Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

The succession ceremony, atop the highest platform.

The Third Hokage, wearing a simple hat, sat quietly as he waited, while the crowd below had already gathered, anticipating the event. When the moment arrived, there was no doubt they would erupt in cheers.

But unlike the villagers, the Third Hokage was a bit anxious, not because of the crowd or any attachment to the Hokage title but because…

Anbu had just informed him that Tsunade wasn't in the designated room!

Could Tsunade have changed her mind at the last minute and left Konoha?

The Third considered her personality. Given Tsunade's unpredictability, it wasn't impossible.

Jiraiya was certainly the most mischievous of the Sannin, but Tsunade, as the First Hokage's granddaughter, was the one who always defied the rules. Even the Third Hokage couldn't help feeling tense.

But just as he was considering waiting a little longer, a voice reached his ears, and his expression finally relaxed.

Tsunade was on her way, with Natsuro by her side.

So, she must have gone to see Natsuro. The Third wondered what it was about, but since they were both coming, it meant everything had been resolved.

Good, his old face had been saved.

Finally, under the crowd's watchful eyes, the door representing the new Hokage opened.

Despite the packed platform, the crowd went silent, all eyes fixed on the door, eager to catch the first glimpse of their new Hokage.

From a distance, they thought they heard the sound of high heels clicking on the ground.

At last, they saw her: a woman in a green cloak with flowing blonde hair—it was Tsunade!

"Lady Tsunade!!"

"Woo-hoo!!"

The moment they saw her, the crowd erupted, and the atmosphere reached a peak.

However, a closer look revealed that Tsunade seemed to be dragging something…or rather, someone. The crowd quickly noticed who it was.

Tsunade was dragging none other than Natsuro!

The villagers looked on, confused, but it didn't matter. They supported either of the two as Hokage wholeheartedly.

"Lord Natsuro!!!"

Shouts of Natsuro's name soon matched or even surpassed the cheers for Tsunade. After all, Natsuro's recent deeds had made him far more well-known than Tsunade, who'd been absent from Konoha for years.

The Third Hokage watched this, unable to guess what Tsunade intended, but with no way to stop his unruly student, he could only sigh. Hopefully, there would be no surprises, like her suddenly running away.

Danzo, watching from the shadows, stared at Tsunade and Natsuro on the platform, his single visible eye widening. What were they up to? They didn't look like they'd just had a fight.

A feeling of unease crept into Danzo's heart.

The Third Hokage stood up, moving slowly to stand in front of Tsunade and extend his hand.

At that moment, the head of Anbu appeared at his side, respectfully holding the Hokage hat, the symbol of the office.

The Third Hokage took the hat and, under the watchful eyes of the entire village, handed it to Tsunade, officially passing the title of Hokage to her.

To his relief, Tsunade accepted the hat with a serious expression. No surprises. The Third nodded at her, and Tsunade nodded back before placing the hat on her head, stepping to the front of the platform with one hand on her hip.

"From today onward, I, Tsunade, am the Fifth Hokage of Konoha!"

As her voice rang out, the village erupted in cheers.

The Third Hokage looked on, pleased, at the imposing figure Tsunade presented.

Natsuro, meanwhile, watched her, feeling slightly bewildered. Had she really dragged him here just so he could watch her become Hokage up close? Was this just to rub it in a bit? That felt a bit petty…

After proclaiming herself the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade didn't step back. Instead, she waited a moment until the cheers subsided, then gestured for quiet, signaling that she had more to say.

Not a single person ignored their newly appointed Hokage, and the crowd grew silent, waiting to hear her speak.

Tsunade then brought up the matter of the villagers' earlier movement to elect Natsuro as the Fifth Hokage.

At this point, the Third Hokage's expression grew uneasy, and Natsuro frowned, sensing this wasn't like Tsunade.

Hidden in the shadows, Danzo finally let out a sigh of relief, even smiling. He knew it was impossible…

But Tsunade's next words froze his smile.

"I hereby declare that when Natsuro deems the time right, as soon as he requests to become Hokage, I will step down. And if he does not ask before he turns eighteen, I will still step down for him to assume the position. Natsuro will become the Sixth Hokage, as you all wish!"

In that instant, not only the villagers but also the Third Hokage—and even Natsuro—were wide-eyed with surprise.

Did this mean Natsuro could take the Hokage position whenever he wanted? Of course, now might not be ideal, but in this environment, Tsunade's words left no room for backing down.

For a moment, the villagers below were stunned, unable to process what had just happened.

"Lady Tsunade! Lord Natsuro!! Fifth Hokage! Sixth Hokage!!"

Once someone caught on and led the chant, the crowd erupted into cheers once more. They believed that under these two leaders, Konoha would only grow stronger, and their lives would improve!

Seeing this, Tsunade nodded in satisfaction and turned to face the surprised Third Hokage and Natsuro with a smile. "Surprised?"

"Um, Tsunade, you didn't need to…" The Third Hokage started to speak but was interrupted by Tsunade.

"Sensei, I'm not like you," Tsunade said firmly.

The Third fell silent, realizing her words stirred up old memories. After a pause, Tsunade left through the doorway, still dragging Natsuro along.

"How dare she! How dare she, that Tsunade!"

Danzo raged, knocking everything off his desk as he yelled.

Tsunade's announcement had made all his plans look foolish.

But Danzo couldn't understand why—why did it have to be this way?

"Hiruzen!!" Danzo seethed, angered that he hadn't been chosen.

"Tsunade!!" he bellowed, furious at her audacity.

"Natsuro!!" he growled through gritted teeth.

No, he couldn't allow this. There was no way he'd let him become the Sixth Hokage!

At Natsuro's age, if he truly became Hokage, Danzo would see no hope left for himself.

So, he wouldn't allow it—he couldn't allow it.

His eye hidden beneath his bandages seemed ready to burst open in fury.

"Lady Tsunade, this really wasn't necessary," Natsuro said as he followed her.

Honestly, he'd always believed Tsunade wasn't the kind of person who'd harbor a grudge, but he hadn't expected her to go this far.

"It's already done, so there's nothing more to say," Tsunade replied casually. "Besides, I never really wanted to be Hokage in the first place. Now I can hand it off to you, so hurry up."

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?" Natsuro didn't buy her nonchalance.

After a moment's silence, Tsunade replied, "You've been called 'Little White Fang' before, so you probably know what happened to White Fang, right?"

Natsuro paused, then nodded.

"Then you know the real story behind his death—not the version spread around, but what really happened," Tsunade continued.

Natsuro nodded again. The rumors only spoke of White Fang's legendary reputation in the shinobi world, not the reason behind his tragic end. The truth was that White Fang had died over a choice he made.

Seeing his nod, Tsunade sighed and continued, "I wasn't in Konoha at the time, but when I learned the whole story, I felt disappointed in the old man. He wasn't the same teacher I had once known."

"The teacher I knew would punish White Fang for failing his mission but would never disregard his will. The man who understood the Will of Fire wouldn't have let those rumors spread unchallenged. Or worse…"

Tsunade trailed off, but Natsuro understood her implication: Or worse, those rumors may have been orchestrated by the Third Hokage himself.

"Now, you're in a position similar to White Fang's back then—no, even more of a threat than he was," Tsunade continued.

Natsuro remained silent. It was true.

"I worry that, like my teacher, I'll also change once I become Hokage," Tsunade admitted with a wry smile. "So I've cut off that possibility entirely. Even if I were to change later, it wouldn't matter—I refuse to follow in my teacher's footsteps."

"If I regret this in the future, it'll only prove I made the right choice today. And if I don't regret it, then all the better. I almost set the age at sixteen, but decided to be merciful and let you wait a couple more years!"

Natsuro looked at Tsunade, seeing in her a strength and courage he admired. He smiled and said, "Lady Tsunade, I'm confident you'll never end up on that path."

"Oh? I hope you're right," Tsunade replied with a smile of her own.

Just then, they spotted Shizune, who was watching Tsunade with a look of pride and approval. With Shizune by her side, Tsunade headed toward the Hokage's office.

Natsuro didn't follow this time. He didn't quite know what to say. Tsunade's actions had surprised him completely.

Not only did she not care about the situation surrounding him, but she had actually elevated him even further.

No, perhaps she did mind, given their brief clash. But compared to her decision, that little skirmish was nothing.

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Currently on Chapter 219 - Helping Naruto Cheat