How could Utatane Koharu fail to see what her two old friends were thinking? She rolled her eyes. "What do you take me for? Some fool who lets her emotions get the better of her and acts without thinking?"
"Ahem... Of course not!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Mitokado Homura coughed awkwardly at the same time and hurried to smooth things over. "Koharu, you've always had the most foresight. We know that."
"All right, all right."
Utatane Koharu waved a hand, her voice tinged with self-mockery. "I couldn't even outmaneuver a nine-year-old. What foresight do I have?"
She paused, then went on. "I'm choosing Tsunade for several reasons."
"First, she's your personal disciple and the granddaughter of the First Hokage and Second Hokage. Her claim and standing are beyond question."
"Second, her strength, her reputation in the village, and her ability to get things done are all up to the task. She's not the sort of person who refuses to listen, either."
"Third, and this is what matters most to me—she's Uchiha Yan's teacher."
"She's the only one who can rein that boy in, and Uchiha Yan will listen to her. For us, that matters more than anything."
At that, she sighed, her voice full of resignation. "I finally understand it now. An Uchiha Yan who answers to no one and does whatever he pleases is the most frightening thing of all."
"Especially when he holds that kind of overwhelming power. We have no way to deal with him."
"Every scheme we could put before him would be a joke."
"In all of Konoha, apart from his family, Tsunade is the only one who can keep him in check to any degree."
"I know how close she is to him. Once she becomes Hokage, she'll inevitably favor the boy."
"But even that