The Sixth Hokage
After Fujimoto Tōma made his announcement from atop the Hokage Tower, the atmosphere surged to its peak once more.
Amid the thunderous cheers, Tsunade stepped forward and stopped in front of him. She studied him for a long moment, a complicated look crossing her face. She had always known he was strong, but witnessing it firsthand was still… overwhelming.
"From here on," she said at last, exhaling softly, "Konoha is in your hands."
With that, she handed him the Hokage's hat.
"I'll take responsibility for it," Tōma replied, nodding as he accepted it and placed it on his head.
He stepped forward to the edge of the tower, closer to the crowd below, and his voice rang out across the village.
"From today onward, I, Fujimoto Tōma, am the Sixth Hokage."
For a split second, there was silence.
Then the roar erupted.
Cheers crashed together like waves, shaking the air itself. People shouted, laughed, cried, and celebrated without restraint. Their village now had a Hokage whose strength they had seen with their own eyes.
Watching from the side, the Third Hokage let out a quiet sigh. A trace of relief finally appeared on his face. The succession hadn't gone anything like he had imagined, but one thing was certain.
This time, he hadn't chosen wrong.
As for Danzo… no matter how painful it was, the Third Hokage understood that it had been his own choices that led him there. And perhaps, too, the years of leniency he himself had shown.
"Old man," Jiraiya said as he stepped up beside him, smiling faintly, "relax. He'll be a great Hokage."
Jiraiya looked at Tōma with genuine satisfaction. He had always known this day would come. What still surprised him was how young Tōma was… and how unfathomable his strength had become. Even Sage Mode probably wouldn't close that gap.
The Third Hokage nodded. In that moment, he made up his mind. Even remaining on as an advisor felt exhausting now. It was time to let go completely and rest.
Nearby, the two advisors exchanged glances and quietly exhaled. No matter what, the succession ceremony had finally concluded.
Probably the strangest one in history.
When the cheers slowly died down, Tōma spoke again.
"There's one more thing."
The crowd froze.
The atmosphere tightened instantly.
Danzo's fate was still fresh in everyone's minds. A man whose status rivaled a Hokage advisor had just been executed in front of them all. Another announcement now?
Confusion mixed with anticipation as every eye turned toward Tōma.
He paused, then smiled. "Relax. It's not that kind of thing."
Only then did the tension ease.
"This is about my marriage," he continued. "Three years from now, I'll be holding my wedding with Yamanaka Ino. I hope you'll all come and celebrate with us."
The reaction was explosive.
It hit harder than any jutsu.
Laughter, teasing, shocked gasps. Some of the men immediately started shouting jokes, while quite a few girls looked utterly devastated.
Just like that, countless hearts broke.
And just as many pairs of eyes turned toward a single girl.
Tōma looked in her direction. Ino stood there with Fujimoto Sana and Yamanaka Inoichi's wife beside her.
Ino's face was bright red, her eyes glistening as she stared up at him, completely unguarded. Their gazes met, and Tōma smiled.
She smiled back.
Yamanaka Inoichi's wife watched the exchange with deep satisfaction. She had already been more than pleased with her future son-in-law, but this announcement, made at the Hokage's succession ceremony no less, pushed it even further.
Who could have imagined that the quiet boy from years ago would grow into this?
It felt almost unreal.
Yet after seeing Tōma's strength, it also felt inevitable.
Nearby, Fujimoto Sana looked on with unmistakable pride. She didn't understand all the techniques or battles. She only knew one thing.
Her son was incredible.
And no matter how high he stood now, he was still her son.
Seeing him announce his wedding only made her smile wider. She had always been fond of Ino.
After waiting for the noise to settle again, Tōma raised his hand once more.
"There's still one more thing."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. Seriously? Couldn't he just say everything at once?
Still, she watched with interest. The marriage announcement had surprised her, but not shocked her. Tōma had never followed conventional rules. Doing this here was exactly his style.
"This concerns Uzumaki Naruto."
Tōma turned and gestured toward Naruto, who stood beside Hyūga Hinata.
Naruto blinked, completely lost. No one had told him about this.
Even so, he walked up under Tōma's guidance and stopped beside him atop the tower.
Standing there, Naruto could feel it. Some expressions in the crowd had already changed. Brows furrowed. Gazes sharpened.
If this weren't such an important moment, he knew exactly what those looks would have been like.
Tsunade smiled quietly. She already understood what Tōma intended to do. It was time.
The clan heads who knew Naruto's background had reached the same conclusion.
Tōma noticed the subtle shifts below and sighed inwardly.
Beside him, Naruto grew increasingly uneasy. No matter how thick-skinned he was, standing under so many eyes like this made his chest feel tight.
And then—
Tōma opened his mouth.