--------------------------------------------------
Danzō had become the Sixth Hokage. The news stunned Konoha's residents.
Nobody understood how things could change so fast. There had been no advance notice, no rumors, no inside leaks—just a sudden announcement that they had a new Hokage.
The more perceptive people had already figured out what must have happened in secret.
It only really hit people when they saw Danzō on television in the Hokage's robes. That's when everyone realized a new era had started.
Some people in Konoha were actually looking forward to the change. Danzō was known to have a decent reputation, and they were curious to see what he would do.
Inside the Hokage's office, Danzō stood at the window, looking out over the village.
"I'll carry on the work Lord Second left unfinished," he murmured to himself. "First, I'll clear the names of Madara Uchiha and Tobirama Senju."
He wasn't really worried about their reputations. What mattered to him was setting the stage for another Shinobi World War and bringing all the shinobi together.
His eyes suddenly grew cold and vicious.
"And then there's Sakumo Hatake… That arrogant little brat has no idea who he's dealing with, challenging me in front of everyone."
"Anything short of total loyalty is betrayal."
Danzō slowly sipped his tea.
..............
Meanwhile, at the Hatake residence in Konoha's southern district, a baby had been born that day.
Sakumo couldn't stop grinning like an idiot, his eyes a little red.
"Congratulations, Sakumo. A dad already, huh?" Manji walked in holding Tsunade's hand. He looked at the tiny, wrinkled newborn wrapped in blankets and smiled warmly.
"I'm still trying to come up with a name. You're smarter than me—think you could help me pick one?" Sakumo scratched his head and looked at him hopefully.
"You really want me to name him? A child's name is a big deal. Don't be ridiculous." Manji was surprised for a moment, then he laughed.
"What's ridiculous about it? Back on the battlefield during the Second Shinobi World War, I promised you'd get to name my first child. I haven't forgotten." Sakumo patted his chest, and his voice made it clear he meant every word.
"Besides, Miwako agreed to it too," he added after a pause, turning toward his wife.
His wife nodded gently in agreement.
Beside Manji, Tsunade lost patience and gave him a pinch.
"He's serious about asking you. Quit hemming and hawing—what the hell are you waiting for?"
"See? Tsunade doesn't mess around! Come on, name him. I can't wait." Sakumo agreed at once.
Manji shook his head with a sigh and looked down at the baby, who was sleeping peacefully.
So this was the boy who would one day become Kakashi Hatake...
"How about Kakashi Hatake?" Manji said slowly after a moment of silence.
As soon as he finished, Sakumo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"HOLY SHIT! That's the exact name I kept coming back to!"
"Great minds think alike, huh?" Manji remarked, pretending to be surprised.
Kakashi Hatake means "scarecrow in a field." The name stands for quietly protecting Konoha, just like a scarecrow watches over a field.
"Hahaha! I have a son!!" Sakumo was so excited that he stumbled over his words.
Manji watched Sakumo's goofy celebration with a helpless smile.
Tsunade suddenly pinched his waist. She leaned closer, pouting, and lowered her voice.
"So when do we get a baby of our own?"
Manji only smiled, offering no answer. Tsunade was annoyed at once. She looped her arms around his neck and gave him a shake, deliberately raising an eyebrow to challenge him.
"You useless bum. Can't get it up or something?"
"That kind of bait won't work on me," Manji said, smiling.
..............
"Sensei! We're jōnin now!" Three teenagers ran into the courtyard, holding up their new jōnin uniforms and barely able to hide their excitement.
Manji had put a great deal of care into training Minato Namikaze, Shinnosuke Sarutobi, and Kushina Uzumaki. Now all three had finally earned promotion to jōnin together.
"Nice work—you're all only sixteen. Jōnin your age are few and far between, anywhere in the shinobi world." Manji said, smiling as he clapped.
"That puts us one step closer to becoming Hokage!!" Kushina said with a giggle. She clenched her fists, her eyes bright with excitement. Minato nodded seriously next to her.
"We owe it all to you, Sensei! Most of our old classmates are still stuck at chūnin, but the three of us just became the youngest jōnin in Konoha's history!" Shinnosuke looked at Manji with admiration.
Hiruzen's retirement hadn't changed much for him over the years. Outsiders thought Danzō became Hokage after a political fight at the top, but to Shinnosuke, it just seemed like a normal change in leadership.
To him, it was no different from when Hashirama Senju gave the position to Madara Uchiha years ago.
He had known Danzō since he was a child and always called him Uncle Danzō.
His father was safe and happy—enjoying retirement at the Sarutobi compound. Shinnosuke's relationship with Danzō stayed the same.
Manji nodded with satisfaction as he looked at his three students, full of confidence and enthusiasm.
"Hm..."
"Today, I'm going to teach you three a new jutsu—" He motioned for them to come closer. All three looked surprised and happy, since Manji hadn't often taught them new techniques himself since they became chūnin.
"Come closer, but not too close. Watch carefully." Manji lowered his palm a little. Bright blue chakra quickly gathered, forming a spinning ball of energy.
WHOOSH!
It hummed in his hand, with none of its power leaking out.
"Why doesn't it need any hand signs??" all three blurted at once.
They could hardly believe their eyes. It was the first time they had seen a real ninjutsu that didn't need any hand signs.
"This jutsu… how have I never seen it before?" Shinnosuke asked, his eyes wide.
Shinnosuke had read all of Konoha's books as he grew up, but he had never come across a jutsu like this.
Minato stared in awe at the spinning chakra. He looked eager to learn it, as if the jutsu was meant for him.
Manji smiled at their reactions.
"It's a jutsu I developed myself. I call it the Rasengan."
"SENSEI, I WANT TO LEARN IT!" all three cried at once.
Manji smiled and explained to them in detail how to practice it.
—•——•——•——•——•——•—
~ 15 Advanced Chapters Now Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)