Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 306 Hokage Nomination and Recommendation

"..."

Kakashi saw that Hyuga Kumokawa's hand was affectionately placed on Hyuga Aoi's flushed cheek, while Hyuga Aoi looked completely dazed and out of it.

Wow! The cycad is blooming?

His dead fish eyes widened slightly, and he swallowed back what he was about to say.

"Ah ha ha."

Kakashi reacted quickly, immediately looking up at the sky, pretending not to see anything, scratching the back of his head, and turning around to walk back: "You guys continue, continue!"

With that, he quickly left the ward, even thoughtfully closing the door gently behind him, leaving behind an eerie atmosphere.

Hinata Kumokawa slowly withdrew his hand, as if nothing had happened.

"You go back first."

Looking at Hyuga Aoi, whose eyes now seemed to have turned into circles, his tone returned to calm: "I'm entrusting the affairs of the Hyuga clan to you and Iroha during this time."

"Hmm..." Hinata Aoi looked confused, her brain completely shut down.

She stood up stiffly, almost instinctively, her movements somewhat uncoordinated, and she didn't even know how she got out of the ward.

It wasn't until the cool breeze in the corridor brushed against her burning face that she suddenly jolted awake.

Subconsciously, I raised my hand to touch my cheek, recalling what had just happened, and the corners of my mouth involuntarily wanted to turn up in a smile...

"Ahem." A deliberate cough came from the side.

Hinata Aoi immediately suppressed her smile, quickly straightened her face, and returned to her usual demeanor, turning her head to look to the side.

Kakashi Hatake was standing against the wall, holding a copy of "Icha Icha Paradise" in his hand, his head down as if he were reading.

Hinata Aoi forced herself to remain calm, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and then quickened her pace to leave the corridor.

It wasn't until she stepped out of the hospital that her thoughts refocused, and she couldn't help but start thinking about Hinata Kumokawa's question again.

"What is the emotion furthest from understanding?" she murmured to herself.

Although a renewed sense of reason told her that this was likely a question without a standard answer, entirely dependent on the other party's subjective judgment.

But what if?
What if there is a correct answer?
In Hinata Aoi's view, Hinata Kumokawa's meaning was quite clear: he hadn't made up his mind yet and hoped to be given some time to consider it.

"At least they've responded!" Hinata Aoi cheered herself on. "Keep trying, Hinata Aoi!"

That last bit of doubt in her mind had long since been cast aside.

Shortly after Hinata Aoi left, the ward door was pushed open again.

Click.

Kakashi Hatake returned and looked at Hyuga Kumokawa leaning against the hospital bed, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery. He laughed and said, "Oh, you're making rapid progress, Kumokawa."

Hinata Kumokawa ignored his teasing and simply smiled, asking, "Is there something you need?"

When it came to serious matters, Kakashi also dropped his joking expression and became serious.

"The Third Hokage has just decided to hold an emergency Jonin meeting tomorrow morning. The agenda includes the reconstruction of the village, the investigation and arrest warrants for Hueco Mundo and Akatsuki, and..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "The nomination and recommendation of the next Hokage."

According to Konoha's tradition and the provisions of the "Joint Agreement between the Land of Fire and Konoha Village," the election and change of Hokage must follow a relatively rigorous process.

This ensures a smooth transition of power and stability in the village.

First, there is the nomination and recommendation stage.

Candidates are usually nominated publicly at a Jonin meeting by the current Hokage, Hokage advisors, or heads of important departments such as the Anbu.

Candidates must be registered Jonin of Konoha and usually need to have great strength, high reputation and unquestionable loyalty to the village.

The nomination process requires candidates to explain their reasons for nomination. Once nominated, candidates have the right to accept or reject the nomination.

Then came the stage of proposals and consultations by the daimyo.

As the main military force of the Land of Fire, the appointment of the Hokage in Konoha Village naturally requires the formal approval and proposal of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Although it doesn't grant them the power to make decisions, it's an important step in maintaining the symbiotic relationship between the ninja village and the nation. After the internal nominations are completed, the Konoha leadership will travel to the capital to consult with the daimyo and his advisors.

The daimyo will consider various factors, including the overall interests of the nation, the candidate's background, and their relationship with the nobility.

Although the Daimyo usually does not directly reject candidates who have reached a consensus within Konoha, his "proposal" carries a lot of weight, and his inclination will greatly affect the subsequent process.

If a daimyo strongly opposes a candidate, the incumbent Hokage and other Jonin will also have reservations.

Next comes the public opinion consultation stage, where the village will collect opinions from the public, the association, and conduct opinion polls to understand the public's acceptance and views on the candidates.

Strong public support will also have a significant impact on the final vote of the higher-ups and the Jonin.

Next comes the Jonin trust vote: this is the most substantial part.

All registered and eligible Konoha Jonin will participate in a secret ballot.

Voting typically employs a simple majority or absolute majority system, requiring candidates to secure more than a prescribed proportion of Jonin (high-ranking ninja) votes.

This directly reflects the candidate's prestige and recognition among Konoha's upper echelons.

In order for any Hokage to effectively command the entire village, he must have the genuine support of most Jonin.

Finally, there is the appointment and succession ceremony. Once the candidate has successfully passed all the above steps, the daimyo of the Land of Fire will officially issue the letter of appointment.

Subsequently, witnessed by the entire village of Konoha, the Hokage succession ceremony was held, where the new Hokage received the straw hat symbolizing the Hokage's identity from the former, thus completing his inauguration.

Tomorrow's Jonin meeting will be the first step in initiating this entire process: nomination and recommendation.

Clearly, Hiruzen Sarutobi could no longer withstand the immense pressure from both inside and outside the village; public opinion was overwhelming, and he had to make a choice.

But this nomination is unlikely to be peaceful.

“Hiruzen Sarutobi is now wary of me and will surely join forces with those two old guys, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, to try every means to prevent me from easily taking that position.”

Hinata Kumokawa's expression was calm, but his mind was as clear as a mirror.

However, it is a pity.

"I must take that position," Hinata Kumokawa thought to himself.

Only by becoming Hokage and standing at the pinnacle of power in this village can one push the 'lie' they have woven to its grandest climax.

In this way, they could harvest a massive amount of points to replenish the two Hogyoku within their bodies.

Whether it's Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura lurking in the shadows coveting power, or even the daimyo far away in the capital trying to maintain the old order...

They are all just obstacles that need to be removed.

"Well, I see."

Hyuga Kumokawa looked up at Hatake Kakashi with a smile on his face: "Speaking of which, Kakashi, you're quite popular too."

"Spare me." Kakashi Hatake opened his dead fish eyes and said self-deprecatingly, "Compared to you, I'm at best a runner-up who's just there to make up the numbers."

After saying that, he waved his hand, turned around and walked towards the door: "I won't disturb your rest any longer. Get ready for tomorrow's meeting."

"Mm." Hinata Kumokawa nodded, watching Kakashi's figure disappear behind the closed door.

Silence returned to the ward. Hinata Kumokawa's smile gradually faded, and his gaze became as deep as a pool.

But the next moment, as if sensing something, his eyes suddenly narrowed slightly.

Without any hesitation, I closed my eyes, immersing my mind completely into the depths of my consciousness, and established a connection with a figure in a distant place.

When he "opened" his eyes again, the scene before him had completely changed.

It was no longer a clean and quiet hospital room, but a huge underground space shrouded in dim light.

The air was filled with a cold, damp atmosphere, and the two feet were standing on the fingers of a grotesque and monstrous statue.

This is the Akatsuki's base.

And what he was standing on was the demonic statue of the heretics.

'Shadow' looked up into the distance and saw several disheveled figures standing on the other nine fingers.

(End of this chapter)