At this point, even if he had the strength to kill Senju Haruto—which he didn't—it would no longer matter.
The daimyo was already dead, and Haruto had completely uprooted the entire faction that supported him.
Killing Haruto would not bring the daimyo back. On the contrary, it would only cripple Konoha's strength at the worst possible moment.
Besides… with the daimyo gone, Hiruzen Sarutobi himself—Third Hokage—was now undeniably the most powerful figure in the Land of Fire.
"My ideals don't allow me to slaughter more people. So… this ends here."
Hiruzen's voice finally softened as he chose compromise. He had no choice but to accept the new reality.
Hearing this, both Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado breathed sighs of relief. No matter what, Hiruzen wasn't just their comrade of decades—he was also the only one who could publicly step forward and assume the daimyo's role. Someone had to take the blame.
"But there's one thing I must make clear to you all—especially you, Haruto."
Hiruzen's gaze swept across the three standing before him.
Haruto, Homura, and Koharu all remained silent, waiting for his words.
"The reason I'm allowing this is not for your sake, Haruto. It is for the village. A Hokage must always put the stability of the village above all else."
This was more than an excuse for compromise—it was also Hiruzen's way of warning Haruto, reminding him of what should matter most.
"You're right," Haruto nodded calmly, as if he had expected the answer all along.
But of course, this was far from the end of it.
The daimyo was dead—but the Land of Fire didn't know yet. Neither did the other great nations.
And if they truly meant for the Hokage to take the daimyo's place, it could not be done in shadows. It had to be done openly, boldly, and with confidence.
That underhanded method of manipulating a kage from the shadows—like Obito had done with the Mizukage—was nothing more than a cheap trick.
From this day forward, the title of "daimyo" would forever belong to the past.
From now on, the Hokage would not only command the military, but also oversee politics and economy.
Saying it was easy. Enacting it… far more complicated.
How should the daimyo's death be announced?
How should the old feudal system be dismantled?
How should the other nations' lords be informed?
All of it required careful discussion and planning.
Haruto, however, couldn't be bothered. For now, Hiruzen was still Hokage, not him. With Koharu and Homura at his side, Haruto was confident they could handle the aftermath.
And indeed, they could.
In this revolution, Haruto had already dealt with the hardest, bloodiest part. What remained, compared to that, was far easier.
Not long after, Hiruzen Sarutobi publicly declared that the daimyo had been assassinated.
Due to "exceptional circumstances," the position of Land of Fire's daimyo would be temporarily assumed by the Hokage—until such time as the daimyo's descendants were grown enough to take on the responsibility of ruling.
At the same time, Hiruzen dispatched messengers across the ninja world, spreading the news to every land and every hidden village.
Of course, everyone understood the truth.
Even if the daimyo's heirs matured, Hiruzen would never relinquish his new position.
As for the other four great nations, and the smaller shinobi villages?
Their approval meant nothing. The message was only sent so they would understand one thing:
Who now stood at the very top of the Land of Fire.
What they thought, whether they supported it or opposed it—Konoha did not care.
Standing atop the Hokage Rock, gazing down over the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a complicated swirl of emotions.
Behind him stood his two lifelong comrades, Koharu and Homura.
"From today onward, this is not just our village," Homura said quietly at his side. "It is also our nation."
"Yes…" Hiruzen nodded slowly. Even now, he could scarcely believe it was real.
With Senju Haruto's help, they had carried out a revolution—something unprecedented in shinobi history. They had merged the roles of daimyo and Hokage into one.
After careful thought, however, Hiruzen decided to keep the title of Hokage.
First, it was a name passed down from the forebears of Konoha. He did not wish to change it.
Second, though it was a revolution, he could present it outwardly as nothing more than him "temporarily acting as daimyo." Not an outright usurpation.
"No matter how we phrase it, once this news spreads, it will shake the entire feudal system to its core."
Homura glanced down at the massive carved faces of Hokage Rock.
"One thing's certain: this time, Haruto accomplished something monumental."
But all three of them—Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu—understood the truth.
Senju Haruto's story had only just begun.
Land of Wind – Sunagakure.
Inside the Kazekage's office, Rasa shot to his feet the moment he received the news from Konoha, his face filled with disbelief.
"The daimyo…!"
His throat tightened as he forced down a hard swallow.
Unbidden, memories of Senju Haruto surfaced in his mind.
Haruto had once told him plainly: The daimyo's existence is nothing but a burden—on both the kage and the villages. They must be removed. One day, I will see the Hokage replace the daimyo of the Land of Fire.
At the time, Rasa had been startled by the sheer audacity of the statement. He had considered it dangerous information—perhaps even evidence he could one day use, alongside the daimyo of Fire, to eliminate Haruto.
And yet… how much time had truly passed since then?
Now, the daimyo was dead. Assassinated.
The one who rose to power was Hiruzen Sarutobi. But anyone who had dealt with the Third Hokage knew his nature: soft-hearted, hesitant.
There was no way Hiruzen could have orchestrated such a bold, bloody act.
It had to be Haruto.
Rasa's mind was consumed by the name.
He had no proof, but he knew. Senju Haruto had destroyed the daimyo.
"This man… he doesn't just have ambition. He has the strength to match it."
Rasa's breath caught as a chill ran through him. His instincts screamed that this was not Haruto's endpoint.
Now that he controlled the military, the economy, and politics all at once—there was nothing left to restrain him.
"Could it be… this man intends to unify the entire shinobi world…?"
The deeper Rasa thought about it, the more convinced he became.
Senju Haruto harbored such ambition.