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

Chapter 315 Hokage Candidate: Hyuga Kumokawa

"correct."

Jiraiya seemed to remember something and said to Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose face was pale, "Please don't blame Tsunade. I was the one who persuaded her to support Hyuga Kumokawa with me."

"Stop flattering yourself." Tsunade snorted coldly, arms crossed, showing no appreciation whatsoever. "Do you think I'm helping you?"

“I support that kid because I also think that in terms of ability, reputation, and contribution to the village, he is the most suitable candidate at present.”

"In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. Sticking to seniority and conventions will only lead to missed opportunities."

Tsunade's attitude was not surprising.

Just like during the Second Shinobi World War, she was one of the earliest advocates to equip each squad with a medical ninja, which is enough to prove that she is not the kind of person who sticks to the old ways.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi rejected the proposal at the time due to insufficient manpower and technology. Even though it was later tested during the Third Shinobi World War, it still bothered her.

In Tsunade's view, the more critical the moment, the more a leader who dares to break with convention and is determined to forge ahead is needed.

As a member of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Kumokawa, who did not adhere to Gentle Fist and Byakugan but instead chose to combine Wind Release and Lightning Release ninjutsu, was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate to fit her ideals.

Nara Shikaku watched this dramatic scene, and his previously furrowed brows suddenly relaxed.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio didn't need to say a word; they simply exchanged quick glances and instantly reached a tacit understanding.

Just then, seemingly to break the deadlock or to clarify their position.

"The Anbu supports Jiraiya-sama's succession as Hokage," the Anbu chief, who had been silent all along, said hoarsely.

However, his statement not only failed to have the desired effect, but instead acted as a key, opening up the floodgates of conversation for those who had been hesitant to speak.

Almost the instant the Anbu chief finished speaking, Uchiha Shisui said without hesitation, "The Uchiha clan supports Hyuga Kumokawa to succeed as the Fifth Hokage."

Because of the previous coup plot and Itachi Uchiha's defection, the Konoha leadership's trust in the Uchiha had long since vanished.

Uchiha Shisui's move was undoubtedly a high-stakes gamble, betting that Hyuga Kumokawa's rise to power would change his wary attitude towards the Uchiha clan.

Three votes to three!
The situation instantly turned into a draw, with both sides evenly matched.

However, for Hiruzen Sarutobi, the meeting, which he thought he had the upper hand in, took a sharp turn for the worse and collapsed rapidly.

After a brief silence, as if receiving some unseen signal, statements began to come one after another.

"The Aburame clan supports Clan Chief Hyuga Kumokawa." Aburame Shiki's statement was concise and to the point.

Following this, several department heads who had previously remained silent, such as the logistics head, also spoke up, choosing to support Jiraiya or Hyuga Kumokawa.

Those who support Hinata Kumokawa are not necessarily siding with him; rather, they are making a "pragmatic" choice after seeing the winds of change.

After all, even Jiraiya himself, who was personally nominated by Hiruzen Sarutobi and was highly respected, clearly supported Hyuga Kumokawa. What else could they do?
Moreover, candidates have the right to accept or refuse nominations, but usually no one does so.

Most importantly, Nara Shikaku, the strategist of the Hokage faction and the leader of the Jonin team, has not yet spoken out in support of Jiraiya.

His silence itself is an extremely strong signal.

Even he chose to acquiesce or wait and see, so what reason do others have to insist on supporting Hiruzen Sarutobi's already crumbling position?

Of course, there were quite a few people who supported Jiraiya, but most of them did so out of respect for Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, and to save face and prevent the situation from becoming too ugly.

Other families and departments with less influence chose a more "safe" stance, remaining neutral and instead supporting either Kakashi Hatake or Tsunade.

Even the Shimura clan, for obvious reasons of family interest, voted for Shimura Danzo.

Although Danzo himself lacked a sense of belonging to the clan, his status as Hokage's assistant and leader of the "Root" clan had already brought many hidden benefits to the Shimura clan.

If he could truly become Hokage, the benefits would be immeasurable.

Soon, as everyone present expressed their opinions, the votes for Hyuga Kumokawa and Jiraiya were tied again.

The atmosphere in the meeting room became eerie and heavy, with everyone's gaze shifting back and forth between Nara Shikaku and Shimura Danzo, who had yet to speak. Just then, two unexpected voices rang out.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza, who should have stood with Nara Shikaku, surprisingly spoke up separately.

"The mountain clan supports Lord Jiraiya."

"The Akimichi clan supports Lord Hyuga Kumokawa."

The seemingly contradictory statement caught everyone off guard.

Then, Nara Shikaku slowly exhaled and said in a deep voice, "The Jonin team supports Jiraiya-sama."

Jiraiya received only one more vote than Hyuga Kumokawa.

Danzo Shimura's eyes narrowed slightly, and he instantly understood Shikaku Nara's plan.

The separate voting by the Ino-Shika-Cho trio not only saved Hiruzen Sarutobi's face but also hinted at a tendency to support change, giving Hiruzen a dignified way out.

After all, this is only the nomination and recommendation stage, not the final decision. The daimyo still needs to consider it, so there is no need to escalate the conflict now and embarrass Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Just send the shortlisted candidates to the daimyo and let him decide on the final choice. Hiruzen Sarutobi won't be able to say anything then.

"Humph."

Shimura Danzo couldn't help but chuckle, pretending to target Sarutobi Hiruzen as he said, "In that case, I support Hyuga Kumokawa."

A tie.

No one doubted that he genuinely supported Hyuga Kumokawa; they only thought that he cast his vote for Hyuga Kumokawa to oppose Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"I……"

Jiraiya opened his mouth, wanting to say something to directly refuse the nomination.

He had no desire to take the Hokage position, which bound him with a heavy burden of freedom.

However, before he could speak, someone gently tugged at his sleeve.

Jiraiya subconsciously turned his head to look, only to see Mitokado Homura shaking his head slightly and giving him a meaningful look.

Jiraiya followed Mitokado Homura's gaze to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was sitting at the head of the table.

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's straight back appeared somewhat hunched as he leaned deeply against the back of his chair. The deep wrinkles on his face were filled with undisguised fatigue, and his eyes were slightly closed.

Seeing his teacher like this, Jiraiya swallowed back the words he was about to say, closed his mouth, pursed his lips, and let out a barely audible sigh, without raising any further objections.

He understood that refusing in public at this moment would only make the situation more awkward.

However, whether Jiraiya refused the nomination is actually irrelevant now.

Kazuma, who was the daimyo's special envoy, sat to the side.

All the nominees for this meeting, including Hyuga Kumokawa, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Hatake Kakashi, and even Shimura Danzo, as well as a detailed record of the entire meeting process...

They would all be presented to the daimyo of the Land of Fire by Kazuma, intact.

If the Daimyo is not out of his mind, once he realizes that Jiraiya is unwilling to serve as Hokage, he will naturally choose to appoint Hyuga Kumokawa as the Fifth Hokage.

In the eyes of others, logically speaking, at this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi should have given up.

After all, they've already given him face and offered him a way out.

If they continue to make a fuss over such a ridiculous excuse as "lack of experience," it will really look bad.

(End of this chapter)