Naruto: Limitless Sage

Just ten minutes later—

The number of votes for Uzumaki Naruto began to surpass the Third Hokage's again—at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Many of the Jōnin who had voted were members of the major Konoha clans, such as Hyuga Hiroichi.

Initially, they were supposed to follow the will of their respective clan leaders.

Then cast their votes collectively to decide who would become the next Hokage.

But now...

This wasn't just about the civilian ninjas anymore.

Many shinobi from the major clans had also made deals with Kurama.

As a result, even the Hyuga, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, and other traditional clans—

Could no longer control the situation.

What could they do?

Tell their clansmen who had already voted to withdraw their support?

Threaten them?

Support the Third Hokage even if it meant tearing their clans apart from within?

If only two or three clan members had voted for Naruto, they wouldn't have been worried.

They could have swiftly ordered those few to be restrained or even punished for "betraying" the clan.

But this wasn't two or three.

This was nearly everyone.

And it wasn't just one clan affected.

At this moment—

From every major clan in the Hidden Leaf Village,

Clansmen were rallying behind Uzumaki Naruto.

Hyuga. Nara. Yamanaka. Akimichi.

The foundational names of Konoha's shinobi nobility—

All appeared under Naruto's banner.

Seeing the tide of votes overwhelmingly shift toward Naruto's side, Sasuke felt an unfamiliar thrill of joy.

At this rate…

Those old fossils—the Third Hokage, Shimura Danzo—

Would soon be thrown into the trash heap of history!

Shikamaru, Hinata, Ino, and other young elite ninja never imagined such a dramatic turn of events.

Even their own clans had chosen to stand with Naruto!

They hadn't been told. They didn't know.

Turns out… so many of their clansmen had already made their decision.

Elsewhere, Orochimaru watched as Naruto once again summoned a group of elite Jōnin using his mysterious powers.

The entire scene left onlookers in stunned silence.

Well played.

Orochimaru hadn't expected Uzumaki Naruto's influence to reach so deep into Konoha's traditional power structure.

And more importantly—

Those great clans?

They couldn't stop it even if they wanted to.

At the same time—

People like Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo had certainly never imagined it would come to this.

Orochimaru understood what they had been counting on:

They believed that the Hyuga, the Nara, the Yamanaka, and the other loyal clans of Konoha

Would unquestionably support them.

But now—

Thanks to Naruto's earlier maneuvers, the majority of Konoha's senior shinobi had already been swayed.

Even if a handful of Jōnin remained loyal to the Third Hokage, their combined votes were no longer enough to change the outcome.

"Uzumaki Naruto…"

Orochimaru stared at the young man hovering above the crowd.

His expression flickered with conflicting emotions.

But within, he was undeniably shaken.

The people from Sunagakure, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, the Daimyō of the Wind Country, even the First Hokage and Second Hokage summoned from the Pure Land—

None of them expected this.

Uzumaki Naruto's tactics…

Had been far more meticulous and devastating than anyone could have predicted.

Prepared in advance.

Launched at a critical moment.

One decisive blow!

All across the stadium, Konoha's villagers—

In the stands, Iruka and many of the Leaf ninja—

All stared in shock as Naruto's votes skyrocketed again, overtaking the Third Hokage's side.

Panic spread.

Even the noble clans were now siding with Naruto.

What could the Third Hokage and Danzo do?

Was there any path left that could turn the tide?

Could they stop what was coming?

Among the more desperate villagers, some had already begun to imagine a future where Uzumaki Naruto became the Fifth Hokage.

Given how they had treated Naruto in the past…

They feared the consequences.

They feared retribution.

At that moment, Hatake Kakashi stood silently as the entire arena fell into an eerie quiet.

No one spoke.

No one dared to move.

And Kakashi?

He remained calm—completely unbothered.

Kakashi didn't say a word.

Expressionless, he walked toward the voting wall.

He began counting the latest tally.

As he quietly did the math, all eyes in the examination hall turned to him.

Due to the sheer increase in votes—

It took over ten minutes for Kakashi to finish.

He checked, then double-checked, then triple-checked.

Finally, he raised his voice:

"As of now—"

"Uzumaki Naruto has 842 votes!"

"The Third Hokage has 582 votes!"

As soon as Kakashi finished his announcement—

A deafening uproar shook the hall.

"It's over—it's really over! Uzumaki Naruto's going to become the Fifth Hokage!"

"We're doomed! After how we treated him... he'll definitely come for us!"

"Third Hokage, don't give up! You'll always be our Hokage!"

"Third Hokage!!!"

Voices erupted in every corner of the audience.

The villagers of Konoha—

Haunted by their guilt over how they treated Naruto in the past—

Were now terrified at the idea of him rising to power.

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi had fallen from grace—

Even if he was known for his compromises and inaction—

He was still their shield.

They were too scared to imagine a Naruto-led future.

So they cheered for the old guard, not because they believed—

But because they feared.

Meanwhile, the clan heads—Hyuga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi—watched silently.

Seeing Naruto about to win, they felt a strange relief.

They had avoided taking a side publicly.

Now that the tide had clearly shifted,

Even if there was backlash, it wouldn't fall on them.

Far above, Orochimaru, the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, the Daimyō of the Wind Country, and others observed the outcome quietly.

None of them knew—

What move Hiruzen Sarutobi could possibly make now.

In the crowd, young ninja like Hinata, Shikamaru, and others couldn't contain their excitement.

If no more Jōnin appeared… if the voting continued…

Naruto would become the Fifth Hokage.

Their friend. Their comrade. Their brother.

How could they not feel proud?

But the old guard—the Third Hokage, Shimura Danzo—they were anything but calm.

They knew exactly what kind of person Uzumaki Naruto had become.

They saw his cunning, his decisiveness, and most of all—

His grudge.

If Naruto truly ascended…

They would be the first ones he came for.

And so—

From the shadows of the council chamber, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, the aged Konoha advisors,

Couldn't accept it.

They couldn't accept a "brat" like Uzumaki Naruto sitting above them.

Giving orders.

Commanding them.

Daring to ride on their heads.

As the Hokage selection neared its conclusion, and Naruto's victory became all but certain—

Koharu and Homura exchanged glances.

Then looked toward Hiruzen and Danzo.

Their eyes said everything:

"Conventional means are no longer enough.

Extraordinary measures are now required."

And Hiruzen saw it.

Danzo saw it.

They nodded.

Permission granted.

With a silent understanding—

Koharu and Homura moved.

They gave the signal.

"Begin!"

In secret, they relayed commands to Jōnin loyal to their factions.

Using silent hand signs passed down within their circles—

They issued the order:

Disrupt the proceedings.

Destroy the exam venue.

Sabotage the Hokage selection.

No matter what it took—

Naruto must not be allowed to take the seat.

All they needed to do was disrupt the Hokage selection—

Force the vote to collapse!

If they could do that, Uzumaki Naruto would never be named the Fifth Hokage.

At that moment—

Hundreds of Jōnin surged forward under secret orders, their momentum shaking the entire stadium.

Gasps erupted throughout the crowd.

"What's going on?!"

"The Konoha elders are trying to sabotage the Hokage vote?!"

No one could believe what they were witnessing.

The once-respected Konoha advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado—

Had fallen so low as to openly disrupt the proceedings.

But their actions also proved something else:

Hiruzen Sarutobi's faction had no more cards to play.

They had no way to counter Naruto's growing influence.

And yet—

Uzumaki Naruto, still floating in the sky, didn't even flinch.

He didn't blink.

Didn't even bother to open his eyes.

He simply stood there, calm and silent, watching the chaos unfold below.

Because he didn't need to act.

Someone else was already prepared.

In the center of the examination arena, Hatake Kakashi stood tall.

His face emotionless.

His single visible eye narrowed slightly.

Then—

Lightning cracked.

A brilliant flash exploded across the stage as Kakashi lifted his hand—

A humming blade of pure lightning igniting to life in his grasp.

"Lightning Blade: Thunder Saber!"

A roaring hum, like a buzzing storm, echoed through the hall.

The energy radiating from the sword was overwhelming.

Even the hundreds of Jōnin—those loyal to the advisors—instinctively froze mid-charge.

For a brief instant—

Silence.

And then—

\"White Fang Style: Final Flash!"

Kakashi's voice rang out.

He raised the sword high—and in the blink of an eye—

He swung.

A piercing clang! reverberated like a dragon's cry.

But it wasn't a dragon.

It was the scream of thunder cleaving through the air at supersonic speed.

A blinding white light burst across the battlefield.

Heaven and earth were momentarily swallowed in lightning.

Seconds later, as vision slowly returned—

The Konoha villagers rubbed their eyes, struggling to make sense of what they'd just witnessed.

And then they saw it.

What lay before them—

Was far more terrifying than even Naruto's earlier display.

Hundreds of Jōnin...

Split in half.

Cut cleanly by that one dazzling strike.

Without hesitation.

Without mercy.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Everyone—from the lowliest genin to the highest-ranking official—

Stared in open shock.

The Third Hokage, Shimura Danzo, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane—

Their faces were pale.

They had never imagined—

That Kakashi, a mere Jōnin under their command, possessed power at the pinnacle of Kage-level.

"Impossible…"

"When did he reach this level?!"

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't confidently say he would survive an attack like that.

Danzo clenched his fists.

He couldn't believe it.

That weak, naive Kakashi—whom I once manipulated with just a few words—

Now has power that might surpass even mine…

(At least, when I'm not using the Sharingan.)

In the stands, Hinata, Shikamaru, and others were equally stunned.

The Kakashi-sensei they knew was strong…

But this?

This was something else.

That sword.

That lightning.

That strike—

It was on an entirely different level.

Even Orochimaru's expression twisted in disbelief.

His golden eyes narrowed.

"That technique... That blade..."

He couldn't understand it.

How had Kakashi mastered such an advanced Lightning Release technique?

He had already created Raikiri, a deadly move in its own right—

But this…

This Thunder Saber?

It was in a different dimension altogether.

Orochimaru's mind raced.

And then—he realized the answer.

It had to be Naruto.

The Kakashi of old was strong, yes.

But he had been predictable.

Stagnant.

It wasn't until he came into contact with Uzumaki Naruto…

That something began to change.

And now—

Kakashi Hatake had evolved.

The clan heads of the Hyuga, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and other noble houses—

All stood in stunned silence as Kakashi's overwhelming power was revealed before their eyes.

"He took down hundreds of Jōnin… in a single strike…"

No one could believe it.

Their faces were pale, their minds blank.

Damn it... what are we even doing here?

All thoughts of resistance vanished in an instant.

Even the leaders from Sunagakure, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, and the Daimyō of the Wind Country were visibly shaken.

And in the stands—

Even the reanimated First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, were taken aback by the sheer destructive force Kakashi had just unleashed.

Especially Hashirama.

His eyes widened.

He had once seen Madara Uchiha cleave through mountains and valleys with the swing of a blade while wielding his Perfect Susanoo.

But this?

This slash from Hatake Kakashi—

It was comparable.

No Susanoo. No visual prowess. Just pure Lightning Release and sword technique.

The terrain didn't crumble this time, but the power was no less terrifying.

The fact that such force could be wielded by a shinobi without any visual dojutsu or tailed beast chakra—

It sent chills through even the God of Shinobi himself.

Unbelievable... from someone of the younger generation...

Kakashi, meanwhile, lowered his arm and let the lightning blade in his hand dissipate.

It flickered once, then vanished in a flash of sparks.

As though the massacre just moments ago had never happened.

He stood tall and cold as ever.

Then, in a steady, unshaken voice, he declared:

"Anyone who dares to interfere with the Hokage selection will be treated as a traitor to the village… and will be eliminated without hesitation."

His eyes narrowed, glancing toward the elder council.

"Please, Lord Homura. Lady Koharu. Don't act on impulse again."

"After all—"

"I doubt either of you is prepared to wipe out all the Jōnin in your clans, are you?"

His words were laced with quiet mockery.

Flat, yet piercing.

It hit the two Konoha advisors like a slap to the face.

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, long-standing advisors to the Hokage, gritted their teeth in fury.

Years of careful planning—

Ruined.

The Jōnin who died weren't just expendable soldiers.

They were the backbone of their respective clans.

Each one represented a pillar of their family's power.

A Jōnin wasn't just any ninja—they were the deciding voice, the strongest force in a clan's hierarchy.

It was because of their control over these elite shinobi that Homura and Koharu had been able to maintain their authority as Konoha's senior advisors.

And now?

Hundreds of those assets—

Wiped out in an instant.

By one man.

And worse still—

By someone they once viewed as nothing more than a subordinate.

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane were seething.

In this moment, if they could tear Kakashi to pieces, they absolutely would.

"Kakashi…!!!" Homura growled under his breath.

His eyes were bloodshot with fury.

But still—he didn't move.

Koharu's fists trembled at her sides, her jaw clenched so tight it seemed her teeth might shatter.

I hate him... I hate him more than anyone!

And yet—

Neither of them dared to act.

The memory of Kakashi's strike—of how he cut down hundreds of Jōnin in an instant—was burned into their minds.

Rush him now?

They'd die before they even got within range.

Sure, decades ago, they had been shinobi themselves—disciples of the Second Hokage, no less.

They had once known the battlefield.

But those days were long gone.

They were old.

Their chakra control was rusty. Their reflexes slow.

And most of all—

They hadn't fought a real battle in years.

They were politicians now.

Advisors.

Sitting comfortably in their high seats while younger generations bled on the front lines.

And now one of those very shinobi... had turned on them.

Facing Kakashi Hatake in this moment?

They might as well dig their own graves.

Across the arena, Kakashi stood motionless, his gaze cold and sharp.

The sword was gone, but the threat remained.

Watching Homura and Koharu stew in silent rage—

Was more than enough for him.

Their hatred meant nothing if they lacked the strength to act on it.

Meanwhile, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzo took in the scene.

They saw the broken expressions of Homura and Koharu—

And for the first time in a long while…

They felt fear.

The tide had completely turned.

This was the moment—the most critical turning point.

If they couldn't stop it now—

If they didn't act—

Everything they had built, everything they clung to… would collapse.

And just then—

Danzo's narrowed eyes lit up with a thought.

He turned slightly toward Hiruzen.

Leaning close, he whispered something into the Third Hokage's ear—

His voice so low that not even nearby shinobi could hear.

Hiruzen's brow furrowed.

He turned to Danzo, eyes filled with uncertainty and hesitation.

But Danzo—

Danzo simply nodded, cold and determined.

Whatever he suggested…

It wasn't going to be anything clean.

...

TN:

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