Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 60: Teleportation
Raiken eyes lit up as he looked at Sakumo. To be honest, this was the first time he had ever seen Hatake Sakumo in person. Whenever Raiken came to the Hokage office before, Sakumo was always away on duty, so they never crossed paths.
The only reason Raiken recognized him now was because of his hair, that unmistakable silver hair that resembled Kakashi. Sakumo looked slightly older than Raiken had imagined, probably because of the stress that came with being the Anbu Commander. If his hair hadn't already silver from his birth, Raiken thought half of it would have gone white by now.
That was how heavy the burden must have been for the man who carried the burden of Konoha.
Looking at Sakumo now, Raiken felt a sense of gratitude toward the system he possessed. It gave him confidence, especially after mastering Sage Mode and the Teleportation Jutsu. He deliberately chose not to give the jutsu the same name that Minato would one day use. It would be strange if, by coincidence, Minato ended up naming his own technique exactly the same as his.
However, unlike the Teleportation Jutsu, the Rasengan was different. That one, Raiken could reveal earlier and even tell others its name without any concern.
Although Sakumo had never met Raiken in person before, he immediately recognized him from pictures.
"Greetings, Raiken-sama," said Sakumo politely.
"Oh, you are…" Raiken paused for a moment, studying him. "Are you Sakumo-sama?"
"Yes, I am Hatake Sakumo," replied Sakumo with a nod.
"Nice to meet you. And please, just call me by my name no need to add 'sama,'" said Raiken with a small smile.
"Really?" Sakumo looked genuinely surprised. "I've heard about your legend, Raiken. But if that's the case, I'll take your word for it. I suppose we stand on equal ground, so just call me Sakumo as well."
"Then it's settled," said Raiken, smiling faintly. "Nice to meet you, Sakumo."
Sakumo returned the smile. "Likewise."
"So, Sakumo," Raiken continued, "did you come to buy our fire-stove scroll?"
"Yes," said Sakumo, his expression softening. "That product has helped my wife a lot."
"I'm glad to hear that," said Raiken warmly. "It was designed with the people of the village in mind."
"The fire-stove scroll is brilliant," Sakumo added. "It's even cheaper than firewood, and the blue flame it produces is smokeless and much safer than charcoal or wood. My wife said it's a easier to use it especially to cook a food in our home."
"That was exactly the purpose behind its creation," replied Raiken, smiling with pride.
"And the healing scroll," Sakumo added, his tone turning serious, "has saved countless lives among our Anbu operatives. Many of them would have been lost if not for your work."
Raiken chuckled softly. "Well, I'm glad it's making a difference. You should visit our place sometime, Sakumo."
"Is that an invitation?" Sakumo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Raiken replied with a grin. "Come visit us when you have the time."
"Alright, I will," Sakumo said with a nod.
---Council Elders Disband---
"You can't do this, Hiruzen," said Koharu sharply, her voice trembling with both disbelief and anger.
"Yes, we never made a mistake. How can you disband us after everything we've done for Konoha?" added Homura, slamming his palm on the table.
Hiruzen stood silently behind his desk for a moment, his expression unreadable but it was a face who had decided what he had wanted. When he finally spoke, his tone become serious and clearly would not back down.
"It is not you two I blame," he said slowly. "Blame Danzo. Because he held power, he began to misuse it. He betrayed the very principles of our village."
"That is Danzo fault, not ours!" rebuked Koharu furiously. "You can't punish us for his sins!"
Hiruzen closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the evidence he had uncovered, the secret laboratories hidden beneath Root Headquarters, the scrolls detailing experiments on innocent children, the stolen Uchiha eyes sealed in jars. His heart ached with shame. He had trusted Danzo as a comrade, as one of the founding members of Konoha post-ninja war leadership. And yet, that trust had become poison.
"Danzo misuse of his authority has opened my eyes," Hiruzen replied truthfully. "This is the last year I have the power to act. If I do not disband the Council now, next year I will no longer be able to do anything about it."
He spoke with quiet finality, the kind of tone that left no room for argument.
Koharu's lips trembled. "You've thought this through, haven't you?" she asked bitterly. "You would throw away the system that held this village together for decades?"
"The system was built to serve the village," Hiruzen said, his voice low but firm. "Not to control it."
Homura eyes hardened. "Without us, you will become a tyrant, Hiruzen. You will make every decision alone, blinded by your emotions."
Hiruzen shook his head. "No, Homura. I will rebuild the Council of Elders, but it will no longer be a council bound by bloodlines or influence. From now on, the council will be chosen through votes every three years. And each clan will not be allowed to vote for their own members. They may abstain or vote for someone from another clan, but never their own."
"This… Are you serious?" Koharu voice softened, disbelief slowly replacing anger. She had known Hiruzen since she was young, and though she disagreed with him, she could see the sincerity in his eyes.
"Yes," said Hiruzen. "If clans can vote for their own, then power will only circle among the same families. That is not balance, that is stagnation. For Konoha future, we must prevent favoritism before it takes root again."
Homura crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "How many people will sit as elders?"
Hiruzen raised his hand and extended six fingers. "A total of six, instead of three."
"Six?" Koharu repeated quietly. "Twice as many… so that no one can dominate the council again."
"That's right," said Hiruzen. "No more secret meetings. No more unseen manipulation. The village deserves this."
For a long moment, silence filled the office. The faint chirping of birds outside the Hokage office was the only sound that broke through the tension. Koharu looked at Hiruzen, not as a subordinate, but as an old friend she had fought beside in the wars. She could see the pain behind his decision, the exhaustion that came with years of leadership and betrayal.
Finally, she sighed. "It's up to you, Hiruzen. You were always the one who carried Tobirama sensei Will of Fire the strongest among us."
Without another word, she turned and left the office with her husband, her footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Homura lingered for a moment, watching his old comrade. The Hokage stood by the window, staring out over the rooftops of Konoha as the evening light washed over his face.
"You've changed, Hiruzen," Homura said quietly. "Maybe for the better. Or maybe for the worse."
Hiruzen did not look back. "Maybe both," he murmured.
Homura said nothing more. He followed Koharu out, leaving Hiruzen alone with the weight of his choices.
When the door finally closed, Hiruzen let out a long breath and muttered softly to himself, "For Konoha… and for the next generation, this must be done."
Author Notes: To read advanced chapter you can go my patreon.
Chapter 88: Nagato Born
Chapter 89: Daimyo Took Action
Chapter 90: Teleportation Jutsu
-patreon.com/zorojurown