Third Hokage-Uchiha Takeyasu!

"Since everyone has their reservations, allow this old man to offer a few words first."

"On behalf of the Sarutobi Clan, I support Lord Takeyasu becoming the Third Hokage!"

Sarutobi Sasuke, who was now completely tied to the Uchiha's chariot, declared his position without the slightest hesitation.

Hyuga Ashidana, whose Main Family was full of outstanding individuals and who knew how to bend with the times, coughed and said pointedly, "Since Clan Head Sarutobi supports the Uchiha, my Hyuga Clan will support Mito-sama."

The other clans understood the hint and began voicing their positions one by one.

"The Aburame Clan supports Lord Takeyasu."

The head of the secret-technique clan, Aburame Mushi, fed his own Chakra to insects, let them live inside his body, and controlled them. Wearing a high-collared coat, he had such a faint presence that ordinary mid- and low-ranked ninja would instinctively overlook him if he didn't speak.

His clan had long been constrained by a lack of resources. Without resources, they couldn't breed enough insects; without insects, they had no clan ninja. This time, Aburame Mushi had spoken before the others because he had truly seen the Uchiha's strength.

On the one hand, he was cooperating with the Hyuga. On the other, he wanted to enter the Uchiha Clan's field of vision.

The Ino-Shika-Cho clans had always stood together. Nara Shikamei gazed at Mito Uzumaki, who sat with her eyes closed and said nothing, and sighed inwardly.

If the Uchiha Clan had continued to struggle within the bounds of the rules, no one would have feared them. But now they had a Young Lord who truly dared to kill, had no scruples, and was always ready to flip the table.

On top of that, Senju Tobirama had given his backing to the Security Department. They could pick a fight with anyone they pleased, and their power had grown completely out of control. They weren't a force that clans like theirs could afford to provoke.

Even if they joined forces, the Senju of the Forest could no longer command their people as easily as moving a finger.

The Senju Clan's outstanding figures had become a thing of the past. Their lack of successors had become reality.

"The Nara Clan supports the Senju."

At Nara Shikamei's signal, the other two spoke in turn.

"The Akimichi Clan supports the Uchiha."

"The Yamanaka Clan supports the Senju."

The stances were so sharply divided that Uchiha Takeyasu almost laughed aloud. The other Uchiha wore smiles too.

"The Inuzuka Clan supports the Uchiha."

The head of the Inuzuka Clan, a clan that raised Ninja Dogs with far sharper senses of smell, hearing, and sight than ordinary people, was Inuzuka Jin. At his side sat a gigantic black-and-white wolfhound, a full meter tall even while seated. Their auras were linked, and both man and beast possessed an intense wildness.

"The Shimura Clan supports the Senju."

The Shimura Clan, skilled in Wind Release Ninjutsu, was the last to state its position.

Four to four. The Senju and Uchiha had reached a delicate balance.

The allied clans had kicked the choice straight back to Mito Uzumaki.

"Mito-sama, did you ever imagine you'd witness such an amusing scene?"

Uchiha Takeyasu looked at Mito Uzumaki, who remained unmoved, and chuckled.

"Mito-sama, what will you do now?"

"Shall we follow Lord Hashirama and Lord Madara's example and settle this with a fight in the Valley of the End? Whoever comes back alive becomes Hokage?"

Uchiha Takeyasu glanced at the beautiful woman standing behind Mito Uzumaki, Minako Uzumaki, and at Mukai Senju, whose age was showing. He clapped his hands and put on an expression of sudden realization.

"I almost forgot. The Senju of the Forest can only rely on Mito-sama. If she happened to die in the Valley of the End, they'd even lose the Nine-Tails. And if the Nine-Tails then fell into Uchiha hands, the Senju would be finished."

"After all, the younger generation can only count on Mrs. Minako Uzumaki, while the next generation, Tsunade, hasn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy."

Seeing how the Senju of the Forest had fallen into a state where women outnumbered men, Uchiha Takeyasu stopped taunting them. A few jabs were enough to vent his feelings.

If he could choose, he'd rather fight Senju Tobirama to the death than battle Mito Uzumaki.

The Reaper Death Seal combined with the Adamantine Sealing Chains—and perhaps some little-known Uzumaki Sealing Technique capable of sealing space—could leave him worse than dead if he made even one mistake, even with Izanagi at his disposal.

As long as he first calmed Mito Uzumaki down, he didn't mind giving up a little benefit.

In the end, time was on Uchiha Takeyasu's side.

And before his ambition to unify the Land of Fire, and even the entire Ninja World—

The Senju of the Forest? They were nothing to worry about!

Uchiha Takeyasu spoke in a serious, steady voice.

"The Uchiha Clan's desire to make Konoha prosper is no less than the Senju's. The Uchiha also want Konoha to grow strong."

"So, Mito-sama, will you support me becoming Hokage? If you're willing, the Uchiha are prepared to offer you a position among Konoha's High Command, such as Chief Secretary to the Hokage."

"I can also show you that under Uchiha rule, Konoha will prosper as never before."

"I stake the Uchiha name on it!"

Faced with Uchiha Takeyasu's conciliatory invitation and change in attitude, Mito Uzumaki could now understand Sarutobi Sasuke's helplessness.

Who would humble themselves before an enemy if they weren't being driven to it?

Just as Uchiha Takeyasu had said, one had to consider defeat before victory. The only person the Senju could rely on was her. If anything happened to her, what would become of the others?

Even if she could kill Uchiha Takeyasu, how long would she last after sustaining severe injuries that might never heal?

By then, she would have no strength left to kill the remaining Uchiha powerhouses. The Nine-Tails inside her would be a major, unpredictable risk.

With the time she had left, she'd be lucky to pass the Nine-Tails safely to Minako Uzumaki. If anything went wrong, the Senju of the Forest would be erased from the Ninja World.

All her concerns and the many factors at play left Mito Uzumaki feeling helpless and exhausted for the first time in a long while.

She gazed at Uchiha Takeyasu, so full of confidence, and thought of Hashirama Senju when he was young. Both of them had been so spirited, both pursuing their goals with unrelenting determination.

So Mito Uzumaki let go of the thought of fighting to the death. As long as she was alive, the Uchiha Clan would still have some scruples. If she died, everything would truly be over.

So I should accept the Uchiha's offer?

The thought surfaced in her mind and took root. If she wanted the Senju of the Forest to keep growing, they couldn't afford to leave the center of power. Otherwise, they might not even know when someone had sold them out.

Thinking of Senju Tobirama's plan to gradually encroach upon the Uchiha Clan filled Mito Uzumaki with dread. If the same thing happened to the Senju, by the time she noticed, it would probably be too late.

Even if she led the Senju out of Konoha and temporarily settled in the Land of Whirlpools, they would likely bring disaster upon it. There were simply too many enemies in the Ninja World who didn't want to see the Senju of the Forest rise again.

And the Nine-Tails, the strongest Tailed Beast inside her, would also draw covetous eyes.

The Land of Whirlpools, whose strength couldn't rival that of the Five Great Nations, couldn't protect any of these things.

So from the very beginning, she had no choice.

After a long silence, Mito Uzumaki weighed the pros and cons and finally thought it all through. She gazed at Uchiha Takeyasu, who was waiting quietly for her. She no longer felt any animosity toward him.

Her face showed a faint ease, as if a weight had lifted from her heart. Her voice was gentle yet authoritative.

"Takeyasu-san, I'll always be watching you. If I find you doing anything that harms Konoha, the Adamantine Sealing Chains can bind Susanoo just as easily as they can a Tailed Beast."

Uchiha Takeyasu narrowed his eyes. That sounded a little far-fetched. He was about to retort, unwilling to back down, when the Uchiha Three Elders behind him cried out in delight.

"Wait, does Mito-sama mean she agrees?!"

The Uchiha Three Elders could hardly believe it. A dream they'd held for more than a decade had truly come to pass right before their eyes.

Uchiha Shikata pushed aside the two old men crowding in front of him and couldn't help asking, "You agree to our Young Lord becoming the Third Hokage?!"

"Our Uchiha Clan will finally have a Hokage?!"

As the Uchiha Clan gazed on in elation, Mito Uzumaki slowly nodded.

"On behalf of the Senju of the Forest, I support Takeyasu-san becoming the Third Hokage!"

"Starting today, Takeyasu-san is Konoha's Third Hokage!"

Sunlight spilled over the ground, and the bond between ruler and subject was sealed.

In everyone's eyes, the young man who had become the Third Hokage flashed a toothy grin, silently proclaiming that Konoha Hidden Village had entered a new era—one belonging to the Uchiha!