Konoha: Offer your heart to the Hokage!

Generally, the Hokage, his assistants, and the elders all have the right to nominate ninjas who have made outstanding contributions to the village to participate in the election for the next Hokage. If the Hokage and the elders agree, only one ninja will be nominated.

Secondly, there is the national referendum.

Ordinary civilians were naturally excluded from this "nationwide" vote; instead, Konoha Jonin, representatives of ninja clans, and representatives from various sectors of Konoha participated in the voting. The person with the most votes became the new Hokage.

If the Hokage and the elders nominate the same person, this step is just a formality, a way to boost reputation and win people's hearts before it's over.

The nomination and referendum results are then reported to the Daimyo. The Daimyo only needs to confirm the final result and affix their seal, thus completing the entire succession process. At this point, the new Hokage has officially been appointed.

In this set of rules, the official cannot interfere with the selection of candidates; they only have the power to "mention" them. Essentially, they are just a tool for stamping documents.

Tobirama Senju followed the same process to become the Second Hokage.

However, at that time, the Hokage of Konoha was Hashirama, so he nominated Tobirama; the elder was Shinji, so naturally he couldn't nominate himself... With only this one candidate, it naturally became the "designation of the Hokage" in people's stereotypes.

In fact, Konoha's system is very fair and just!

“That’s right! Even if it was the Second Hokage’s dying wish, it couldn’t directly name the Third Hokage.”

The system will automatically match you with an equally matched opponent.

Uchiha Chiri's words resonated with everyone present.

They possess the spirit of ninjas, and the Will of Fire they received in their education does not allow them to acknowledge Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two as the future power center of Konoha.

"Damn woman!"

Danzo's eye twitched, and he gave Uchiha Chiri a deep look, clenching his fists to bury his hatred deep in his heart.

Angry and frustrated!

The inherently evil Uchiha clan desires to become the Hokage's relative by marriage, hoping to wreak havoc on Konoha. Their teacher, if he were still alive, would never allow such a thing, and neither would they allow it themselves!

He looked at Mito Uzumaki, hoping that as Lady Taikage, she would step forward and say something.

only……

Mito kept his eyes, nose, mouth, and mind at ease, his expression indifferent, as if he were detached from the situation.

No one on their side refuted Uchiha Chiri's words, and the three of them felt as if they were isolated by the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

The trio seemed to be isolated and bullied by Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was very sad.

When the master was alive, all the ninjas present were his "right-hand men." Now, the master himself has appointed him as the "Third Hokage," but he receives no recognition whatsoever.

Nobody recognizes him as the third generation!

Nobody respects the second generation's last words!

Master's wife… Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly thought of Momoka Senju. As long as Master's wife returns, everything will be alright!

However, at that moment, a member of the secret service rushed in and reported urgently, "Lord Tao Hua and the others have returned!"

"Bring them in."

Thousand Hands Peach Blossom slowly walked into the venue.

She glanced at the three people being interrogated like prisoners, her eyes filled with complex and indescribable emotions.

They were once Tobirama's most trusted disciples, but now they had become the sinners who indirectly caused his death. Even she herself didn't know how to face them.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart skipped a beat.

The teacher's wife is back, but will things really take a turn for the better?

Senju Momoka sighed deeply, her sorrow barely concealed: "The Second Hokage has sacrificed himself. I have already sealed his body in a scroll, so I will not take it out in public."

"In addition, Shadow Guard member Koharu Tsurugi has also been killed in action."

That's all.

She took out Koharu's body in front of everyone and placed it in the center of the conference room.

hiss!

A collective gasp of cold air filled the air.

Xiaochun's death was extremely gruesome; her bones were completely shattered, and she was limp like a lump of mud, a truly shocking sight.

"Koharu!" Hiruzen and Mitokado Homura exclaimed in shock, their eyes reddening and their faces contorted with grief. "Who did this?"

Shen Er looked at this scene with a sorrowful expression and ordered, "Put it away!"

Moments later, Senju Momoka understood the public trial process and learned about her husband's last wish.

After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke: "Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and Homura Mitokado deserted their posts, leading to the death of the Second Hokage, and they cannot escape blame. However, this was the Second Hokage's own will, and as his widow, I respect his will and hope that leniency can be shown..."

"Konoha has its own rules."

"The title of Hokage is someone who is recognized by everyone. According to the rules, even the Second Hokage cannot directly appoint the Third Hokage; he can only be nominated. Following the procedure, let's make Hiruzen Sarutobi the candidate for the Third Hokage."

Senju Momoka couldn't forgive Hiruzen and the others, but she also couldn't ignore Tobirama's dying wish, so she could only resort to this compromise.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is currently the only candidate for the Third Hokage, with no other competitors within the village. Even if no one votes for him, he will eventually succeed as the Third Hokage according to the rules.

The premise is that Jin, who is both an elder and acting Hokage, does not make a new nomination.

Whether Hiruzen Sarutobi can become the Third Hokage depends on his own destiny, and even more so on his own will.

Chapter 170 Danzo's Humiliation - Expired Milk

Hiruzen Sarutobi became a candidate for the Third Hokage.

This outcome was exactly what Tobirama had expected; the fact that the Shadow Guard abandoned the Hokage and fled was Tobirama's own will.

He could ruin Hiruzen Sarutobi's and others' reputations among the villagers, but he couldn't disqualify Hiruzen from running for Hokage.

These are all within the rules.

Smart people make rules and utilize them.

So many schemes were laid out to prevent the Konoha leadership from ignoring the rules and forcibly ousting Hiruzen Sarutobi as Hokage after hearing the Second Hokage's dying wish.

As long as the outcome is decided through a normal election

Even if Tobirama were to be resurrected, let alone Hiruzen Sarutobi, he still wouldn't be able to defeat him.

Shen Er, with a stern expression, made the decision in the manner of a Hokage:

“What Jonin Momoka said makes sense. Let’s proceed with this plan.”

"Hiruzen Sarutobi is a candidate for the Third Hokage, and the public announcement period is half a month. During this period, the three members of the former Kage's Guard are prohibited from leaving the village. Anyone who violates this rule will be treated as a rogue ninja."

Upon hearing this, the group instinctively clenched their fists.

This was undoubtedly an insult to them. Even if they weren't heroes, they didn't deserve to be called "traitorous ninjas."

Meeting adjourned!

The Konoha public trial has temporarily come to an end.

But it's clear to everyone that the turmoil is far from over. Hidden undercurrents are rapidly accumulating at the eye of the storm, which will eventually unleash a massive storm that will overturn the existing order of Konoha.

After the meeting.

Shen Er stood with his hands behind his back, overlooking the scenery of Konoha.

Uchiha Chiri slowly walked up behind him, raised her hand to drape a pure white half-sleeved haori over his shoulders, and said softly, "Sure, Hiruzen Sarutobi is not suitable to be Hokage. Danzo Shimura harbors too much malice towards the Uchiha... For the sake of Konoha, for the sake of our family, you shall become Hokage."

As the acting Hokage and village elder, he is fully qualified to nominate himself.

Upon hearing this, Shen Er's eyes deepened, and he said leisurely, "No rush, let the shuriken fly for a while."

...

The news of the trial had already leaked before the Hokage Building had even publicly announced the results.

Rumors are spreading throughout the village.

The rumors did not clear Hiruzen and his two companions of their stigma; instead, they deepened the original sins they bore.

Several days later, public opinion had been brewing.

Konoha Old Izakaya.

"A ninja should prioritize completing the mission! To abandon the Hokage title and shamelessly become a candidate for the Third Hokage—if I were Hiruzen Sarutobi, I would commit seppuku!"

"It's all because Lord Shen'er is kind-hearted and couldn't bear to throw the three of them into prison."

"Shame on you! Do you even deserve to be a Konoha ninja?"

Humiliation and insults.

Mitokado Homura, who had come to drink after using a transformation technique, was in a daze, and a sharp pain shot through his heart.

He argued inwardly, shouting repeatedly: "That's not how it is! The teacher chose to sacrifice himself; he ordered us to evacuate. If he ordered me to cover the rear, I would definitely have done so..."

However, facts speak louder than words.

They are the ones who survived.

Mitokado Yan couldn't help but feel a deep sadness.

They fought desperately to survive that dire situation, but living became their greatest mistake.

Did they really survive that disaster? It seems that sacrificing themselves as protectors from the beginning, like Koharu, so that the teacher could activate the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the village, would have been the best ending for everyone.

At least after they die, they will be remembered as heroes who died in the line of duty.

Instead of living like this, barely surviving, afraid to show their true faces when going out for drinks, lest they be recognized by the villagers and publicly beaten and humiliated.

The immense mental stress nearly drove Mitokado to the brink of collapse.

Some ninjas live only for money; while others value honor more.

As Tobirama's disciple, Mitokado Homura clearly didn't possess particularly strong power, but he was second to none when it came to valuing honor.

He stood up, paid for the drinks, and went home in a daze.

But the discussions in the old izakaya didn't diminish at all; in fact, fueled by the alcohol, they became increasingly daring, touching on topics that would normally be off-limits.

"Besides, what makes the Second Hokage qualified to nominate Hiruzen Sarutobi? Does he deserve the ability and experience of a Hokage?"

"That's right! In my opinion, the Second Hokage is biased! Just because Hiruzen is his disciple, he wants to keep the Hokage position within his sphere of influence. In terms of seniority and ability, Elder Shinji is clearly more suitable."