Naruto: Starting with Tsunade

Chapter 420 I really don't want to be Hokage

at the meeting.

Representatives from various families gathered together. In the past, such events were always presided over by senior officials, but now that all the senior officials were gone, everyone felt a little unaccustomed to it.

On the steps, Nara Shikaku presided over this meeting. He was the Jonin squad leader, so it was appropriate to chair this meeting on behalf of the senior leaders.

He got straight to the point: "I'm sure you all know what happened, so I won't waste any more time. If you have any ideas about the position of Hokage, you can bring them up now."

The election for Hokage usually involves a very complicated process, but these are extraordinary times, so we have to resort to extraordinary measures.

The village is in a very turbulent situation. We need to elect a Hokage as soon as possible to stabilize the situation and prevent the enemy from taking advantage of this opportunity to do something.

After hearing what Nara Shikaku said, it would be impossible for everyone not to be tempted by the position of Hokage.

The position of Hokage was originally something that was unattainable, but now it has suddenly become more complicated.

Let's take a gamble, what if we see a ghost?

As a result, some small families who couldn't see the bigger picture jumped out and expressed their desire to become the Hokage.

then.

And that was the end of it.

The fact that the major ninja clans remain silent does not mean they have no ideas; they are simply weighing the pros and cons and choosing their side.

Among all the major ninja clans, the Uchiha clan undoubtedly possesses the greatest power and strength.

Their clan has long coveted the position of Hokage.

In the past, higher-ups had been deliberately suppressing them, so they didn't gain much real power in the village. Now that all the higher-ups have died, and they are no longer constrained, they naturally won't give up this opportunity.

Originally, there was the Senju clan to contend with them, but now the Senju clan has broken up into smaller groups, with the clan members scattered across villages. To put it nicely, they are intertwined, but to put it bluntly, they are a disorganized mess, unable to even elect a leader.

Everyone sighed inwardly. It seemed that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the next Hokage would most likely be born from the Uchiha clan.

At this moment, someone stepped forward.

Everyone turned their gaze to the man, who had black hair, white eyes, and a solemn expression.

That was the head of the Hyuga clan—Hyuga Hizashi.

Could it be... that they have something in mind?

Everyone suddenly realized.

Right, how could we forget about the Hyuga clan?

Although the Hyuga clan is slightly weaker than the Uchiha clan in overall strength, they are still a force to be reckoned with.

Considering the Uchiha clan has made too many enemies, even if it's just because people dislike them, they would still nominate Hyuga Hizashi as Hokage.

Seeing that Hiashi Hyuga actually had such thoughts, Shikaku Nara was somewhat surprised: "Hashi, do you want to become Hokage?"

Hyuga Hizashi shook his head: "No, my only plan is to nominate Aokiji as Hokage."

Hyuga Hizashi's words were like a bomb dropped on everyone, causing a huge uproar.

They were all prepared to follow up, but the leader just voted?

What's going on here?

Nara Shikaku suddenly remembered something: Hyuga Hizashi had been directly involved in killing Danzo.

Although it's unclear how the Uchiha clan managed to win over the Hyuga clan, it doesn't matter anymore. With the two strongest clans joining forces, it's a foregone conclusion that Aokiji of the Uchiha clan will become Hokage; it's just a matter of time before things proceed smoothly.

This enormous disparity in strength, for the first time, left Nara Shikaku, who was adept at solving problems with strategy, feeling utterly hopeless. Now, all he could do was play along: "This is truly surprising. What's the reason?"

"I hope the village will be led by a strong person, and that there will be no more appeasement policies made for the sake of some so-called big picture."

With all the high-ranking officials dead, Hiashi Hyuga no longer needs to worry about anything.

Two years ago, most of you here experienced this incident, and when Hiashi Hyuga mentioned it, you quickly made the connection.

It's clear that Hizashi Hyuga has always harbored resentment towards the higher-ups regarding their treatment of Kumogakure.

Some time ago, Aokiji confronted the higher-ups head-on, and the meeting ended badly. Coupled with Aokiji's Uchiha clan members, everyone has already seen how tough Aokiji will be after taking office.

If something like what happened in Kumogakure were to happen again, given Aokiji's style, he would undoubtedly choose to start a war immediately.

Nara Shikaku sighed inwardly. It seemed that Hizashi had never gotten over what happened back then.

Perhaps it was this incident that ultimately led the Uchiha and Hyuga clans to come together.

With the Hyuga clan officially joining the fray and openly supporting Aokiji of the Uchiha clan, the other people's hearts began to turn towards Aokiji, and they also expressed their support for Aokiji's election.

This is especially true for people who are dissatisfied with how the cake was divided in the past.

With the downfall of the four major clans, the Uchiha clan could not possibly consume such a huge pie of profit. They could take this opportunity to gain even greater benefits by supporting these clans.

For every supporter of the Uchiha clan, there was an opponent. Some even countered with recommendations: "I choose Jiraiya-sama..."

If we're talking about who can rival Aokiji of the Uchiha clan right now, then Jiraiya is undoubtedly the best candidate. He's no less experienced or strong than Aokiji, and more importantly, he was the disciple of the Third Hokage and the teacher of the Fourth Hokage.

With this connection, it's not impossible for Jiraiya to be elected Hokage. The only problem is that Jiraiya himself doesn't seem very willing to take on the role. Otherwise, the Third Hokage wouldn't have needed to step in after the Fourth Hokage's death.

Neither side would yield, and with neither commander speaking, a stalemate ensued.

This will never end if things continue like this. The Uchiha clan is now facing their fate. The hot-tempered Uchiha Inahisa stood up and said, "I think the position of Hokage belongs to Lord Aokiji."

His arrogant attitude, as if he were the only one who could do it for Aokiji, provoked strong dissatisfaction from the opposing side.

"In terms of seniority and strength, Jiraiya-sama is no less capable than Aokiji-sama. More importantly, Jiraiya is the disciple of the Third Hokage and the teacher of the Fourth Hokage. I believe that Jiraiya-sama is the true rightful Hokage. What are your reasons?"

Uchiha Inahime slammed her hands on the table: "It's simple, choosing Aokiji-sama will result in a win, choosing Raiya-sama will result in a loss."

Now that the Uchiha clan is about to officially become Hokage, they will not tolerate this in the slightest.

"W-What did you say?!"

"Don't give me any nonsense. Strength is the most important thing." Uchiha quoted Aokiji: "If I remember correctly, Aokiji-sama's strength has always been greater than Jiraiya-sama's."

"you……"

Uchiha Inahime arrogantly declared, "I've given my answer. Who agrees, who disagrees?"

His words were too arrogant; the opposing side wouldn't tolerate it and shouted, "I object!"

"That's right, I also object."

Uchiha Inahime's attempt to show off failed, revealing his three-tomoe Sharingan eyes as he prepared to get his revenge.

At that moment, a voice rang out, with a reproachful tone: "What are you doing? What are you doing? Don't lose your temper so easily. You're giving people the impression that everyone in the Uchiha clan is unreasonable."

As he spoke, Aokiji released a massive amount of chakra, causing the surrounding temperature to drop sharply. It seemed like he was teaching Inahime a lesson, but in reality, he was intimidating everyone.

Everyone was astonished. Was this abnormal chakra really human?

Didn't he lose his tailed beast?

What's with this Tailed Beast-level chakra? It actually lowered the temperature of the surrounding air without even forming hand seals.

Uchiha broke out in a cold sweat and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Lord Aokiji..."

Seeing his subordinate's sincere apology, Aokiji smiled and said, "That's more like it. Talk things out calmly. Besides, I'm not really interested in being Hokage..."

Uchiha Inahime was taken aback: "Lord Aokiji, what are you talking about?"

Not only did Uchiha Inahime not understand Aokiji, but no one else did either.

"My biggest regret now is that I succeeded Fugaku as the head of the Uchiha clan. I have no freedom at all."

Aokiji lamented, "Now that I think about it, my happiest moments were riding my bicycle around the streets, carefree."

"..."

"You want me to be Hokage, and you still think I have too much trouble?"

"..."

Nara Shikaku couldn't understand Aokiji anymore. How could he not be interested in the Hokage when he had done all these things behind the scenes?

Following the other person's words, he looked at the other person and said, "In that case, then, Lord Jiraiya, you..."

Jiraiya shook his head and said in a deep voice, "My personality is not suitable for being Hokage, and to be honest, my strength is indeed no match for his."

Jiraiya shared the same thought as Nara Shikaku: Aokiji could never be uninterested in becoming Hokage. If they just went along with it, who knows what crazy things Aokiji might do next.

Moreover, setting aside his personal personality, he is currently very tired and truly cannot take on the role of Hokage.

Neither of them was interested in Naruto, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

"Lord Aokiji, you heard it too. Lord Jiraiya has absolutely no interest in the Hokage position." Uchiha Inahime advised, "Don't make excuses. With your strength, there's no one more suitable in the village than you."

"Hokage, me?" Aokiji shook his head, continuing to decline, "No, no, I've been away from the village for so long, how can I become Hokage so soon after I come back? I really don't want to be Hokage."

Uchiha Inahime continued to persuade him, "Lord Aokiji, even if you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about the villagers. Now that something like this has happened, in this critical situation, we need a strong leader to manage things. Otherwise, other villages will think our village is easy to bully, which could lead to war and unnecessary sacrifices. Lord Aokiji, do you really want to see that happen?"

With this righteous hat on, Qing Pheasant has to be one even if he doesn't want to be one.

Hearing the conversation between the two, Nara Shikaku finally understood what was going on.

So Aokiji was staging this whole thing. If he had just agreed, his purpose would have been too obvious, which was a minor issue. The main concern was that he was afraid of being suspected of murdering the Third Hokage.

After all, the Uchiha clan benefited the most from this.

Therefore, he deliberately staged this play to show those who were unaware of the truth, so as to completely clear himself of suspicion.

Whether you believe it or not is another matter, but at least you have to put on a good show.

That's despicable.

Nara Shikaku cursed under his breath.

The truly tragic thing is that he could only curse in his heart, not daring to utter a single word, otherwise who knows what crazy things this madman might do next.

He even had to play along, giving Aokiji a way out: "Inahime makes a good point, Lord Aokiji, please don't refuse. How about this, you can be the acting Hokage for a while to get through this difficult time, and then step down when a suitable person is found, is that alright?"

Having said all that, Aokiji had no choice but to sigh and reluctantly accept: "I really can't do anything with you guys. Since that's the case, I'll reluctantly become Hokage for now. But let me make this clear beforehand: if a suitable candidate comes along, I'll step down immediately. Don't try to stop me then!"

Nara Shikaku replied, "Yes, definitely."

Aokiji nodded: "In that case, I'll temporarily assume the role of Hokage."

After saying that, he looked at everyone and smiled slightly: "Who agrees and who disagrees? If you have any opinions, you can raise them now. I have always been very 'underworld' in my opinion."

The group exchanged bewildered glances and reluctantly accepted the situation.

At least Aokiji didn't completely rule things out, leaving a glimmer of hope, albeit a small one.

With no objections from the crowd, Aokiji was essentially confirmed as Hokage, with only the formalities remaining.

Uchiha Inahime said, "Lord Aokiji, Asuma and his accomplices murdered the high-ranking officials..."

Aokiji glanced at him.

Uchiha Inahime understood and immediately changed her tune: "Uh, Hokage-sama, should we immediately launch an investigation into Asuma and his accomplices for murdering high-ranking officials?"

Aokiji slammed his fist on the table, displaying his ruthless side on stage: "Of course, this matter must be repaid in blood."

◎

On the rooftop.

Aokiji rested his hands on the fence, enjoying the breeze and gazing at the scenery below.

Jiraiya stood behind him and mocked, "Now that you're Hokage, are you happy?"

"..."

Aokiji didn't respond. He felt really good after getting his revenge, but then he felt empty.

After a long silence, he slowly asked, "Where are you planning to go next?"

Aokiji didn't think Jiraiya would stay in the village now.

Jiraiya is still in the village, just to see how he will win the Hokage position, and also to taunt him.

"This is none of your business."

Having achieved his goal, Jiraiya was now preparing to leave this place of uncertainty.

"This is indeed none of my business, but it does concern Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't actually kill everyone except Asuma and the Sarutobi clan. I left one person alive, you know?"

"What did you say?"

"That child's name is Konohamaru, and he is Hiruzen Sarutobi's grandson."

Jiraiya glanced at Aokiji, unable to understand him.

Could it be that one's conscience hasn't been completely eradicated?

No, that's impossible.

They killed all the unrelated members of the Aokiji Sarutobi clan, so there's no way they could have left this direct descendant.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not crazy, I'm not deliberately making trouble for myself." Aokiji smiled, "It's part of the deal."

"trade?"

"This is a deal between me and Asuma. In order to prevent internal strife in the village, he chose to kill all the high-ranking officials and take all the blame himself. In return, I preserved the bloodline of the Sarutobi clan, and I will not expose any of Hokage Inui's dirty deeds."

Jiraiya lowered his head, his face grim.

Aokiji has completely changed; he actually came up with such a vicious method.

Aokiji chuckled, "Hey, you know what? This inspiration actually came from the higher-ups in Konoha."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when I told you that the higher-ups were planning to slaughter my entire clan?"

Jiraiya: "..."

"And their method is the same one I'm using now, except the target is Uchiha Itachi, and the child left behind is Sasuke, Itachi's younger brother." Aokiji said in a deep voice, "If I hadn't returned to the Uchiha clan in time, what you're seeing now would be Uchiha Itachi killing all his clan members, bearing everything, and becoming a rogue ninja."

The truth was far crueler than he had imagined. Jiraiya took a deep breath: "...Why did you tell me all this?"

"I'm just telling you that I don't regret doing these things."

"..."

Aokiji said, "Take Konohamaru away, and change his surname and given name. Don't let him be like Naruto, with a whirlpool in his surname, as if he's afraid people won't know who his child is."

"He's only one or two years old now and doesn't remember anything. I think the pain I'm inflicting on him is far less than the pain the higher-ups originally intended to inflict on Sasuke. After all, Sasuke isn't completely clueless at this point."

Jiraiya asked in a deep voice, "Where is he?"

Aokiji told them the location.

Jiraiya turned and left.

Aokiji shouted, "You'd better take him far away and never let him set foot in the village again. If I meet him and recognize him next time, I will kill him without hesitation, out of caution."

Jiraiya closed his eyes and disappeared from the place the next second.

Jiraiya carried Konohamaru away from Konoha and walked onto the road.

Suddenly, a figure caught his eye, leaning against a large tree, as if it had been waiting for him there on purpose.

The person had pale skin and striking purple eyeshadow around their eyes.

Jiraiya instantly recognized the man, his eyes widening in surprise, and exclaimed, "Orochimaru..."

(End of this chapter)