Start with a Zanpakuto and build the strongest Mist Village.

Chunin and Genin from Konoha Village love this place because the alcohol is great for relieving the fatigue after completing a mission. Even Jonin can often be seen here, as the pain of war can also be alleviated with alcohol.

Some ninjas, holding wine glasses, were talking incessantly, their faces clearly showing signs of intoxication, and the whole hall was noisy.

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

A drunken chunin hiccuped as he sat at the bar, picking up a piece of fried food and asking the bartender behind the liquor cabinet.

The shop owner fished a piece of fried tempura out of the oil and set it aside to drain. Hearing the Chunin's question, he chuckled and said, "How would I know about such things? I've been away from the ninja profession for so long, how could I possibly know the current situation?"

"However, Lord Minato has been quite the figurehead lately. If it weren't for him, Konoha would probably have been defeated long ago."

"However, I still lean more towards Lord Orochimaru. Back in Amegakure, if it weren't for the legendary Sannin, we might have lost many more ninjas. I was a ninja then, and it was because of the Sannin that we escaped. It's just a pity about Lady Tsunade and Lady Jiraiya, sigh..."

The shop owner sighed deeply.

The current situation of the Legendary Sannin is a regret for every ninja in Konoha. Jiraiya died in battle, Tsunade left, and of the once famous Legendary Sannin, only Orochimaru remains.

Upon hearing the shop owner's voice, the Chunin nodded at first, but then shook his head.

"Lord Orochimaru is indeed very good, and his strength is quite formidable, but he's a bit too arrogant and can't get along with us chunin and genin at all... To be honest, I even tremble a little when I go to report a mission to Lord Orochimaru!"

"But Lord Minato is different. He's like a little sun, so I still lean more towards Lord Minato."

"……Too."

The shop owner seemed to want to say something, but then, as if remembering something, he smiled and agreed.

But another Chunin, who was quite old, slammed his fist on the table and shouted angrily, "What do you know? Although Lord Minato is outstanding, how can he compare to Lord Orochimaru?"

"Do you know how terrifying the war in the Land of Rain was back then? We not only had to face the Rain Ninja, but also the Iwa Ninja and the Suna Ninja. If it weren't for the Sannin, you wouldn't be here spouting nonsense today."

"Alright, you're young and don't know how terrifying it was back then. If it weren't for Lord Orochimaru, we would probably have been tortured to death by the Sand Village's poison on the battlefield this time!"

"After defeating Sunagakure and forcing them to surrender, Lord Orochimaru rushed to the battlefield in Iwagakure and took up the mantle. In terms of merit, contribution, seniority, and combat strength, Lord Orochimaru is definitely superior! I support Lord Orochimaru becoming Hokage!"

This middle-aged ninja had a loud voice, and with the added effect of drinking, he was speaking at the top of his lungs, his voice even drowning out the noisy tavern.

Many middle-aged ninjas nodded in agreement upon hearing his words, demonstrating the prestige of the Three Sannin in their hearts.

But the young Chunin was unconvinced. Having drunk some alcohol, he didn't care about such things and said without hesitation, "Lord Orochimaru is indeed very strong and has done a lot, but in this Shinobi World War, Lord Minato's contribution is the greatest. Lord Minato is also much more kind and approachable. I will support Lord Minato!"

"I think it's Lord Orochimaru!"

"Minato-sama!"

"Master Orochimaru!"

The two argued about this, and since they had both been drinking, the verbal conflict escalated, and eventually, it's unclear who started it, but it turned into a brawl.

The ninjas who were watching gathered in a circle and started jeering at each other, making the scene completely chaotic.

The farce only ended when the Uchiha arrived.

"Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze, huh?"

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

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

But only a handful of people actually become Hokage.

Based on the current trend, the position of the Fourth Hokage will only be chosen from Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze...

"If Shisui were still alive, would we Uchiha have just sat by and watched the Hokage position slip away right before our eyes!"

Fugaku slammed his fist on the table, his eyes filled with resentment.

If Shisui were still alive, the Uchiha clan might not be without the ability to put up a fight.

Although Shisui's reputation and strength are not as great as Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze, with the current power of the Uchiha clan, they still have a slight chance if they make some maneuvering.

After all, the losses suffered by all factions in Konoha are extremely severe, especially those of the Hokage faction.

The current elite of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio are almost all dead, leaving only a few big cats and small cats. The losses in other productions are also quite serious. At present, the only ones in Konoha who can rival Konoha are the Hyuga.

However, the Hyuga clan, which even managed to defeat the Caged Bird Seal, could never become Hokage. This has led to the Uchiha clan's power being almost unmatched at present!

but……

"Why is this happening, Shisui..."

Fugaku sighed with a complicated expression.

Without Shisui, the Uchiha clan was left with only his pair of Mangekyou Sharingan. Even though their overall strength was quite outstanding, they were still a little lacking in terms of being strong individuals.

"Father."

The sudden sound interrupted Fugaku's troubled thoughts, and Itachi appeared at the doorway.

Seeing his beloved son arrive, Fugaku quickly composed himself and smiled, "What's wrong, Itachi?"

"I have just finished practicing shuriken techniques and would like Father to test them!"

"oh?!"

Fugaku's eyes lit up, and 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 progressed in shurikenjutsu!"

"Yes, Father!"

The extraordinary young man displayed exceptional talent. Even without activating his Sharingan, Itachi Uchiha's shurikenjutsu was comparable to that of many of his clansmen who had awakened the Sharingan.

"Let's try using Fire Release!"

"Yes! Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A raging fireball roared out, and the glint in Fugaku's eyes shone even brighter.

Although Itachi has not yet awakened his Sharingan, at only four years old, he already possesses the strength of a genin. In fact, in a recent war, he even single-handedly killed a genin from Iwagakure.

His son is an exceptional genius who is in no way inferior to Uchiha Shisui!

"Alright, Shisui."

Fugaku gazed at Itachi before him, his eyes gleaming: "Even without you, my Uchiha clan can still reach the pinnacle! As long as Itachi can grow stronger, my Uchiha clan might just be able to contend for the position of the Fifth Hokage!"

As for the fourth generation...

Although Minato Namikaze didn't have much of a relationship with her, Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto had a very good relationship; the two could 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 increasingly heated.

A courtyard in the center of the village.

Light snow began to fall again. Orochimaru, dressed in a white kimono, sat quietly in the wooden corridor, watching the snowflakes drift down.

He was dressed very lightly, but thanks to the protection of his chakra, he did not feel cold.

The election is in three days. It would be a lie to say I have no thoughts on it.

Almost all ninjas who inherit the Will of Fire aim to become Hokage, so the ninjas in the village have a special feeling for the position of Hokage.

The only person who wouldn't be tempted would probably be someone like Tsunade, whose special status meant she had already given up on Konoha and left.

He had observed the overall atmosphere in Konoha and was considering his options for the Hokage election.

This time, his teacher seemed to favor Minato Namikaze, and Orochimaru somewhat understood the reasons behind it.

It was simply because he had been too close to Danzo before, and there were even incidents like the concealment of the Wood Release experimental subjects.

With the master and disciple growing apart, coupled with Minato Namikaze's menopause and his popularity among the new generation in the village, the possibility that his election as Hokage would inspire the younger generation of ninjas and bring a new wave of vitality to the village, all these factors caused the scales of victory to tip even further in Minato Namikaze's favor.

To be honest, if that person had been Jiraiya instead of Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru might have accepted it.

After all, compared to becoming Hokage and constantly dealing with the village's tedious administrative affairs, he preferred the feeling of studying the true meaning of ninjutsu and searching for various secrets and truths.

Whenever Orochimaru sees the principles behind each ninjutsu being analyzed and used to deduce new ninjutsu that have never appeared before, he can always show a genuine smile.

but……

"Lord Orochimaru, Lord Danzo requests your presence."

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 sent people to see him many times, and he also met with Danzo. Their conversations naturally revolved around the election of the Fourth Hokage.

Danzo's meaning was clear: he would support Orochimaru, but he also hoped that Orochimaru would hand over control of the Anbu after becoming Hokage.

It is worth mentioning that after the war, Hiruzen Sarutobi returned Root to Danzo, but compared to before, Root's manpower was greatly reduced, leaving only a few people.

Orochimaru neither rejected nor agreed to Danzo's idea. If he really became Hokage, he would never hand over the Anbu to Danzo. However, right now, without Danzo's support, he might not be able to compete with Minato Namikaze.

"teacher!"

With a crisp sound, a petite figure hopped and skipped into Orochimaru's field of vision, holding several strings of dumplings in her hand.

"Hey teacher, these are freshly baked tricolor dumplings!"

"..."

Orochimaru did not take the dumpling, and said calmly, "We are not members of the Akimichi clan. Fat will only be a burden in our battles. Eat less red bean snacks. It's too easy to gain weight."

No, no.

Hongdou quickly hid the three-colored dumplings behind her back, revealing an awkward yet polite smile.

Orochimaru shook his head, his mind involuntarily recalling his former disciple.

If that little guy were still here, things would probably be different...

pity.

Life is something that vanishes so easily, just like snowflakes in the sky; once they fall to the ground, they melt into water droplets.

Whether it's Nawaki or Jiraiya, it's all the same.

What he truly sought was eternal life!

However, he was willing to accept defeat to Jiraiya.

Lost to Minato Namikaze...

I really feel a bit resentful!

……

The Hokage election was held as scheduled.

Compared to the Hidden Mist Village's domineering policy of electing whoever is strongest, the Hidden Leaf Village's election method is actually more outrageous.

The process for becoming Hokage involves several candidates being shortlisted through internal competition, then reported to the Daimyo, who then decides on the Hokage based on his personal preferences and recommendations from his staff.

The personal preferences of the Daimyo are the most important factor in the evaluation, as can be seen in the process of choosing a new Hokage after Tsunade was injured.

Of course, the criteria for daimyo are not absolute. For example, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was directly appointed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, skipping 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 obviously will not allow such a situation to occur. Therefore, this time, only one candidate will be selected from the village's candidates, and that person must be approved by the entire village.

Only in this way can the shadow of war hanging over the village be dispelled.

But who will become the candidate...? This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi used the simplest and most direct method.

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

This approach was completely unexpected by everyone present, yet it seemed quite reasonable.

A total of twelve candidates, including Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru, Torifu Akimichi, Danzo, Fugaku Uchiha, and Hiashi Hyuga, stood on the temporary election stage set up in front of the Hokage Building.

Dozens of Anbu ninjas maintained order, while thousands of Konoha ninjas, along with countless Konoha villagers and television crews, gathered together at this moment!

One by one, the ninjas cast their votes for their desired targets under the watchful eyes of countless people.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat in the back, quietly watching this scene, his expression complex as he gazed at the so-called 'fair election'.

Is it fair?

In fact, everyone knows the answer.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi announced that this method would be used to decide the Fourth Hokage, the choice was already made. Therefore, the expressions of the candidates did not change much, except for Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru, whose expressions were more complicated than the other's...

Voting and statistics.