Chapter 625: Ascension

October 16th would have been just an ordinary day for Konoha.

But after this year, it would no longer be so ordinary; perhaps someone would remember that on a certain October 16th, the Fourth Hokage had been inaugurated.

"Stop pushing me, you're going to shove me right into the Hokage Building!"

"Back up, back up a bit, or else we won't be able to see Assistant Muyue—oh, I mean Lord Fourth."

In front of the Hokage Building, a large crowd of ninja and Konoha civilians pressed together, waiting for the Hokage inauguration ceremony to end.

The ceremony was held on the rooftop terrace of the Hokage Building. Due to space limitations and safety concerns, only a few jōnin were qualified to observe from the terrace.

The remaining ninja and civilians could only wait outside, waiting for the outgoing Hokage to hand the Hokage Hat, symbol of the office, to the new Hokage, after which the new Hokage would walk to the railing and give a brief inaugural speech to those below.

Since the Hokage Building was very tall, to get a good view of Muyue speaking, they couldn't be too close to the building, nor too far away.

But the good spots were limited, and too many people had come, so crowding was inevitable.

Fortunately, there were many ninja among them, so there was no risk of a stampede—if an accident occurred, the nearby ninja would intervene immediately.

Compared to the area below, the rooftop was very quiet; no one spoke, and apart from the voices rising from the ground, only the sound of the autumn breeze rustling clothing could be heard.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood in the center of the terrace, while Muyue faced him, about three meters away.

The two advisors, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, stood behind Hiruzen, and the Kirigakure envoy, Yagura Karatachi, stood beside Homura.

Further back were Konoha's renowned jōnin, such as Orochimaru, Tsunade, Teacher Chen, and Minato Namikaze.

In addition to them, in that row were clan leaders like Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chōza, and Uchiha Fugaku, as well as high-ranking officials from important Konoha departments.

Apart from achievements and position, those with special status could also stand in the front row, such as Kushina.

Although Kushina was not as famous as Minato, nor was she a clan leader or squad captain, she was a jinchūriki, so she too qualified for the first row, standing beside Minato Namikaze.

In the next row back were veteran jōnin with some accomplishments, like Mimura Yomaki, and then up-and-coming jōnin like Obito, Shisui, and Kakashi.

Rin Nohara was not originally qualified, but since she was Muyue's disciple, she was given the same opportunity as Obito and the others to observe from the terrace.

Otherwise, while everyone else watched from the terrace, Rin, also a jōnin, would have to share the same treatment as Yamato, who was still in the Ninja Academy—that would have been a bit awkward.

Sarutobi Hiruzen fixed his gaze on Muyue standing before him.

Muyue had already put on the special Hokage haori; only the Hokage Hat separated him from being Hokage.

Muyue seemed to suit this white robe well. Though the garment was simple, when worn by Muyue, Hiruzen found it remarkably fresh and dazzling.

Seeing Muyue like this, Hiruzen couldn't help feeling a little envious.

Back then, his own Hokage inauguration ceremony had been extremely plain due to various reasons—it was just going through the motions.

That once-in-a-lifetime ceremony had been so hastily glossed over; thinking about it now was truly regrettable.

With that thought, Hiruzen took a deep breath, removed the Hokage Hat from his head, and held it steadily with both hands.

He could not go back to the day of his own Hokage ceremony, so he had to make sure Muyue's inauguration went smoothly, leaving Muyue with no regrets.

Tap. Tap.

Holding the Hokage Hat, Hiruzen walked slowly toward Muyue with a solemn expression; each step was clearly audible.

"Someday, I'll pass the position of Hokage on like Muyue-sensei!" Obito watched the scene, his heart surging with lofty ambition.

From enrollment in the Ninja Academy to now, Obito had experienced a lot and changed a lot, but his dream had never changed—he wanted to become Hokage!

To become an excellent Hokage who eliminated war and made everyone in Konoha live better!

The old Obito hated reading, even to the point of getting drowsy at the sight of a book.

But after realizing that way he could never be a good Hokage—or even become Hokage at all—he forced himself to read every day. Now, even when reading his most feared subject, mathematics, he didn't feel the slightest bit sleepy.

"Now that Muyue-sensei has officially become Hokage, the family's problems will surely be resolved faster," Shisui thought to himself.

The Uchiha clan's problems were both internal and external. With Muyue as Hokage, the pinnacle of Konoha's power, Shisui didn't have to worry about external factors at all.

Moreover, because of the master-disciple relationship between Muyue, Shisui, and Obito, it also had a very positive effect internally.

When Hiruzen reached a distance of only half a meter from Muyue, he stopped, looked Muyue straight in the eyes, and held out the Hokage Hat.

Muyue took the Hokage Hat with both hands, then raised it with his right hand and put it on.

During this process, neither Mu Yue nor Sarutobi Hiruzen said a single word.

Clap! Clap!

The moment Mu Yue put on the Hokage hat, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu began to applaud, and then the jonin behind them quickly joined in.

For a time, thunderous applause filled the air.

The applause lasted about twenty seconds.

"I'm counting on you, Fourth Hokage," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a solemn expression.

From the moment Mu Yue put on the Hokage hat, the Hokage of Konoha was no longer Sarutobi Hiruzen, but Hanyu Mu Yue.

"I will do my best," Mu Yue replied gravely.

Clap! Clap!

Another round of applause broke out.

"The Hokage of Konoha... just a few years ago, he wasn't even a squad leader," Yagura Karatachi mused at the vicissitudes of life.

He had once considered Mu Yue merely a troublesome opponent, but now he could not even become an equal opponent to Mu Yue.

"What dishes should I buy later?" Tsunade wore a thoughtful expression.

She didn't care whether Mu Yue became Hokage or not, but the celebration party for the new Hokage could not be taken lightly.

"Maybe I'll just buy all the dishes I want to eat. After all, it's a celebration for becoming Hokage, so it's only reasonable to have a more lavish meal than a normal celebration."

Tsunade decided to have it all—only children make choices.

"He's finally taken office, the Fourth Hokage." Uchiha Fugaku's lips curled into a slight smile.

The best era for the Uchiha was about to arrive. Once Obito and Shisui grew a bit more, the Uchiha would regain their former glory!

"Teacher Mu Yue, you'll definitely become the greatest Hokage!" Obito shouted while clapping vigorously.

Everyone knew that Mu Yue the Sage was all-powerful; becoming a Hokage was a piece of cake for him.

Many jonin instinctively looked at Obito, thinking he was truly bold.

"The greatest Hokage" meant surpassing all Hokage. The deceased First and Second could be overlooked, but the Third Hokage was still standing right here.

Kakashi, standing to Obito's left, felt that the sun was especially strong today, scorching his face as if on fire.

Rin Nohara, standing to Obito's right, seemed about to speak but ultimately said nothing.

"Fourth Hokage, your burden is not light. Everyone has high hopes for you," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a chuckle, stroking his long beard.

At this point, Sarutobi Hiruzen certainly wouldn't get angry or hold a grudge over such a trivial matter.

Moreover, in his view, Mu Yue indeed had great potential and had hope of surpassing him.

Mu Yue smiled slightly, his gaze quickly sweeping over all the ninja, then he nodded and turned to walk toward the railing.

It was time to deliver the inauguration speech.

When the ninja and citizens below saw Mu Yue wearing the Hokage hat, a huge cheer instantly erupted.

"Lord Fourth Hokage!"

Whether jonin, chunin, genin, or citizens, they were all shouting "Fourth Hokage."

After Mu Yue took off the Hokage hat and showed a warm smile to the people below, the clamor reached its peak.

At that moment the sun was blazing, and its golden rays fell on Mu Yue, making his blonde hair shine especially brightly.

At that moment, Mu Yue's smile seemed to have real warmth, making the ninja and citizens feel a reassuring heat.

Then Mu Yue raised his hand, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

Under Mu Yue's strong leadership, the previously noisy environment fell silent in the blink of an eye.

"I am Hanyu Mu Yue. From now on, I will serve as the Fourth Hokage of Konoha," Mu Yue said slowly, looking at the crowd.

Clap! Clap! Clap!!!

The next moment, cheers and applause reached their peak, even louder and more imposing than when Mu Yue first appeared.

Countless people cheered and clapped vigorously, celebrating Muyue's succession as Hokage.

"I actually used to work in the same office as the Hokage, asked him to substitute for my classes, drank and ate with him, and even borrowed money from him." Chigu Yong clapped vigorously, unable to stop remembering the time Muyue first arrived at the Ninja Academy.

If Chigu Yong were to describe Muyue's path of growth, it could only be called a dream.

At first, he only thought Muyue was a somewhat capable good-natured colleague, more promising than himself, but only to a limited extent.

Yet within two years, Muyue became the Vice Principal of the Ninja Academy, directly leaping out of the Ninja Academy.

After that, it was all sparks and lightning—so impressive that even Chigu Yong couldn't comprehend it.

Four years—in just over four years, he went from a Chunin teacher to Hokage. Even ninja novels wouldn't dare write such a story.

"Truly extraordinary," Xiaye Jiuxin remarked with emotion.

As the Teacher Class Leader, he had witnessed how Muyue rose step by step in the Ninja Academy.

He had once worried that Muyue would replace him as Teacher Class Leader, but clearly he had underestimated Muyue—the Ninja Academy was too small for him; Muyue's stage was all of Konoha, and even the entire Ninja World.

"If Lord Danzo's spirit in heaven knew this, he would surely feel gratified," the former Root ninja, now Training Team Leader, couldn't help but sigh.

He was a survivor of the Root personnel stationed at the base.

All Root ninja knew that Muyue was Danzo Shimura's proudest creation, often using phrases like "Muyue is the finest Root ninja" to inspire new Root members, urging them to strive toward Muyue as their goal.

He thought, the Root member Lord Danzo liked the most had become the Hokage that Lord Danzo most wanted to be. If not for the fact that Muyue's Root identity was illegal and needed to be kept secret, this would surely be passed down as a wonderful story.

"He's finally formally succeeded," Yamato said, applauding Muyue with a sincere smile.

He was the only disciple of Muyue not watching the ceremony on the rooftop, but Yamato could understand, since he wasn't even a ninja.

"Teacher Muyue, I've always thought you should become Hokage!" Asuma shouted excitedly.

He had become a Jonin not long ago and held no important position, so he couldn't go to the rooftop to watch the ceremony and could only watch from below.

Asuma didn't mind, since he didn't like his old father using Hokage privileges for him anyway. It wasn't as if he was the only Jonin down below—most Jonin weren't qualified to watch from the rooftop.

"Teacher Muyue!"

The ninjas who had attended Muyue's classes at the Ninja Academy shouted in unison.

No matter what title Muyue held, to them, Muyue would always be that Teacher Muyue worthy of their respect.

"The Fourth Hokage... how wonderful," Minato Namikaze said, gazing at the particularly dazzling blond back illuminated by the sun, listening to the huge cheers below, sighing from the bottom of his heart.

As a ninja who aspired to become Hokage, Minato Namikaze had also fantasized about the scene of his own succession as Hokage.

And today's ceremony had fulfilled all of Minato Namikaze's fantasies about a succession.

Even though the protagonist of the ceremony wasn't him, as one of the witnesses to Muyue's growth, Minato Namikaze was still very happy.

"It's okay, Minato. You're so young, you still have a chance," Kushina noticed a hint of hidden envy in Minato Namikaze's eyes and comforted him, reaching out to grasp his hand.

Minato Namikaze was slightly startled and let out a gentle breath.

Although Muyue surpassed Minato in many aspects and becoming Hokage was only reasonable, watching his good brother fulfill the dream he himself wanted to achieve made it hard not to feel jealous.

"Maybe Muyue will abdicate after ten or twenty years. By then, you'll only be in your thirties or forties—it's not too late," Kushina continued.

Muyue was now the youngest Kage in the entire Ninja World, succeeding at twenty-two. Whether there would be anyone after him was uncertain, but he was certainly unprecedented.

Minato Namikaze tightened his grip on Kushina's hand, smiled, and said softly, "If there's a chance, I'll naturally strive for it; if not, there's no need to force it."

Muyue becoming Hokage—Minato Namikaze was truly convinced and willing to accept it.

As long as Muyue didn't voluntarily abdicate, Minato Namikaze wouldn't have the thought of becoming Hokage. He wouldn't take the initiative like Danzo Shimura, who would create opportunities to become Hokage even if there were none.

Whether it was the Jonin watching the ceremony on the rooftop or the ninjas and civilians on the ground, everyone was celebrating the emergence of the new Hokage in perfect harmony.

Faced with these supporters, Muyue did not stint on smiles, maintaining a warm smile throughout to respond to everyone.

And in a scene visible only to Muyue, Obito's life mission began to skyrocket.

Fun fact: except for the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, who was blood-related to the First Hokage, all other Hokage up to the Seventh Hokage had a master-apprentice relationship.

A Hokage's disciple might not become Hokage, but most of those who become Hokage have a Hokage in their direct line of teaching—either their teacher is a Hokage, or their teacher's teacher is a Hokage.