Fourth Hokage, Resolve

Although the Konoha were discussing the selection of the new Hokage enthusiastically, they actually had no say in the matter. Even the Jonin could only passively wait for the outcome of the power struggle among the higher-ups.

The war had now shifted to the Daimyo's Daimyo of the Land of Fire. With public opinion in the village inflamed, the selection of the Fourth Hokage had to be finalized as soon as possible. Otherwise, many ninjas would lose their will to carry out missions, and the village's post-war operations could not be halted.

In the Daimyo's Mansion's Meeting Room, high-ranking officials from Konoha and the Land of Fire sat facing each other, while several skilled Anbu stood guard on either side of the entrance, demonstrating the seriousness of the atmosphere.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Shiji Shinden, sitting in the main seat, spoke first, "I didn't expect the village to call an emergency meeting on its own initiative. Everything was fine, wasn't it? Hiruzen, what exactly happened? Why did you suddenly resign Hokage Position?"

"I apologize for the trouble, Daimyo," the Third Hokage said in a deep voice. "Although the village has won, many of our ninja have suffered heavy casualties."

"The long war has depleted Konoha's accumulated resources over many years, making post-war relief and reconstruction extremely difficult. As the Hokage, I bear an unshirkable responsibility for this."

Danzo to the side, said with a hint of anger, "This is all because you were too weak. We had countless opportunities to counterattack other countries. If we had acted first, the situation would never have turned out this way."

"Alright, Danzo, the overall direction of the village was decided jointly by us. No one could have predicted that all the major powers would get involved in the war," Mitokado Homura said calmly. "The main purpose of this meeting is to immediately select the Fourth Hokage and then formulate policies to help the village recover as quickly as possible."

"Hmm... Now that the situation is settled, do you have any good candidates?" Daimyo asked casually. Konoha is now full of powerful ninjas, and in his impression, everyone in the Hokage lineage seems to be quite good.

"I recommend Namikaze Minato," Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke first. "He's the best choice in terms of both strength and popularity."

"This... he's too young!" The Daimyo and many officials were astonished. "With all Sannin present, why not choose one of them instead of nominating a junior?"

Danzo pressed his advantage, saying, "Such behavior is utterly reckless. If Namikaze Minato is elected, there will be a great deal of opposition within the village. I recommend Orochimaru as the new Hokage."

"Orochimaru? He does seem quite good. His reputation, age, and strength all fit the bill, but his personality seems a bit cold..." The high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire discussed among themselves.

Hearing this from the side, the Third Hokage was filled with complicated thoughts and did not speak for a while. Although his facial expression did not change, looking at him from the front, one could see that his eyes were full of struggle and helplessness.

All three of his proud disciples had their own problems. Tsunade suffered from hemophobia due to the loss of her beloved. Ninjas who could not step onto the battlefield were simply not up to the task of becoming Hokage.

Jiraiya is a suitable candidate, but he has an unconventional personality and his recent behavior and thinking have become very independent.

In his youth, he enjoyed traveling around the Shinobi World, and several years ago he even had a long period of time away from returning to the village.

It's good for ninjas to go out and broaden their horizons, but living outside directly is going too far. Jiraiya doesn't seem to have a strong desire for this, and the Third Hokage is worried about whether he can devote all his attention to the village after taking over.

As for Orochimaru, needless to say, his inner thoughts have been unfathomable from the very beginning. Although ninjas are used to death, very few can remain completely indifferent. If someone like him were to become Hokage, could he truly give everything for everyone?

In an instant, several thoughts flashed through the Third Hokage's mind, and then he said firmly, "Namikaze Minato is the most suitable candidate right now. The village needs Hokage who is close to the people, to help them heal the wounds of war and give them new hope."

"He will absolutely do everything in his power to do that, I vouch for it in my own name."

For a moment, everyone present was stunned by Sarutobi Hiruzen's words. The Daimyo and the others had not expected the Third Hokage to be so determined, even abandoning his most beloved disciple Orochimaru.

Seeing that many officials were still discussing amongst themselves, he added, "After Namikaze Minato, I will serve as his assistant to fill any gaps in his work, and the other two advisors will also do their best to help. In this way, we can ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu spoke up one after the other, "I agree that Namikaze Minato should be the new Hokage!" The Anbu leader and the former squad leader next to them echoed, "Agreed!"

Seeing this, Danzo could only grit his teeth inwardly. Now that the situation was settled, even if he was unwilling, he could only swallow the bitter pill of defeat with a blank expression.

Seeing that everyone had reached a consensus, the Daimyo immediately ceased his objections. "Then let's appoint Namikaze Minato as the Fourth Hokage. I will inform the surrounding countries as soon as possible. You will be in charge of Konoha."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty!"

Before the next day, the high-ranking officials who returned to Konoha immediately announced the selection of the Fourth Hokage to the entire village. Most of the ninjas who had witnessed the Yellow Flash's strength agreed with the selection, but there were still many Jonin who did not approve.

Before the final Hokage inauguration ceremony, there is Jonin trust vote, because the village kage has the right to appoint all Jonin. This measure is to prevent the higher-ups from directly appointing someone who cannot win over the people to the Hokage Position.

However, Minato Namikaze's status as the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato is not entirely secure. If more than a third of the Jonin oppose him, it could very well become an embarrassing event in Konoha History, with the new Hokage being forced to step down due to overwhelming opposition.

In theory, Orochimaru's faction still has a chance to fight back. If two or three large and small families vote against it, plus those who already disliked Namikaze Minato, they could very well overthrow him.

The Third Hokage and other high-ranking officials naturally considered this risk. Since they had already chosen to put Minato in power, they would certainly use their full resources to support him.

During the days of waiting for all the Jonin to return to the village, many people were invited to the Hokage's Office for a talk.

Meanwhile, some restless individuals continued searching for Orochimaru, but never found him. So, they persisted and eventually found him on Shuichi.

"Well... I haven't seen the teacher lately either," Shuichi said, shrugging.

Seeing the resentment on their faces, he could only reply casually, "As for Jonin trust vote, please feel free to make your choice, whatever you decide, the teacher won't care."

In fact, he had already communicated with Orochimaru. If they really rebelled, the chances of success would be very high, but it would easily destroy Konoha.

According to Shuichi's analysis, this Jonin trust vote, though seemingly democratic, actually has a very obvious drawback: if it fails to pass, the authority of Konoha High Command will be severely damaged.

The current situation, where the two sides are almost evenly matched, is very dangerous. If Namikaze Minato is ousted from office, Orochimaru will not fare well even if he is elected again.

Those who support Namikaze Minato can oppose him again, and the conflict between the two sides will completely erupt, continuing until they are both bloodied and bruised.

If such a scene were to occur, other countries would probably burst out laughing, immediately grabbing melon seeds and stools to sit in a row and watch the infighting drama unfold in Konoha.

Even after several Jonin left Shuichi's training ground, the turmoil hadn't completely subsided when his close elder Yūhi Shinkō, came to talk to him.

Later, members of the Uchiha Fugaku and the Hyuga Clan also came to Orochimaru's door to inquire about the Orochimaru faction's thoughts.

Their actions were completely undisguised; this was a consequence of their tremendous military achievements in the Third Shinobi War.

In the Shinobi World, powerful individuals always have countless followers; the last one to stand out in the Second Shinobi War was White Fang.

The difference is that Shuichi and Orochimaru's identities and qualifications are completely legitimate, and the actions of the major clans are perfectly normal. The Konoha High Command cannot criticize them at all; this is one of the rights agreed upon by the village and the clans.

Perhaps not expecting Shuichi's influence to be so enormous, even the Third Hokage and others were getting restless. If this little brat continued to stir up trouble and gather more people on the opposing side, he could very well create a huge problem.

"Lord Shuichi, the Hokage requests your presence!" An Anbu appeared Body Flicker Technique at his training location, speaking in a very polite tone.

Shuichi squinted at the Anbu, realizing he wasn't familiar with him, and didn't think much of it. "I can go by myself, you don't need to come along."

Shuichi entered the Hokage's Office and saw several people inside; the small room seemed to be crammed full.

"Oh, such a big show of force, are you trying to intimidate me?"

He had nothing to fear. In a few years, he could subdue them all with one hand. Even now, no one in the Shinobi World could threaten him.

Just as having a full wallet in one's past life gives one more confidence when speaking, it's easy to imagine how important strength is in a world where power reigns supreme.

"Shuichi-kun, please don't say that," Namikaze Minato said apologetically. "You have done countless good deeds for the village, how could we treat you like this?"

"I've been fortunate enough to gain everyone's approval to take on the Hokage Position this time. I will do my utmost to shoulder this heavy responsibility. Now I need everyone's help. Only by uniting can we make the village better, so I hope you can come and help me. Please!"

Namikaze Minato bowed directly to him. Shuichi had prepared his mind before coming, considering all sorts of scenarios, and this situation was within his expectations.

"Lord Hokage, you flatter me. I have always been a ninja of the village, and I will carry out any orders from now on," Shuichi replied calmly. "As for the Hokage Position, I believe you are all seasoned veterans. Since it has been decided, I will certainly give your full support!"

When calculating the reaction of Konoha High Command, he put himself in their shoes and considered how he would treat a junior with outstanding military achievements and unlimited potential.

The two sides are currently competitors, but the Third Hokage's side has gained an absolute advantage. The fear is that Shuichi will act recklessly and cause the situation to collapse. Ironically, he does have the legal right to act, and who dares to say he isn't advocating for his teacher's interests?

After thinking it over, even if these people are stupid, they wouldn't directly threaten him or use any grand principles to pressure him. They would probably try to appeal to his emotions and reason with him, and they would definitely try their best to be on good terms with him.

They might even make grand promises to him, like training him to be the next Hokage.

As expected, the new Hokage has adopted a humble attitude to show his trust and respect for him. In any case, he just needs to get through the final stage of the Jonin trust vote. As for what will happen in the future, that's another matter.

Shuichi is actually someone who won't listen to either soft or hard tactics, and he has the right to be willful. If Orochimaru still wants to continue competing, then no matter what, he will help his teacher, and he doesn't care if they tear each other apart and fight.

However, Orochimaru did not intend to do so. No matter how much trouble he caused, it would be meaningless. Therefore, he directly expressed his attitude of absolute obedience.

"You..." The Third Hokage and Jiraiya, seeing his reaction, wanted to speak but didn't know what to say. On the surface, they couldn't find any fault with him, and for a moment they felt quite uncomfortable.

"Oh, right, Teacher Orochimaru said he has an urgent mission, so he might be absent from the Jonin trust vote in a few days. He asked me to let him know." Shuichi continued, and seeing that they didn't react, he prepared to leave. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

After Shuichi left, the Third Hokage seemed to age several years in an instant. "Why did things turn out this way? It's all my fault..."

"Old man, I'll go talk to them!" Jiraiya couldn't help but say. Although he wasn't stupid, he hadn't expected politics to be so complicated, with the situation changing so drastically in just a few days.

Mitokado Homura nearby, immediately stopped him. "It's best not to go now. Have you thought about what you'd say to Orochimaru? Things could get really bad if you're not careful."

Jiraiya stopped in his tracks, pounding his fist against the wall without moving. Could he possibly summon Orochimaru so they could watch with satisfaction as their junior ascends to the Hokage Position?

"Danzo is too reckless," Utatane Koharu said angrily. "If it weren't for his actions, the situation wouldn't be like this."

Everyone present was extremely troubled. Konoha possessed the accumulated wealth of the top families of the Warring States period, making it easy for them to assess a person's potential.

Without a doubt, Shuichi's talent is the greatest since the establishment of the Ninja Academy. Whether he can reach the level of the First Hokage in the future is hard to say, but he will definitely be much stronger than them.

If a psychological rift develops between a master of this caliber and the village's leadership, it's no less damaging than a breakdown in the relationship between Jinchuriki and a Kage.

Namikaze Minato seemed somewhat discouraged, but quickly rallied and said to them, "Don't worry, everyone, I will take the initiative to communicate with Shuichi-kun from now on..."

After leaving the Hokage Building, Shuichi thought a lot. The Third Hokage's response this time was obviously flawed because his attitude was a bit weak and he underestimated the seriousness of the situation.

The current situation is completely different from the original story. Things have gone wrong because the strength of the two sides is more balanced, and Danzo has also started the war first.

Otherwise, the Konoha High Command could have communicated in advance and directly selected a candidate, so that neither Orochimaru nor Namikaze Minato could have easily taken the position without competition.

Because many ninjas below would believe that the person nominated by the Hokage lineage is approved by all their superiors, many Jonin cannot change the overall situation would also go along with it and acquiesce, instead of being given two choices, making them feel like they also want to participate in the Hokage election.

If Shuichi the Third Hokage, he would have had to change the Hokage candidate in the face of Danzo's challenge. Regardless of whether he wanted to or not, he would have had to forcefully push Jiraiya out to ease the situation.

When the two candidates have a good enough relationship, the competitive atmosphere will be completely different.

Orochimaru himself didn't have a strong desire to resolve the issue, Jiraiya intervened to show goodwill, promising to give face and reconcile regardless of who succeeded or failed, instead of turning into an adversarial situation due to a generational gap and unfamiliarity with each other.

A few days later, in the Jonin trust vote, Namikaze Minato successfully passed the vote. Although many people opposed him, the process was not particularly dangerous, and he officially became the Fourth Hokage of Konoha.

When he made his declaration atop the Hokage Building, holding a straw hat, Shuichi himself was not present; instead, he was in the underground laboratory outside the village with Orochimaru.

"Shuichi-kun, it's quite unexpected that you'd show up here at this time!" Orochimaru was surprised to see him. "Didn't I tell you, just do as you normally would? I don't care about the Hokage election."

Shuichi knew he was worried about being targeted in the future, but he didn't care and said, "It's alright. I sent Shadow Clone over. Even if it accidentally explodes on the spot, I can just go to the Daimyo's Daimyo's Mansion as Guardian Ninja. That's something the Daimyo would love to do."

He had actually considered this path. This new job would definitely pay more than working in Konoha, and it would not only be easier but also offer plenty of opportunities to go out and have fun. It would be a rich entertainment experience and allow him to keep up with the latest technologies in the Land of Fire.

When he realized this, he felt he had seen through the truth. "You bastard Asuma, so you left the village for a reason. You pretended to rebel but actually got a good job. You have plenty of cigarettes and alcohol in the capital and are very free. You're the real master of disguise."

Seeing his casual demeanor, Orochimaru felt a warmth in his heart, even though his facial expression remained unchanged, and his overall condition improved considerably.

"No matter the outcome, teacher, you are the best candidate for Hokage in my heart," Shuichi said sincerely. Although their Losers' Alliance only had two people, they both had the ability to change the world, and he was very confident in that.