"Uchiha Madara?"
Esdeath sneered disdainfully and said arrogantly, "No threat at all."
Tsunade rolled her eyes, not even bothering to argue with Esdeath. There was no point in arguing, and besides, who was the real decision-maker?
It's not you, it's Bai Mu, so why should I care what you think?
Bai Mu had no intention of commenting on this scene. Instead, he mused that Tsunade, as the Fourth Hokage, would likely be even more outstanding than she was during her time as the Fifth Hokage.
Although, strictly speaking, Tsunade's intelligence couldn't really be called great. While not brainless, some of her actions didn't seem to show much thought.
After all, when Pain attacked Konoha, Nagato was already preparing to retreat, but she insisted on talking, saying, 'Even us great nations suffer greatly,' which immediately enraged Nagato, leading him to use the Super Shinra Tensei.
To be honest, Tsunade's bewildering actions were quite numerous. But to say her political skill was lacking? You certainly can't say that. At the very least, purely in terms of governance, she was definitely not bad, ranking among the Hokage throughout history... It's just that some of her actions were baffling, especially as mentioned earlier, insisting on talking to Pain and enraging Nagato. You say he was about to leave, and you insist on talking; what's the point?
But besides these, Tsunade indeed returned resolutely to assume leadership when Konoha was leaderless. Although Naruto's Talk no Jutsu played a part, he is, after all, the protagonist, and the protagonist must shine and display his protagonist aura.
No one else could do it; they couldn't be persuaded.
But I can. This is a common trope in shonen manga. And speaking of Tsunade's governing ability, what kind of Konoha did she inherit?
It was a complete mess. Tsunade took over this mess and managed a stable transition to a new generation, which was not easy. One must remember that during Hiruzen's era, infighting in Konoha was very serious.
It was after Tsunade took office that she purged the old guard, promoted new people, and resolved the issue of infighting among Konoha's older generation.
Of course, some of her actions can only be described as being like her own hobby: she liked to gamble too much.
Her gambling nature was too strong, which was not a good thing. If she won, it was a huge victory, but once she lost, she would have nothing, perhaps even losing her life.
It's just that during Pain's attack on the Village, Tsunade insisted on talking, which enraged Nagato and led to the destruction of Konoha. This flaw indeed made Tsunade's political achievements imperfect.
Otherwise, Tsunade's political achievements would truly be the best among all Hokage. Taking over amidst internal and external threats, she allowed Konoha to overcome its most difficult period, which was indeed the best record.
However, regarding Tsunade's 'Talk no Jutsu,' from her own perspective, war took away all her loved ones, so complaining is only human nature. And you don't have a God's eye view; you don't know that Pain had such abilities. Moreover, it's not like only Nagato suffers when he loses loved ones; Tsunade also suffers, right?
Of course, Bai Mu didn't put much emphasis on these things. Anyway, the person he chose must ascend to power. Otherwise, would he choose someone else to be the Fourth Hokage?
Since he wasn't taking the position himself, Tsunade was naturally the most suitable. She was one of his own; if he didn't choose her, who else could he choose?
Moreover, who else in Konoha now was qualified?
Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze.
That was it.
But Jiraiya was out of the question, Orochimaru was a ticking time bomb, and Minato Namikaze was a love-brain, prioritizing love above all else. Bai Mu would never choose such a person.
And Tsunade was the most suitable candidate, both publicly and privately, she was Bai Mu's best choice.
"Esdeath, don't criticize others; in reality, you have a pile of problems yourself," Alice Lize couldn't help but mock immediately.
I have a pile of problems?
Esdeath pouted and retorted, "Why do I have a pile of problems? Don't forget, you're just a princess, understand?"
I, at least, became the Emperor of the New Empire, while you are still merely a princess. How dare you compare yourself to me?
Alice Lize: "..."
Alright, alright, you want to put it that way, do you?
She was, of course, displeased with Esdeath's remarks, glaring at her angrily, her frustration evident.
"Alright, stop bickering. You two, focus on yourselves. Let's depart tomorrow. We're not in a hurry; we need to give those old men time to plot against us..."
One force breaks all methods!
Bai Mu had plenty of means.
Whether it was a conspiracy or an overt scheme, he had various methods to deal with it, and what was the most important point? It was overwhelming power.
No matter how the Third Hokage's faction made their moves, it would be meaningless. Ultimately, it would come down to brute force.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was indecisive. Even after his son's death, he still wouldn't have the courage to fight back. Moreover, what was his approach?
Conspiracy and assassination!
This was a huge taboo.
He didn't even dare to expose this truth.
Otherwise, wouldn't the entire Konoha be in complete chaos? Especially the major Ninja Clans, they couldn't possibly remain calm. Moreover, who did you assassinate?
It was the leader of the Uchiha Clan!
Regardless of how Bai Mu became the clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku had stepped down, and the new clan leader was Bai Mu. As Hokage, you secretly dispatched Anbu to assassinate him, and during wartime... Honestly, it was a huge taboo. It could be said he truly lost his mind.
And from another perspective, this meant that the combination of Bai Mu and Tsunade genuinely put immense pressure on him, forcing him to resort to such means.
Tsunade had no objections; she just wanted things to happen quickly. As for Esdeath and Alice Lize, there was even less to say; they only wanted to help Bai Mu.
Therefore, whatever Bai Mu said, that was what it was. Nothing else mattered... Konoha, Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, puffing on his pipe, smoke swirling around him, his face troubled and visibly agitated.
Opposite him sat Danzo, Homura Mitokado, and Utatane Koharu. The group led by Hiruzen Sarutobi was all present.
Of course, their expressions were no better, just as worried as Hiruzen Sarutobi's.
"...You've all heard about the situation on the front lines. The Fourth Raikage is dead."
Hiruzen Sarutobi saw their expressions and directly broke the silence.
The problem was now very serious.
Because the Fourth Raikage was dead.
Kumogakure had completely collapsed.
They had already withdrawn from the battlefield.
And the people who accomplished all this were Uchiha Bai Mu and Tsunade.
Rising like the sun!
Hiruzen Sarutobi now only had these four words. The military achievements of Bai Mu and Tsunade clearly indicated the severity of the current problem. Who else in Konoha could contend with them?
Orochimaru?
Minato Namikaze?
They had military achievements, but they couldn't compare to Bai Mu and Tsunade, simply because these two were too dazzling. Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi was well aware that everything Tsunade did was very likely aimed at the position of Hokage.
After all, Tsunade was very direct and didn't hide anything, almost explicitly stating that it was time for Konoha to change its leadership.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't want to retire. Instead, he felt he could still hold on. While it was true he was getting old, it wasn't like he was so old he couldn't take care of himself, right?
"If that's the case, why must I step down as Hokage?"