When Naruto and Sasuke returned, they were greeted by the entire village of Konoha.
"It's Naruto!"
"Naruto saved us!"
"A Hero! Naruto, you are Konoha's Hero!"
The wave of sound spread like wildfire through the revived crowd.
Naruto, listening to the deafening cheers and looking at the grateful faces, felt a surge of joy and excitement, but he still made sure to give credit to Sasuke.
"Everyone, listen to me, Sasuke actually saved you..."
But his voice was drowned out by even louder cheers.
Naruto grew anxious: "It really was Sasuke..."
Sasuke laughed coldly: "Naruto, save your breath. They won't be grateful to a 'Missing-nin'. In their minds, Missing-nin deserve only hatred. How could they possibly be saved by one?"
His blunt words made some of those who had been cheering moments ago freeze, instinctively wanting to retort, but falling silent under Sasuke's icy gaze.
Sasuke lifted his chin slightly: "However, I don't need their gratitude anyway. Because I didn't come to save them. I came to rule them!"
Naruto looked confused: "Huh? Sasuke, what are you saying?"
"Was I not clear enough?" Sasuke declared forcefully, "I'm going to become Hokage!"
As the words fell, the crowd erupted.
"Uchiha Sasuke, have you gone mad?"
"As a Missing-nin, what right do you have to become Hokage?"
Naruto took a deep breath, suppressing his shock and confusion, and spoke with a seriousness he had never shown before:
"Sasuke, you're wrong! You don't become Hokage to gain everyone's recognition. You become Hokage because everyone recognizes you!"
However, after hearing this, Sasuke laughed even louder, as if he had heard something utterly ridiculous.
"Hahaha! Recognition? Naruto, you're so naive!"
"The Third Hokage, a man as foolish and incompetent as him, could become Hokage. Clearly, ordinary people have no ability to distinguish right from wrong!"
"What they need isn't a truly wise and great leader, but a symbol that fits their imagination of 'goodness'!"
"As long as this leader appears kind enough, cares enough about them, even if he secretly condones countless dirty deals and turns a blind eye to countless tragedies, they will hypnotize themselves into seeing him as a saint!"
"But—" Sasuke's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable resolve, "I have no intention of playing those games, pandering to fools!"
"I'm here to rule them! I'm here to change this decadent world!"
"Master once told me, unless we break down the barriers between countries and villages, establish a unified nation, and end this millennium-old deformed system built on commissioned missions and mutual slaughter..."
"This world will never know true peace!"
Such blatant words left the people of Konoha speechless with shock. It was too audacious!
Some turned to look at the newly revived Kakashi, their eyes filled with shock. They hadn't expected him to be so radical!
Kakashi, however, looked bewildered, 'When had I ever said such things?'
"Well said, Sasuke-kun!" Orochimaru clapped in approval. "This decadent, outdated Ninja Village System, full of hypocrisy and internal friction, should have been eliminated long ago!"
"Only unification can concentrate strength, allocate resources to truly meaningful endeavors, such as... exploring the mysteries of life and advancing Ninjutsu innovation."
However, without looking back, Sasuke coldly snapped: "Orochimaru, shut up!"
Orochimaru's smile froze slightly.
"You, who conducted human experiments on Konoha's children, colluded with that old fossil Danzo, and would sacrifice anything for your own research, you are also scum."
Orochimaru sighed: "You're not wrong. It was Konoha's darkness that nurtured scum like me and Danzo."
Everyone who witnessed this scene was dumbfounded.
"Wasn't Sasuke supposed to have defected to Orochimaru, becoming his subordinate?"
"Why does it seem now that Orochimaru is acting like Sasuke's subordinate? Even seeming a bit afraid of him?"
Tsunade, forcing herself to stand despite her weakened state, said gravely: "Uchiha Sasuke, no matter how grand your words sound, Konoha is the village my grandfather built with his own hands!"
"Its will, its future, are decided by the people who live here! As the Fifth Hokage, I will never cede it to a dangerous individual like you!"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, sneering: "Cede? I think you misunderstand, Tsunade. I didn't ask you to cede it. I'm going to take it!"
"None of you could even defeat Pain. Konoha nearly perished because of him. Yet I just defeated Pain and even used him to revive you."
"You should be grateful. If you resist, I don't mind destroying Konoha again. It's not a big deal to rebuild my nation on these ruins."
The cold killing intent spread like a tangible force.
Everyone felt their breath catch.
They had no doubt that Sasuke would truly do it.
In the crowd, a Ninja shouted: "We can't beat you, but we have Naruto, our Hero! Naruto will protect us!"
The shout ignited the crowd's passion, and they began calling Naruto's name.
Sasuke watched this scene, the sarcastic curl of his lips reaching its peak.
"Hah. You dare to hide behind Naruto? The Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life to save the village, sealing the Nine-Tailed Fox within his newborn son, Naruto."
"You not only failed to show gratitude, but you treated Naruto, who lost his parents, as the 'fox's' incarnation, letting him face the world's malice alone as he grew up."
"And now that he has power, now that he stands up to protect you in times of crisis,"
"You hide behind him again, shouting 'Hero', expecting him to use his life to fill the holes you yourselves created!"
Sasuke looked at Naruto, his tone dripping with sarcasm: "Naruto, honestly, I'm starting to wonder if you're under some kind of advanced Genjutsu."
"After being treated like this by such selfish, stupid, ungrateful trash for over a decade, you're still willing to risk your life to protect them?"
Hearing Sasuke's words, Naruto and many villagers were in disbelief: "What? I/Naruto is the Fourth Hokage's son?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow: "It seems Konoha's leadership is capable of suppressing good news, yet they conveniently never suppressed the news of Naruto being a Jinchuriki."
Naruto couldn't help asking: "Sasuke, is my dad really the Fourth Hokage?"
Orochimaru insidiously chuckled: "You can ask Kakashi. He was your father's student."
Naruto immediately looked at Kakashi. Under his gaze, Kakashi nodded bitterly.
Naruto's mind was thrown into disarray, but after a moment of confusion, he still looked at Sasuke and gave his answer:
"Sasuke, what you said might be true. I have indeed experienced a lot of bad things. But precisely because of that, I want even more to gain everyone's acknowledgement."
"I want to prove that I'm not the demon fox! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I want to become Hokage, to have everyone recognize me!"
"I want to change this village, to make it better! So that children like me won't have to experience that loneliness again!"
Sasuke sighed: "That's just like you, Naruto. You're truly the only person in Konoha I can acknowledge."
"Though I don't agree with your approach, I have to admit the strength of your heart."
"To grow up in such an environment, yet maintain such a pure conviction, to still want to love and protect those who once hurt you..."
"That level of magnanimity, I can never match it."
Sasuke paused, then shifted his tone: "However, Naruto, I have a question for you. Do you think the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, his ideals were correct?"
Naruto was taken aback, unsure why Sasuke was suddenly asking this, but he nodded without hesitation:
"Of course! First Hokage-sama established Konoha, ended the clan wars of the Warring States Period, and brought peace! He's the greatest Hokage!"
"Good." Sasuke nodded, then continued, "Then do you know that when the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara first proposed forming a Ninja Village by uniting the clans, they faced overwhelming opposition?"
"The old clan powers, those who were accustomed to fighting independently, maintaining the old order through bloodlines and hatred, they also thought the First Hokage and Madara were crazy, traitors, dangerous radicals trying to destroy tradition."
Naruto fell silent. He had heard something about this history.
"And now," Sasuke's voice suddenly rose, carrying an echo of history, "The Ninja villages that once represented a new order and broke the barriers of the old clans, after decades of development..."
"They themselves have become the obstinate faction opposing progress, new breeding grounds for friction, war, and hatred between nations!"
Sasuke took a step forward, his voice full of passion: "Naruto, the wheel of history rolls ever forward. From the era of clans fighting each other, slaughtering each other, to the era of Ninja Villages with relative cohesion yet internal discord, to the era of a unified Ninja World breaking all barriers..."
"This is the inevitable trend of the Ninja World's evolution!"
Sasuke extended his right hand towards Naruto: "Naruto, let us, like the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara did in their time, reshape the order of this Ninja World!"
"Let us complete the grander, truly unified dream they were unable to finish!"
"You possess the power to change hearts. I possess the power to break obstacles. Together, we can truly end this millennium-long conflict and establish an unprecedented peaceful nation!"
Sasuke's words, like a ringing bell, struck Naruto's heart and stirred up a tidal wave in the minds of every Konoha's Ninja.
Unify the Ninja World? End all wars? Establish an unprecedented peaceful nation?
What ambition! And what... temptation!
Even the people of Konoha had to admit, Sasuke's words were compelling.
Naruto's heart pounded violently.
He was almost swayed by this grand vision, almost reached out to grasp Sasuke's hand.
But his gaze fell on the people behind him, on their varied expressions, and finally he said: "Sasuke, what you say is indeed very tempting. But such change is too radical. I'm not sure if everyone is ready to step into a new era."
"If you can gain everyone's recognition and become Hokage..."
Sasuke sighed and interrupted: "Forget it. It seems we'll have to let force do the talking."