Kazu thought for a moment, then stopped Fugaku from speaking.
"Don't," he said calmly. "Honestly, it really isn't convenient for the police force to be stationed in the middle of the village."
Fugaku's expression sank immediately. Bitterness welled up in his chest.
So even Kazu-sama thinks this is our fault…?
Madara's arrogant face flashed through Fugaku's mind. Yeah… Madara really is the Uchiha clan's ghost. If the villagers don't trust them, he couldn't even say it was completely unreasonable.
Fugaku was rational—but he still felt terrible.
Their clan head had died tragically, the Uchiha were in chaos, and now they were being pressured to abandon land the clan had lived on for generations.
This had never happened in Konoha.
Among the village's major clans, no one had ever been forced off their territory. If the Uchiha became the first… it would be humiliation carved into their history.
Kushina frowned beside him.
In her eyes, the Uchiha weren't at fault. The only one who was wrong was Madara—and Madara's crimes shouldn't be dumped on the entire Uchiha clan.
The Konoha higher-ups were briefly stunned by Kazu's words—then many of them smiled.
At first, quite a few of them had thought Kazu was too young. They'd even worried he wasn't "politically mature" enough.
But now it seemed Kazu truly was putting Konoha first.
A perfect successor to the Will of Fire.
But just as they were feeling pleased with themselves… Kazu walked straight into the Uchiha district.
"What's Kazu doing?"
Under their puzzled stares, Kazu told the Uchiha to step aside.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar Architecture!"
On the territory that had been leveled, tall buildings rose from the ground!
The Uchiha stared wide-eyed as trees surged up, thickened into pillars, and assembled themselves into a brand-new multi-story building.
"This…"
The quicker Uchiha to react bowed deeply. "Kazu-sama, thank you!"
Kazu lifted his hand. Roots and vines immediately pushed up from the soil, gently helping the kneeling clan members back to their feet.
"It's fine," he said. "Don't do that. You Uchiha deserve this."
Hearing that, several Uchiha clan members' eyes turned red.
They'd already heard the rumors—that the village leadership wanted to relocate them, that Madara's appearance had made everyone distrust them again.
They hadn't expected Kazu to openly affirm them.
The Konoha higher-ups—who had been smiling a second ago—now wore stiff expressions.
Even Hiruzen looked stunned.
Kazu's actions were… hard to predict.
Fugaku was still confused.
Didn't Kazu-sama just agree with them? Why turn around and help the Uchiha immediately after?
The elder who had spoken before couldn't help himself.
"Kazu-sama… what do you mean by this?"
Kazu smiled.
"I think you have a point. If they're the police force, it's not ideal for them to be stationed right in the center."
"So here's my solution: I'll build housing at the edge of the village specifically for the Uchiha Police Force."
"And this—this is Uchiha land, so naturally it should belong to the Uchiha who aren't serving in the police force."
Everyone's mouths fell open slightly. They hadn't expected Kazu to resolve it like this.
Some wanted to argue—but Kazu had already built the building.
And arguing now would only mean picking a fight with Kazu.
So even the elder, furious inside, forced himself to swallow it.
Hiruzen watched Kazu quietly, emotions churning.
I didn't expect that approach…
"I really am old…" Hiruzen thought. "Maybe if Kazu becomes Hokage… he really can lead Konoha to glory."
Fugaku finally realized he'd misunderstood Kazu. Shame washed over his face.
"Kazu-sama… please rest. The housing on the village outskirts—let the Uchiha Police handle that."
"No," Kazu said firmly. "That's all you have left as the Uchiha Police. I'll handle the whole village."
Kazu sighed inwardly. Yeah… I don't really have a choice.
If he wanted to squeeze the system for rewards, this was how it had to be.
If the Uchiha built it themselves, who knew whether the system would count it as his accomplishment.
When Kazu finished building all the police housing along the village's edge, the completion prompts echoed in his mind.
[Ding. Option 1 complete: Agreed to the Konoha elders' proposal and relocated the Uchiha Clan to the outskirts of Konoha. Reward obtained: S-rank Technique – Heaven Curse Mark.]
[Ding. Option 3 complete: Built a six-story building on the original Uchiha territory. Reward obtained: S-rank Character Card – Itachi Uchiha (Night of the Massacre). Mikoto Uchiha favor +10. Fugaku Uchiha favor +10.]
Kazu went quiet when he saw Fugaku favor +10.
…Why would he need Fugaku's favor?
Still, Itachi was one step closer to completing the collection. There was also Itachi Uchiha (Akatsuki) out there—something that could likely be synthesized later.
And the S-rank forbidden technique—Heaven Curse Mark—was interesting too.
It was perfect for cultivating subordinates: implanting curse marks to strengthen them and trigger unnatural transformations.
Like Sasuke's second-stage Curse Mark—wings, flight… brutal.
It also functioned as a lifesaving method: even if someone died, they could potentially be revived through the curse mark.
Of course, that last part didn't really matter for Kazu.
…
On the way back, people kept stopping him.
"Kazu-sama!"
Kazu smiled and waved like he was already Hokage.
Only when he returned to the Uzumaki compound did he finally breathe out.
Tonight, way too many people had thanked him.
Kushina held Kazu's hand, eyes full of certainty.
This is my husband.
Yeah—she wasn't married yet, but she already wanted to call him that.
It made her cheeks burn.
Kushina was fierce with everyone else, but to her, Kazu was basically a god-tier idol.
In front of him, she was all softness—nothing like her usual firecracker self. She stayed close at his side like a little bird.
The next day, early in the morning, Kazu arrived at the Hokage Building.
This was Konoha's first provisional high-level meeting after the reconstruction.
The Hyūga, Uchiha, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, and the other major clans—thirty-five in total—along with jōnin with influence in the village, had gathered.
Orochimaru walked up beside Kazu and lowered his voice.
"Kazu… I know I can't compete with you for Hokage. But you have to promise me something—support my research."
Kazu smiled but didn't answer.
Then he greeted Jiraiya and Tsunade as they arrived.
Kazu took a seat in the front row.
Meanwhile, Minato Namikaze and Sakumo Hatake—who weren't clan heads—sat farther back.
Minato looked at Kazu's seat and admitted in his heart: If I said I wasn't jealous, I'd be lying.
Sakumo felt tense. Yesterday, Hiruzen hadn't scolded him, and no one had said anything… but that silence only made Sakumo more uneasy.
After all, he'd exposed a thirty-year intelligence network in the Sand.
Sakumo knew how unforgivable that looked on paper.
Now he didn't know what the village would decide.
When everyone had assembled, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stepped out slowly.
He walked to the front, scanning the room. His gaze paused on Sakumo midway… then settled briefly on Kazu.
The matter of Sakumo… will be for the next Hokage to handle.
Hiruzen cleared his throat.
"Alright. Everyone's here. Let's begin."
"In the past month, due to escalating conflict between Kirigakure and Kumogakure, plus the crimes and rebellion of Danzō's faction and certain extremist elements, and the manipulation from behind the scenes by Madara Uchiha… Konoha has taken a severe blow."
"A thousand shinobi casualties on the front lines… and the village itself reduced to ruins…"
As Hiruzen spoke, many in the audience remembered just how insane the last month had been—more chaos than most years combined.
It felt like everything had detonated all at once.
People listened with sharp eyes, already guessing whether another Shinobi World War was coming.
Hiruzen continued, "Konoha has suffered tremendous losses this month. As Hokage… I must give everyone an explanation."
He paused, drew a deep breath, and looked around.
"So… I've decided to step down as Hokage."
The room erupted in surprise.
"What?!"
"No, Hokage-sama! Konoha's losses were caused by Kumogakure and Madara—this isn't your responsibility!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama, please don't blame yourself!"
Plenty of people had already heard rumors.
But in the shinobi world, acting was part of the job.
"Enough," Hiruzen said firmly.
His eyes were steady as he raised his voice.
"This past month has only reinforced how correct the spirit of Konoha—and the Will of Fire—truly is."
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The fire will continue to illuminate the village, so new leaves can sprout."
"The young are Konoha's future. I'm old now. I believe Konoha's next generation can shoulder the title of Hokage—and every critical position in this village."
"I've sat in that chair for twenty-five years. It's time the next generation stepped up."
"I trust Konoha's youth… just as Tobirama-sama once trusted us."
At that, Hiruzen's eyes brimmed with tears.
He loved Konoha—truly—and wanted it to become stronger.
But he also felt his limits.
Now was the right time to abdicate.
So the Fourth Hokage candidate…
Many eyes turned to Kazu in the front row.
The Hyūga clan head spoke up first.
"Hokage-sama, then have you chosen the Fourth Hokage?"
Hiruzen replied calmly, "Everyone here may recommend one candidate. Whoever receives the most support will become the Fourth Hokage."
The room buzzed.
Not specified?
Several clan heads' eyes flashed with ambition.
Even if Kazu was the obvious favorite… competing wasn't impossible.
But before anyone could jump in, Tsunade raised her hand.
"I, Tsunade, recommend Kazu as the Fourth Hokage."
Immediately, Jiraiya and Orochimaru stood as well.
"I, Jiraiya, recommend Kazu as the Fourth Hokage."
"I, Orochimaru, recommend Kazu as the Fourth Hokage."
The Three Sannin—unanimous.
Many people were shocked. They'd assumed Orochimaru would try to compete.
After all, he was Hiruzen's most outstanding student.
Instead, Orochimaru withdrew on his own.
And behind the Three Sannin wasn't just clan support—this represented a massive portion of the village's high-level jōnin.
Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang, raised his hand.
"I, Sakumo Hatake, recommend Kazu as the Fourth Hokage."
More surprised looks—Konoha's White Fang wasn't even trying to contend.
Then people realized: Kazu was Kakashi's teacher. Sakumo supporting him was natural.
Minato hesitated… then raised his hand too.
"I, Minato Namikaze, recommend Kazu as the Fourth Hokage."
After that, more and more jōnin followed.
"I recommend Kazu as the Fourth Hokage!"
Because of one simple reason—Kazu rebuilt the entire village last night and won their loyalty.
For the jōnin, it was straightforward: you treat us right, we'll back you.
Before the clan heads even spoke, Kazu already had overwhelming support.
And he was only sixteen.
But his strength and prestige made that respect feel inevitable.
Still, the thirty-five great clans hadn't spoken yet.
Then Fugaku raised his hand.
"I, on behalf of the Uchiha Clan, recommend Kazu as the Fourth Hokage."
The clan heads looked at Fugaku in surprise—this young man was the new Uchiha leader?
Right after, the Inuzuka, Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clan heads stood in agreement.
Up to this point, every recommendation had gone to Kazu.
The Hyūga head, who had originally been weighing his options, spoke with a measured tone.
"I, on behalf of the Hyūga Clan, recommend Kazu as the Fourth Hokage."
Because by now, Kazu had already secured more than half the votes. Competing would only make enemies.
Better to earn goodwill in front of the future Hokage.
The remaining clan heads were all political veterans. They came to the same conclusion.
"I, on behalf of the Nawa Clan, recommend Kazu as the Fourth Hokage!"
"I, on behalf of…"
Hiruzen watched the flood of endorsements, eyes flickering with emotion.
This was what everyone wanted.
In the end, only Mito Uzumaki hadn't spoken.
Mito smiled.
"I, on behalf of the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan, recommend Kazu as the Fourth Hokage."
There were fifty-eight participants in total. Fifty-seven had already spoken.
The last voice… was Hiruzen's.
Hiruzen nodded and smiled.
"Then… it is hereby announced."
"The Fourth Hokage will be…"
"Kazu."