The Hokage Succession: Tsunade Arrives

Morning.

A dense crowd filled the space beneath the Hokage Tower.

Everyone waited with their heads raised. Even the ninja who had no missions stood below, watching for the figure about to appear atop the tower.

With no previous Hokage present, who would conduct the ceremony? They could hardly let Danzo hand over the hat!

Knowing him, he might put it on himself and declare, I'm the Hokage now!

In the end, Uchiha Itachi decided that Uchiha Yoru would conduct it.

Uchiha Fugaku objected fiercely, but he could not change Itachi's mind.

"The succession ceremony will now begin. I, Uchiha Yoru, will conduct it!"

"He is a hero of Konoha. Working from the shadows, he carried out many dangerous missions for the village. During the recent disaster, he did more than anyone to reduce Konoha's losses. He is the next head of the Uchiha Clan and the Fifth Hokage—Uchiha Itachi!"

Uchiha Itachi stepped into public view and waved to the crowd.

"I will now present the Fifth Hokage with his hat and Hokage Robe!"

Uchiha Yoru handed him the robe and hat.

"Our son has grown up!" Below, Uchiha Mikoto watched Itachi on the platform, tears of joy spilling down her cheeks.

Fugaku gently put an arm around her. He was just as moved. "Ancestors, the wish of our Uchiha Clan has finally come true!"

Elsewhere outside.

"Stop watching, Danzo. You're only upsetting yourself!" Mitokado Homura said, seeing Shimura Danzō staring fixedly at Uchiha Itachi.

He knew becoming Hokage had been his old friend's lifelong dream. But things had not gone his way, and there was nothing they could do about it except offer comfort.

"I'll keep watching! If I can't become Hokage, why should those wicked Uchiha get to?"

Uchiha Itachi had just put on the hat and Hokage Robe and was about to begin his speech when—

An unexpected voice rang out.

"Wait. I object!"

A clear woman's voice reached the crowd.

"It's Lady Tsunade!"

"It's Lady Tsunade, the First Hokage's granddaughter!"

"It's Lady Tsunade of the Sannin!"

The crowd silently parted to let her through.

She had a beautiful face and long golden hair that swayed in the breeze. A huge character for "gamble" was written across the back of her loose clothing, while the front displayed proportions other women could only dream of.

"Lady Tsunade, what can I do for you?"

Uchiha Itachi spoke politely.

Tsunade had greatly reduced Konoha's casualties during the war and held an important place in the village. Itachi treated her with respect.

Tsunade? This could get difficult, Uchiha Yoru thought.

Naruto and Jiraiya had not gone looking for Tsunade this time. That left only one possibility: Shimura Danzō, that scheming old bastard.

He had never expected Danzo to give up his own chance at becoming Hokage just to drag Uchiha Itachi down.

In Konoha, neither Itachi's standing nor his status could compare with Tsunade's.

If the two truly fought over the Hokage Position, Itachi's chances were shaky.

This was no longer the First or Second Hokage's time in power, when no one would have dared challenge a successor they named in a will.

No matter how unwilling Shimura Danzō had been, he had been forced to swallow it and let Hiruzen Sarutobi become Hokage.

"I intend to become Hokage too!" Tsunade announced to the crowd.

Uchiha Itachi's face twitched.

"Lady Tsunade, isn't this inappropriate?" he said. The ceremony was already prepared, and the Daimyo had approved his appointment.

Wasn't it inappropriate for Tsunade to show up now and try to take the Hokage Position?

"According to the investigation, Uchiha Itachi colluded with Orochimaru from inside the village. Together, they brought about the Third Hokage's death!"

"How could someone like that become Hokage?" Tsunade demanded.

"No way!"

"Could the rumors be true?"

"I heard about it too! They say Uchiha Itachi was tired of being just a candidate, so he killed the Hokage to take his place!"

Uchiha Yoru's expression darkened. He heard every word from the crowd below. Thinking back, he really had let his guard down with Itachi so close to becoming Hokage.

"Can mere rumors prove anything?" Uchiha Yoru asked.

"According to our intelligence, Uchiha Itachi awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan. He was right beside the Hokage at the time, so why didn't he save him?"

"Even if he missed his first chance, saving Lord Hokage should have been easy with the Uchiha Clan's legendary Mangekyō Sharingan!"

Tsunade laid out her reasoning as though it settled the matter.

"So tell me, Itachi. Did you awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Uchiha Itachi wanted to deny it, but the truth would come out sooner or later. He could only nod.

"Is that really what happened?"

"Did Itachi really work with an outsider?"

"He's an Uchiha, after all. It wouldn't be surprising!"

The Uchiha Clan had been keeping their heads down and had even done a great deal to help the villagers for free.

But as a certain film put it, prejudice was a mountain in people's hearts. No matter how hard you tried, you could never cross it.

What do I do? Uchiha Itachi was at a loss.

Several masked Anbu chose that moment to approach, seemingly intending to take him away.

A faint smile touched Uchiha Yoru's lips. So that's how you want to play it?

Shimura Danzō!!!

[Then don't blame me! Itachi is becoming Hokage, and I'll make sure of it!]

[Not even the king of heaven himself could stop me!]

"Yoru, what are you going to do?"

Uchiha Itachi no longer cared whether Yoru would ultimately discover the turmoil in his heart.

Uchiha Yoru snatched the hat back, draped the Hokage Robe over Itachi's shoulders, and placed the hat on his head!

"Uchiha Itachi is now Konoha's Hokage!"

"Tell me, has any Hokage in history ever been subjected to an Anbu investigation?"

"Does the Anbu serve the Hokage, or does it serve outsiders?"

His questions rang out, impossible to ignore!

The Hokage was the symbol of an entire village. If the investigation found Itachi guilty, that was one thing. But if it found nothing, he would have been humiliated!

Who would take responsibility for that?

Uchiha Yoru saw through them at a glance. What Anbu? These were clearly Root ninja! What Anbu would show up to arrest someone at a moment like this?

Now some people were caught in a difficult position. On one side stood Lady Tsunade, who had made enormous contributions during the Second Shinobi World War and helped most of Konoha's people.

On the other stood Uchiha Itachi, chosen by the Third Hokage and widely praised.

"I will take responsibility," Shimura Danzō said, walking forward slowly with his cane.