The Third Hokage's funeral lasted only a day. The next day, he was buried in Konoha's cemetery.
After all, Konoha had just undergone a massive upheaval. With so much left in ruins, this was a critical time for reconstruction.
Afterward, Konoha's higher-ups swiftly convened a top-level meeting. There was only one central topic: the candidate for the Fifth Hokage.
Those attending this meeting were not limited to Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzō. They also included the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, the Inuzuka Clan Head, the Aburame Clan Head, and several powerful, highly placed Jonin.
Asuma Sarutobi attended the meeting as well, since he was the Third Hokage's son.
It was worth mentioning that, having succeeded as head of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Hinata was participating in this highest-level meeting for the first time.
However, because she was too young, she was basically just there to make up the numbers. Even if she spoke, few would pay attention—though she would not speak up in the first place.
At the meeting, Shimura Danzō proposed that he take the position of Fifth Hokage, only to face unanimous opposition from Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
Their reasons were sound enough. Danzō was too old, and likely did not have much time left. Konoha was at its most perilous point now and needed a Hokage who could remain in office for the long term.
Poor Danzō had no way to voice his grievances. He could hardly say that he had already transplanted the First's cells, that his vitality was even stronger than Sarutobi's, and that he still had many years left to live.
If he said such things, he would lose even his qualifications to run for Hokage. Human experimentation could never be openly discussed, regardless of the era. Orochimaru had been forced to leave