After Tsunade left, the Third sat behind his desk, pipe in hand, staring at the closed door without moving for a long time.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, carrying a trace of relief and a trace of bitterness.
Several days later, all of Tianyi's plans went into motion.
Tsunade was everywhere in the newspapers. Her photographs, her story, her medical philosophy, and her campaign platform appeared on the front page every day.
The fan club's recruitment notice occupied the most prominent spot in the paper. Registration was held in an empty house beside the Hokage Building, with hundreds of people lining up to sign up every day.
Merchandise went on presale. Badges, T-shirts, and cups bearing Tsunade's likeness sold out on the very first day.
The finals of the Medical Ninjutsu Tournament were held in the square. Tsunade personally presented the winners with their awards and announced that she would establish the Leaf Medical Ninja Training Center, serving as its principal herself.
The news sent all the young female ninja in the Leaf Village into a frenzy.
Inside the Hokage Office, the Third Hokage, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Orochimaru, and their strategist, Nara Shikaku, gathered together.
Several recent newspapers lay spread across the desk, along with a detailed report on Tsunade's campaign activities.
Utatane Koharu spoke first, a hint of gravity in her voice. "Tsunade has been making some major moves lately, and they've been very effective.
"None of these moves were planned beforehand. Hiruzen, how did your talk with Tsunade go the other day?"
The Third took a draw from his pipe and slowly exhaled. Smoke blurred his features, but his voice remained clear and steady.
"Tsunade has made it clear that she intends to compete for Hokage. That means we need to get moving too. We