In front of the Hokage Tower, a crowd had gathered.
The election hadn't even started yet, but the plaza was already buzzing with Jonin—men and women of every age and background.
One group stood out in particular. These ninja either bore visible disabilities or showed signs of old age, yet they were dressed neatly, their expressions serious as they prepared to fulfill their sacred duty.
When Fugaku Uchiha arrived with his clan members and saw these retired Jonin, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.
Seeing this, Aozora whispered, "Clever move!"
Everyone had assumed that only active-duty Jonin would be voting, but no one expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to have also summoned this group of injured and retired ninja.
These retired Jonin received monthly benefits from the Hokage Tower—while not necessarily loyal to the Hokage beyond question, they certainly leaned toward the Hokage Faction. The Uchiha also had a batch of retired Jonin, but with the election about to begin, there wasn't enough time to call them in.
Fugaku gave a slight nod, then led his clan to stake out a more central position before closing his eyes and waiting silently for the election to begin.
Soon after, Hiashi Hyuga arrived as well. Seeing the retired ninja gathered in the plaza, he couldn't help but feel a chill.
After glancing at the silent Fugaku, who was still seated with his eyes closed, Hiashi led his clan to take up a quiet stance directly opposite the Uchiha.
Looking at the elite ninja from both clans, other commoner ninja couldn't help whispering among themselves.
"No wonder they're the two great noble families—each has nearly twenty Jonin!"
"That's not all—they both have almost half their members stationed on the front lines!"
"If you calculate like that, each clan must have around forty or fifty Jonin! That's absurd!"
"They probably aren't all Jonin though. But having thirty or forty per clan is definitely possible."
"That's still incredibly strong! No wonder they're called noble clans!"
...
At the same time, other ninja clans also began arriving with their members.
However, compared to the overwhelming presence of the Uchiha and Hyūga, the other clans seemed far less impressive.
The Aburame Clan ranked third in terms of Jonin numbers, sending a total of eight Jonin to attend this election.
Though their number was considerable, they scattered themselves around the plaza, effectively making everyone overlook their presence.
Before long, another large group of ninja walked in together.
Leading them was the current Ino–Shika–Cho trio, followed by their respective clan's Jonin. Each family brought five or six Jonin, and combined, their numbers rivaled those of the Uchiha and Hyūga.
Shikaku glanced at the formation on the plaza, somewhat surprisingly leading his clan toward another corner.
Three key groups now surrounded the center of the plaza, silently waiting for the election to begin.
As time passed, more people gradually moved toward the plaza's center, spontaneously aligning themselves with one of the factions.
Thanks to Fugaku's actions during the Defection Village incident—saving many lives—and the Uchiha Clan's later efforts to cooperate, several ninja had now moved to stand behind the Uchiha, making a small group of seven or eight.
This naturally couldn't compare with the dozen or so ninja surrounding the Ino–Shika–Cho, nor could it match the Hyūga Clan's followers, who outnumbered the Uchiha by double.
Still, for the Uchiha, this was an entirely new and unusual experience.
At exactly nine o'clock, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane appeared precisely on time at the center of the plaza.
Homura Mitokado presided over the meeting: "...Now we'll elect two Fire Elders to assist Lord Hokage! There are no restrictions on nominations, but please think carefully!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately announced, "Let the nominations begin!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than two assistant ninja carried a blackboard into the center of the plaza.
For a brief moment, the plaza fell silent. Everyone's eyes swept around hesitantly, clearly reluctant to be the first to speak.
Breaking the silence wasn't a clan ninja, but rather a ninja with an honest and simple face.
He raised his hand and declared, "I nominate Shanchuan Ping!"
Everyone exchanged surprised glances, clearly unfamiliar with Shanchuan Ping's background.
"Although there are no restrictions," Homura said, "we can't just nominate someone haphazardly! Share your reasoning!"
The man spoke with swagger, "I've got what it takes to be Hokage Deputy! The minute I take charge, I'll lead Konoha to wipe out the four rival ninja villages!"
Upon hearing this, everyone nearly burst out laughing!
Homura pushed up his glasses, subtly rolled his eyes, then calmly wrote the name down.
With Shanchuan Ping setting the example, others became less reserved and started raising their hands to suggest names.
However, the three major powers present in the plaza had yet to say anything.
Before long, the plaza gradually quieted down again.
There were already twelve names on the blackboard. Apart from six lesser-known names, the other six were renowned elite jonin from the village, including Shibi Aburame and Inuzuka Wolf.
Finally, Hiashi Hyuga could no longer contain himself and lightly coughed.
Immediately, Hiaza Hyuga voiced aloud, "We recommend jonin Hiashi Hyuga! Not only does he possess tremendous power, but also abundant mission experience and leadership skills. He is undoubtedly the best candidate for Hokage Deputy!"
As soon as Hiaza finished speaking, their clan members and allied ninja behind them began nodding enthusiastically.
Homura waved his hand to calm down the commotion.
After adding Hiashi's name to the list, Homura turned his gaze toward Fugaku Uchiha.
"Are there any more nominations?"
Facing curious and wary gazes from the surrounding ninja, Fugaku remained as composed as ever, keeping his lips sealed.
"Are there any more nominations?"
Fugaku still didn't flinch, quietly gazing at Hiruzen and the others.
Unable to stay silent any longer, Homura finally asked, "So the Uchiha has no one to recommend at all?"
Fugaku gave the three high-ranking elders a meaningful look before asking, "May I ask if Lord Hokage and the two Elders have anyone they'd like to recommend?"
Only then did everyone recall the Hokage Faction hadn't presented its own candidate.
Feeling the wary gazes coming from all directions, Hiruzen's face tightened.
Homura responded coldly, "You'll find out soon enough! Now, I'm asking whether the Uchiha has a nominee or not."
Fugaku scanned the crowd with a calm glance and then flatly declared, "None."
Seeing this, everyone was first stunned, then murmurs spread across the plaza.
"The Uchiha is abstaining?"
"Weren't they the ones proposing to add Elder positions?"
"I was just messing around with a nomination, but now I might actually have a shot?"
...
Looking at the Uchiha clan members standing behind Fugaku, many suddenly realized — if the Uchiha actually joined this race, they'd be unstoppable.
With them out of the race, others now believe they have a shot.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two nearly suffered internal injuries from shock, as if their fists had punched straight into cotton.
They had made thorough preparations to ensure Fugaku's failure in the election. Even if Fugaku somehow succeeded, they'd prepared countermeasures.
Once again, Fugaku had managed to take them by surprise!
After giving up the Hokage seat, did Fugaku now also abandon the Elder seat?
Then what exactly was the point of Fugaku's big move during the high-level meeting?
Simply to reclaim the Police Force's patrol and defense authority?
In an instant, Konoha's three top leaders froze in place.
Fugaku broke the cycle of speculation and discussion. "Any more nominations? Our jonin time is precious!"
The three exchanged a knowing look—this was their opening.
Koharu Utatane voiced her nomination first: "I nominate genin Kosuke!"
Someone immediately objected from the crowd: "Elder Koharu, how can a genin become Hokage Deputy?"
For every ignorant voice, there was a more informed one.
"Hmph!" An elderly ninja snorted disdainfully. "You weren't even born when Kosuke participated in the Second Ninja World War!"
Others nodded. "That's right! Kosuke fought in both the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars. He's completed countless dangerous missions!"
Amid the murmurs, the kind-faced Kosuke stepped forward.
As he appeared, several commoner ninja who had benefited from his help began voicing their support.
"I've worked alongside Commander Kosuke, and he even taught me Water Release Ninjutsu!"
"He taught me sword technique!"
"He saved my life!"
"..."
Amid this chorus of support, Kosuke, still a mere genin, became a candidate for Hokage Deputy.
Once Kosuke's name was written on the blackboard, Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed slightly, preparing to announce the end of nominations.
Just then, a voice called out: "Hold on!"
Frowning, Sarutobi looked toward the source—Choza, Shikaku, and Inoichi, representatives of the traditional Ino-Shika-Cho alliance—and couldn't help but grow cold.
This was already the second time they'd disrupted his plan.
Choza, Shikaku, and Inoichi stepped aside as a tall, stout old man walked forth.
"Hiruzen," he declared, "I nominate myself!"
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