Vote for the Third Hokage Candidate Begins with You

"Nonsense, the moment I arrived, I saw you killing people!"

With two Kage Level squad captains dead, the already short-handed Senju of the Forest became even more stretched. Now, hearing Uchiha Takeyasu dare to blame them, Mito Uzumaki was so enraged her eyebrows shot up.

"A joke. You're allowed to kill my Uchiha, but I'm not allowed to fight back?"

Uchiha Takeyasu crossed his arms and sneered dismissively, "Let's clarify the right and wrong here and now. See if those Anbu deserved to die!"

"Uchiha Takeyasu!"

"My lords, perhaps I can help sort out the situation."

Seeing the smoky atmosphere re-emerging on the scene, Nara Shikamei glanced at the Uchiha Clan, who remained silent, entrusting their clan's fate entirely to the four Kage Level members of the Uchiha.

His heart pounded, and he quickly spoke up.

The others also began to offer words of reconciliation, fearing that if the two sides came to blows, no one wanted to engage in a civil war for little gain, risking the lives and fortunes of their entire clans.

At the very least, they wanted to stall for time, giving the weaker ones a chance to evacuate safely.

"Everyone present here are heroes and titans of Konoha, and even the Ninja World. There's no need for further words. After judging the cause of this riot, we will proceed with the election of the Third Hokage!"

Considering that Tsunade, the sole hope of the Senju of the Forest, might not have evacuated safely yet, Mito Uzumaki retracted her Adamantine Sealing Chains and took a step back.

At the same time, she wanted to use this opportunity to unite the other Ninja Clans and suppress the Uchiha in one fell swoop.

Then, she closed her eyes, fully activating her Mind's Eye of the Kagura and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's ability to sense good and evil.

First, she focused on the situation in the Uchiha compound. Finding that there were still a large number of clan members there, her heart relaxed—as long as a conflict erupted, even if it was inhumane, she would ensure the Uchiha Clan suffered heavy casualties!

They absolutely could not allow the Uchiha Clan another chance to surpass the Senju of the Forest.

Next, she sensed that the Senju Clan, whom she had notified long ago, was already preparing and evacuating in an orderly fashion according to the wartime regulations of the Warring States period. Tsunade was being evacuated out of the village by a Senju Jonin.

Finally, she began to distinguish the allegiances of the Kage Level powerhouses present.

Besides the five Kage Level Uchiha, the other dozen or so Kage Level individuals held varying degrees of goodwill towards her. With this, their side's chances of victory undoubtedly increased significantly.

"You were the one who said seven days, and you were the one who said immediately. You Senju of the Forest truly treat the Hokage position as your family's property."

"But it doesn't matter. Let you wield the Hokage's authority a little longer."

Uchiha Takeyasu retracted his Susanoo and stood with his clan's Kage Level members. His gaze swept around, and he could clearly feel the varying degrees of malice emanating from all sides.

(A bunch of opportunistic weathervanes.)

Uchiha Takeyasu didn't care about these people at all. With no external enemies, they were all individuals who wouldn't act without personal gain.

As long as the Uchiha didn't tear down their houses, other matters were negotiable in their eyes.

"Mito-sama, please stop using your Mind's Eye of the Kagura. My Uchiha Clan is upright and honorable, and we disdain the scheming and trickery you employ."

"And there's no need to trouble the Nara Clan Head to waste everyone's time."

Uchiha Takeyasu beckoned to the person behind him. Sasuke Sarutobi, who had been observing the battle, stepped forward with understanding, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

Mito Uzumaki's expression shifted slightly. She suddenly realized something she had subconsciously overlooked—

The incident started because the Uchiha intended to eliminate the Sarutobi Clan. Now that the Sarutobi Clan was largely unharmed, what would Sasuke Sarutobi say next?

"Wait!"

Mito Uzumaki raised her hand, interrupting Sasuke Sarutobi, who was about to speak. She pointed at the Sarutobi clan members being held by the Uchiha. "To ensure fairness, those Sarutobi clan members must be released."

"We can."

"Young Lord!"

"Calm down. Whether they are captured or released is irrelevant now. Our initial objective has been achieved."

"Furthermore, our Sarutobi Clan Head is a promising talent that I have my eye on."

After appeasing the Uchiha Three Elders, who looked puzzled, Uchiha Takeyasu issued a command to the people behind him.

Sasuke Sarutobi watched as his terrified clansmen, many with their lower bodies in a sorry state, scurried past him towards Mito Uzumaki.

He also heard Uchiha Takeyasu's words, "promising talent." His feelings were incredibly complex and indescribable. Ultimately, he rationally cast aside all impossible fantasies.

At this moment, all the clan leaders present, including the Hyuga, felt a heavy weight in their hearts.

What happened to the Sarutobi today could happen to their own clans tomorrow.

The Uchiha now possessed one Mangekyo user, four Kage Level individuals, and nearly a hundred Jonin.

This strength forced them to reconsider their positions. They understood the principle that failing to kill a snake would lead to disaster.

Moreover, the position of Hokage was out of their reach. Was it wise to openly support the Senju against the Uchiha?

The Senju of the Forest had Mito Uzumaki to support them; what did they have?

With the Sarutobi Clan in the front line, if they were targeted by the Uchiha, annihilation would almost be a certainty.

So, should they support the Senju, or the Uchiha?

The scales in their hearts were continuously tilting.

Mito Uzumaki sensed that Sasuke Sarutobi had no genjutsu cast on him, only a sealing jutsu. She also noticed the subtle shift in the attitudes of the Kage Level experts around them. Without hesitation, she took action to break the sealing jutsu on Sasuke Sarutobi.

During this process, Uchiha Takeyasu waved his hand to stop the hot-headed Uchiha Setsuna, a smile on his face, showing no sign of urgency.

It was entirely up to Mito Uzumaki to save the Sarutobi Clan.

"Clan Head Sarutobi, you can speak freely now without any reservations. The Senju of the Forest are the most steadfast backing for everyone in Konoha."

(Steadfast backing?)

His newly reattached right hand still throbbed with pain, and he could hear his grandson crying softly in the distance. Sarutobi Sasuke, covered in dirt, looked at Mito Uzumaki with an unreadable expression.

He slowly exhaled, then knelt on the ground with a thud. His hoarse, deep voice echoed around them, amplified by Chakra.

"This is entirely our clan's fault!"

After Sarutobi Sasuke uttered those words, the rest of what he said no longer mattered.

Mito Uzumaki clenched and unclenched her fists beneath her sleeves. The situation was finally spiraling in a direction unfavorable to her.

If the Uchiha had attacked without cause, the other Ninja Clans, feeling a sense of shared fate, would have stood behind her. But if there were reasons for the attack, their attitudes would become ambiguous.

Even if...

Sarutobi Sasuke was clearly lying!

From the way the Sarutobi Clan had been treated, it was evident that the Uchiha's target all along had been the Senju of the Forest and the position of Hokage!

As long as they remained neutral, they had a high probability of not being targeted by the Uchiha.

But if they continued to stubbornly oppose them, the Sarutobi Clan's fate was capture, and theirs could be death!

(The casualties from the war with Kumogakure must have been too severe for the Senju!)

(Tobirama, Tobirama, were your measures against the Uchiha right, or wrong?)

Realizing how easily people's hearts could change and that she could no longer salvage the situation, Mito Uzumaki felt a moment of profound loss.

Uchiha Takeyasu clapped his hands, the crisp sound accompanied by his calm voice.

"The truth is now clear. Our clan's Security Department was rightfully exercising the sacred and inviolable rights granted by the Second Hokage."

"And the Anbu, without the Hokage's authorization, ignored our Security Department's warnings and unilaterally launched an attack on them."

"Mito-sama, do you believe these people deserve to die?"

Under the gaze of the remaining two Kage Level [Tiger, Elephant] Anbu members, Mito Uzumaki, unable to abandon them, rallied her spirits and spoke sharply.

"While the Security Department was exercising its authority, the Anbu had every right to question it. The cause of the conflict was the Security Department's excessive actions!"

"Mito-sama, the Security Department explicitly stated they were carrying out a confidential mission. As everyone has heard, how could information about colluding with the enemy and treason be casually revealed to others? Furthermore, the results would have been reported to the Hokage Building!"

Uchiha Takeyasu's gaze swept over [Tiger, Elephant], with clear malicious intent. "Or perhaps the Anbu has become corrupt, and someone is secretly colluding with the enemy, fearing that the Uchiha might discover something within the Sarutobi Clan?"

Once this baseless accusation was leveled, the consequence would surely be death.

"I can personally vouch for every Anbu member in Konoha; not a single one would collude with the enemy."

Fearing that Uchiha Takeyasu would instruct Sarutobi Sasuke to frame them maliciously, Mito Uzumaki directly offered her guarantee.

"Since Mito-sama vouches for them, we will let the matter of the Anbu rest for now."

Uchiha Takeyasu did not expect to trap Mito Uzumaki with this; his gaze swept around the area like blades. "Now, let everyone begin the vote for the Third Hokage candidate!"

As soon as he spoke, the scene fell into silence.