rooftop.
"Teacher Mugetsu!"
The ninja who had taken Mugetsu's classes at the Ninja Academy shouted in unison.
Regardless of Mugetsu's status, to them, Mugetsu would always be the respected Teacher Mugetsu.
"Fourth Hokage, how wonderful," Minato gazed at the exceptionally dazzling golden haired figure illuminated by the sun, listened to the tremendous cheers from below, and sincerely sighed.
As a ninja determined to become Hokage, Minato had also fantasized about his own Hokage succession.
And today's ceremony had fulfilled all of Minato's fantasies about succession.
Even though he was not the protagonist of the ceremony, as one of the witnesses to Mugetsu's growth, Minato was very happy.
"It's okay, Minato. You're so young, you still have a chance," Kushina said, sensing the trace of hidden envy in Minato's eyes. She reached out to comfort him, grasping his hand.
Minato paused slightly, then let out a soft sigh.
Although Mugetsu surpassed Minato in many aspects, and his becoming Hokage was perfectly reasonable, it was still hard not to feel envious while watching a good friend achieve the dream he himself wanted to achieve.
"Maybe Mugetsu will retire after ten or twenty years. You'll only be in your thirties or forties then, so it won't be too late," Kushina continued.
Mugetsu was currently the youngest Kage in the entire Ninja World, succeeding at twenty two years old. Whether anyone would come after him was hard to say, but he was certainly unprecedented.
Minato squeezed Kushina's hand, smiled, and said softly, "If there is a chance, I will naturally strive for it. If there isn't, there is no need to force it."
Minato was truly convinced by Mugetsu as Hokage.
As long as Mugetsu did not voluntarily step down, Minato would not have the idea of becoming Hokage. He would not act proactively like Danzo, trying to create opportunities to become Hokage even when there were none.
Whether it was the jonin observing on the rooftop or the ninja and citizens on the ground, everyone was celebrating the emergence of the new Hokage in perfect harmony.
Facing these people who supported him, Mugetsu was not stingy with his smile, maintaining a warm and gentle expression throughout as he responded to everyone.
And in a scene visible only to Mugetsu, Obito's life mission began to skyrocket.
After all, aside from the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, who was related by blood to the First, every Hokage up to the Seventh Hokage had a teacher and student connection.
A Hokage's disciple might not necessarily become Hokage, but the vast majority of those who did become Hokage either had a Hokage as their teacher, or their teacher's teacher had been a Hokage.
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