Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

Standing atop the Hokage building, Natsuro's announcement brought the entire village's excitement to a fever pitch.

In the midst of this electrifying atmosphere, Tsunade stepped forward to face Natsuroi, her gaze filled with mixed emotions. Even though she had always known Natsuro was incredibly strong, witnessing his power firsthand still left her stunned.

"From now on, the village is in your hands," Tsunade said with heartfelt conviction. She then handed him the iconic Hokage hat, the symbol of Konoha's leadership.

"Leave it to me," Natsuro replied with a nod, taking the hat from Tsunade and carefully placing it on his head.

He stepped forward to stand at the edge of the platform, addressing the massive crowd below. His voice echoed across the village, clear and strong.

"From today onward, I, Natsuro Shindōkawa, am the Sixth Hokage."

As soon as the words left his mouth, an eruption of cheers akin to a tidal wave swept through Konoha. The villagers celebrated with unrestrained joy, their voices filled with hope and admiration for their powerful new leader.

Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, watched the scene with a sigh of relief. Though the path Natsuro took to ascend to Hokage was vastly different from what Hiruzen had envisioned, there was no denying that he was the right choice.

Despite his lingering feelings of regret and sorrow for Danzō, Hiruzen understood that Danzō's downfall was a result of his own actions. And perhaps, Hiruzen himself bore some blame for enabling those actions through his leniency.

Standing beside him, Jiraiya placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, old man. Natsuro will be an excellent Hokage," Jiraiya said confidently.

Jiraiya's own gaze was filled with pride as he looked at Natsuro. Although he had always known his student was destined for greatness, his rapid rise to power still amazed him.

And then there was Natsuro's strength, a strength that Jiraiya couldn't fully comprehend. Even in Sage Mode, he doubted he could match him in a fight.

"Mm." Hiruzen nodded quietly, making up his mind. It was time for him to retire completely, to step away from his advisory role and finally rest.

The other two advisors exchanged a look of relief. Whatever the challenges of the ceremony, it had concluded successfully. They couldn't help but feel this was one of the most unusual Hokage succession events in history.

As the thunderous cheers gradually subsided, Natsuro spoke again.

"There's one more thing."

The atmosphere immediately shifted. A hushed tension settled over the crowd, the weight of his words palpable. After all, the memory of Danzō's trial and execution was still fresh in everyone's minds.

"Another issue?" The villagers murmured amongst themselves, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

Seeing their reactions, Natsuro paused, then smiled warmly.

"Don't worry, it's not that kind of thing."

The tension lifted, and the crowd relaxed again.

"It's about my personal life," Natsuro began. "Three years from now, I will be marrying Ino Yamanaka. I hope all of you will join us to celebrate the occasion."

His words hit the crowd like a bombshell. Cheers erupted once more, louder and more boisterous than ever. A topic like this was universally compelling, no matter the world.

The men in the crowd teased each other, while many women sighed in disappointment. In an instant, countless women found themselves heartbroken, falling in love with their new Hokage only to "lose" him immediately.

All eyes turned to Ino, who stood among the crowd with her mother and Shinai. Her face was flushed red, her teary eyes locked on Natsuro. Her heart swelled with emotion as their gazes met.

Natsuro smiled down at her, and Ino responded with a radiant smile of her own.

Beside Ino, her mother was brimming with pride and satisfaction. She had already been more than pleased with Natsuro as her future son-in-law, but this public declaration during his Hokage inauguration exceeded all expectations.

The older woman's thoughts wandered briefly to the past, to the small boy who used to visit their flower shop. Who would have thought that child would grow to become the Sixth Hokage?

The world truly felt like a crazy place, she thought. Then again, considering the overwhelming power Natsuro had just displayed, maybe it all made sense.

Next to her, Shinai gazed at her son with pride shining in her eyes. She didn't fully grasp the intricacies of the techniques or the magnitude of Natsuro's abilities, but she could tell from the crowd's awe that her son wasn't just "strong." He was on a level far beyond ordinary strength, perhaps the strongest in all of Konoha.

But did it matter? To Shinai, he was still her son, and that would never change.

When Natsuro announced his wedding date, Shinai's smile grew even more satisfied. Over the years, she had come to adore Ino as a future daughter-in-law, and seeing this moment made her immensely happy.

As the crowd settled, Natsuro spoke again.

"And there's one more thing."

Tsunade rolled her eyes at this. Really? Can't he just say everything at once? She recalled this trait of his from the past, which was always spacing out his announcements.

Still, curiosity got the better of her. What else could there be?

The announcement about Ino hadn't particularly surprised Tsunade. Natsuro was unpredictable and unconventional, so declaring his engagement during his Hokage inauguration wasn't out of character.

"This concerns Naruto Uzumaki," Natsuro said, glancing at Naruto, who stood near Hinata. He gestured for Naruto to come up.

Naruto blinked in surprise. Natsuro hadn't mentioned anything about this beforehand. Confused but trusting, he made his way to the rooftop and stood next to him.

Even standing beside the new Hokage, Naruto noticed some of the villagers below furrowing their brows. If this weren't such a formal occasion, Naruto wouldn't have doubted that some of them might openly glare at him.

Tsunade watched the scene unfold and smiled knowingly. Ah, so that's it, she thought. It was finally time for Naruto's true identity to be revealed to everyone.

Those in the know, key members of the major clans, also seemed to realize what was coming. They exchanged meaningful glances, their suspicions confirmed.

Natsuro observed the reactions below, noticing the subtle shifts in certain individuals' attitudes. He sighed inwardly. 

Beside him, Naruto fidgeted nervously. Despite his usual carefree demeanor, the weight of so many gazes left him uneasy. He wasn't used to being the center of such attention, especially in a setting like this.

Even Naruto's typically boundless energy couldn't stop the creeping anxiety, and it showed in his movements. Still, he stood his ground, awaiting whatever Natsuro had planned for him...

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Currently on Chapter 295 - Pain's Arrival