With One Blade, Overturning Konoha!

At the entrance of Konohagakure, years of development had transformed the village into something far grander than before.

The gates bustled with life. Merchants and travelers streamed in and out, all eager to glimpse the majesty and atmosphere of the First Shinobi Village.

As everyone lined up for inspection, two crimson shapes suddenly shot out of the village at incredible speed.

Looking closely, though both were orange-red, they weren’t quite the same.

One was a deeper shade, the other lighter.

Two blazing clusters of fire.

“Is that…?”

“Lord Nine-Tails?”

Only the village’s beloved mascot, Kurama, could run wild around Konoha with such abandon!

Despite how reckless its movements appeared, its “street-racing” skills were already perfected to an art. Even on the most crowded street, Lord Nine-Tails would never crash into anyone.

Many believed this daily sprinting was Kurama’s own kind of training.

Following the direction the flaming figures rushed toward, the crowd noticed something unusual—Lord Nine-Tails seemed particularly anxious today.

Slowly, people turned their heads.

A lone figure approached from the distance.

Long black hair flowed down to his waist. After so long on the moon, he had clearly stopped caring for his hairstyle, yet the unkempt look only made him seem more naturally carefree.

The confidence radiating from him was unmistakably compelling.

After years away, he’d grown noticeably taller, his straight posture no longer burdened by the awkward contrast of a long blade and a sake gourd at his side.

The scars that once marked his youthful face had vanished entirely, erased by changes in his physique.

Only the slight upward curve of his lips and the depth of his eyes remained familiar.

His old black martial arts uniform no longer fit him. In its place was a Shihakushō purchased with points from the System Store—a garment originating from the Shinigami world, yet now shaped into a style uniquely his.

Most importantly, the clothing could repair itself, sparing Hakken the hassle of changing after every battle.

Konoha…

It finally felt like coming home.

He lifted the sake gourd, ready to take a satisfying drink—

Whoosh!

Two fiery shapes launched straight at him.

What the—

Boom!

Boom!

The two flames slammed into his chest, and Hakken’s lips curved into a gentle smile.

What shocked the onlookers was not the impact itself, but the fact that he didn’t move an inch.

Instead, the ground behind him split open with a thunderous crack.

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Just who was this man?

Five years had passed. The once-young boy had completed his transformation into a man.

His mature aura and sharp features made him unrecognizable to many.

But the name “Konoha’s Kenpachi” was known by all.

Ignoring the stunned villagers, Hakken lowered his gaze.

There was always a special sense between beasts.

Kurama was probably the very first in Konoha to notice his return.

Since this was homecoming, there was no reason to hide his chakra.

Truthfully, this was the first time he’d ever been away from Konoha for so long.

Before, even if he wasn’t always visible, he still lived and worked within the village.

And with time, bonds formed—unique to the shinobi world.

Bonds that drove people to grow stronger.

“Hey! I got here first! Couldn’t you wait before diving into the boss’s arms? You got no shame?”

“Shut up! You wouldn’t even exist without me! And we clearly arrived together—stop squeezing!”

What truly surprised Hakken was that Kurama had become two.

No—more accurately, its Yin chakra and Yang chakra had separated into two bodies.

Both equally round. Equally chubby. Equally simple.

Seems what I left for Minato-sensei finally came in handy.

Winning over the Nine-Tails in just a few years was no small feat.

As he held the two Kurama, Hakken could feel it clearly—these weren’t sealed beasts bound by force.

Their bond was closer to comrades, partners.

Using the tailed-beast charger he’d exchanged from the System Store, he connected their chakra to his own. This allowed him to gain the power of a jinchūriki without any of the restraints. He could enter Minato or Naruto’s bodies if needed, or move freely like this.

One Kurama had become Minato’s aide; the other, Naruto’s big brother.

Just as Hakken had expected.

They were getting along perfectly. Give Minato and Naruto a bit more time, and the true Yellow Flash of Konoha would soon appear before the world.

And their bond—

It was nothing like that of a jinchūriki and a tailed beast.

It was more like friends.

Real companions.

…

“Hey, boss, why do you have the Six Paths old man’s aura on you?”

“Yeah. At first I almost didn’t recognize you. If it wasn’t for that wild, violent chakra of yours, I’d have thought you were someone else.”

Perched on Hakken’s left and right shoulders, the two Kurama—one black, one orange—sniffed him curiously before voicing their confusion.

The Nine-Tails had undergone a tremendous change compared to the past. At the very least, they had finally understood one thing:

Humans were divided into good and bad, and in the Land of Fire, nearly everyone in Konoha was good.

And the method for judging good and bad people was simple.

If they saw Kurama and respectfully called it “Lord Nine-Tails,” that person was a pure good guy.

And among the good, the very best was the man before them—Hakken Yoru.

The first man to truly acknowledge its existence.

Maybe in the past, Kurama didn’t really understand how much that meant. But after years apart, the feeling of missing him had made it clear—this man was far more important than someone who just carried it around the village every day.

This warmth… was closer than anything it felt toward the Sage of Six Paths who had created it.

Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo had simply crafted the Tailed Beasts and left them to discover their own path to coexist with humans.

But the man before it had lit a bright lamp in the darkness that followed.

However…

There really was an aura clinging faintly to him, one eerily similar to the Sage of Six Paths.

What was happening?

“Aura, huh?”

Hakken touched his chin and let out a playful smile.

“Sorry, but Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki’s aura doesn’t deserve to be compared to mine.”

“My aura? It’s his mother’s.”

My aura is… his mother’s?

Why is he swearing?

The two Kurama exchanged baffled looks. They didn’t understand.

And it was natural that they didn’t.

Deep within the shared mental space, Kaguya lowered her head, cheeks flushed.

Hagoromo and Hamura were beings she had created with her own chakra mixed with the collective faith of the people.

She had lost enormous power for them; she had given everything to raise those two children.

The final result, however, had been painfully tragic.

Chakra could shape all things.

It was a mysterious power.

And since the Sage of Six Paths was a product of Kaguya’s chakra, it was perfectly normal that Hakken—whose soul had been intertwined with hers for years—carried an aura similar to his.

Kurama’s excitement was only a passing moment. When Hakken lifted his head, his expression softened.

They were all here.

Minato-sensei, Kushina-sensei, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, Uchiha Shisui.

Even the fully matured maid, “the little cat”—now slim, elegant, and striking—had arrived. Alongside her were Hakken’s sister Mitarashi Anko and her close friend Kurenai Yūhi.

And the girl who had always waited for him had grown up as well—

Uzuki Yugao.

Konan stood in the corner, her expression complicated.

And then there were the boys and girls about to graduate from the Ninja Academy, their eyes blazing with excitement.

Hinata, Tenten, Ino and the rest of the Rookie Twelve stared at him with curiosity and awe.

Naruto and Sasuke were already sprinting toward him.

But one person was missing.

The figure who had once trained beside him, sweating and striving alongside him.

“Hakken…”

Suddenly, an excited voice rang out behind him.

A swirl of crows converged, forming Itachi, who rushed straight toward Hakken.

There was no dramatic reunion hug.

Instead, a familiar finger tapped Itachi gently on the forehead with a crisp snap, freezing him in place.

“Long time no see, dumbass.”

Truly, men didn’t need many words.

He was back. That alone was enough.

Itachi smiled faintly and nodded.

“Konoha’s Kenpachi.”

“Welcome home.”

He was Konoha’s Kenpachi.

In that instant, the villagers finally understood, erupting into cheers.

“He’s so handsome…”

Ino tugged the dazed Sakura and nudged the blushing Hinata.

Then her eyes shifted to the gloomy-looking Tenten.

He really was handsome.

Everyone had known, even years ago, that this man had shattered the meaning of “handsome.” And now, that ceiling was even higher.

A large part of it was that effortless, carefree charm.

People said that carefree demeanor was just his natural way of living.

But when it came to protecting the village, the overwhelming aura he unleashed was what truly commanded respect.

A man like that was bound to attract countless admirers.

Ino clenched her teeth, gathering her courage.

Some people, once they made up their minds, never backed down. After hearing he had returned, she’d rushed here with flowers in hand, hoping to do something.

But when she looked ahead… the figure had already disappeared into the village, surrounded by a crowd.

Had she missed her chance?

It seemed she would have to wait for next time.

The dispirited girl let out a long sigh. For now, she could only watch his retreating back and muster her courage again.

…

“I thought you’d go home first to spend time with Anko and the others.”

Hokage Building, Office.

Minato scratched his head as he looked at Hakken sitting on the sofa, with Itachi and Kakashi standing behind him.

After all these years, his disciple had completely grown up.

Gone was the youthful immaturity—replaced by a calm, reliable presence that made Minato genuinely proud.

“No rush.”

Hakken shook his head. “This time, unless something unexpected happens, I won’t be leaving the village for a long while. There’s plenty of time.”

Outside Konoha, he had gathered almost everything he needed.

Next came two major goals: developing his own Tenseigan abilities, and speeding up the efficiency of his daily sword-swinging missions.

All the years he spent absorbing the Golden Wheel Tenseigan’s energy had slowed down the progress of unlocking his Template abilities through daily sword swings.

And Hakken would never forget—his core move was still the basic slash.

Even the Tenseigan’s power worked best when channeled into repulsive and attractive forces along his blade.

There was still a lot of room to grow. His plan was to settle down, sort out the remaining issues in the Ninja World, and then move forward.

He had come to Minato’s office to learn about recent changes in the ninja world and whether Konoha’s development had veered off its intended path.

“According to your second five-year plan,” Minato began, “Konoha’s ANBU reserves and the Nightingale Squad have fully begun their operations.”

“Over the past few years, the results have been impressive.”

“Right now, more than eighty percent of the small nations and small-to-medium hidden villages in the Ninja World are under Konoha’s control.”

He spread out a map, pointing excitedly at the marked regions.

Eighty percent.

The speed was indeed remarkable. Hakken nodded slightly.

“But there are a few countries that are… complicated.”

Minato sighed. “For example, the Land of Demons. Their system is completely different. There’s no Daimyō, no real centralized government.”

“Rather than governing the Land of Demons, it’s more accurate to say the people there protect it from the demon Moryō. The highest authority belongs to the shrine maidens, generation after generation.”

A priestess, huh? By this timeline, Shion’s mother should have already sealed the demon and died.

Which meant that the young girl now ruled the Land of Demons.

Hakken understood instantly. As Gamamaru once said, chakra was an external force to this land—this continent originally had its own unique traditions, and the shrine maiden system was one of them.

“Besides the Land of Demons, there are also other politically unstable regions like the Land of Snow.”

“In short, they’re troublesome. Some decisions still need to come from you. Sensei doesn’t know what to do anymore.”

Minato shrugged, giving Hakken a meaningful smile.

“Hakken, you understand, don’t you?”

Understand what?

Holding Kurama, Hakken looked puzzled.

“Ken-san,” Itachi reminded gently, “Minato-sensei means it’s time for you to shoulder the responsibility of Hokage.”

“That’s right, Hakken,” Minato added, stepping forward with excitement. “Your achievements and reputation make you more than qualified to become the Fifth Hokage!”

He held out the Hokage cloak expectantly.

Last time, this brat claimed he was too young. Now he was fully mature—what excuse could he possibly have left?

“I refuse.”

Hakken pushed the cloak away with clear disdain and scooted back on the sofa.

Are you kidding me?

I just got back, and you want me to be Hokage?!

“As expected.” Kakashi spoke calmly. Anyone who knew Hakken understood perfectly—he was absolutely not the type to sit in the Hokage’s office buried under paperwork.

Especially with so many adorable girls waiting for him at home.

The more Kakashi read Icha Icha Paradise, the more convinced he became that Owl was the true winner in life. In fact, wasn’t the story basically written for him?

A protagonist born without contest.

“Haah…”

Minato sighed, looking thoroughly defeated. Was the Hokage position really that undesirable?

“Alright, Minato-sensei. Just wait a little longer.”

For the first time, Hakken left him a glimmer of hope—“just wait a little longer.”

Timing was everything.

“You said earlier that Konoha now controls over eighty percent of the small and mid-sized villages. I have an idea.”

“Select elite talents and send them to Konoha. Let them strengthen the village.”

“Those small villages have plenty of prodigies and clans with secret techniques. Their addition would boost Konoha’s combat power.”

He paused, a confident smile forming on his lips.

“And before long, they’ll be desperate for the chance to come to Konoha.”

A new generation was close to graduating, which meant the Chūnin Exams were just around the corner.

This time, he planned to invite every village to Konoha to witness the exam.

Let them see—Konoha’s new generation was just as powerful as its legends.

“A great idea.”

Minato nodded. “But before that, Hakken—”

“The next Ninja Academy graduation is coming soon.”

“This time, I want you to serve as the supervising instructor for the evaluations.”

In other words… exam proctor.

Hakken sighed.

Minato’s intention was obvious.

He wanted him to build a connection with Konoha’s next generation, further solidifying his presence in their minds.

Another step toward making him Hokage.

But Hakken was genuinely interested in this batch.

“Alright.”

He nodded, then turned to leave.

His work here was done.

Now—It was time for reunion.