First, They Had to Choose the Next Hokage

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew this day would come sooner or later; he couldn't delay it, and he would have to face it eventually.

Even after all this time, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already thought it through: whether he sticks his neck out or not, he'd still get stabbed anyway. Rather than agonizing over it, he figured it was better to face the consequences quickly and directly.

Now that things have come to this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi has also come to this realization, or rather, he had already guessed that this public trial was definitely not just Danzo alone, but also him, as well as Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

In the past, I always tried to pin the blame on Danzo, and Danzo was quite good at carrying the burden. But with this public trial, there are many things that Danzo can no longer bear, and these burdens will ultimately fall on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Therefore, he wasn't entirely sure what would happen to Danzo after this public trial, but the best outcome for Hiruzen Sarutobi would be complete disgrace.

The fates of the other two elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, are unlikely to be much better than his.

Sigh... Oh well, every cause has its effect. I should have been prepared for this outcome when I did so many things and chose this path. I can't blame anyone else.

Having thought this through and understood it, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed wearily. He didn't shy away from the question or try to hide anything, but directly addressed Yun Yan:

"A public trial... I understand, it was bound to happen sooner or later, something I had to face sooner or later."

Yun Yan, don't worry, this matter will go smoothly. I will personally carry it out.

As for Danzo, who is also on trial, I have sealed him away securely and imprisoned him in the deepest and most secure prison in the Anbu. I guarantee that he will not be able to get out no matter what. When the time comes, I will just push him onto the platform for trial."

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's rather satisfactory attitude, Yun Yan nodded, and his attitude softened slightly.

"Not bad, old man Sarutobi. I thought you were going to dodge and delay, or even renege on your debt. I didn't expect you to be so straightforward this time. It's really beyond my expectations."

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi, holding his pipe, gave a wry smile:

"Are you dodging and delaying, or simply defaulting on the debt?"

Hehe, Yun Yan, I may have all sorts of problems, but I am one of the few things I can see clearly and understand the general trend.

I know with you here, there's no way you'll renege on the debt or change your mind, so it's better to be straightforward and avoid trouble for everyone."

Yun Yan completely agreed with this statement:

"Yes, that makes sense, that's absolutely right."

"But old Sarutobi, if you had adopted this attitude earlier, would things have turned out this way?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt deeply exhausted; he shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"There's no going back, nothing can be changed. What's done is done, and the past cannot be altered."

Too lazy to continue with Hiruzen Sarutobi's melancholy, Yun Yan bluntly pulled Hiruzen Sarutobi back to reality, Hiruzen Sarutobi directly to him:

"By the way, old man Sarutobi, are you ready?"

"Once Danzo is publicly tried, all his deeds will be exposed to the world. At that time, your responsibility and your mistakes will also be investigated. What do you plan to do?"

When this question was brought up, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave another wry smile:

What else can I do? I can only face reality.

Whether it's venting my anger on the insults of the Konoha people or facing the disappointment and alienation of the Konoha Ninja, I have made the worst plans and preparations for my fate.

Or rather, my fate has begun to unfold. Recently, the events of the past few days have spread throughout the Anbu, and at least within that Anbu, I have lost all my prestige."

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt utterly dejected; his old face looked as withered and lifeless as a shoe sole.

Yun Yan listened and nodded:

"So that's what happened. The things that happened a few days ago have already spread throughout the Anbu. Your prestige has been completely destroyed in the Anbu. In that case, your Hokage Position is in jeopardy."

Sarutobi, these things are currently only within the Anbu, at least they haven't spread widely yet. But what will you do after the public trial? Will you still have the face to remain in the Hokage Position?

Ah, don't misunderstand, I'm not concerned about you. Your removal from the Hokage position has nothing to do with me. I'm concerned about the Hokage position itself.

Konoha is so big, and so many things happen every day. It can't remain leaderless forever. After you're removed from the Hokage position, a Hokage needs to take over.

"Old man Sarutobi, have you decided who the next Hokage will be?"

When asked this question, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly looked up, his expression hopeful as he gazed at Yun Yan:

"Yun Yan, are you interested in becoming Hokage?"

Yunyan waved her hand decisively without hesitation, her refusal clear:

"No interest! I have absolutely no interest! Rather, I strongly resist becoming Hokage. To me, Hokage is just being an idiot!"

He's just a fool, working himself to the bone all day, managing the food, drink, and daily needs of all the ninjas and civilians in such a large ninja village. If he manages it well, people think it's his duty and what he should do; if he doesn't, then it's his responsibility and his mistake.

Not only do they work themselves to the bone normally, but they also have to shoulder such great responsibilities in critical moments. If danger arises, they have to be the first to rush in and protect ordinary people.

Ah, of course, if you're a weak and irresponsible Hokage like yourself, you don't need to step up in crucial moments, but you still need to find someone to take the blame afterward.

Besides these messy matters, there are even more messy political matters to attend to, such as handling various government affairs, managing the relationships between the major clans, and easing internal conflicts within Konoha...

In short, these things annoy me just thinking about them; they're simply not something a human being could do! I would never become Hokage, even if you killed me!

"Sarutobi, let me put this to you: even if Konoha is destroyed, even if it's destroyed right before my eyes, I will not become Hokage. Forget about it!"

Seeing Yun Yan's intense reaction, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't particularly surprised, but he still felt somewhat helpless and regretful.

"Sigh... what a pity. You're so strong and have such a tough approach; you'd actually be quite suitable..."

"Suitable my ass!" Yun Yan didn't hold back at all. "If I were the Hokage, I'd bring Konoha to its knees in no time, you believe me? I mean what I say!"

Upon hearing the words "say what you mean and do what you say," Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips twitched slightly, but he quickly put those thoughts aside and began to sincerely seek Yun Yan's opinion:

"Yun Yan, what do you think of Tsunade?"

Upon hearing this predictable answer, Yun Yan nodded directly:

"Yes, I think it's very good, very suitable, or to be more realistic, I guess there is no one more suitable than Tsunade, she is probably the only suitable choice."

After all, you can't expect Jiraiya to be Hokage, can you? Besides those two, there's no one else in Konoha. Tsunade is more than capable in terms of both prestige and ability."

Seeing Yun Yan's reaction, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, I thought you would object."

Yun Yan was a little confused:

"Oppose? Why would I object to such a suitable candidate?"

"You... you're not from the Uchiha? Tsunade's surname Senju, and your two families have always..."

Upon hearing this so-called reason, Yun Yan immediately showed disgust:

"What is all this? This is from some ancient almanac!"

Okay, I have to admit that there are some things I've had to admit. If it were any other member of the Uchiha Clan, they would definitely have all sorts of grudges and resentment towards the Senju Clan. That's understandable, given the historical issues they've left behind.

"But don't you know me? Am I like the Uchiha Clan in terms of personality? Obviously not, so I have no prejudice against Tsunade. I think she's alright."

Hearing Yun Yan's words, and realizing that his attitude was indeed correct, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt even more relieved.

That's good, that's good. It's good that Yun Yan doesn't object. If he did object, it would be questionable whether Tsunade could even hold onto her position Hokage.

This kid doesn't seem to realize the terrifying influence he's gained, but it truly is terrifying now.

With that in mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi readily agreed.

"Alright, then the next Hokage, the Fifth Hokage, will be Tsunade."

I reckon the Daimyo won't have any objections to this new Hokage."

Yun Yan answered instinctively:

"Don't worry, he definitely won't have any objections."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to have guessed something. He gave Yun Yan a deep look, then suddenly realized what use it was even if he knew. He shook his head helplessly and smiled.

However, immediately afterward, Hiruzen Sarutobi remembered something else:

"By the way, Tsunade suffers from hemophobia... How should we deal with this? If this hemophobia isn't cured, Tsunade's Hokage as Hokage will be in jeopardy."