In the end, the list of candidates for the Fifth Hokage looked like a farce.
If the heads of families large and small could barely be considered qualified, then having the heads of three-person households join the election was bound to make it seem rather childish.
Without sufficient background and resources, what could they use to win over other jonin, let alone the many civilians?
Thus, the truly ambitious candidates focused more of their attention on their own kind.
As expected, Fugaku Uchiha came under concentrated attack.
Partly because the Uchiha Clan's title as Konoha's foremost clan made them too conspicuous, and partly because Fugaku Uchiha was blind in both eyes, giving others an excellent point to attack.
Unfortunately, Fugaku still proved the more skilled. He actually opened his eyes in public, revealing a pair of gleaming Three-Tomoe Sharingan that left everyone too shocked to speak.
"Araki, do you really plan to help them choose a Hokage?"
Hozuki Sengetsu quietly moved closer and asked in a low voice.
"Why? You think that's a bad idea?"
Araki asked in return.
"I think..."
Hozuki Sengetsu pondered for a moment. "If Konoha remained leaderless, and we, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure each supported our own proxies to keep fighting, perhaps there would be more profit in it for us."
That had been how Sunagakure and Konoha had previously treated the Land of Rivers.
Araki shook his head. "Konoha isn't the Land of Rivers... Although I wiped out their upper ranks this time, Konoha's foundations remain. The soil that continuously produces strong people—their bloodlines and knowledge—is still there. In as little as ten years, or at most fifteen, a new generation of powerful people will rise. If they remain divided and embroiled in civil war, it will only produce new strong people even faster. Besides, why