> [End of this meeting]
[Items Acquired: None]
[The next Hokage meeting will begin in three months. Before then, the group leader may invite one more Konoha Hokage to join the chat group.]
[The more members added, the longer the group's meeting duration.]
As Kaizen Arashi stared at the system's settlement screen, he wasn't surprised. The current group meeting had gone about as well as he had hoped. The most important part was that, in three months, he'd be able to invite one more Hokage to join the chat group.
That would bring the total to five—finally unlocking the World Leaderboard Function.
Kaizen's eyes locked on the grayed-out icon labeled World Leaderboard. His lips curled into a subtle smile.
"If I want to make use of the benefits that come with the leaderboard," he muttered, "I need to make sure my world is at the top."
That meant one thing: strategy. Power wasn't everything—positioning, influence, and legacy all mattered.
While Kaizen was still deep in thought, a crisp voice called out from the hallway.
"Lord Fourth!"
Kaizen looked up immediately and set aside his musings.
"Come in."
The door creaked open, revealing a tall, golden-haired man with calm blue eyes and a gentle but alert demeanor. Namikaze Minato stepped into the room and gave a respectful bow.
Kaizen smiled faintly.
The man standing before him was none other than the one who should have become the Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze. But in this world, Kaizen had seized the position instead. And now, Minato served as his most capable and loyal deputy.
"Fourth Hokage-sama," Minato reported calmly, "the records and evidence regarding the Sarutobi and Shimura clans' misappropriations have been fully compiled."
Kaizen's eyes lit up.
"Oh? That's good news."
He stood up and dusted off his cloak, the fire-stitched embroidery of the Hokage robe catching the light. "Let's go take a look ourselves."
The fall of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura had started with information. Before Kaizen could publicly challenge their control over the village, he had begun collecting their "black material"—evidence of their corruption, shady dealings, and manipulation behind the scenes.
Those files had already forced Hiruzen to step down. But the latest findings… would bury them for good.
"Minato," Kaizen said as the two exited the office, "you've done well."
Minato's expression remained calm, but there was a flicker of relief in his eyes. As someone once molded by Hiruzen's ideals, it hadn't been easy watching his former mentor fall from grace. But as he uncovered more about the Sarutobi and Shimura clans' exploitation of the village's resources and their role in weakening the Senju, Minato's admiration for Kaizen only deepened.
Had things gone differently, Minato might have become a puppet Hokage under Hiruzen's control.
But Kaizen had seen through the manipulation and pulled the strings first.
Now, Minato's loyalty was absolute.
—
The two arrived at the entrance of the Sarutobi and Shimura clan compounds—once proud estates built on land that used to belong to the Senju.
After the slow collapse of the Senju, and the passing of Uzumaki Mito, the former Senju land had been "conveniently" absorbed by Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo. They'd split the estate evenly between their clans.
Greed masquerading as inheritance.
Now, a large crowd had gathered outside the compound gates. Civilians, shinobi, and clan members alike pressed in from all sides. Many stood on rooftops and walls, all glaring with resentment at the guards stationed at the gates.
When Kaizen and Minato approached, the crowd surged with energy.
"It's Lord Fourth!"
"Fourth Hokage-sama is here!"
"Finally—he'll make them pay!"
Kaizen remained calm, letting the cheers wash over him. His popularity wasn't accidental. From the moment he took office, he made it clear: he would protect civilians, empower young shinobi regardless of bloodline, and reform the internal politics of Konoha.
He was not Hiruzen's successor. He was his reckoning.
Just as the two reached the crowd's edge, a flash of silver stepped out from among the shinobi.
"Lord Fourth."
Kaizen nodded with a rare look of genuine warmth.
"White Fang. Good work holding position."
The silver-haired man standing before him was none other than Hatake Sakumo—Konoha's famed White Fang and father of Kakashi.
In the original timeline, Sakumo had committed suicide due to disgrace after a failed mission. But in this world, Kaizen had intervened in time, uncovering the truth behind the rumors and pulling Sakumo back from despair.
Now, he stood proudly as one of Kaizen's most trusted enforcers.
"No need to waste words," Kaizen said with a small smirk. "Let's end this."
Sakumo fell back silently, standing guard behind his Hokage.
Kaizen and Minato stepped forward together, their white and red cloaks fluttering in the wind as they approached the compound gates.
Inside, the Sarutobi and Shimura clans were in chaos.
Guards at the gates whispered to each other nervously.
"He's here. What do we do now?"
"Get the clan heads! Now!"
"Maybe we can still explain—"
They quickly tried to compose themselves, and one stepped forward.
"Lord Fourth," the guard said with an awkward smile, "surely there's no need to come in person. If there's an issue, we can deliver a report—"
Kaizen's gaze silenced him immediately.
"I'm not here for a report," he said, his tone calm but razor-sharp. "I'm here to reclaim what belongs to the Senju… and hold your clans accountable."
The murmurs among the surrounding crowd intensified.
One of the Sarutobi representatives tried to keep up appearances.
"If that's the case, we'll notify Lord Hiruzen and Lord Danzo immediately—"
"No need," Kaizen interrupted. "They've already had enough chances."
Minato stepped forward and handed Kaizen a scroll.
"These are the compiled charges," he announced. "Including theft of classified resources, diversion of war funds, and the illegal occupation of Senju land."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Kaizen unsealed the scroll and raised it high.
"This land—once belonging to the Senju clan—will be returned to the village. All unauthorized expansions, wealth transfers, and legacy violations will be addressed."
He turned to the guards.
"You may remain in your clans. But your leaders… will face trial."
The stunned silence lasted a breath before cheers exploded all around.
Justice had come—not from the elders, but from the Hokage who refused to be their puppet.
As Hatake Sakumo led a team to secure the compounds, Kaizen watched the horizon quietly.
Three months. One more Hokage. Then the real battle would begin.
---
To be continued...