Escape from Konoha.

"Isn't the situation at the front clear yet?"

Bai Shi sat under the shade of a tree and took out his water cup to drink.

"Ah, although Orochimaru and the others are there, the opponent is the Third Kazekage himself, so it won't be easy to succeed."

Sakumo also sat down and said to Shiraishi.

Although the Konoha ninjas on the front lines are generally of higher quality than the Sunagakure ninjas, the lack of decisive and powerful ninjas on par with the current Five Kage is the reason for the stalemate on the front lines.

"If the Hokage were to appear in this situation, he might be able to turn the tide of the battle immediately."

Sakumo shook his head at Shiraishi's opinion and said, "Konoha is different from the four ninja villages. The Land of Fire is located in the center of the continent and is surrounded by four major powers. There are too many things to consider. The Hokage personally going to the battlefield is an emergency that only happens as a last resort."

"Being Hokage isn't easy..."

"Yes, he is the Hokage after all."

"Did Sakumo-sensei ever think about becoming Hokage?"

Bai Shi suddenly asked.

Since I had nothing else to do, I wanted to chat about something interesting to pass the time.

Sakumo gave a wry smile and said, "Forget it, spare me. I'm not cut out to be Hokage. I don't understand politics at all."

"That's not right. The calls for Sakumo-sensei to become Hokage are even louder than those for the Sannin."

"That being said, the Hokage is still in good health, and I have never considered this issue."

Shiraishi nodded in understanding.

The Third Hokage did indeed have a very good reputation in Konoha. According to Ruri, even the Uchiha clan had a harmonious relationship with the Third Hokage, and they had good business dealings with each other.

One can imagine that the Third Hokage had a very broad mind.

But... how many years can this kind of magnanimity and courage last?

The Third Hokage is already 46 years old this year. If he serves as Hokage for another 10 years, it will be time for him to step down and hand over the position to a more capable person.

The older a person gets, the more things they have to worry about.

The ambitions of youth become increasingly difficult to fulfill as one grows older.

The Uchiha's security forces wielded even more power than the Hokage's direct ANBU.

This is both a sign of trust in the Uchiha clan and a warning and advice to them.

The Third Hokage doesn't care now because he is strong enough and has enough prestige. Even if something unexpected happens to the Uchiha, he is confident that he can handle it, even if it requires force.

But this kind of confidence cannot last forever.

Therefore, selecting a new Hokage within ten years to succeed the Third Hokage is the true path to Konoha's strength.

At that time, Sakumo was only in his thirties, the golden age when a ninja's strength is at its peak.

Their strength back then was probably even greater than it is now.

With his reputation, strength, loyalty, and character, even if he himself didn't want to be Hokage, everyone would try every means to force him to become Hokage.

"In short, if Sakumo-sensei were willing to strive for the Hokage position, he would definitely bring new ideas to the village."

"You know, I've always said I'm not interested in becoming Hokage anymore. I think my life is great right now. Because once I become Hokage, I won't be able to go out on missions as often as I do, and fight alongside my comrades in the village."

"What a pity..."

Shiraishi sighed.

"I'll go find something to eat; my backpack isn't full of food. I'll leave the task of protecting those two girls to you."

"learn."

Watching Sakumo's retreating figure, Shiraishi looked for a while before turning his gaze away.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Clues

"Ah, it feels so good after a bath."

Ayane walked over from the other side of the woods with her long, wet hair cascading down her back. Her skin was still slightly damp, and her complexion was fair with a rosy glow.

Behind her followed Liuli, who remained silent.

Shiraishi glanced at the two of them, quickly took out kunai from his ninja tool bag, and said to Ayane and Ruri, "Say the code before you come over."

"signal?"

Ayane was stunned.

Ruri, expressionless, began forming hand seals, gathering chakra in her mouth before exhaling:

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball hurtled towards White Stone head-on.

Shiraishi dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the fireball's attack.

He broke out in a cold sweat when he saw the trees behind him being burned by the fireball.

"How was the answer to this code?"

Liuli smiled, seemingly preparing to unleash a second fireball.

Shiraishi stood up, his lips twitching slightly. "W-that's enough. It was just a joke, there was no need to use Fire Release directly on me, was there?"

"Isn't that more convincing?"

Liuli said confidently.

"Yes, it's much more convincing than a simple code..."

Shiraishi sighed and rubbed his sore bottom.

"Really, Shiraishi-kun. I thought we had actually set up some kind of secret code before."

Ayane walked over and said.

Just as Shiraishi was about to say something, Ruri looked around and, not seeing Sakumo, asked, "Where did Sakumo-sensei go?"

"Going to find ingredients. There's not much food in my backpack. I'll need to resupply at the outpost tomorrow."

Shiraishi took out his backpack and said.

"I really want to eat Ichiraku Ramen. I'm always eating dry food and wild game outside, and I've almost forgotten what ramen tastes like."

Ayane patted her tummy and sat on a rock, grumbling.

"Just bear with it, things will get much better after the war ends."

These days, Shiraishi and the others have been eating mostly cold food. Only when food is scarce do they use what they can find locally, but even then, the food is very simple: they catch fish from the river or find wild vegetables and mushrooms in the forest to fill their stomachs.

"Why don't you just invent a portable ramen?"

"I might consider the soldier's rations, but forget about the ramen."

Shiraishi shook his head, ignoring Ayane's request.

"Alright, just eat more when you go to the sentry post tomorrow. Did you and Professor Sakumo notice anything unusual here just now?"

Liuli carefully observed her surroundings, maintaining a high level of vigilance.

"No, Sakumo-sensei and I were just chatting about the next Hokage."

Shiraishi speaks the truth.

"Huh, is Shiraishi-kun interested in this kind of thing?"

Ayane was a little curious.

Shiraishi glanced at Ayane.

"Because Sakumo-sensei is the Jonin closest to becoming Hokage, in another ten years, after the Third Hokage passes away, there will probably be the most calls for Sakumo-sensei to become Hokage. Even the Legendary Sannin would be outmatched, so it would be a well-deserved title."

Shiraishi began to analyze the situation rationally.

Neither Ruri nor Ayane refuted Shiraishi's opinion.

Indeed, Konoha's White Fang is currently the most highly regarded Jonin in Konoha, even surpassing the Sannin.

“A village is like a country. To rise in political status, you need more than just the support of the common people. Sakumo-sensei couldn't get the support of the ninja clans; his personality wasn't suited for Hokage. Sometimes, reputation is a double-edged sword; it's both a capital for advancement and…”

Liuli leaned against the tree, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression very serious. When she reached the end, Liuli stopped talking.

Born into a prominent family and groomed as a promising ninja, Ruri is not ignorant of politics; she simply has absolutely no interest in it.

Sakumo's reputation, strength, and character are indeed sufficient, but the support of ordinary people alone is not enough for him to become Hokage.

In Ruri's eyes, the so-called commoner ninjas are not a complete whole. Their factions are complicated and their interests are too scattered. Without someone to unite them, they will never amount to anything.

In contrast, most ninja clans have long formed a community of shared interests. They know what they need to do, what they will gain, and what they will sacrifice, and they share the same goal.

"Listen carefully, the so-called Hokage... is just a boring game of power shifting among the upper echelons, and has nothing to do with the lower echelons."

Upon hearing Ruri's statement, Ayane seemed a little worried: "Um, Ruri, isn't it a bit inappropriate to say that? I think one can only become Hokage if they are recognized by the entire village."

"Are you an idiot? If we didn't do it this way, the Hokage's reputation in the village would have been ruined long ago. You also come from a great ninja clan, don't you have enough perspective and understanding to see the true nature of the Hokage? To me, as long as you have the power and the right mindset, the Hokage position is within your grasp. Sakumo-sensei lacked that mindset, so he was an excellent Konoha Jonin, but definitely not Hokage material."

A confident smile appeared on Liuli's face, as if she were certain that her opinions were never wrong.

Ayane pouted angrily, somewhat indignant.

"Alright, alright, you two, it's still a long way from the selection of the next Hokage. At the very least, the most important thing right now is to complete the tasks assigned to us from above."

Bai Shi quickly came over to act as a peacemaker.

Shiraishi had figured out Ruri's personality a long time ago.

She didn't have much respect or awe for the Hokage.

The only person she respected was the ninja named Hiruzen Sarutobi who became the Third Hokage.

Respect stems from the powerful ninja, not from the respect for the title of Hokage.

If you follow this line of thinking, Liuli's thoughts are actually very direct and straightforward, and easy to understand.

A little while later, Shuo Mao returned from hunting, bringing back two rabbits and some fish, which he planned to eat for dinner that evening.

Before that, they needed to find a safe place to hide their tracks in the vast hunting ground of the forest.