The meeting hall was filled with the representatives of all major clans.
Normally, such matters were presided over by the village elders, but now that all of them were gone, everyone felt a bit uneasy.
On the raised platform stood Shikaku Nara, the head of the Jonin squad. Having him preside over the meeting in place of the elders was the most suitable arrangement.
He went straight to the point."You all know the circumstances already, so I won't waste words. As for the position of Hokage—if any of you have thoughts about it, now's the time to speak up."
Normally, electing a Hokage involved a long, complicated process, but in times of crisis, extraordinary measures were needed.
The village was in chaos; they had to choose a new Hokage quickly to stabilize the situation and prevent enemies from taking advantage.
After hearing Shikaku's words, no one could deny that they were tempted.
The position of Hokage, once out of reach, suddenly seemed attainable.
Some smaller clans, unable to grasp the full picture, eagerly jumped forward to express their desire to become Hokage.
And then… nothing happened.
The great clans didn't speak—not because they had no interest, but because they were weighing the pros and cons, deciding their stance.
Among all the ninja clans, the most powerful—both in strength and influence—was without question the Uchiha clan.
They had long coveted the Hokage seat.
In the past, the elders had deliberately suppressed them, leaving them without real authority. Now that the entire leadership was dead, their shackles were gone. Naturally, they wouldn't waste this opportunity.
Once, the Senju clan had been a counterbalance, but now the Senju had dissolved into the general populace. People liked to say "you are part of me, I am part of you," but in truth, they had become a scattered, leaderless group.
Everyone sighed inwardly. It seemed inevitable that this Hokage would come from the Uchiha clan.
At that moment, a man stood up.
All eyes turned to him—a man with black hair, pale eyes, and a solemn expression.
It was the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi Hyuga.
Could it be… they also had intentions?
Everyone suddenly realized they had overlooked the Hyuga.
Though the Hyuga were slightly weaker than the Uchiha, their strength was still formidable.
Given how many enemies the Uchiha had made, even those who disliked them might rally behind Hiashi just to oppose them.
Seeing that Hiashi seemed to have something in mind, Shikaku Nara was a bit surprised."Hiashi, do you want to be Hokage?"
Hiashi shook his head."No. I intend to nominate Tōshirō for Hokage, that's all."
Hiashi's words dropped like a bomb, causing an uproar in the room.
Everyone had been ready to jump into the race, but the Hyuga head suddenly… endorsed someone else?
What was going on?
Shikaku remembered something—Hiashi had been directly involved in killing Danzō.
He didn't know how the Uchiha had managed to win over the Hyuga, but it no longer mattered.
With the two strongest clans united, Tōshirō of the Uchiha becoming Hokage was practically guaranteed. The rest was just a formality.
The massive gap in power made even the strategist Shikaku feel despair. He could only play along and keep up appearances."That's quite surprising. May I ask your reason?"
"I want someone strong to lead the village. I don't want to see any more so-called 'appeasement policies' for the sake of the greater good."
Now that the elders were all dead, Hiashi no longer needed to be cautious.
Everyone quickly recalled what had happened two years ago with the Hidden Cloud Village incident. Hiashi had clearly never let it go.
Not long ago, Tōshirō had openly clashed with the village leadership, and it had ended badly. Given that and his Uchiha heritage, everyone could already imagine how hardline his rule would be.
If another Hidden Cloud incident occurred, Tōshirō would definitely choose to fight, no hesitation.
Shikaku sighed inwardly. Hiashi had never forgiven the elders for that event.
Perhaps that was what had drawn the Uchiha and Hyuga clans together at last.
With the Hyuga now publicly supporting Tōshirō, the balance began to shift. One by one, others voiced their support for him as well—especially those who had felt cheated out of power in the past.
With the four great clans of the old leadership gone, there was more than enough "cake" for everyone. Supporting the Uchiha now meant gaining bigger shares later.
But not everyone agreed.
"I nominate Lord Jiraiya!" someone declared.
If anyone could rival Tōshirō, it was Jiraiya—equal in power and far greater in seniority. More importantly, he had been the Third Hokage's disciple and the Fourth Hokage's teacher.
With those ties, Jiraiya becoming Hokage wasn't impossible.
But there was one issue—he had never shown much interest in the position. If he'd wanted it, he could have taken it after the Fourth's death, and the Third wouldn't have had to return.
Now both sides had their supporters, creating a tense deadlock.
As the stalemate dragged on, the Uchiha decided to act.
A hot-tempered clansman, Inoka Uchiha, stood up."I believe the Hokage position should rightfully belong to Lord Tōshirō!"
His proud tone immediately provoked anger from the opposing side.
"In terms of experience and strength, Lord Jiraiya is no weaker than Tōshirō! And as the Third's disciple and the Fourth's teacher, he's far more qualified! What's your reasoning?"
Inoka slammed his hands on the table."It's simple—if you choose Lord Tōshirō, we win. If you choose Lord Jiraiya, we lose."
The message was clear: the Uchiha were done compromising.
"You—what did you just say!?"
"Don't give me that nonsense! Strength speaks louder than words," Inoka barked. "If I'm not mistaken, Lord Tōshirō's strength surpasses Lord Jiraiya's by far!"
"You…"
Inoka smirked arrogantly. "That's all I have to say. Who agrees, and who opposes?"
His words were too cocky. The opposition roared back.
"I object!"
"Me too!"
Inoka, annoyed, activated his Sharingan—three tomoe spinning in fury—ready to make his point by force.
Then a calm but chilling voice cut through the tension."What are you doing? Don't lose your temper so easily. You'll make people think every Uchiha is unreasonable."
Tōshirō's chakra flared as he spoke. The air temperature dropped sharply.
He appeared to be scolding Inoka, but in truth, he was intimidating everyone present.
The sheer pressure left them breathless.
This chakra… is he even human?
Didn't he lose his Tailed Beast? How can he still have chakra on that level?
Without even forming seals, the air itself had grown cold.
Inoka broke out in a sweat."M-my apologies, Lord Tōshirō…"
Tōshirō smiled faintly."That's better. There's no need to argue. Besides, I'm not even interested in being Hokage."
"Huh?" Inoka froze. "What do you mean, my lord?"
Everyone looked puzzled.
Tōshirō sighed dramatically."The biggest mistake I ever made was taking Fugaku's place as Uchiha clan head. It's so stifling—no freedom at all."
He gazed wistfully into the distance."My happiest days were when I could just ride a bicycle around the village without a care in the world."
"…"
"And now you want me to be Hokage? Haven't I got enough problems already?"
"…"
Shikaku was utterly confused. Someone who'd gone this far behind the scenes was claiming he didn't want the position? Impossible.
Still, he played along."In that case… Lord Jiraiya, what about you?"
Jiraiya shook his head solemnly."My personality doesn't suit the role of Hokage. And frankly… I'm not his match."
He, too, understood what Tōshirō was doing.
If Tōshirō accepted too readily, it would look suspicious—especially since the Uchiha benefited the most from the Third's death.
By acting reluctant, he made it seem like he'd been "forced" into the role, washing away suspicion.
Shikaku silently cursed him for his cunning—but he dared not voice it.
So, he offered a graceful way forward."Inoka is right. Lord Tōshirō, please don't decline. How about this—you serve as acting Hokage for now. Once the crisis is over, we'll find someone suitable to take over. How does that sound?"
The trap was set perfectly.
Tōshirō sighed and nodded helplessly."You really won't take no for an answer, huh? Fine. I'll reluctantly take the position—but when a suitable replacement appears, I'll step down immediately. Don't stop me then."
"Of course," Shikaku said.
Tōshirō smiled faintly."Then for now, I'll temporarily assume the role of Hokage."
He glanced around."If anyone has objections, speak now. I'm a very 'democratic' person."
No one spoke.
They all knew it was a farce—but at least he'd left them a token illusion of choice.
With that, Tōshirō was effectively the new Hokage—only the ceremony remained.
Inoka then asked,"Lord Tōshirō, regarding Asuma and his accomplices who killed the elders…"
Tōshirō gave him a cold look.
Inoka immediately corrected himself."Ah—Hokage-sama, should we begin the investigation at once?"
Tōshirō slammed his fist on the table, adopting a hardline tone."Of course. Blood must pay for blood!"
◎
On the rooftop, Tōshirō leaned on the railing, gazing at the village below as the wind brushed past.
Jiraiya stood behind him, smirking."So, you're Hokage now. Happy?"
Tōshirō said nothing. For a brief moment after his revenge, he had felt satisfaction—but now only emptiness remained.
After a long silence, he asked quietly,"What will you do now?"
He didn't expect Jiraiya to stay in the village any longer.
Jiraiya had only stayed to see what method Tōshirō would use to seize power—and to mock him once he did.
"That's none of your business."
His purpose fulfilled, Jiraiya was preparing to leave this cursed place.
"You're right," Tōshirō said. "It's not my business—but it concerns Hiruzen Sarutobi."
Jiraiya frowned. "What do you mean?"
Tōshirō's tone was calm."I didn't kill every last member of the Sarutobi clan. One remains. Did you know?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened. "What did you say?"
"There's a child—Konohamaru, Hiruzen's grandson."
Jiraiya looked at Tōshirō, trying to understand.
Had he grown a conscience? No—that was impossible.
Tōshirō had killed plenty of innocents among the Sarutobi. There was no way he'd spare a direct descendant out of mercy.
"Don't misunderstand," Tōshirō said with a small smile. "I'm not stupid enough to cause myself trouble. This is part of a deal."
"A deal?"
"Yes. I made a deal with Asuma. To prevent civil war, he agreed to kill the elders and take all the blame. In exchange, I spared the Sarutobi bloodline—and promised not to expose what the Hokage had done in the shadows."
Jiraiya lowered his head, face darkening.
Tōshirō had changed completely—his mind as sharp as it was cruel.
He chuckled. "Funny thing is, I got the idea from the village elders themselves."
"What?"
"Remember when I told you they planned to massacre my entire clan?"
Jiraiya said nothing.
"Their method was the same as mine—only the roles were reversed. Their chosen killer was Uchiha Itachi, and the one to be spared was his younger brother, Sasuke."
Tōshirō's voice hardened."If I hadn't returned in time, you'd have seen Itachi murder his entire clan and take the blame, becoming a rogue ninja."
The truth was far crueler than Jiraiya had imagined.
He took a deep breath. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I just want you to know—I don't regret any of it."
"…"
"Take Konohamaru with you," Tōshirō said quietly. "Change his name. Don't make the same mistake as Naruto—don't let his surname advertise who he is."
"He's barely one or two years old. He'll remember nothing. The pain I caused him is nothing compared to what the elders wanted to do to Sasuke. At least that child would have understood his loss."
Jiraiya's voice was low. "Where is he?"
Tōshirō told him the location.
Jiraiya turned to leave.
"Take him far away," Tōshirō called after him. "Never return to this village. If I ever see him again and recognize him—I'll kill him without hesitation."
Jiraiya closed his eyes. A moment later, he vanished.
Carrying Konohamaru, he left the Hidden Leaf Village.
On the road, a figure leaning against a tree caught his eye—pale skin, purple eye-shadow framing cold, serpentine eyes.
Jiraiya froze, shocked."Orochimaru…"
End of Chapter)
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