Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 121: New Hokage
"Sis, I heard you're going to participate in the next selection to become Hokage?" Nawaki asked eagerly.
Tsunade paused for a moment when she heard the question. She looked up from the papers in her hands and turned her gaze toward her younger brother. Nawaki eyes were shining with excitement, as if the idea of his sister becoming Hokage was the most natural thing in the world.
She remained silent for a few seconds before finally nodding.
"Yes," Tsunade replied, a small smile forming on her face.
"Really? That's great!" Nawaki said enthusiastically, pumping his fist in the air. "Then you'll become my rival!"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at that, clearly amused.
"Your rival?" she repeated.
"Of course!" Nawaki said confidently. "One day I'm going to become Hokage too. So if you become Hokage first, I'll just have to work harder and surpass you."
Tsunade chuckled softly and leaned back in her seat.
"Alright then," she said with a playful grin. "I'll be waiting."
"That's my sister!" Nawaki replied proudly, giving her a thumbs-up.
Tsunade couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm.
In truth, she had never seriously wanted the Hokage position. The responsibility was enormous, and she had seen firsthand how heavy the burden of leadership could be. The war had already taken much from the village, and stepping into the role now would only bring more pressure to her.
But she was being forced because unlike Nawaki she is older and also the grand daughter of the first Hokage. There wasn't anyone suitable in Senju Clan because the clan had been shrinked after many member left the clan and remove the senju names on their descendant.
And after looking at Nawaki bright, hopeful face, Tsunade found that she couldn't refuse it anymore.
If she rejected the nomination outright, Nawaki would surely feel disappointed. He looked at her with so much admiration that it made her heart soften.
'Maybe… just this once,' Tsunade thought quietly.
If becoming Hokage meant protecting people like her little brother and make Nawaki feel more competitive, then perhaps it was worth accepting the position.
...
3 June, Konoha Year 46
THE DAY OF VOTING
Five names had officially entered the list of candidates for the next Hokage.
The first and most expected, was Senju Tsunade. As the granddaughter of the First Hokage and a legendary medic-nin already recognized throughout the land of fire after her feat of detoxify toxin in a very short time and also creating numerous medical method to cure sickness, her nomination was almost inevitable.
The second name was Hatake Sakumo, the famed captain of the ANBU. His reputation on the battlefield had grown tremendously during the war. Many shinobi admired his courage and leadership and stories of his lightning-fast swordsmanship had spread across Konoha like wildfire.
The third candidate was Nara Shikajin, a temporary leader who replaced Hiruzen during the war, he who will always calm and have high IQ are also the candidate who are being forced to become Hokage.
Although he was not known for flashy combat abilities, his mind was considered one of the sharpest in the village. Many believed a Hokage with strategic brilliance could guide Konoha safely through the unstable years ahead.
The fourth name surprised many people, Sora Kasumi. Originally born into the Senju Clan, he had chosen to remove the Senju name from his identity many years ago. Even so, his talent and political connections allowed him to be nominated as a potential candidate.
The final candidate was the leader of the Hyūga Clan, representing one of the most powerful bloodline clans in the village.
However, what shocked many observers was something else entirely, not relate at all to Hyuga Clan but the lack of Uchiha in the name list.
Yes, there was not a single Uchiha candidate on the list.
Under normal circumstances, the Uchiha Clan would certainly have pushed forward a powerful contender, most likely Uchiha Hikari. But this time, they remained silent.
The reason for this unusual situation traced back to one man, Uzumaki Raiken.
Over the past several months, Raiken had subtly influenced the higher leadership of the Uchiha Clan. Through careful persuasion and perhaps a bit of psychological manipulation, he convinced them that the Hokage seat was not as glorious as it appeared.
"The Hokage is nothing more than an actor," he had once told them. "Someone who must speak carefully, smile politely and constantly worry about how every decision affects the entire village."
According to Raiken reasoning, an Uchiha Hokage would face far greater scrutiny than anyone else. Every mistake would be magnified. Every decision would be questioned.
Even worse, he explained the financial consequences.
If an Uchiha were to become Hokage, the clan would likely be pressured to sacrifice many of its internal benefits in order to appear fair to other clans. The higher salaries and internal privileges the Uchiha enjoyed would become targets of criticism.
Maintaining those advantages while holding the Hokage seat would be nearly impossible.
In the past, the Sarutobi Clan had managed to quietly redirect funds through secret operations organized by Danzō and the Root organization. But that situation had changed dramatically after Danzō was removed from power.
Root had been absorbed into the ANBU, placing its operations under far stricter oversight.
Without Root hidden network, it became almost impossible for any clan to secretly hoard resources without the other clans noticing.
Little by little, Raiken's arguments took root on their heart. Eventually, the Uchiha higher made a quiet decision, they would not nominate Uchiha Hikari for Hokage.
The voting process finally concluded with only 5 candidate.
Interestingly, the official announcement was not delivered by anyone from the Senju Clan. To avoid accusations of favoritism, a neutral representative from the village council was chosen to present the results.
Outside the council building, groups of shinobi had gathered anxiously.
"Who do you think the next Hokage will be?" a young chūnin asked nervously.
"I don't know," another ninja replied. "But I hope it's Tsunade-sama."
Others whispered different opinions. Some admired Sakumo strength, while others preferred the stability that Tsunade represented.
Ten minutes later, the results were posted publicly. A crowd of shinobi immediately formed around the notice board.
Each candidate's name appeared, followed by the number of votes they had received.
At the top of the list stood Hatake Sakumo. His overwhelming popularity among active shinobi had pushed him far ahead of the others and at the bottom of the list was the Hyūga Clan leader.
The result was not surprising. Nearly all of the votes he received came from members of the Hyūga Clan themselves. Outside of that circle, there wasn't a single one who support his candidacy.
Most shinobi simply did not trust the rigid traditions of the Hyūga leadership.
Hatake Sakumo finally become the 4th Hokage.
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There is 30 advanced chapter on my patreon.
Chapter 146: Democracy?
Chapter 147: Minato Feeling
Chapter 148: Disciple
Chapter 149: Senju Dilemma
Chapter 150: Brother
Chapter 151: Hyuga Conflict
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