With Seiki's current prestige, no one would dare oppose even the most outrageous decision. Anything he proposed was essentially the final verdict.
So everyone sat on edge, listening with rapt attention, not daring to miss a single word.
After hearing Seiki's decision, the ninja from the small villages felt a great weight lift from their hearts.
Five of the ten elders naturally belonged to the Five Kage—that was perfectly normal; anything else would have seemed strange.
The key point was that each village could have at most one elder, giving them a chance to fight for influence.
The higher-ups from the Four Great Ninja Villages, excluding Konoha, remained calm as well. Although they could only occupy one spot, there was nothing stopping them from supporting their own representative!
The regular jonin were also delighted, as elections would significantly increase their say.
Seeing no objections, Seiki continued, "From now on, the Leader's position will be selected from among the ten elders. Therefore, I will resign from my role as Hokage, and Minato Jonin will take over."
As his words fell, a minor uproar stirred the assembly.
Of course, it was the people of Konoha who were the most stunned.
Their Leader, Konoha's greatest pride, actually intended to step down from the Hokage position, and they immediately wanted to protest.
Yet the new Hokage was none other than Minato Namikaze, making it hard for them to voice any objection.
The conflict between Obito and the two advisors had already spread, and nearly everyone knew Minato had protected Konoha during the Nine-Tails disaster, only to be framed and stripped of the Hokage title, enduring unjust criticism in silence.
They carried a deep sense of guilt toward Minato and naturally hesitated to say anything.
Dodai murmured with admiration, "No wonder he's Leader-sama. He thought of our concerns and even took the initiative to step down as Hokage!"
It wasn't as though Seiki would have no connection with Konoha after leaving the Hokage position—everyone knew that wasn't possible.
But from others' perspectives, Seiki stepping down at least made them feel more at ease.
Just as everyone was still reeling from the shock, Seiki dropped yet another bomb.
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely. To ensure power doesn't become tainted, I hereby declare that the Leader's position will be open for election every four years, and no one may serve more than two consecutive terms!"
Compared to the previous shocks, this decision brought unprecedented astonishment.
Many of them had considered the issue of the Second's succession, but that was mostly thought to be an issue decades away.
Given Seiki's age, it wouldn't be hard for him to rule the shinobi world for another sixty years. Yet according to his own words, he would step down after just eight years!
What kind of spirit was that?
It was the spirit of selflessness, of not clinging to power, and of devoting oneself entirely to the people!
After the shock passed, some people began wailing dramatically.
"Leader-sama, please don't abandon us!"
"The shinobi world cannot do without your leadership!"
"How can you bear to let the world fall into darkness again?"
"The world cannot be without its guiding light!"
Those words were so overly emotional that many people felt awkward enough to dig holes in the ground with their toes!
"These ninja from the small villages really have no shame at all!"
Rasa inwardly grumbled, suddenly realizing something, "Wait, why do these voices sound so familiar?"
Rasa stiffly turned his body and looked back.
Those shouting the loudest, practically in tears, were none other than Sunagakure's jonin.
Rasa looked bewildered. When did I ever tell you to surpass yourselves?
Although their praises were somewhat over the top, many voices were genuinely pleading.
"Leader-sama, perhaps this proposal should take effect only after the Second's term!"
"That's right! Anyone else in this world might become corrupted, but you, Leader-sama, will absolutely never fall!"
On one hand, Seiki was simply too perfect—beyond reproach in every aspect!
On the other hand, they also worried this might be Seiki's way of testing them.
Seiki's tone was firm, "No need to discuss further. If even the originator of this idea can't achieve it, what right do I have to demand others do so?"
"Furthermore, this is also a self-imposed discipline. If I fail to fulfill my duties properly, naturally there will be someone else to replace me!"
Seeing Seiki so resolute, their doubts vanished, and everyone's mind started racing.
"The second term leader will naturally still be Seiki, but the third term will definitely be mine!" A smirked confidently.
"I'll only be seventy-eight in eight years—I still have a chance to serve one term!" Onoki also started contemplating.
"Though I may not match Raikage or Tsuchikage in strength, being a leader isn't just about who has the strongest power!" Rasa mused inwardly.
Observing the animated expressions on everyone's faces below the stage, Seiki couldn't help thinking, "So they all have ambitions indeed!"
The process of merging villages into an alliance actually resembled Hashirama Senju's earlier merging of clans (family units) into the village structure.
Hashirama's decision to disband the Senju clan (his own family unit) wasn't just about eliminating clan-based divisions—it might equally have been a way to put others at ease.
After all, the Senju clan had been excessively powerful, and with the first two Hokage both coming from them, it would be difficult to prevent others from thinking that Konoha was the Senju's Konoha.
As for Seiki himself, though he had no intention of disbanding Konoha just to reassure others, certain measures were still necessary.
For instance, setting term limits for the Leader!
This would at least ensure the alliance developed with great momentum during its early stages, allowing maximum accumulation of wisdom and inspiration before the arrival of the Otsutsuki.
Additionally, doing this served another purpose—gaining Hagoromo's favor.
He'd already attracted too much scrutiny; he couldn't rule out Hagoromo watching him from the shadows.
His proactive relinquishing of power and promotion of democratic practices should certainly appeal to Hagoromo's values.
After all, Hagoromo's own mother had fallen into corruption precisely because of absolute power!
Thinking thus, Seiki's smile became even more saintly. "I'll naturally step down after eight years, of course. However, if you beg me to return as Leader then, you won't be able to blame me for breaking my word!"
Seiki coughed lightly. "Let's temporarily conclude this discussion. Next, we'll move on to educational matters!"
"I plan to establish a university. After graduating from the Ninja Academy, students will have the option to apply and continue their training there!"
"From now on, studies shouldn't just focus on combat anymore — they should include culture, farming, machines, and much more..."
"I have a question," a jonin from a Small Ninja Village hesitantly raised his hand.
Seiki said, "Please, go ahead!"
The jonin took a deep breath. "Since peace has already been achieved, is there still a need to maintain a military force? Is there still a need for children to study combat?"
He wasn't the only one — many others felt the same way.
War only brings pain and hate. Now that we're all one family, why hold on to things like this?
But Seiki's voice rang out, firm and clear: "No, there *is* a need — a very real one! Do you truly believe the crisis has been completely released?"
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