The council meeting ended. In the Hokage's office, Nara Shikaku was already waiting for Homura and Koharu.
Soon, the door opened and the two advisors stepped inside.
Utatane Koharu spoke first.
"We followed your suggestion and recommended Sarutobi Asuma. The Daimyo agreed. The rest is up to you."
But Shikaku only smiled.
"I've already summoned Asuma. Best if you two tell him personally."
Not long after, Asuma arrived. He had just attended the funeral of the Third Hokage, and his eyes still carried grief. His posture was listless, his heart clearly not in the room.
Homura spoke solemnly.
"We recommended you as the temporary Hokage. If Jiraiya and Tsunade cannot be found, you will assume the position officially."
"…Heh."
Asuma let out a short laugh.
"Sorry. I refuse. I have no interest in being Hokage."
With that, he turned and left, ignoring the stunned expressions of the two advisors.
The office fell silent.
The two elders looked at Shikaku, their faces taut with anger.
"Asuma refused to serve as Hokage. Nara Shikaku, what do we do now?"
Shikaku sighed helplessly.
"If Asuma refuses, the next suitable candidate would be Kakashi. We absolutely cannot allow Danzo to take the role."
"That may be, but call Kakashi in at once."
Moments later, Hatake Kakashi entered the office. When the proposal was presented to him, he too shook his head.
"Sorry. I am not strong enough to serve as Hokage."
Two refusals.
Homura and Koharu were left speechless, their faces pale. Since when had the title of Hokage become something people turned down?
What was happening to the shinobi of this village?
Shikaku, however, remained calm. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had anticipated.
His true purpose had never been to install Asuma or Kakashi. It was to delay Danzo long enough for another solution to emerge.
"The two of you," Shikaku said, "for now, the only path forward is to search for the Third Hokage's other disciples. Once Jiraiya or Tsunade returns, they can take the mantle."
Homura and Koharu exchanged glances. They could sense Shikaku's true intent behind those words. Still, both nodded.
"Indeed. Either Jiraiya or Tsunade would be suitable."
"But the world is vast," Koharu muttered. "Finding them will not be easy."
"And meanwhile," Homura added gravely, "Konoha is vulnerable. The Third is dead. Our enemies may see this as an opportunity. If we are careless, the Fourth Great Ninja War could erupt."
A heavy silence followed.
But Shikaku lifted his head, a calm expression on his face.
"About that… I don't believe the other villages will act rashly. Not for now."
Both elders frowned.
"Why not?"
Shikaku exhaled slowly, then spoke.
"Because while we were mourning the Third Hokage and rebuilding Konoha, a certain name has already spread across the shinobi world."
The two elders leaned forward slightly.
"Don't tell me… you mean Nagano Yuichi? The child with the Wood Style bloodline?"
"Yes." Shikaku nodded.
Homura and Koharu had already been paying attention to Yuichi. After all, anyone who inherited the First Hokage's Wood Style could not be ignored.
But Shikaku wasn't finished.
"You may not have heard his new title yet."
"New title?" Koharu repeated.
"'The Senju of the Forest — Flash God Yuichi.'"
Homura gave a faint smile.
"So, he has already been acknowledged as Senju?"
It wasn't surprising. Yuichi's enormous chakra reserves alone were proof enough of Senju blood. Coupled with Wood Style, the name was almost inevitable.
But Koharu's focus was elsewhere.
"Flash God Yuichi? What does that mean?"
Shikaku's tone grew serious.
"The title comes from Sunagakure. A Sand Jōnin witnessed Yuichi's battle — he killed their elite jōnin, Baki, using his own instantaneous technique."
"Instantaneous technique?"
"Yes. He seems to have developed it into a kind of ninjutsu without seals. The speed… is said to rival the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God."
The two elders inhaled sharply.
Wood Style was already terrifying. But a self-created instantaneous ninjutsu, rivaling Minato's godlike speed…
"Such a genius…" Koharu whispered. "That word isn't enough anymore."
Shikaku continued, "Soon, his name will spread to every hidden village — even the smallest. The entire shinobi world will know of Yuichi."
The two elders sat in stunned silence. Finally, Koharu spoke.
"That child must be protected."
Shikaku chuckled faintly.
"Protected? A Wood Style user who can suppress tailed beasts — what could possibly threaten him?"
Homura's eyes grew distant as he looked toward the window.
"With his potential… he may one day surpass even the First Hokage."
"'One day,' is it?" Shikaku thought quietly. To him, Yuichi was already walking that path.
Still, the advisors could not overlook Yuichi's youth. For them, his lack of experience and seniority outweighed raw power.
Homura broke the silence.
"In any case, thanks to Yuichi, other villages won't dare move against us for the time being. His power alone is enough to make them hesitate."
The two elders nodded. They acknowledged Yuichi's strength, but that alone didn't make him Hokage. Leadership, strategy, the wisdom to guide an entire village—these things could not be measured in jutsu.
"What is that boy doing now?" Homura finally asked.
Shikaku smiled.
"Right now, he's using Wood Style to help villagers rebuild their homes. Since morning he hasn't stopped. His chakra reserves and stamina are… terrifying. Like a bottomless pit."
"Just like the First Hokage," Homura murmured, lost in memory.
Then his gaze sharpened.
"Shikaku… perhaps Yuichi should be sent to search for Tsunade. If anyone can persuade her to return, it would be him. A fellow Senju."
The idea wasn't new. Shikaku had been considering it as well.
He nodded slowly.
"Yes… Homura-sama, I was thinking the same."