It had been a week since Danzo's death. Root was officially disbanded, and the ANBU were replaced by the Uchiha.
There was no choice. The old ANBU had been loyal to the Third Hokage, and Root was Danzo's personal weapon. If Homelander wanted to solidify his position as the Fourth Hokage, he had to build his own power base.
The Uchiha clan had long been marginalized. Now, Homelander granted them recognition—and in return, they pledged their loyalty willingly, without reservation.
With the old stigma of clan prejudice lifted, joining the Hokage's personal guard—the new ANBU—had become far easier for the Uchiha than ever before.
Day after day, Fugaku Uchiha received direct orders from the Hokage's office requesting elite recruits from his clan. For the first time, he was proud to send the children of his clan to serve directly under the Hokage. It felt like sending them off to a top university—an honor, a joy.
Inside the solemn Uchiha shrine, a group of elite clan members sat kneeling on cushions, their faces glowing with contentment.
"Ever since the Fourth Hokage took office, our lives have been getting better and better," someone said cheerfully. "My son Hika used to have no chance of becoming more than a jōnin. Being trusted with real power was almost impossible. But now? He's been accepted into the Shadow Guard! His future is wide open."
The room buzzed with happy agreement.
"Yeah. We must never forget the Fourth Lord's grace. Without him, we wouldn't have what we have today."
"That's right. With Konoha now embracing the Uchiha, we'll become the number one village in the Five Great Nations again. I really don't know how to thank the Fourth…"
"Just marry off your daughter, Hoshina, to the Hokage and be done with it!"
"Hoshina? You think I can make that decision? That wild girl's got a mind of her own. She joined the Shadow Guard already—if the Hokage takes notice, great. If not, I'm not getting involved."
"Hahaha! Some father you are!"
The room erupted in laughter, warm and harmonious. Even Fugaku chuckled along with them.
But then, the sliding door opened with a clack. A barefoot boy stood in the doorway, holding a crying toddler in his arms.
"Itachi?" Fugaku blinked in surprise and stood up quickly. "What's wrong?"
"Sasuke won't stop crying. I think he's hungry," Itachi said quietly. "Mom left early this morning to visit Aunt Kushina."
"I see. Come, give him to me."
Fugaku gently took the infant Sasuke into his arms and held Itachi's small hand with his other, walking the boys back home slowly.
Itachi was quiet, trailing beside his father, occasionally running ahead to offer him his handkerchief.
Along the way, fellow Uchiha greeted them warmly. Even old Aunt Uchiha Komeyo, who sold rice pancakes, handed them some hot snacks for lunch.
Meanwhile, at Kushina's house, Uchiha Mikoto was patiently explaining the basics of motherhood to the newly postpartum Kushina.
Cradling a sleeping Naruto in her arms, Kushina listened intently, but there was so much to learn—even as a top student of Konoha Academy, she couldn't memorize everything. So she asked Minato to help jot things down.
Minato, now fully a super-dad, obediently recorded all the parenting notes in a little notebook.
As for Danzo's death? It hadn't even registered.
Ever since Shisui had used Kotoamatsukami on him, his subconscious had been rewired. In his mind, Danzo was the masked man behind the Nine-Tails attack. Every suspicion, every thread of doubt, had been twisted into absolute belief.
That's how Kotoamatsukami worked. Even the smallest seed of doubt would grow into a firmly held conviction.
Right now, Minato's mind was fully occupied with his newborn son. Nothing else mattered.
To make up for all the time he had missed during Kushina's pregnancy due to missions, he had already decided to take some leave—to protect the Nine-Tails' seal and raise Naruto. Once Naruto was settled, he'd return to active duty.
—
Meanwhile, far away in another land, Jiraiya—who had been tracking Orochimaru and gathering intelligence—heard rumors at a tavern about the Nine-Tails attacking Konoha.
He froze mid-drink.
Was it Orochimaru? A personal vendetta? A plot for revenge?
Without hesitation, Jiraiya packed his bags and began the journey back to the village.
Truth be told, tracking Orochimaru had been a failure. The snake was always three steps ahead. Every time Jiraiya got close, Orochimaru vanished like a ghost.
Tormented by the fall of his old friend, Jiraiya wandered the world, pondering his fate.
---
Back in Konoha, under Homelander's directive, the Yamanaka Clan—a noble family known for their mental prowess—launched the new "Neo-Konoha Broadcast Network", a TV and radio program that would reach every home and every ear in the village.
Its purpose? To sing praises of Homelander's mighty leadership and glorious achievements.
Now, after a hard day's work, villagers could unwind with the latest segment of the "Fourth Hokage: Behind the Hero" show.
Or flip on the radio to hear the daily broadcast: "Will of Fire Explained."
Homelander, having transmigrated from America, simply couldn't stand the stifling, joyless tone of the old Konoha.
He introduced scheduled variety shows, public interviews, and heroic documentaries—not just for morale, but for propaganda.
And it worked.
The new Konoha TV Network transformed the village's spirit.
Every night, citizens gathered on time to watch the Fourth Hokage's interviews. When the segment about the "Nine-Tails Incident" aired, many wept with emotion, praising his strength and sacrifice.
Sensing opportunity, Yamanaka Inoichi capitalized on the buzz. The clan's average income skyrocketed. Producing TV and radio shows became their new obsession.
Soon, Konoha's cinema expanded. The new film "The Fourth Hokage vs. The Nine-Tails" sold out instantly.
On opening night, not a single seat was empty.
Villagers left the theater in tears, struck by Homelander's courage.
Statues of the Fourth Hokage sprang up everywhere. Posters lined the streets. Merchandise exploded—figures, cloaks, action toys—all modeled after Homelander.
A ten-meter statue of the Fourth Hokage slamming the Nine-Tails into the ground stood proudly in the village square.
Konoha was now immersed in an overwhelming cult of personality—far beyond anything experienced during the reigns of the First, Second, or even Third Hokage.
And it was at this time that Jiraiya finally returned to the village.