The ninja clan faction was furious.
They had lost a large number of elite shinobi.
The Hyūga Clan had lost more than a dozen branch family shinobi.
The Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, and other clans had suffered casualties as well.
The civilian shinobi and master-disciple faction were also dissatisfied.
Shinobi like Kakashi, Might Guy, and Kurenai Yuhi were all backbone forces cultivated by the Hokage faction.
Yet the higher-ups' poor decisions had brought them to this state.
The two sides temporarily joined forces.
They had one goal.
Restrict Danzo.
Purge Root.
Force the Third to give an explanation.
But once Danzo's oppressive policies were suppressed, a new problem emerged.
The ninja clans wanted more power.
The civilian master-disciple faction was also unwilling to let the ninja clans regain control of the village.
When they were fighting Danzo together, they could temporarily set aside their conflicts.
But once their common enemy had been restrained, the issue of dividing interests returned to the forefront.
"So that's why the Third didn't step down immediately."
Shikamaru suddenly spoke.
Shikaku Nara looked at him.
"How did you figure that out?"
"If the Third stepped down now, the Hokage position would become the target of contention between the two factions."
Shikamaru spoke slowly.
"The ninja clan faction would put forward its own candidate."
"The civilian master-disciple faction would also put forward its own candidate."
"No one would be willing to back down."
"In the end, Konoha would start fighting itself first."
A flicker of surprise passed through Shikaku Nara's eyes.
"Correct."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi is temporarily refusing to step down so he can remain between the two factions."
"He is the buffer now."
"As long as he remains Hokage, the ninja clans and the master-disciple faction will not immediately tear each