"What did you just say?"
The Third Hokage asked in disbelief. He had led Konoha to victory in the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars, only for Orochimaru to demand his resignation during the celebrations for the Third War's triumph?
"It's the same even if I repeat it, Sarutobi-sensei. I don't want to discuss why Danzo was able to commit so many heinous acts and still live comfortably until now. The reason I want you to step down is that the Hokage's power is too great!"
Orochimaru was well aware that, even though his prestige could now rival the Third Hokage's, only a minority truly trusted him over the man who had been Hokage for decades.
But fortunately, Orochimaru had another plan.
He didn't need to prove that he would be a better Hokage than Sarutobi. All he needed was to show that he was willing to delegate more power to others.
"Ridiculous!"
"The Third Hokage is wise and invincible…"
"How dare you covet the Hokage's position!"
The still-reeling Konoha advisors and elders finally snapped back to their senses. They angrily berated Orochimaru, treating him as a schemer who had framed Danzo to usurp power.
"Do you understand what you're saying?"
The Third Hokage spoke with a frosty tone. While he had once considered Orochimaru as his successor, that didn't mean he could tolerate such an open challenge to his authority.
If Orochimaru thought being a hero of the Third Great Ninja War gave him the right to claim the Hokage's title, the Third Hokage would make him see just how wrong he was.
"The First Hokage founded this village to protect young children, yet now we have five-year-old genin on the battlefield.
The clans joined Konoha seeking the village's protection, yet now people use the village's power to oppress its own ninjas..."
Orochimaru spoke slowly and deliberately. Though his voice wasn't loud, the advisors and elders who had been shouting at him gradually fell silent.
The ninjas and villagers around them—especially those who had fought alongside Orochimaru on the battlefield—were visibly moved.
Orochimaru was saying what countless people wanted to say but didn't dare to.
Even the proud Uchiha clan found themselves uncharacteristically silent as they faced the current Orochimaru.
"You're right. These are indeed important issues. I'll discuss them with the advisors and elders later..."
The Third Hokage replied gravely. At this moment, he no longer saw Orochimaru as a student to guide but as a rival vying for the Hokage's position.
"Discuss? Even now, you still don't understand, Sarutobi-sensei…"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smile. Since he had already resolved to compete for the Hokage's seat, his preparations were far from simple.
The next moment, facing the countless villagers and ninjas, Orochimaru took a deep breath.
"I swear upon the name of the First Hokage who founded Konoha: if I become Hokage, I will establish a fixed term for the position. Starting with me, no Hokage will serve more than twenty years!"
The Third Hokage's expression shifted once again. After all, he held the record for the longest tenure as Hokage. Though Sarutobi Hiruzen had entertained thoughts of retirement in the past, he had never voiced them aloud.
Many had even taken it for granted that the Third Hokage would hold his position until death.
Had no one brought it up, it might have been fine. But now that Orochimaru had openly proposed term limits for the Hokage, anything the Third said in response would only place him at a disadvantage.
"I will return power to a re-elected Council of Elders, one that can truly represent the village, while keeping only the authority over the ANBU and wartime command!"
Orochimaru's tone remained calm and deliberate.
This time, even the advisors and elders who had been staunchly supporting the Third Hokage began to waver.
Indeed, they held significant influence, but strictly speaking, they only had the right to offer advice to the Hokage. If the Hokage chose to ignore their suggestions, they could do nothing but stand by and watch.
It was only when a Hokage's personal prestige was insufficient that they had to compromise with the Council of Elders.
"I will also make the village's collection of jutsu accessible to all. I will establish a system that allows every ninja in the village to exchange their contributions for the jutsu they need!"
The ninjas who had initially been mere spectators and witnesses all raised their heads in astonishment. Some even instinctively rubbed their ears, wondering if they had misheard.
The idea of exchanging contributions for the jutsu they desired was an irresistible dream for the vast majority of ninjas.
"I will return the power to choose the next Hokage to all of Konoha's registered ninjas. The position of Hokage will be decided by a village-wide vote!"
The deafening cheers of countless people drowned out everything else. The Third Hokage's face turned grave as he removed the Hokage's ceremonial hat.
Even if the First Hokage himself were resurrected, he wouldn't be able to stop Orochimaru from becoming the Fourth Hokage now.
If this were the world Kizaru had come from, particularly in countries with established election systems, Orochimaru's four declarations might not have caused even the slightest ripple.
People in those worlds had long grown accustomed to politicians making grand promises, taking none of their campaign vows seriously.
However, for Konoha Village, which had never experienced such a system, Orochimaru's four announcements were enough to secure the title of the Fourth Hokage.
The livestream ended at this point, but the chat group remained immersed in the thunderous cheers of countless villagers and ninjas.
[Kobayashi]: "That's incredible, Orochimaru-san. So many people are cheering for him~."
[Haibara Ai]: "Indeed. But I'm more curious about how he even came up with such an idea."
[Random Guy Wanting Luo Feng's Support]: "Uh… this really has nothing to do with me!"
[Haibara Ai]: "You're overthinking it. Who would think this has anything to do with you?"
[Random Guy Wanting Luo Feng's Support]: "Wait a minute! What do you mean by that? I clearly gave advice to Orochimaru-sama!"
[Blizzard]: "Oh? What kind of advice?"
[Random Guy Wanting Luo Feng's Support]: "Uh… well…"
[Kizaru]: "@Orochimaru, care to share your thoughts?"
[Orochimaru]: "Heh. I'm merely reclaiming what should have been mine in the first place."
Standing on the rooftop of the Hokage building, Orochimaru had already donned the Hokage's ceremonial hat, basking in the cheers of countless villagers and ninjas.
To others, it might seem foolish for Orochimaru to limit his own power this way.
But to Orochimaru, the authority he could wield as Hokage had never been what he truly cared about.
"Long live Hokage-sama!"
"Orochimaru-sama!"
"Long live Konoha Village!"
As the Third Shinobi World War ended, the village welcomed a Hokage who was willing to relinquish power and even proactively limit his own authority.
For many Konoha ninjas, this was cause for great celebration.
Both the clan ninjas and the commoner ninjas fully supported the new Fourth Hokage. Even the proud Uchiha clan, grateful for Orochimaru's justice on their behalf, held great respect for their newly appointed leader.
°°°
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Orochimaru becoming Hokage was a win for almost everyone—except for Orochimaru himself, who gave up a significant amount of power.
But for Orochimaru, he had never cared about the authority associated with being Hokage.
Giving up powers that held no meaning for him only freed up his time and energy for the research he was passionate about.
Moreover, those who benefited from Orochimaru's power-sharing arrangement now needed his support to maintain their positions.
After all, if even the Hokage was limited by term limits, how could the newly appointed council members and department heads expect otherwise?
As a result, though Orochimaru relinquished a great deal of authority, his methods and prestige ensured that the village remained firmly under his control.
Inspired by Orochimaru's "revolt livestream," Kizaru began considering hosting a livestream of his own.
Before his livestream, Orochimaru was viewed as a mad scientist by the group chat. Afterward, not only did he showcase his good looks, but he also successfully shed his previously negative reputation.
"When the Marineford War breaks out, I should take the opportunity to host a livestream too..."
The more Kizaru thought about it, the better the idea sounded. Livestreaming was all about drawing an audience, and with the massive Marineford battle involving over 100,000 people and the destruction of the entire Marineford base, Kizaru couldn't imagine anything more captivating.
With so many strong fighters present, the war would also be the perfect stage to demonstrate his unparalleled strength.
In the future, if anyone in the group needed help, they'd surely think of him first after watching the Marineford War stream.
"Kizaru, were you just daydreaming?"
Nami emerged from the luxurious bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel, and gave Kizaru a suspicious look as he sat unmoving on the sofa.
She had mentally prepared herself for the possibility of being ambushed while bathing, yet Kizaru hadn't made a single move the entire time.
A few years ago, Nami might have held some faint hope for Kizaru, given how deceivingly handsome he was.
At first glance, no one would suspect that this man could be such an unrepentant pervert.
"Come sit over here, little Nami~"
Kizaru's face lit up with a wide grin as he looked at Nami's figure beneath the towel. He patted the sofa next to him, beckoning her over.
Nami might lack stamina, but she was young and recovered quickly. Kizaru was already eager to start round two.
"Don't try anything funny..."
Grumbling, Nami grabbed a hot bottle of milk from the warmer and a cold drink from the fridge before reluctantly sitting next to Kizaru.
Not being ambushed in the bath made her question whether she still had any appeal to him. However, the moment she sat down, Kizaru pulled her into his arms, clearly ready for another round.
Brrrr... Brrrr...
Just then, the transponder snail on the luxurious desk began ringing. Kizaru, unwilling to let it interrupt, ignored it, but Nami pushed him to answer the call.
"This is Kizaru. Speak quickly!"
Frustrated at the untimely interruption, Kizaru's tone was far from friendly as he answered.
"This is Sengoku. You are to depart immediately! A Celestial Dragon has been attacked in the Sabaody Archipelago. The fastest warship from HQ is ready for you. This is an urgent situation—no delays are permitted!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice was urgent, though it was clear he was equally frustrated.
At a time when the Navy was preparing for the Marineford War, the Celestial Dragons not only failed to help but instead caused additional chaos.
"I understand. Tch, what a troublesome bunch..."
Kizaru rubbed his temples. Speaking of which, the timing of this attack on the Celestial Dragons… could it have been caused by the Straw Hat Pirates?
But without Nami as their navigator, how did those clueless idiots and their perpetually lost captain even manage to reach the Sabaody Archipelago?
Besides, Kizaru had already apprehended the Arlong Pirates and even extorted a ransom from Jinbei and Fish-Man Island. Without Hatchan or the mermaid Camie, what reason would the Straw Hat Pirates have to provoke the Celestial Dragons in this timeline?
"Are we heading out now?"
Hearing Sengoku's call, Nami quickly changed into her uniform and boots. Kizaru was disappointed he didn't get to watch her dress.
"Are you coming too, little Nami?"
Kizaru merely needed to throw on his coat to be ready, but he hadn't expected Nami to prepare to accompany him.
Come to think of it, due to his interference, Nami had yet to meet the Straw Hat Pirates.
Still, given a choice, Nami would probably prefer that Bell-mère remained alive and well. Just recently, Nojiko had written to Nami, mentioning that Genzo was planning to propose to Bell-mère.
"I'm your adjutant! Wait a minute, you weren't planning to sneak off without me again, were you?"
Nami's eyes narrowed, her frustration evident.
She wasn't even Kizaru's official partner—technically, she was the "other woman." So why was she stuck babysitting him?
Yet, recalling Gion (Momousagi), who was close to her and had an ambiguous relationship with Kizaru but never blamed her for it, Nami's gaze toward Kizaru grew more dangerous.
It was all his fault for constantly flirting and losing his composure around beautiful women!
"Of course not... If you want to come, then come along. But remember to stay safe, alright?"
Kizaru scratched his head. Fine, he had indeed been planning to check out Robin's thoughts during the chaos.
Now that Nami had called him out, he'd have to behave—otherwise, while Nami might be easy to handle, Gion could be a real problem if she got angry.
Though she usually appeared gentle, Gion could get downright scary when furious. Kizaru wasn't afraid of her per se, but Gion's foster sister was Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had strong ties with Sengoku, Garp, and former Admiral Zephyr.
If Kizaru upset Gion after they were already engaged, there was a very real chance he'd end up facing a collective beatdown from some of the Navy's strongest figures.
"Sigh, oh Kizaru, why can't you control yourself..."
Kizaru refused to take the blame, muttering that it was his younger self, "Little Kizaru," who couldn't resist Gion's long legs.
Meanwhile, on the Sabaody Archipelago, the Straw Hat Pirates, who had just beaten up a Celestial Dragon, were fleeing the Navy to avoid implicating innocent civilians.
"D-Damn it! Didn't I tell you guys already?! No matter what, you mustn't attack a Celestial Dragon! Didn't you understand?!"
To be precise, it wasn't just the Straw Hat Pirates running. For some reason, Supernova Jewelry Bonney had also gotten caught up in their escape.
°°°
If you want to read ahead and access 20 advanced chapters, check the patreon
Link: Patreon/Moziel
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