Start with a Zanpakuto and build the strongest Mist Village

Chapter 129 The Election of the Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru, the Curious Soul

The operation of the Box of Paradise successfully brought down the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen from being in disgrace and being nailed to Konoha's pillar of shame.

But at the same time, he also knew that he was no longer suitable to be Hokage after signing a surrender agreement with Kirigakure and issuing a "Confession of Sins".

therefore.

As soon as the war ended, he announced the list of candidates to be the Fourth Hokage.

They also spread the word in the village that they were preparing to hold an election for a new Hokage on the last day of the year, hoping to use the joy of the New Year and the ascension of the new Hokage to dispel the haze that had shrouded Konoha.

This is indeed a good idea.

The people of Konoha, who were still immersed in the grief of the deceased, were soon attracted by the double celebration, and almost everyone in the village was talking about it.

The first snow of winter has arrived. Without the war, and with the New Year approaching and the Hokage election approaching, the whole village is gradually becoming lively again.

In a tavern.

The heat released by the heater permeates the room, making people feel warm and comfortable as soon as they enter.

The Chunin and Genin of Konoha Village like this place very much, because the wine can relieve the fatigue of completing the mission very well. Even the Jonin can be seen frequently, and the pain of war can also be relieved by wine.

Some ninjas holding wine glasses were talking non-stop, with obvious signs of drunkenness on their faces, and the whole hall was noisy.

"Who do you think will be elected Hokage in the election in a week?"

A drunken Chunin burped and asked the store owner at the wine cabinet while setting up a piece of fried food while sitting at the bar.

The shop owner took a piece of fried tempura out of the oil and put it aside to drain. When he heard the Chunin's question, he said with a smile, "How would I know about this? I've been away from the ninja profession for so long, how would I know the current situation?"

"But during this period, Lord Minato has been very popular. If it weren't for him, I'm afraid our Konoha would have been defeated long ago."

"But in my heart I still lean more towards Lord Orochimaru. Back in the Rain Village, if it weren't for the legendary Sannin, we might have sacrificed many more ninjas. I was also a ninja at that time, and it was because of the Sannin that we escaped. It's a pity for Master Tsunade and Master Jiraiya, alas..."

The shop owner sighed deeply.

The current situation of the Three Ninjas is a pity for every ninja in Konoha. Jiraiya died in the battle, Tsunade left, and of the Three Ninjas that were once famous in the ninja world, only Orochimaru is left.

Hearing the store owner's voice, the Chunin nodded at first, but then shook his head.

"Lord Orochimaru is indeed very good, and his strength is also quite powerful, but his personality is a little too arrogant, and he can't get along with us mid-level ninjas at all... To be honest, even when I went to report the mission to Lord Orochimaru, my legs were shaking!"

"But Minato-sama is different. He is like a little sun, so I still prefer Minato-sama a little more."

"……Too."

The shop owner wanted to say something, but seemed to have thought of something and just smiled and agreed.

But another older Chunin slammed the table and said angrily: "You know nothing. Although Minato-sama is outstanding, how can he compare with Orochimaru-sama?"

"Do you know how terrible the war in the Rain Country was? Not only did we have to face Rain Ninja, but we also had to face Rock Ninja and Sand Ninja. If it weren't for the Sannin, you wouldn't be farting here today."

"Okay, you are young and don't know the horror of those days. If it weren't for Lord Orochimaru, we would probably be tortured to death by the Sand Village's poison in this war on the Sand Village battlefield!"

"After forcing Sand Village to surrender, Lord Orochimaru rushed to the battlefield of Iwagakure without stopping and took up the banner. In terms of achievements, contributions, qualifications and combat power, Lord Orochimaru is definitely more outstanding! I support Lord Orochimaru to be the Hokage!"

This middle-aged Chunin had a loud voice and had been drinking, so he spoke in a hoarse voice, his voice even drowning out the noisy pub.

Many middle-aged ninjas nodded in agreement when they heard his words, which shows the prestige of the Three Ninjas in their hearts.

But the young Chunin was not convinced. Besides, he was drunk, so he didn't care about that. He said without hesitation: "Lord Orochimaru is indeed very strong and has done a lot, but in this Ninja World War, Lord Minato made the greatest contribution. Lord Minato is also more amiable. I will support Lord Minato anyway!"

"I think it's Lord Orochimaru!"

"Minato-sama!"

"Master Orochimaru!"

The two men started arguing about this, and as they were both drinking, the verbal conflict became more and more intense, and in the end, no one knew who started it first, and it turned into a fight.

The ninjas who were watching gathered in a circle, cheering each other, and the scene became completely chaotic.

The farce was not settled until the Uchiha people arrived.

"Orochimaru and Namikaze Minato?"

Inside the Uchiha clan's territory, Uchiha Fugaku listened to the reports from his subordinates with a complicated expression and sighed deeply.

His name was actually among the candidates for the Fourth Hokage, but he himself knew that this was just a nomination. Not to mention him, almost all the clan leaders of the major ninja clans who were still alive after the end of this war were on the nomination.

But there are only a few who can truly become Hokage.

Judging from the current trend, the position of the fourth generation will only be chosen from Orochimaru and Namikaze Minato...

"If Shisui was still alive, how could we Uchiha just sit there and watch the position of Hokage slip away from us!"

Fugaku slammed his fist on the table, his eyes full of unwillingness.

If Shisui were still alive, they, the Uchiha, might not be without the capital to fight.

Although Shisui's reputation and strength are not as good as Orochimaru and Namikaze Minato, with the current strength of the Uchiha people, they still have a chance if they work hard.

After all, the losses suffered by all forces in Konoha are currently extremely serious, especially the Hokage faction.

Almost all the contemporary elites of Ino-Shika-Cho were killed, leaving only a few cats and kittens. The losses of other crews were also quite serious. Currently, the only one in the entire Konoha who could compete with Konoha is the Hyuga.

But Hyuga, who can even treat the branch family as a caged bird, can never become Hokage. This leads to the fact that the current Uchiha power is almost unique!

but……

"Why on earth is that, Shisui..."

Fugaku sighed with a complicated expression.

Without Shisui, the Uchiha clan was left with only his pair of Mangekyōkyō. Even though their overall strength was quite outstanding, they were still a little short of being a strong man.

"Father."

An unexpected voice interrupted Fugaku's troubled thoughts, and Itachi appeared at the door.

Seeing his beloved son coming, Fugaku quickly calmed down his emotions and smiled: "What's wrong, Itachi."

"I just finished my Shuriken training and I want Father to test it!"

"oh?!"

Fugaku's eyes lit up, he stood up, picked up Itachi and walked towards the training ground not far away.

"Come on, let me see how far my son has come in Shurikenjutsu!"

"Yes, Father!"

The extraordinary young man displayed extraordinary talent. Without opening the Sharingan, Uchiha Itachi's shuriken skills were even comparable to many of his clansmen who had opened the Sharingan.

"Try using Fire Style!"

"Yes! Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A raging fireball roared out, and the light in Fugaku's eyes became brighter and brighter.

Although Itachi had not yet opened his Sharingan, at the age of four, he already possessed the strength of a Genin. In a war not long ago, he even independently killed a Genin from the Iwagakure.

His son is a genius who is in no way inferior to Uchiha Shisui!
"Okay Shisui."

Fugaku looked at Itachi in front of him, his eyes bright and energetic: "Even without you, my Uchiha clan can still reach the top! As long as Itachi can grow up, the position of the fifth generation may not be impossible for my Uchiha!"

As for the fourth generation...

Although Namikaze Minato has little relationship with himself, Uzumaki Kushina and Mikoto have a very good relationship, and the two can even be considered best friends.

Moreover, compared to the aloof Orochimaru, the warm and easy-going Minato Namikaze is indeed a better choice.

Time passed quietly.

With only three days left until the election of the Fourth Hokage, the atmosphere in Konoha Village is becoming more and more heated.

A courtyard in the center of the village.

There was a light snow in the sky again. Orochimaru, dressed in a white kimono, sat in the wooden corridor, watching the snowflakes falling quietly.

He was wearing very thin clothes, but with the protection of chakra, he didn't feel cold.

The election is just three days away. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have any ideas.

Almost all ninjas who have inherited the will of fire aim to become Hokage, so the ninjas in the village will have a special feeling for the position of Hokage.

The only person who wouldn't be tempted is probably someone like Tsunade, who has a special status and has already given up and left Konoha.

He took notice of the overall atmosphere in Konoha and had some thoughts on the election of Hokage.

This time, his teacher seemed to be more inclined towards Minato Namikaze, and Orochimaru more or less understood the reason.

It was simply that he had been too close to Danzo before, and even concealed the existence of the Wood Release experiment subjects.

The master and disciple were estranged, and Minato Namikaze was in menopause. The new generation in the village was very popular. If he was elected Hokage, it would inspire the younger generation of ninjas and bring a new wave of vitality to the village. These reasons made the balance of victory tip even more towards Minato Namikaze.

To be honest, if that person was not Minato Namikaze but Jiraiya, Orochimaru might have accepted it.

After all, compared to becoming Hokage and starting to deal with the tedious government affairs in the village, he prefers the feeling of studying the true meaning of ninjutsu and finding various secret truths.

Whenever Orochimaru saw the principles of each ninjutsu being analyzed by himself and deducing new ninjutsu that had never appeared before, he would always smile from the bottom of his heart.

but……

"Lord Orochimaru, Lord Danzo invites you." A figure appeared in the corner of the courtyard and spoke respectfully.

Orochimaru glanced at it indifferently, nodded slightly, and the figure quickly disappeared.

During this period, Danzo had sent people to look for him many times, and he had also met with Danzo. Naturally, their conversation would revolve around the election of the Fourth Hokage.

Danzo's meaning was very clear. He would support Orochimaru, but he also hoped that Orochimaru would hand over the Anbu to him after he became Hokage.

It is worth mentioning that after the war, Sarutobi Hiruzen returned the Root to Danzo again, but compared to before, the number of people in the Root was greatly reduced, with only a few big cats and small cats left.

Orochimaru did not reject Danzo's idea, but he did not agree with it either. If he really became Hokage, it would be impossible for him to hand over the Anbu to Danzo. However, at the moment, if he did not have Danzo's support, he was afraid that he might not be able to compete with Minato Namikaze.

"teacher!"

With a crisp sound, a petite figure jumped into Orochimaru's field of vision, holding several strings of meatballs in her hands.

"Hey, teacher, these three-color meatballs are freshly baked!"

"..."

Orochimaru did not take the meatballs, and said calmly: "If you are not a member of the Akimichi clan, fat will only become a burden in our battle. Eat less snacks and red beans, it's too easy to gain weight."

"No, no."

Hongdou quickly put the three-colored meatball in her hand behind her back and showed an awkward but polite smile.

Orochimaru shook his head, and his mind couldn't help but think of his former disciple.

If that little guy was still here, I'm afraid everything would be different...

pity.

Life is something that easily dissipates, just like snowflakes from the sky. Once it falls to the ground, it will melt into water droplets.

Whether it's Shengshu or Ziraiya, it's the same for everyone.

What is truly worth pursuing is eternal life!

But he was willing to lose to Jiraiya.

Lost to Minato Namikaze...

I really feel unwilling to accept this!
……

The day of the Hokage election was held as scheduled.

Compared to the overbearing policy of the Hidden Mist Village where whoever is stronger gets elected, Konoha's election method is actually a bit more outrageous.

The process of choosing Hokage is to first select several candidates through internal competition, then report them to the daimyo, who will then decide on the candidate based on his personal preferences and recommendations from his staff.

Among them, the personal preference of the daimyo is the most important evaluation factor, which can be seen in the process of selecting the new Hokage after Tsunade was injured.

Of course, the standards for becoming a daimyo are not absolute. For example, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was directly appointed by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and skipped the stage of being recognized by the daimyo.

At this stage, Konoha has just experienced a great war. For the sake of the village's development, the Third Hokage will obviously not allow this to happen. Therefore, there will only be one candidate submitted by the village this time, and that person must be recognized by everyone in the village.

Only in this way can we dispel the shadow of war hanging over the village.

But who will be the candidate... This time, Sarutobi Hiruzen adopted the simplest and most brutal method.

All registered Konoha ninjas will vote directly on the list of candidates!

This approach really caught everyone present by surprise, but it also seemed quite reasonable.

Including Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru, Akimichi Tofu, Danzo, Uchiha Fugaku, and Hyuga Hiashi, a total of twelve candidates stood at the same time on the temporary election stage built in front of the Hokage Building.

Dozens of Anbu ninjas maintained order, thousands of Konoha ninjas and countless Konoha villagers and TV stations gathered together at this moment!
Under the watchful eyes of countless people, each ninja cast their vote for their favorite target.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, sat in the back, watching the scene quietly, looking at the so-called "fair election" with a complicated expression.

Is it fair?
In fact, everyone knows it.

When Sarutobi Hiruzen announced that this method would be used to decide the Fourth Hokage, the candidate for Hokage had already been decided, so the expressions of the candidates did not change much. Only the expressions of Namikaze Minato and Orochimaru were more complicated than the other...

Voting and counting.

The voting lasted a whole day.

As the sun was about to set, the final voting results came out.

With a huge advantage of over half of the total votes, Minato Namikaze became the only candidate for the Fourth Hokage.

The first day of Konoha's fiftieth year.

Minato Namikaze officially succeeded to the position of the Fourth Hokage!

……

"The power that devours souls, the god of death and Seireitei..."

Looking at the corpse of the Konoha ninja that he had brought back from Higashimatsu Mountain and the collapsed Impure World Reincarnation technique in front of him, Orochimaru's expression was extremely complicated.

He hadn't expected that while he was dealing with Sand Village and Iwagakure, a monster of that level would appear on the Mist Village battlefield. This living individual was able to grow infinitely by mastering the power of the soul. It was extremely similar to a plan he was currently studying.

According to his plan, he can devour the target's soul, thereby taking over the opponent's body and strength and gaining eternal life!
Orochimaru has been conducting this research for some time and has encountered considerable resistance.

The first thing to bear the brunt is the purity of one's own soul.

At present, Orochimaru is already able to devour the target's soul, but after devouring, his soul will be contaminated by the target's soul and become mottled.

These spots on the soul are fatal. One or two spots may not mean much, but once there are too many, it may even lead to mental breakdown, soul distortion, or even possession by those chaotic impurities!
The only solution Orochimaru can think of right now is to cut off the polluted soul...

But obviously, this behavior is not a wise move.

There are only so many souls, and every time it is cut, it represents the weakening of Orochimaru's soul. It is extremely difficult to recover and make up for this part of the weakening. Even Orochimaru currently has no idea at all.

This is also why, after learning about Mizunoe Tsukiyomi, Orochimaru brought back those killed by Mizunoe Tsukiyomi for investigation.

"If I don't resolve the shortcomings of my soul, even if I complete this technique, I can't be considered truly immortal."

"Mizuno Yueye...what kind of power do you possess?!"

There was an inexplicable light flashing in the golden vertical pupils, but as if he had noticed something, a hint of annoyance appeared in Orochimaru's eyes. He formed seals with his hands, and countless snakes emerged, swallowing up all the experimental data and traces in the laboratory.

At the same time, his figure disappeared in the laboratory.

A moment later, several Anbu ninjas appeared in the laboratory, looking at the empty laboratory with frowns.

……

"Yondaime, this is about the mission that Lord Fuuka Hayayuki, the Daimyo of the Land of Snow, wants to give us."

In the Hidden Mist Village, Mei Terumi handed a document to Ye and explained, "The Daimyo of the Snow Country hopes that we can send a strong enough ninja team to protect his daughter, Kazehana Koyuki, when she travels abroad!"

While speaking, Terumi Mei glanced at the expressions of Mizunotsuki Ye and Mizunotsuki Jing beside her.

There was no change in Ye's expression, but Mizunoe Jing frowned slightly.

Obviously, the Snow Clan still has a bad attitude towards the country that masters the Ice Escape, but this is an "international mission" assigned by a daimyo of a country after all, and it is a mission that is quite in line with the current open policy of the Water Country.

"Snow Country?"

Ye raised his brows slightly.

He knew about this country, and it even had a great influence on Fenghua Xiaoxue.

In the original movie, it was the prince who successfully defeated his usurping uncle, Fuuka Koyuki, with a single Rasengan, allowing the Snow Country to regain a bright future.

"Yes."

Mei Terumi nodded and said, "Lord Kazehana Hayate is willing to offer a reward of one million ryo, and hopes that we can send a strong enough ninja."

The level of one million taels is basically an S-level task.

It costs a full one million taels to protect a princess on a trip abroad... Even the daughter of the Fire Country Daimyo doesn't get such treatment.

Besides, if he remembered correctly, the economic situation of the Snow Country was quite bad, and they might not be able to come up with one million taels even if they emptied their treasury!

This is not just nonsense, but has actual basis.

The Snow Country is located in the northern part of the Iron Country. It has a very cold climate and a harsh environment. It is basically snowy all year round.

The domestic population is extremely sparse, with only about 10,000 to 20,000 people nationwide, and the country is extremely poor!

One of the reasons why the Snow Clan gave up attacking this country was that this country was too poor, so poor that it was not worth it for the Snow Clan to travel a long distance from the Water Kingdom to the Snow Kingdom.

But is it a country like this that would actually spend one million taels to protect its daughter's overseas travel?
I’m afraid it’s to avoid the harm caused by regime change!

"We've accepted the mission, and we've given it an S-rank, so... uh."

Since it is an international mission commission, this mission must be done beautifully, so Ye naturally has to be a little more cautious in terms of personnel.

He must be both capable and respectable, and preferably someone who can take over the entire Snow Country on his own...

Ok?
Ye's eyes suddenly fell on a person in the ninja file, and his eyes lit up.

"I remember that Kisame applied for the use of Samehada not long ago, right? Let him come over."

"Yes."

(End of this chapter)