Sarutobi Hiruzen then summoned the Council of Elders for one last meeting. "Koharu, Homura, this is the last time I will hold a meeting with you as Hokage."
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with disbelief and shock. "Hiruzen, what exactly happened?" they asked in unison.
"It's the master's idea," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile. Upon hearing this, the two people opposite him immediately fell silent. They both knew that their master had been resurrected and had even paid him a visit recently.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were absolutely obedient to Senju Tobirama; they lowered their heads and sighed.
Utatane Koharu. "Hiruzen, are you really just planning to hand him over like that?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at her. "The one who let you win was Uchiha Kō!"
"Even if he's incredibly strong, how could he possibly be qualified based on seniority? Has the teacher lost his mind?" Mitokado Homura indignantly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen added, "He just defeated Lord Hashirama, and Lord Hashirama didn't hold back."
Mitokado Homura En choked, then sat down with a wry smile, Utatane Koharu sighed.
Seeing his two old friends like this, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but laugh. "Gentlemen, Owl's rise to power is a good thing for Konoha. Konoha's current strength is inseparable from him. As long as you two abide by the law, there shouldn't be any major problems."
The two men smiled bitterly to themselves. Upholding the law? They were both thinking about how to benefit their own families. If Sarutobi Hiruzen were in power, they would feel somewhat at ease.
If it were that Uchiha Kō, he probably wouldn't have had the chance to embezzle in his entire life.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Sarutobi Hiruzen announced that the meeting was adjourned. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. Sarutobi Hiruzen watched their retreating figures and chuckled.
He knew his two old friends' character perfectly well. If they were Hokage, he might have turned a blind eye, but now that he was retiring, he was giving them a heads-up. If anything happened to them in the future, they couldn't be blamed.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura left and encountered Shimura Danzō, who had returned from the Uchiha Clan. The two exchanged a glance and quickly asked, "Danzo, do you know that Uchiha Kō is going to become the Fourth Hokage?"
Upon seeing that it was his two comrades, Shimura Danzō stopped and nodded. "I understand. Sarutobi Clan told me."
"What's your opinion? I remember you used to always talk about the Uchiha Clan being inherently evil." Utatane Koharu's eyes lit up.
Shimura Danzō roared, "Stop talking nonsense! When did I ever say such a thing! Don't spout lies! Do you have any evidence? If you don't, I'll punish you!"
Utatane Koharu:...
Mitokado Homura:...
The three parted on bad terms. After telling Hiruzen Sarutobi about the incident, Danzo Shimura left the Hokage's office.
The Uchiha Clan members went to a nearby tailor shop and asked them to expedite the making of a Hokage Haori, with "Fourth Hokage" written on it.
The tailor shop owner was shocked. Was the Uchiha going to rebel? Then, Shimura Danzō and explained the situation, and the tailor shop owner breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, smiling, he said to the Uchiha Clan members, "Time is a bit tight, but I can do it, at this price."
The Uchiha Clan member tossed aside his money pouch, saying, "The faster the better, the more meticulous the better. The Uchiha aren't short of money."
"Alright!" The shop manager beamed, urging his tailors to work overtime!
The Uchiha Clan members were very grateful to Shimura Danzō Danzo for saving them from trouble, and the two bowed in gratitude.
Shimura Danzō smiled and said, "It's all for the Lord Hokage's service."
"Thank you, Danzo!" The two ninjas bowed and handed over a box.
"This is a gift from Lord Owl. Please accept it, or Lord Owl will punish us when we return," an Uchiha ninja said respectfully.
Seeing this, Shimura Danzō, took the box, and without opening it, said, "Please thank Owl for me."
"Understood!" The two ninjas left the tailor shop, and Shimura Danzō shook his head and headed home.
Upon arriving home, he opened the box and found three silver notes worth one hundred million taels each. His eyelids twitched immediately. What did Xiao mean by this?! Which cadre could withstand such a test?!
Caught in Reto between money and principles, Shimura Danzō, for reasons unknown, closed the box, hid it in a secret compartment in the floor, and sighed.
How could he refuse the new Hokage's kindness? It was for his own good too.
And so, while countless people were busy and bustling about that night, Uchiha Kō went to rest early at home.
Senju Clan Compound
Senju Tobirama informed Senju Hashirama of the matter, Senju Hashirama nodded, "You can handle this as you see fit. I'm not as good as you at politics."
Senju Tobirama paused, then said, "Brother, you..."
Senju Hashirama waved his hand. "It's alright. What haven't I seen? Although I disagree with Owl, a man's word is his bond."
After saying that, Senju Hashirama stood up, smiled, and returned to his room.
Senju Tobirama watched Senju Hashirama figure, he thought to himself, "I'm sorry, brother, all of this was for Konoha."
Tsunade, hiding behind the door, overheard Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama's conversation. Her mouth agape. What? Her man was going to become Hokage?
Her eyes shone with joy. Hokage —that was the position every ninja in Konoha aspired to, and her man, or rather her boyfriend, was about to become the Fourth Hokage before he even turned twenty!
Just thinking about it made me feel great, and then I hummed a tune and skipped and hopped towards my room.
"Is the Hokage Position really that good?" (Saiken)
"Of course! Think about it, the leader of all the ninjas in the village, the top leader of the village—there are only five such positions in the entire Ninja World! It's incredibly prestigious!" Tsunade explained patiently.
The Saiken was taken aback. That was indeed quite tall; there were only five in the entire Ninja World!
"Congratulations, Lady Hokage," the Saiken said, offering a timely compliment.
Tsunade blushed, but she didn't argue. She just snorted and said, "Go to sleep! Tomorrow's a big day!"
The next day
The village was bustling with activity before six o'clock. Each clan had its own connections and had learned that Uchiha Kō was about to succeed as the Fourth Hokage. So, they all went out to give gifts to the Uchiha Clan.
Uchiha Hirotomo also got up early. He remembered what Uchiha Kō had said at the meeting last night, so he stood at the door and warmly greeted each clan representative, personally serving them tea.
However, he did not accept any of the gifts, but returned them to their original owners, saying that it was Uchiha Kō's order, and that since they were all from the same village, he would act impartially and stand up for the villagers.