The more important the meeting, the fewer people attended.
After the large meeting attended by all the ninja clan heads ended, the true inner-circle meeting convened once more in a secret room.
Everyone qualified to attend this meeting had undoubtedly surpassed the level of elite jonin and could truly stand on their own. They included senior figures such as the elder advisors and the Sannin, as well as members of the Fire Squad who were approaching Kage level.
From its inception, the Fire Squad, a team with a specific purpose, had been much like the Shadow Guard or the Jonin Commander.
Oto, Kakashi, and Shisui were all genuine Kage-level fighters, while the other three had also performed remarkably well against Akatsuki members.
After Jiraiya and Tsunade both explicitly refused to become the next Hokage.
The Third could only choose a suitable successor from this squad. He also had to weigh a whole range of factors, including the attitudes of the Second and the Fourth Hokage, and whether the successor might die prematurely.
Although he was the Hokage, his word alone did not decide everything in Konoha.
Thus, even though he wanted Sakumo's son Kakashi to become Hokage to keep the village's power out of the noble clans' hands, becoming Hokage required more than the approval of most jonin. Personal strength was also a crucial factor.
And when it came to achievements and contributions, Kakashi held no advantage among the younger generation.
Oto Uchiha, on the other hand, had demonstrated enough power to protect the village in front of its residents, overturning the world's stereotypical view of the Uchiha in the process. Aside from being a female ninja and an Uchiha, she was practically the perfect candidate.
If she truly became Hokage, however, Konoha might fall under the control of the