The Real Obstacle Is the Senju Clan!

"You want to become Hokage. Your greatest obstacle is Konoha's ninja clans, with the Uchiha Clan at the forefront."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. News of his teacher Tobirama Senju's death had been leaked by the Uchiha. He believed Kagami Uchiha was not the one who had leaked it, which meant the Uchiha had their own information channels.

They might even have learned in advance that Lord Tobirama's negotiations would be attacked.

The Uchiha had never concealed their desire for the Hokage Position. Even during Tobirama Senju's tenure as Hokage, there were still outrageous claims within the Uchiha Clan about overthrowing Tobirama Senju's rule.

But such people always died for perfectly reasonable reasons during some mission or war. The Uchiha Clan could not find a single shred of evidence proving that their deaths had anything to do with Tobirama Senju.

The deaths of several extremists had left the Uchiha wary, and they quieted down considerably.

Moreover, Tobirama Senju handled matters fairly. He did not withhold even the slightest benefit that should have gone to the Uchiha, while Konoha's other ninja clans had flourished over the years and fully recognized Tobirama Senju as Hokage.

Unfortunately, Teacher Tobirama had died unexpectedly during these negotiations, giving the Uchiha a tremendous opportunity to covet Konoha's Hokage Position.

"As for the Uchiha, I'm confident. They've always been the same—whoever has the bigger fist, they obey. Back then, Hashirama defeated Madara. In the end, Madara left Konoha, but the Uchiha Clan did not follow him."

"And now, no one in Konoha's Uchiha is my match. Unless they've gone mad and send out the clan's elites regardless of cost, they might be able to kill me."

"But they don't have the nerve!"

Mito Uzumaki changed the subject, her tone brimming with confidence. No one in Konoha was her match at present. Already immensely powerful herself, with the Nine-Tails inside her, she was now a walking natural disaster.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Mito Uzumaki's confident bearing, his heart stirred as he glimpsed the grandeur of the older generation's powerful figures.

He had just experienced Mito Uzumaki's strength for himself. It was so overwhelming that it made one suffocate.

"I may have a way to deal with the Uchiha, but they aren't the only clan standing in the way of your becoming Hokage."

"The Senju Clan is no more willing than they are to let you become Hokage."

Mito Uzumaki sighed. The true crisis did not come from the external Uchiha, but from her own clan—the Senju.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened. Since he believed Mito Uzumaki supported him, he had instinctively assumed the Senju Clan was on his side.

"You don't think I can represent the Senju Clan, do you?"

Mito Uzumaki watched Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression and spoke slowly.

"Usually, my status lets me throw my weight around in the Senju Clan. Even Tobirama had to show me some respect. But now that Tobirama is dead, the position you seek is that of Konoha's Third Hokage."

"Two Hokage have already come from the Senju. The Senju enjoy that honor and have grown accustomed to the benefits brought by the Hokage. They have even come to see the Third Hokage also coming from the Senju as an established future."

Mito Uzumaki spoke slowly, giving Hiruzen Sarutobi time to digest her words.

How to convince the Senju Clan to accept Hiruzen Sarutobi was what gave Mito Uzumaki the greatest headache.

The Senju Clan had founded Konoha. Two Hokage had come from the Senju, and both had died in the Hokage Position. That was an enormous source of prestige.

Furthermore, during the First Shinobi World War, the Senju Clan had contributed the most in Konoha. Their Clan Head was Konoha's Hokage, after all, and the most dangerous positions were often manned by the greatest number of Senju clansmen.

The Senju clansmen had likewise never hesitated to offer up their lives to protect Konoha. Nearly the entire Senju Clan believed the Third Hokage would still come from the Senju. Some extremist Senju clansmen even believed that the Senju Clan itself was Konoha!

Now the war was nearing its end, and they were about to reap the fruits of victory. The blood of the Senju Clan's sons had nearly run dry, only for the Sarutobi Clan, which had once trailed behind them picking up scraps, to pluck the peach.

Mito Uzumaki did not even dare imagine how deep that resentment would be.

Those old men of the Senju Clan who had survived the Warring States period were not all dead yet. Every one of them valued the clan's prospects and future more than their own lives.

Some were even older than Hashirama, and some were two or three generations senior to him. They had dedicated their entire lives to the Senju Clan. If they slapped Hashirama across the face, Hashirama would still have to cheerfully appease them.

"Great-grandfather, did that hurt your hand? I won't dare do it again."

Mito Uzumaki could already imagine how furious they would become if she told them Tobirama had passed the position of Third Hokage to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Even if Tobirama were still alive, they would probably curse him into a pile of shit, let alone her.

A single sentence—"What right does an Uzumaki like you have to discuss the Senju Clan's family affairs?"—would be enough to choke her speechless.

When those old men were pushed to the limit, they dared say any kind of trash. Even though she was unmatched in battle, she could not lay a hand on them.

Not to mention that those old men had long stopped fearing death. They would stretch out their necks for Mito Uzumaki to cut, so long as she could guarantee that the Third Hokage would still come from the Senju Clan. They would die willingly.

"Mito-sama, this..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not speak. With the Senju Clan opposed to him, there was nothing he could do. What could he possibly do to his teacher's clan?

He could not beat them, and reason was even less on his side.

"The old men within the Senju Clan have long settled on their choice for the Third Hokage Position. That person is Senju Touma."

"He is Hashirama's son, and his strength is among the best in the Senju Clan. He earned outstanding merits in this shinobi war. As the commander of one front, he held back the pressure from Iwagakure."

"He is now rushing back to Konoha and will return to the village very soon."

Mito Uzumaki looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, studying him. She could help him bear some of the pressure from the Uchiha, but there was nothing she could do about the pressure from the Senju Clan.

Remaining neutral was already her limit. Besides, Senju Touma was her son. Since childhood, he had taken his father Hashirama as his example, dreaming of becoming Hokage and protecting Konoha.

Mito Uzumaki was not selfless enough to help an outsider fight her own son.

"If you want to become Hokage, you must defeat Touma. Defeat him openly and honorably before the Senju Clan. Only then will I have a chance to help you persuade them."

Mito Uzumaki continued. This was already the limit of what she could do. She had seen with her own eyes how much Touma had given to become Hokage.

Hah, Tobirama, you bastard. You're even more of a bastard than Hashirama. You really know how to give me a difficult problem.

Mito Uzumaki struggled inwardly, almost wanting to drag Tobirama Senju back from the underworld and beat him up.

"Mito-sama, I understand. You've already done more than enough."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was filled with gratitude. Mito Uzumaki had already been selfless enough. Senju Touma was her son, yet she had deliberately avoided mentioning that identity. Mito-sama had been fair enough.

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