[Naruto World No. 1]
After completing his preliminary setup in World No. 4, Kai quietly returned to the world where it had all begun.
Meanwhile, in Konoha—
Senju Hashirama had spent the entire night sleepless, pacing his estate as thoughts of the future haunted his every breath.
At dawn, without hesitation, he summoned his younger brother.
"Tobirama. Call a full emergency council meeting. All clan heads. We're doing it today."
Tobirama blinked. "You mean… that decision?"
Hashirama nodded solemnly.
Within the hour, every major clan leader in Konoha was assembled inside the meeting hall — the Sarutobi, Shimura, Hyūga, Shiranui, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, and the others.
When everyone had taken their seats, Hashirama stood and delivered his announcement with firm conviction.
"If anything happens to me... Uchiha Madara will succeed me as the Second Hokage."
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire room erupted in disbelief.
"What?!"
"Didn't we agree to elect the Hokage through council vote?"
"This is too sudden, Hokage-sama!"
"Isn't this just you deciding alone?!"
The protests were immediate. Angry, confused, and deeply unsettled.
"This isn't what we agreed on!"
The tension in the room thickened. All eyes turned to Hashirama, expecting a more thorough explanation.
But Hashirama only bowed his head slightly, then looked up.
"I know it's sudden," he said honestly. "And I know it may seem like I'm forcing this upon you."
"But please — I ask that you trust me."
"I cannot explain the full reason, but appointing Madara as the next Hokage is the only path that can preserve peace… if I fall."
There was something in Hashirama's voice — an urgency that couldn't be faked.
Many of the clan leaders began murmuring to each other, some even wondering if Hashirama was suffering from an illness… or planning a fatal mission.
Why else would he suddenly push for a successor?
Hashirama, the so-called God of Shinobi, wasn't the kind of man to declare something like this lightly.
"Brother," Tobirama whispered at his side, "they'll never accept that unless you give them a reason."
Hashirama glanced over at him, his eyes filled with both gratitude and fatigue.
After arguing with his brother all night, Tobirama had finally found a solution.
He understood the stakes. He'd seen the conviction in Hashirama's eyes.
And so, sighing deeply, Tobirama took a step forward and addressed the gathered clan heads.
"Everyone—this decision is based on a prophecy..."
"A prophecy?"
Tobirama nodded.
"The Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku appeared to my brother in a dream and warned him. He said that a great war will soon begin after the First Hokage's death."
"If we don't prepare a powerful successor now—Konoha may fall into chaos."
The room fell into silence.
No one dared doubt the name Mount Myōboku. It was one of the three sacred grounds, after all. Their sages were ancient and wise — not known to give false prophecy.
"I see… so that's why…"
"A message from the Toad Sage… Then we can't ignore it."
The resistance softened. Murmurs filled the chamber again, but no one outright refused the idea now.
Even so—
Uchiha Madara remained silent, arms crossed, standing beside Hashirama.
Then, unexpectedly, Madara stepped forward.
With a disdainful snort, he activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, letting his sharp gaze cut across the room like blades.
"Enough pointless debating."
"Who agrees, and who opposes?"
The room went dead quiet.
Tobirama's jaw dropped. "Madara! What are you doing?!"
Hashirama scratched his head awkwardly. "Ehh… maybe that was a bit too much, Madara…"
But Madara ignored them both.
"They're all shinobi. Soldiers who've walked the battlefield. Why hesitate?"
"If you believe I can lead — then say so. If not, don't waste my time."
"I don't need favors. I don't need charity. I will protect this village with my own hands — but I refuse to grovel for its approval."
He folded his arms again, posture as fierce as his gaze.
The room remained silent.
No one dared meet the eyes of his Mangekyō.
Even if they disagreed… who among them had the strength to face down Madara and survive?
Besides, Hashirama was supporting him.
If the First Hokage and Madara stood together, what could they possibly oppose?
"Madara! You're going to scare them off!"
Tobirama was practically fuming, but Madara merely waved him off.
"Then they shouldn't be clan heads if they scare so easily."
Eventually, one by one, the clan leaders relented.
All of them raised their hands or gave subtle nods, choosing not to challenge the two strongest shinobi in the world.
Thus—
Uchiha Madara was officially designated as the Second Hokage.
In truth, none of this was about democracy or council-based authority.
Not really.
Most of these clans had only joined the village because of the powerful alliance between the Senju and the Uchiha. Their loyalty had always been to strength — not ideology.
And the Warring States era had left them all exhausted.
They didn't want to return to endless bloodshed.
As long as Konoha remained unified under any Hokage, that was enough.
Besides, even the Uchiha themselves didn't want to follow Madara back into a war.
If Madara stayed in the village, the other clans would tolerate almost anything.
It wasn't fear that motivated their silence… but pragmatism.
Who in their right mind would challenge the Wood Release of Hashirama, or the Susanoo of Madara?
After the council adjourned and the clan leaders left, only three remained in the chamber:
Hashirama, Tobirama, and Madara.
"Hahaha! I told you it would work!" Hashirama said, slapping Madara on the back.
"You really are the best choice for the village."
Madara scoffed. "You're too loud."
Tobirama sulked in the corner, arms folded tightly.
Of all people, Madara becoming the Second Hokage?
The irony made him want to puke.
Madara smirked.
"Still sulking, Tobirama? Jealous?"
"I'm not jealous," Tobirama muttered. "Just annoyed."
He turned toward Hashirama and changed the subject.
"The envoy from Iwagakure should be arriving soon."
"Oh? They agreed to the alliance?"
"Not yet. They're likely just testing the waters. But as Hokage, you should meet with them regardless."
"Right, right," Hashirama said, rubbing his temples. "So much for peace of mind…"
He'd seen the long arc of history. The wars yet to come. The sorrow.
Even so, he had to keep walking forward.
"Oh, Madara," he added, "do you want to attend the meeting too?"
Madara waved him off. "If they want to see me, they know where I am. I'll be at the shrine."
Hashirama sighed but didn't argue.
Madara had already agreed to stay.
That alone was more than he'd hoped for.
Madara left the building and moved silently through the streets of Konoha.
The village he once considered abandoning… now felt strangely warm.
He would return to the Uchiha district and share the news.
The Uchiha had always been proud, but many of them were tired of conflict.
This announcement would ignite hope in them again.
After all, they were all he had left of Izuna's legacy.
At the same time, atop the half-finished Hokage Tower…
Kai stood quietly, eyes scanning the invisible interface projected by the system.
A soft glow flashed in the corner of his vision.
[World No. 1 – Unified Progress: 32% → 35%]
Only a 3% increase.
But Kai wasn't disappointed.
Madara choosing to stay in the village and accept the role of Second Hokage had just rewritten the entire trajectory of this world.
If there were a separate stat for plot divergence, it would've skyrocketed by 80%.
No betrayal. No Valley of the End. No Eye of the Moon Plan. No Akatsuki. No Fourth Ninja World War.
All of it… undone.
"I don't know what will happen next," Kai murmured, "but it doesn't matter."
"The important thing is to keep pushing them forward."
The unification of this world — its true peace — was within reach.
But even so…
He smiled faintly and looked toward the village gate.
"One step at a time."
Far beyond the walls, a pair of visitors had arrived at Konoha's gate.
A master and his disciple.
Mu, the man who would one day become the Second Tsuchikage…
And Ōnoki, still young and inexperienced, but destined for great status.
Another piece had entered the board.
The game would continue.