Naruto: Limitless Sage

Just as the Tsuchikage, Raikage, Mizukage, and their retinues were still processing the shocking revelations carved into the Monument of Sins…

They spotted several figures silently scrubbing the stone tablet.

Among them—

Wasn't that Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage?

And those beside him… weren't they the former high-ranking elders of Konoha?

"You all... actually!?"

Tsuchikage Ōnoki pointed a trembling finger at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who now looked like a simple, aged man. His eyes were filled with disbelief.

He never imagined that the newly appointed Fifth Hokage of Konoha would punish Sarutobi and the old council—

By having them clean public grounds like ordinary workers!

Ōnoki, who had been a contemporary of Sarutobi Hiruzen for decades, was intimately familiar with the man's strength and influence. He couldn't reconcile the sight of this frail old man with the once-formidable Hokage who had long commanded the mightiest shinobi village in the world.

After all, for decades, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been the face of Konoha, the man who inherited the will of both Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama.

For a significant period in shinobi history, Sarutobi Hiruzen was considered the strongest Kage alive—the number one shinobi in the world.

He was the head of the most powerful village. His status was unmatched.

And yet now…

To see him fall this far—

Ōnoki couldn't help but feel a bitter satisfaction.

And yet, as a man of the same generation, as a fellow Kage…

There was a strange sadness in watching Sarutobi's disgrace.

The Raikage, A, felt something similar.

He saw the once-revered Third Hokage and the group of Konoha elders reduced to street cleaners.

Part of him felt a twisted amusement—after all, they were rivals once.

But another part of him—knowing what it meant to carry the title of Kage, knowing how it felt to lead a village and shoulder a nation—

Felt the sting of sorrow.

As for the Fifth Mizukage, Terumī Mei, who had risen from a blood-soaked era to lead her village into a new age—

Seeing Sarutobi like this, and recalling the pain the previous Kage had brought upon her village through war and manipulation—

She couldn't say this outcome was wrong.

She had yet to meet the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto, but in this moment, she quietly agreed with the justice being dealt.

Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen, along with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, of course noticed Kakashi approaching with the three Kage.

It was impossible to miss.

Yet with their current disgraceful roles, facing their former equals now filled them with unbearable shame.

They bowed their heads and focused solely on cleaning.

If a hole in the earth had opened beneath them, they would have gladly crawled into it.

But Kakashi—

He wasn't about to let them off so easily.

Even if Naruto hadn't instructed him to, he would've done the same.

Kakashi turned to them and spoke with a faint smile, his words sharp as blades.

"Former Hokage.

Esteemed elders.

The Tsuchikage, Raikage, and Mizukage have come a long way as honored guests.

Won't you come and greet them properly?"

The tone was casual, but the sting behind the words was unmistakable.

It wasn't just a greeting.

It was humiliation, sharpened to a fine edge.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others stiffened. The Kage, too, were briefly taken aback by Kakashi's mercilessness.

Everyone could tell what he was doing.

There was no avoiding it. The elders no longer held any power. They had no right to refuse an order from Kakashi, now the ANBU Commander directly under the Fifth Hokage.

And so—

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura could only muster a twisted expression—somewhere between a forced smile and a pained grimace—as they stepped forward to greet Ōnoki, A, and Mei.

The three Kage gave equally complex responses.

Ōnoki stared at Sarutobi, conflicted.

Yes, it felt good to see a long-time rival fall so far…

But there was also a sense of emptiness.

A rival gone leaves a strange void.

Still—

Kakashi had no interest in their feelings.

Once the tour concluded, he escorted the visiting Kage to a designated resting area.

Their formal visit had ended.

Tomorrow, after all, was the official inauguration ceremony for Uzumaki Naruto, the new Hokage.

That night—

Ōnoki, A, and Mei all retired to their quarters.

But none of them could sleep easily.

The events of the day had left too deep an impression.

Konoha had changed.

And the shinobi world was about to follow.

Without a word shared between them, they lay awake—haunted by the silence of what they'd witnessed.

—

The next day.

A day that would be etched into the history of the shinobi world.

The day Uzumaki Naruto officially became the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure.

From early morning, the entire village buzzed with excitement.

Celebration filled the air.

Every household wore the joy of a new beginning.

Most of the current villagers were immigrants from far-off lands, welcomed into Konoha by Naruto himself.

And in their hearts—

They held nothing but admiration and gratitude.

For Naruto, the Hokage who had rebuilt the village from ashes…

Had given them all a home.

On this historic day, the people of Konoha gathered to celebrate a new era—Uzumaki Naruto had officially become the Fifth Hokage.

Naturally, the village was overflowing with joy.

Even more so when Naruto announced that a grand village-wide banquet would follow the ceremony.

A celebration for everyone.

A feast for shinobi and civilians alike.

With such generous arrangements, how could the villagers not be thrilled?

Elsewhere, the visiting Kage—Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Raikage A, and Mizukage Terumī Mei—were led from their guest quarters by Konoha shinobi.

Their destination: the main plaza beneath the looming Hokage Rock.

As they walked through the streets, the cheerful atmosphere of the village surrounded them. Konoha's people—young and old—beamed with pride and excitement.

The joy was infectious.

Even the battle-hardened Kage found themselves quietly smiling.

Soon, they arrived at the ceremonial grounds.

By then, a sea of people had already gathered.

At the front stood Uzumaki Naruto, dressed in the ceremonial robes of the Hokage.

Beside him: the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, former Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, and his wife, Uzumaki Kushina.

Also present were legendary figures such as the First and Second Hokage, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and even Orochimaru, along with many shinobi and citizens of Konoha.

Everyone had come to witness history.

The ceremony officially began.

As was tradition, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire stepped forward to preside over the announcement.

Yet beneath his formal demeanor, he was filled with apprehension.

He had never approved of Naruto's appointment as Hokage.

Not because of his strength—but because of his vision.

Naruto's sweeping reforms had transformed Konoha into more than just a shinobi village. It was becoming a political and economic power in its own right.

And the Daimyō could feel his grip weakening.

For generations, shinobi were considered non-productive—the hired sword of the noble class. But now, under Naruto's leadership, the shinobi were becoming self-sufficient, self-governing, and dangerously influential.

They were no longer the arm of the Fire Nation.

They were becoming its brain and heart.

The Daimyō sensed the threat. He saw where this path led.

A future where he would no longer be necessary.

But Naruto knew this.

And he didn't care.

Because the Daimyō's fears were right.

The moment Konoha's new system stabilized, the Feudal Era would end—and the shinobi system would replace it.

Still, for now, Naruto had to let the performance continue.

With heavy reluctance, the Daimyō raised his voice and declared:

"From this day forward, Uzumaki Naruto shall serve as the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure!"

As his words rang out across the plaza—

Konoha erupted.

Cheering, laughter, applause.

A sea of celebration.

The people embraced each other with joy.

Naruto raised his hand to calm the crowd, then smiled.

"Let the festivities begin!"

The banquet had been prepared long in advance.

And with that, the celebration was underway.

Tables overflowed with food and drink. There were performances, music, dances, jutsu displays, and even magic tricks for the children.

The village was alive with celebration.

But amidst the festivities…

Naruto slipped away.

Quietly, he returned to the Hokage Tower, where a private meeting awaited.

In the council room, Ōnoki, A, and Mei were already gathered.

Naruto entered with his usual warm expression and greeted them:

"Thank you all for coming to Konoha.

Please, take a seat."

The three Kage eyed him carefully.

Now that they stood face-to-face with the man who had shaken the shinobi world—

They were surprised.

Because Naruto… felt ordinary.

Too ordinary.

Like a pebble you'd step over on a roadside.

There was no blinding aura of youthful arrogance or triumph.

No overflowing presence like one might expect from a man who had achieved so much at such a young age.

In fact, he barely seemed like a presence at all.

That was what unsettled them the most.

And yet—

This was not weakness.

It was the result of the profound stillness Naruto had cultivated.

He had walked with gods, touched the hearts of beasts, and carried the will of fire into a new age.

What they saw before them was a man who had already merged with nature.

No wasted energy. No visible sharpness.

All that power, all that drive—

Contained.

Centered.

Silent.

And that silence was more intimidating than any shouting proclamation of strength.

The true meeting was about to begin.

Just a few days ago—

When Naruto had overthrown the Third Hokage, the very idea would've seemed absurd.

Back then, if the Tsuchikage, Raikage, and Mizukage had seen Naruto, they wouldn't have reacted with the same stunned expressions they wore now.

But now?

They were genuinely shocked.

Still, they composed themselves.

The Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Raikage A, and Mizukage Terumī Mei gave polite nods to Naruto and took their seats.

Naruto, seeing that everyone had settled, didn't waste time with pleasantries.

There was no suspense.

No dramatic buildup.

He simply looked each of them in the eye and said:

"The reason I've invited you here today is simple—

I want to unify the shinobi world.

And I'd like to know… what the three of you think about that."

His tone was calm. His posture was relaxed.

There was no raised voice or aggressive stance.

But the weight of those words—

Crushed the air in the room.

Ōnoki, A, and Mei all felt it.

Like a sudden chill… or a blade drawn just beneath the skin.

So that's how it is.

The new Fifth Hokage wasn't content with ceremonies and reforms.

He was making a declaration of intent—and it wasn't small.

It was the kind of ambition that had eluded even the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, the man once revered as the God of Shinobi.

And now, this young Hokage, barely past his twenties—

Was speaking as if he could achieve what the greatest shinobi in history could not?

For a moment, the room was silent.

Ōnoki stared at Naruto, unable to hide his astonishment.

He hadn't expected this—certainly not from a man he'd just met.

This wasn't just surprising. It was deeply unsettling.

A scoffed internally.

To him, Naruto's declaration reeked of youthful arrogance.

Just another idealist who had gotten drunk on his own success after being handed a title too early.

And Mei—

Though she had found Naruto's demeanor and appearance unexpectedly charming at first—

Even she was caught off guard.

The idea of unifying the shinobi world?

It was pure fantasy.

No one had ever succeeded.

No one had ever come close.

After a long pause, Ōnoki finally chuckled—an aged, skeptical laugh filled with cynicism.

"Hah... you're joking, right, Godaime Hokage?"

"Unify the shinobi world? That's your grand plan?"

"You can't be serious."

He didn't want to mock the young Hokage.

But it was just too hard to hold back the laughter.

Even Senju Hashirama, with all his strength and charisma, had failed to bring lasting unity to the shinobi nations.

And this boy—

This child, in his eyes—

Had just stepped into power and already thought himself capable of remaking the world?

A, having seen Konoha's progress, found the whole meeting dull so far.

A celebration, a feast, a speech—and now this.

He crossed his arms, unimpressed.

To him, this wasn't diplomacy.

This was nonsense.

What the Raikage felt after witnessing Konoha's rapid transformation was nothing short of shock.

The village had changed—utterly.

But now, hearing these words from the mouth of its new Hokage…

He couldn't help but feel…

Disappointed.

Raikage A had expected more.

After all, Konoha's reconstruction, the sweeping reforms, the newfound unity—these were feats no village had achieved before.

Everyone had wondered:

What kind of man was behind all this change?

And yet, now that the truth was laid bare…

A found himself underwhelmed.

"Unify the shinobi world?"

"What nonsense."

To him, Naruto's words were nothing short of a fantasy—a reckless disregard for the sovereignty of the other great villages.

Mizukage Terumī Mei shared the same thoughts.

As did the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.

But what they didn't realize—

Was that Naruto wasn't speaking in jest.

He had been watching them the entire time.

And he understood their reactions completely.

They couldn't be blamed.

Not yet.

But the next moment—

Naruto's calm expression didn't change. Only his eyes did.

His normally gentle, sky-blue gaze suddenly sharpened—like the edge of a blade forged in the storm.

In that instant—

The very air in the room changed.

It grew heavy. Suffocating.

The pressure was unbearable.

CRACK!

The floor beneath them split.

Hairline fractures spread across the polished stone as if reality itself had been strained.

The atmosphere thickened with unrelenting weight.

Ōnoki, A, and Mei immediately stiffened.

Without hesitation, each of them flared their chakra to resist the crushing pressure descending upon them.

It wasn't just oppressive.

It was lethal.

Had they not acted—

They would've been pinned to the ground by sheer force.

Their eyes snapped to the one responsible—

Naruto Uzumaki, Fifth Hokage of Konoha.

Still seated.

Still calm.

Still silent.

But exuding such raw, overwhelming will that even veteran Kage were forced to acknowledge:

This was no ordinary man.

Finally, Naruto spoke, his voice quiet—but absolute.

"I assume you all feel it now."

"I'm not joking."

He leaned forward slightly, his expression still unreadable.

"The Sand Village has already been peacefully integrated into Konoha."

"The title of Kazekage no longer exists."

"That leaves only three of the former great shinobi villages—Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure."

"I didn't summon you here to negotiate."

"I called you to inform you."

His words cut like a blade.

"This world has too many villages. Too many countries. Five great nations, five great shinobi villages, and countless minor ones."

He paused—

Then raised his head with quiet finality.

"But in my eyes, there only needs to be one village, and one nation."

"The Land of Fire—and Konohagakure."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Naruto's voice was calm, but the intent behind it was thunderous.

There was no mistaking his meaning.

He had not simply inherited the Hokage title.

He had claimed it with purpose.

Domination.

Unification.

Revolution.

Ōnoki, A, and Mei stared at him, their faces filled with a mixture of disbelief—and something deeper:

Fear.

None of them had expected this.

None of them had imagined that the newly appointed Fifth Hokage—

Would bear ambition that could reshape the entire shinobi world.

...

TN:

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