Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 120: Hokage Candidate
Konoha was far from peaceful. Although the war had temporarily draw with neither side attacking one another, tension within the village continued to rise. The reason was simple, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, had gone missing during the war.
After several days without confirmation of his survival, many within the village had begun to suspect the worst. Some even suspected, Hiruzen was likely dead and if the Hokage was gone, the village could not remain leaderless for long.
The matter of succession had to be addressed immediately. Luckily only Shinobi who knows about Hokage disappearance and civillian can still live in harmony.
Historically, Konoha had chosen its leaders through a combination of recommendation and voting among the village Shinobi, 2 votes for jonin and 1 vote for chunnin. When the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, passed away, the process had been relatively straightforward. His younger brother, Senju Tobirama, had already established himself as a capable leader and strategist.
However, Tobirama did not simply inherit the title. The clan leaders and senior shinobi of Konoha still held a formal vote to confirm him as the next Hokage. Once he was chosen, Tobirama followed tradition and personally met the Fire Daimyō. That meeting served as a formal recognition to the outside world that Konoha had a new leader.
The same process had been followed earlier when Hashirama himself became Hokage. After being chosen as the village leader, he traveled to meet the Daimyō, establishing diplomatic legitimacy for the position.
He didn't need to meet the Daimyo himself but because he wanted to properly let other people see Daimyo was still the ruler who govern the economy, so he still meet with the Hokage to announce himself as the new Hokage.
It was different for the third Hokage, Hiruzen rise to power, had been far more complicated.
Unlike the previous Hokage, Hiruzen was not chosen purely through a peaceful vote. Instead, he had been appointed directly by Tobirama during their escape from Kumogakure, it was during that crisis that he was chosen as the next Hokage. When Tobirama sacrificed himself to ensure the survival of his student, he named Hiruzen as the next Hokage.
The decision shocked many within the village especially Uchiha clan who had thought their people would become the next Hokage after Tobirama.
Several clans initially rejected the idea. Some believed Hiruzen was too young, while others simply disliked the idea of a Hokage chosen in the middle of a battle rather than through proper political procedures.
The early days of his leadership were filled with tension and uncertainty.
Eventually, the situation stabilized thanks largely to the support of the Senju Clan. With the Senju openly backing him, smaller clans gradually followed, realizing that opposing the decision would only destabilize the village further.
Still, Hiruzen understood that his position required reinforcement.
To strengthen his legitimacy, he personally visited the Fire Daimyō. During that meeting, new agreements were established that granted the Daimyō a stronger voice in approving future Hokage candidates at the time, it seemed like a reasonable compromise.
Now, however, those decisions had returned to haunt Konoha.
With Hiruzen presumed dead, the village leadership could not wait for confirmation indefinitely. The elders, clan heads, and council members had begun compiling a list of potential candidates for the position of Hokage.
When Tsunade finally returned to Konoha from the battlefield, she discovered that several names had already been proposed.
The most widely supported candidate was Hatake Sakumo.
His reputation as the captain of the ANBU, combined with his overwhelming achievements during the current war, made him an obvious choice. Stories of his battles had spread throughout the village, how enemy shinobi fell before they could even complete a hand seal, how entire squads collapsed the moment he entered the battlefield.
Many believed the future White Fang of Konoha was the perfect successor.
But not every nomination was based on merit. Some names appeared on the list purely because of political ambition.
One particularly surprising candidate was the patriarch of the Hyūga Clan, Hyūga Kurumi. His supporters argued that the Hyūga were one of the oldest and most powerful clans in Konoha, and therefore deserved a chance to lead the village.
In reality, many shinobi knew the truth, It was ego.
Certain clans simply believed that their bloodline alone entitled them to the Hokage seat.
---Tsunade POV---
As Tsunade read through the list of candidates, she rubbed her forehead in irritation.
The war outside the village had not even ended yet and already the struggle for power had begun inside Konoha, It disgusted her so much. While shinobi were still bleeding on the battlefield, the elders and clan leaders were already arguing about who should sit in the Hokage chair.
"It's strange…" Tsunade muttered quietly.
She scanned the list again, her eyes narrowing.
"Why didn't the Uchiha or Uzumaki put their names forward?"
Both clans possessed tremendous influence and power within the village. If either of them had stepped forward to nominate a candidate, the political balance would shift immediately. Yet their absence from the list was suspicious.
Tsunade leaned back slightly, trying to think of a reason. Perhaps they were waiting to observe the situation first. Or perhaps they simply didn't care about the position right now.
Still, something about it felt odd.
Before she could think further, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from outside. A moment later, the sliding door was pushed open.
"Sister!"
Nawaki rushed into the room, his face bright with excitement.
Tsunade blinked in surprise before a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Nawaki had been forbidden from joining the war. As the grandson of the First Hokage and still far too young, the elders and clan members had strictly prevented him from leaving the village. Without Danzō around to manipulate the situation and encourage reckless decisions, Nawaki had been forced to remain safely within the Senju residence.
Before the war began, Nawaki had even given Tsunade the necklace that once belonged to their grandfather, Hashirama Senju.
For days, he had waited anxiously, fearing the worst. When he heard that Tsunade had returned, he immediately ran to see her.
Now, seeing his sister standing before him again, alive and unharmed, relief washed across his face.
-----
There is 30 advanced chapter on my patreon.
Chapter 145: Political Reform
Chapter 146: Democracy?
Chapter 147: Minato Feeling
Chapter 148: Disciple
Chapter 149: Senju Dilemma
Chapter 150: Brother
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