Chapter 402: Boundless Wealth and Honor
Hearing the information he wanted, Obito found himself inexplicably frustrated. He felt a strong urge to punch the guy standing in front of him.
He couldn't shake the feeling that Haneda was doing this on purpose, just like when they were kids. Haneda would tease him until he got angry, only to finally give him what he wanted.
Obito snorted coldly.
"You'd better keep an eye on your kids when the time comes, so they don't get snatched away by some bad uncle."
"See you on the battlefield, Haneda."
A swirling space vortex appeared as Obito used Kamui to leave Konoha.
Haneda stared in the direction Obito had left for a few seconds before breaking into laughter.
"He's still cursing me—feels good."
Glancing at the flowers Obito had left, Haneda considered tossing them away for a moment but decided against it.
He looked up at the sky. It was around one or two in the morning.
At this hour, aside from the bustling commercial streets in the village center, most of Konoha would be quiet.
Haneda thought about Naruto and the others, who were surely asleep by now, and dismissed the idea of going home.
Instead, he cast a glance toward the Hokage Tower and noticed that the window of his soon-to-be-vacated office was still lit.
Guessing that Shikaku was still working late, Haneda used Flying Thunder God to teleport to the office.
As expected, Shikaku was indeed at his desk, working overtime. However, unlike usual, he wasn't alone.
At his sides were two "guardians"—Uchiha Shisui on the left, Uchiha Itachi on the right.
Shikaku appeared to trust Itachi deeply, delegating many tasks to him. However, among the three piles of documents, Itachi's was the smallest.
Shisui, on the other hand…
The young man already had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was messy and greasy, and his overall appearance screamed exhaustion—a clear sign he was the next Shikaku in the making.
The more Haneda observed, the more satisfied he felt. Shisui's diligent attitude—or rather, his "serve the people" mindset—made Haneda confident he would make an excellent Hokage someday.
As usual, Haneda had activated Ghostly Phantasm to conceal his presence and chakra fluctuations, ensuring no one noticed him approaching from behind.
It wasn't until a shadow loomed over Itachi's desk that he reacted, immediately pulling out a kunai and pressing it against Haneda's neck.
Haneda casually knocked the kunai away and smiled.
"A one-on-seven master, still this alert? Looks like office work hasn't dulled your ninja instincts."
"Lord Hokage," Itachi greeted respectfully.
"Next time, remember to call me Uncle Haneda."
"Didn't you say to address you by title during work hours?"
"…"
Hearing this, Haneda recalled teasing Naruto about the same thing and instantly regretted it.
To cover his embarrassment, he quickly brought up the real reason for his visit.
"Shikaku, you remember what I talked to you about six months ago, right?"
Shikaku nodded. "Yes, about the Fourth Great Ninja War."
Haneda continued, "The second half of the plan can begin now. Announce my death by illness three days from now."
"On that day, hold a grand funeral for me."
"This will serve as a signal—for the other villages to take action, and for Amegakure and the Akatsuki to start their preparations."
"Understood. Shisui will take care of the arrangements," Shikaku replied with a smile.
"Me???"
Shisui pointed to himself, looking bewildered.
"Yes, you, Shisui. From now on, you're the acting Hokage. You need to start adapting to the role," Shikaku said with a sly grin, almost letting something slip.
"But… I have no experience!"
Having worked under Shikaku for so long, Shisui instinctively wanted Shikaku to handle the planning so he could carry it out.
However, Shikaku had been stuck in the role for far too long and, like Haneda and Kakashi, had been dreaming of retirement.
He had wanted to pass everything to Shisui for a while now, but he had gritted his teeth and stayed on for the sake of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Haneda patted Shisui on the shoulder, smiling. "No excuses. You're the Hokage now!"
"Lord Hokage, that's not…" Shisui was even more confused.
Haneda interrupted, "That's right. I'm retiring. The next Hokage position is yours!"
"In three days, Uchiha Shisui, you'll be the Sixth Hokage!"
"I trust you'll gain everyone's approval. Work hard and do a great job!"
The sudden fortune overwhelmed Shisui, leaving him unprepared.
He fully understood the saying, "Heavy is the head that wears the crown."
Becoming Hokage meant immense responsibility. Shisui had thought he would first serve as acting Hokage, gain experience, and then naturally succeed Haneda.
Itachi, for his part, had long suspected that Haneda and Shikaku were planning to retire.
Especially since Kakashi hadn't set foot in the office for half a year, that feeling had only grown stronger.
Itachi kept giving Shisui meaningful looks, encouraging him to say the right things and accept the position.
But Shisui, still in a daze, didn't know what to do.
Fortunately, Haneda and Shikaku were eager to offload their responsibilities and didn't mind Shisui's slow reaction.
By the time Shisui realized what had happened, it was already a done deal.
Haneda and Shikaku both cheerfully reassured him that he would make an excellent Hokage.
That night, it felt as if a pie had fallen from the sky!
When the day's work finally ended and Shisui was on his way home, he was still in a daze, his mind a chaotic jumble of thoughts.
Itachi walked beside him and said, "Congratulations, Shisui. In just a few days, you'll be the Hokage."
"How does it feel? You look so happy you've lost all sense of direction."
Shisui stopped walking and said quietly, "One-on-seven. Becoming Hokage isn't something to be happy about."
"On the contrary, it's a mission. The more I think about it, the greater the pressure."
"To be honest, I'm incredibly anxious right now. Really."
Itachi's smile turned serious. "Are you worried you won't do a good job as Hokage?"
"That's part of it," Shisui admitted.
Itachi asked, "Is there something else? Are you worried people will compare you to Uncle Haneda and find you lacking?"
Shisui nodded. "Yes. Lord Hokage may be a little… lazy, but everyone has benefited from his leadership."
"If I become his successor, I'll find it hard to match his reputation."
"And if I don't perform well, I might go down in history as the worst Hokage ever—worse than even the Third Hokage."
Itachi studied Shisui for a moment, then smiled. "I didn't think you'd worry about things like this."
"Didn't you always say that as long as you did your best, there would be no regrets?"
"Now, you seem to have reservations."
Shisui sighed. "People change, one-on-seven."
"Ever since Lord Hokage told me I'd succeed him, I've felt something stirring in my heart—let's call it ambition."
"I want to surpass him. I want to make Konoha even better. Maybe this is what they mean when they say your position determines your perspective."
Itachi said, "Actually, Shisui…"
"Having ambition isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"I've wanted to be Hokage, too. I've wanted to surpass Uncle Haneda and become a ninja respected by all."
"Ever since the Uchiha crisis was resolved, that thought has been driving me forward."
"To be honest, I've even thought about competing with you for the Hokage position."
"But later, I realized I didn't have the ability to match my ambition."
"So I sought guidance from Elder Shikaku, studied diligently, and prepared myself to support you, learn how to be a Hokage, and maybe run for the position someday."
Listening to Itachi, Shisui fell into deep thought.
He looked up at the sky, wondering if his abilities were enough to support his ambition.
Then, he let go of his worries about being Hokage and smiled.
"Let's not think about Hokage for now. The war is coming."
"When the time comes, I'll protect Konoha, win the war, and help build lasting peace with Lord Hokage…"
"And maybe, along the way, I'll make a name for myself!"
Itachi smiled. "Me too."
…