The Hokage election—Konoha's grandest event.
No one had expected that in just two years, they would once again be choosing a brand-new Hokage to lead Konoha.
Standing atop the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi wore a complicated expression.
He didn't understand.
After days of campaign efforts, why was all of Konoha talking as if the Uchiha Clan had already secured the position? As if the Fifth Hokage was already theirs for the taking.
Two years ago, during the election for the Fourth Hokage, even though he wasn't the one ultimately chosen, the entire process had remained firmly under his control.
From the procedures and regulations to the personnel involved and the final outcome—everything had been orchestrated by him.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, may have brought about some slight changes during his tenure, but nothing had truly strayed from Hiruzen's grasp.
The feeling of holding absolute power—of everything being under his command—still lingered vividly in his mind.
But now?
In just two years, Konoha had undergone a dramatic transformation.
This village—established and governed by the First and Second Hokage, and managed by Hiruzen for decades—was now seemingly about to fall under the control of the Uchiha Clan, the very clan he had worked tirelessly to suppress?
No matter what, I am the Third Hokage! The Hokage faction still holds the greatest power in Konoha!
As long as we remain united, even if Danzo wins, the advantage will still rest with our Hokage faction!
As time passed, more and more shinobi gathered at the Hokage Building.
Uchiha Fugaku and others were already seated on the high platform, with Hyuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuga Clan, seated beside him.
Opposite them sat Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and various other clan leaders.
On the other side were the Kirigakure delegation, along with nobles and media personnel.
Down below, members of the Uchiha Police Force worked in coordination with the ANBU to maintain order, directing incoming shinobi to their designated sections.
The election for the Fifth Hokage was structured the same way as the Fourth's: every registered shinobi in Konoha had the right to vote—a supposed show of "democracy."
But everyone knew the truth. This system was just a tool Hiruzen Sarutobi hoped would allow his long-standing influence over public opinion—his years of demonizing and suppressing the Uchiha Clan—to still exert some impact.
He had used this same trick to get Minato elected two years ago. Today, he was simply repeating the tactic.
As the sun rose high into the sky, nearing noon, the crowd below had become a sea of people—Almost every shinobi in Konoha had arrived.
Compared to two years ago, Konoha's condition had worsened.
Two years was not enough time for a new generation of shinobi to grow.
And in that short period, Konoha had faced the disaster of the Nine-Tails' attack and a war with Kumogakure. Countless shinobi had perished. Compared to two years ago, both the civilian population and the number of active shinobi had dropped dramatically.
Many people looked at the familiar scene before them, but the people beside them were not the same as two years ago.
The things remain, but people change; emotions overwhelm before words can form.
The event hadn't even started, and already many were overcome with melancholy.
Hiruzen checked the time. Feeling that the moment had arrived, he gestured to the ANBU below and looked over at Fugaku.
Uchiha Fugaku gave a slight nod. With a subtle glance, the Uchiha Police Force sprang into action and officially closed the venue to additional voters.
Hiruzen took a deep breath and began to speak, his voice amplified by chakra so it could be heard by all:
"People of the village, welcome. I am Sarutobi Hiruzen, the acting Hokage of Konoha and today's election overseer. Thank you for coming. Today, we will once again choose the next Hokage of Konohagakure."
"Each of you has one vote, and you may cast it for any of the eleven candidates: Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Hiashi, Shimura Danzo, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Akimichi Torifu… among others."
"This is your right. Your freedom."
"Two years ago, we gathered for the election of the Fourth Hokage. Today, we meet again. Though times have changed, we do this for the good of Konoha… I now declare the Fifth Hokage Election… officially begun!"
As his words fell, the crowd responded with sparse, scattered applause.
Compared to the Fourth Hokage's election, this time only eleven candidates were listed—one fewer.
The missing candidate? Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage.
This scene stirred memories for many. The events of the past two years weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
Two years ago, the Third Great Ninja War had ended. They had hoped for peace—but what followed was chaos and more war, bringing pain far worse than anything from the war itself.
And now, as another Hokage election was held, what would the future bring?
Would the new Fifth Hokage be able to lead them—to lead Konoha—into true peace?
No one knew.
The lack of much response made Hiruzen Sarutobi a bit awkward, but in his heart, he couldn't help but inwardly chuckle.
This was exactly the outcome he wanted.
If they looked to the past, they would recall how wonderful and peaceful Konoha had been under his leadership. That nostalgia would surely guide their votes back to his faction.
He glanced at Uchiha Fugaku and scoffed inwardly.
All going according to plan!
Fugaku… you Uchihas want to seize the Hokage seat? You're far too naive!
On the high platform of the Hokage Building, there were eleven wooden boxes, each labeled with the name of a candidate.
Each shinobi held a ballot. All they needed to do was place it into the box of their chosen candidate.
As the election officially began, shinobi lined up in eleven orderly rows, guided by the ANBU and Uchiha Police Force to cast their votes.
Fugaku's line was by far the longest—practically a river of people. In contrast, the lines for the other candidates were sparse, with only Danzo and Torifu barely maintaining any meaningful presence.
This surprised no one.
Fugaku's popularity and reputation were unmatched. No one in Konoha could rival him now.
All eyes were on the scene, particularly those of the Uchiha Clan members. They were visibly tense, fists clenched, excitement and anxiety written all over their faces.
"Yes! That's it!"
"Keep it going like this! At this pace, Fugaku-sama will definitely win the Hokage seat!"
"Go, Fugaku-sama!"
The Uchiha clan members were ecstatic. Fugaku himself had his fists clenched tightly, eyes locked on the voting process below.
The position of Hokage was so close. If things continued like this, he would soon become the first Uchiha Hokage in Konoha's history—achieving something even Uchiha Madara had never done.
How could he not be thrilled?
Hiruzen, Danzo, and the others watched the proceedings anxiously.
Fugaku's popularity was overwhelming. If they hadn't prepared in advance, his victory would have been virtually guaranteed. Neither Danzo nor Torifu had even half his support!
Thankfully, everything is under control.
Elsewhere, in Kushina's residence within Kirigakure, several captains sat watching the events unfold on the projection screen, each with a different expression.
"Looks like Fugaku will be the winner of this election," Orochimaru said, cracking open an egg with a strange smile.
He had failed to secure the Fourth Hokage title. Now the Fifth was falling into Uchiha hands? Fascinating.
Tsunade and Kushina both sighed as they watched the voting results roll in—resigned, nostalgic, even wistful.
But above all… relieved?
Indeed, under the control of the Hokage faction led by Hiruzen over the past few years, Konoha had only deteriorated—political suppression, media manipulation, black ops experiments… even war heroes were driven to death.
Compared to that, letting the Uchiha lead Konoha might just be the fresh start the village needed.
"Shisui-kun, who do you think will ultimately win?" Yuki Yoru asked as he dipped food into a simmering hotpot.
Uchiha Shisui paused, staring intently at the screen, then shook his head.
"I can't say for sure. Although Fugaku-sama has the most votes so far, the nature of Konoha's upper echelon means they won't just sit by and watch."
"Either they've struck a secret deal with Fugaku-sama… or they still have a trick up their sleeves."
The others went quiet, all turning their gaze toward Danzo and Hiruzen—both of whom still wore calm, composed expressions.
"So, are you nervous, Shisui-kun?" Yoru asked with a grin, grabbing a skewer of grilled fish from in front of Shisui. "This is the Uchiha's biggest shot at power… What will Konoha under Uchiha rule look like, I wonder?"
"…I'm the head of Kirigakure's Uchiha Clan. What happens to the Konoha Uchiha is none of my concern."
"Liar."
Yoru snorted. The others gave Shisui a knowing look—like watching a kid trying to lie to adults.
Your toes are curling, your Sharingan's activated—and you say you're not nervous?
Still, Shisui had a point. Despite Fugaku's overwhelming lead, Danzo and Hiruzen remained calm. Could they really have another card to play?
Time flew by. After about three hours, the voting ended.
Eleven boxes now stood alone before the candidates as everyone's eyes locked on them—especially the Uchiha Clan.
They were trembling with excitement, every crimson Sharingan wide open, counting each vote with precision.
Fugaku's box had far more ballots than Danzo's—far more than anyone's.
The Hokage seat was theirs!
Hiruzen looked around and said in a low voice: "Voting is complete. Now we begin the tally—"
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Koharu Utatane stood up and, in full view of the crowd, dumped all the ballots from her own box into Danzo's.
"I'm deeply honored by the votes I received," she said, "but compared to me, no one has served the darkness of Konoha more tirelessly than Danzo. These votes… I believe they belong to him."
Her sudden move caused an uproar.
"Advisor Koharu, what are you doing?!"
"This—this isn't proper!"
Shock and confusion rippled through the crowd. A candidate willingly forfeiting and transferring their votes to another? Unheard of.
All the cameras from the media swiveled toward the Hokage platform, capturing this history-altering moment.
"Silence!" Hiruzen barked, slipping into his role as acting Hokage. "We are still in the voting stage. Quiet!"
The crowd gradually quieted, but low murmurs continued. Many had begun to realize what was happening. Uchiha clan members were visibly furious, fists clenched, Sharingan burning bright red.
Back in Kirigakure, Kushina's residence fell into silence—except for Yoru, who burst out laughing.
"Well, Shisui-kun, you called it. Hiruzen and Danzo really did have a backup plan."
"This is basically Fugaku alone versus everyone else's combined votes!" Kushina said angrily. She and Mikoto were close friends. Fugaku, after all, was Mikoto's husband.
"Sensei is truly…" Tsunade let out a deep sigh.
In the pursuit of power, her teacher truly spared no means.
With this move, even if Hiruzen maintained control over the Hokage seat… was it really for the best?
"Representative Koharu Utatane," Hiruzen said slowly, pausing as his gaze lingered in the direction of the Uchiha Clan before locking eyes with Fugaku. "Are you sure you want to forfeit your candidacy and give your votes to Representative Danzo Shimura?"
Seriously? She already dumped the votes. Why even ask?
"I'm sure," she said firmly, then stepped down from the platform.
Hiruzen nodded. "Very well. Then—"
"I support Elder Danzo as well. All my votes go to him."
Another voice rang out.
This time, it was Homura Mitokado!
For a moment, the entire venue fell silent.
The Uchiha Clan members trembled with fury. Fugaku's body radiated killing intent, his Mangekyō Sharingan now fully activated.
The Hokage faction has gone too far.