The two quietly left the conference room and came to a secluded corridor.
"Senior Shikaku, you..."
Shikaku interrupted him, his expression more serious than ever, "The village will be in chaos next, and all kinds of overt and covert fights will follow. You have to be mentally prepared."
Minato was silent for a moment and nodded slowly. "I understand."
"You know nothing." Shikaku said bluntly, "Do you think Hokage Position is so easy to take? In addition to strength and reputation, you also need power, means, and compromise. You are a disciple of Jiraiya, and you have made so many contributions in this war. This is your biggest advantage. But at the same time, this will also make you an obstacle that must be removed in the eyes of some people."
Minato's eyes froze slightly.
"Lord Danzo?"
"Not just." Shikaku sighed, "There are other families and other secret forces. Lord Third's abdication this time seems to be the pressure of public opinion, but in fact it is the result of someone's careful planning. Do you think that person will just give up?"
Minato fell into deep thought.
"I'll be careful."
"It's no use being careful." Shikaku patted his shoulder, "You need allies and supporters. Ino-Shika-Cho Clans will be on your side, but it's not enough. You have to win the support of more families, especially big families like Uchiha and Hyuga."
"Uchiha..." Minato frowned.
"I know it's difficult." Shikaku said with a bitter smile, "But this is a problem you have to face. If you really want to be Hokage, you must learn to unite all the forces that can be united."
Minato looked at him deeply and nodded solemnly.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Clan Compound.
Fugaku quickly walked into the patriarch's room, where several senior elders of Uchiha were already sitting.
"Fugaku, how is the situation?"
A gray-haired old man asked in a deep voice, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes turning slowly.
"Third Hokage submitted his resignation and wanted to re-elect Fourth." Fugaku said concisely and to the point, "The village is in chaos."
"Ha!"
Another elder slammed the table and stood up, his face full of excitement, "The opportunity has come! This is our Uchiha Clan opportunity! As long as we can push our people to Hokage Position, the entire Konoha pattern will change!"
"It's not that simple." Fugaku said calmly, "The currently public heirs of Hokage, Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru, have absolute advantages."
"Then we must act even more urgently!" the elder said eagerly, "Fugaku, you are the patriarch and also Jonin, you are fully qualified to compete for Hokage Position!"
Fugaku was silent for a moment and shook his head.
"My current qualifications and reputation are not enough to convince the public, and Konoha's senior executives will not let me sit in Hokage's position."
"What should we do? We can't give up this opportunity in vain, right?"
"Don't give up." A glint flashed in Fugaku's eyes, "But we have to change our strategy. Instead of directly competing with Hokage, it's better... to choose someone worthy of support first, and use Uchiha's voting rights as a bargaining chip in exchange for the other party's commitment and support to Uchiha after he becomes the leader."
"Who do you support?"
"This... I still need to observe more." Fugaku stood up
"Hey, it's a pity that Chen-kun is still too young. Otherwise, with our full support this time, and with the Senju Clan's background, Hokage Position would be absolutely stable."
"In short, during the next period of time, the tribesmen should not act rashly. Wait for my news."
Hyuga Clan Compound, the same scene is happening.
Hyuga Hiashi is sitting in the main seat, and below is Hyuga Clan's Council of Elders.
"What is the attitude of Hiashi, Main Family?"
an elder asked.
"Not participating." Hiashi said calmly, "Hyuga Clan has never been involved in the Hokage dispute. This is the ancestral motto."
"But this time is different!" Another elder said anxiously, "If we can seize this opportunity, maybe we can change Hyuga's status in the village!"
"Change?" Hiashi sneered, "Then? Become the next Uchiha to be targeted? Don't forget, the village's senior officials have always treated the family that owns Kekkei Genkai. There are many fears. The more radical Uchiha is, the more he is suppressed. What we Hyuga have to do is to stay neutral and solidify the foundation, rather than jump into this Uzumaki."
The elders looked at each other, and finally chose to remain silent.
The decision of Hiashi represents the will of the Main Family and is also the choice of the entire Hyuga Clan.
Root Base.
In the cold and damp underground conference room, Danzo was sitting in the main seat, with several core members of Root standing below.
"My lord, are you really sure?"
A masked ninja asked.
"Are you sure?" Danzo sneered, "From the moment I planned all this, the outcome has been determined."
He stood up, walked to the Konoha map on the wall, and tapped lightly on the location of the Hokage building.
"Minato Namikaze, young and promising, has won the hearts of the people, and is the biggest threat. But he is too idealistic and lacks Machiavellian tactics, which is his weakness."
"Orochimaru, is powerful, but has a cold personality and is unpopular. And his recent research... heh, as long as the time is right and a little use is made, he can ruin his reputation."
"As for the others, there is nothing to fear."
Danzo turned around, his one eye burning with the flame of ambition.
"What you have to do next is very simple."
"First, spread the idea that Minato Namikaze is young, energetic and inexperienced. Emphasize that what Hokage needs is an experienced and capable leader, not a brat who only knows how to fight."
"Second, secretly investigate Orochimaru's human experiments, collect evidence, and wait for the right time to expose it."
"Third, win over the major families. Tell them that after I, Shimura Danzō, take over, I will give them sufficient power and benefits."
"Fourth, create a positive image of me. Let the villagers know that all the shady things Root has done over the years are to protect the village and allow them to live in peace of mind."
Danzo's voice is deep and seductive.
"Remember, from now on, I am no longer the Root leader in the dark. I want to be Konoha's savior and become Hokage who can lead the village to a stronger place."
"Yes!"
Root ninjas responded in unison.
Danzo waved his hand and motioned for them to leave.
After everyone left, he stood alone in front of the map with complicated eyes.
Hiruzen, you probably won't think that I have been waiting for this day for more than 20 years.
Back then, I hesitated in front of Mr. Tobirama Senju, so I lost to you. But this time, I will not hesitate anymore.
Hokage Position, destined to belong to me.
He turned around, leaned on crutches, and walked toward the door step by step.
Today's Konoha night is destined to be sleepless.
Forces from all sides are surging in the dark, and this game of power has truly begun.
In the center of this storm, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood alone on the top floor of the Hokage building, looking at the lights of thousands of houses outside the window, his eyes empty and sad.
He lit his pipe and took a deep drag.
In the smoke, he seemed to see himself when he was young, his teacher Tobirama Senju, and his companions who had fought side by side.
"Teacher, did I... really do something wrong?"
He muttered to himself, his voice full of exhaustion and confusion.