Konoha's Mission Master

Inside the Hokage's office, smoke swirled around him. Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples wearily, then let out a long breath, his brows furrowing slightly.

The news that Sakumo Hatake proposed running for the Fourth Hokage ruined Hiruzen Sarutobi's good mood.

Of course, the reason he looked so heavy-hearted was that his two disciples, Jiraiya and Tsunade, had clearly expressed their support for Sakumo Hatake in this election... This news almost made Hiruzen Sarutobi lose his composure.

Orochimaru is staying home, so let's not talk about him.

"Haha, what a filial son..."

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi... felt somewhat melancholic.

Although he has not been betrayed by the masses, he has already lost the support of his family and friends.

Jiraiya frequently went out to find those who had made prophecies, Tsunade used gambling to benefit the ninja world, and Orochimaru, upon realizing the fragility of life, dedicated everything to technology.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned somewhat gloomy, his heart filled with the anger of being betrayed!

Yes... that day will come eventually.

Hiruzen Sarutobi never intended to remain Hokage until his death, and he knew that one day Sakumo Hatake would take away the power and glory that belonged to him amidst the crowd.

But... can't we wait a little longer?

So... in such a hurry!?

dong dong dong...

Someone knocked on the door, and Finance Minister Mitokado En and Health Minister Utatane Koharu were waiting outside.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat up straight, suppressing the vexation in his heart.

He gestured for the two to come in.

The three formed a strategic alliance in half an hour. After the two left, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was clouded with gloom. The situation was completely out of control and the outlook was not optimistic.

The core of the problem is... Yakumo Ii.

Half an hour later, Hiruzen Sarutobi changed into his casual clothes and left the Hokage's office. At that time, Yakumo handed over the draft of his speech for campaigning in a few days to Sakumo Hatake.

PS: Requesting monthly votes.

Chapter 153 The Fourth Hokage, Sakumo Hatake

The Hokage Building, top-floor conference room.

This place is separated from the Hokage's office by only one wall. Today, all the Jonin who stayed behind in Konoha have gathered to attend this very formal Jonin meeting.

This meeting will decide who will become the Fourth Hokage.

Or... the Third Hokage could be re-elected.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Jiraiya, and Sakumo Hatake sat on the platform. Even Jiraiya had changed into a Konoha Jonin vest for the occasion, and his face showed a solemn expression.

Hatake Sakumo also changed into a Jonin vest, his silver hair was neatly combed, and on the table in front of him was the speech prepared by Yakumo for the election.

Among the Jonin of Konoha Village, they can be roughly divided into three groups: those who support Hiruzen Sarutobi, those who support Sakumo Hatake, and the neutral group that is neither side.

Incidentally, the Uchiha clan is a neutral force. They have no goodwill towards Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Second Hokage's student, and do not have much interaction with Sakumo Hatake, so they naturally choose to remain neutral.

However, their clan has a large number of Jonin, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the Jonin class, which is why the Second Hokage suppressed the Uchiha clan.

They are rebellious and defiant... but there are many strong individuals among them.

In other words... they love to stir up trouble...

But he's a very strong fighter!

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, and with his movement, everyone's eyes turned to him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi has been the Hokage for over a decade.

Although he was old, he exuded the dignity of someone who had held a high position for many years.

He stood there, quietly watching the crowd below the stage. Hiruzen Sarutobi did not speak immediately, but seemed to be enjoying or savoring the moment, until the entire conference room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

He had barely opened his mouth when his voice became incredibly solemn.

"I recommend Sakumo Hatake to become the Fourth Hokage!"

The voice just fell.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had already stood up and returned to his seat, picking up his teacup amidst the astonished looks of the others.

a bolt from the blue.

Sakumo Hatake's expression changed slightly. He had always considered himself and Hiruzen Sarutobi as rivals, but he never expected that his number one enemy would join his side at such a crucial moment.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen with utter shock, then lowered their voices and asked.

"Hiruzen, have you gone mad?"

"I just made the right decision."

Hiruzen Sarutobi answered firmly, admitting that he was also extremely unwilling to make this choice.

However, compared to the high-end combat power of the two sides, he is undoubtedly at a significant disadvantage.

Sakumo Hatake's blade already terrified him, and then there was Yakumo Inoue, who was already comparable to him at the age of nine. Most importantly, Jiraiya and Tsunade were also on the other side.

This is a world dominated by ninjas, and Konoha Village appears to be filled with fair rules and morality... but the truth hidden beneath the surface is...

Might makes right!

If you can't beat them, you just can't beat them.

Might makes right.

Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief; if he could, he wouldn't want to confront his master directly.

However, his sense of righteousness prevented him from choosing the wrong path. At this time, Konoha needed a vibrant and powerful Hokage.

"I believe that one day in the future, you two will thank me for my decision today."

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his wooden chair, staring at the light-filled ceiling. He shook his head almost imperceptibly, a flicker of resentment, reminiscence, and the conversation from a few days ago flashing in his eyes.

It was a very serious meeting. The two men looked extremely solemn, as if they might draw their swords against each other at the slightest disagreement. Before each conversation, they would pause for a few seconds to consider how to answer.

"Are you all in such a hurry...?"

"You are no longer fit for the position of Hokage. With the decline of your physical functions and your soul, utterly exhausted by the torment of war, you have begun to fear war and are afraid of shattering this precious peace..."

"Peace...isn't that good?"

"But for the sake of this peace... you are willing to betray the interests of Konoha Village, the interests of the Land of Fire, and you don't even dare to openly offend the Land of Lightning."

"Having never experienced the cruelty of war, what right do you have to lecture me in such a condescending tone?"

"I haven't experienced the cruelty of war myself, but I know very well... lazy peace, cowardly compromise, the weak are destined to fail, and in conflicts between nations, the most taboo thing is to show weakness..."

"Do you believe that Sakumo Hatake can do better than me?"

"At the very least... he'll say no to the Land of Lightning!"

"That would lead to war!"

"We are never afraid of war, nor should we emulate the tortoise!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was furious, but instead, he smiled.

"Then I'll wait and see... what kind of system and rules Sakumo Hatake will establish!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the astonished crowd below the stage, a look of dejection on his face.

When he voluntarily relinquished the power he held tightly in his hands, he suddenly felt an immense emptiness in his heart, realizing that from this day forward, the prosperity of Konoha Village would have nothing to do with him.

After Hiruzen Sarutobi gave up, there were no more obstacles on Sakumo Hatake's path to becoming the Fourth Hokage, after a symbolic voting process.

The Hokage handover ceremony has officially begun.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the Fourth Hokage, Sakumo Hatake, arrived at the platform, from which they could basically overlook the entire landscape of Konoha, at a height even comparable to the Kage Rock.

A large crowd gathered in front of the Hokage Building, witnessed by everyone.

Hiruzen Sarutobi handed the Hokage's robe and hat, symbols of the Hokage, to Sakumo Hatake.

Thunderous applause erupted in the streets.

The Jonin... also began to applaud in unison.

Fugaku Uchiha looked at the crowd without any joy on his face, as if he was not interested in the matter of the Hokage's succession. In his view, no matter who became Hokage, the Uchiha clan was destined to be ostracized and feared.

Sakumo Hatake spread out Yakumo's speech manuscript, which, amplified by the speakers, resounded throughout a large part of Konoha Village.

"I hereby pledge that in the future I will fight at the forefront to protect Konoha and dedicate my life to the interests of the Land of Fire as a whole."

"I admit it... I will protect it..."

"Blah blah blah..."

"Finally, I want to thank everyone for their support."

"Thank you... for your trust in me."

"I bow in gratitude!"

Sakumo Hatake delivered his speech with the utmost passion and emotion, but in his view, the nearly 10,000-word speech contained only empty promises and commitments that had no real effect.

But the crowd on the street seemed to enjoy it immensely, looking at Sakumo Hatake with increasing admiration, as if the entire crowd had been infected by the speech and gathered together.

In the crowd, Yakumo shook his head and chuckled softly.

"Uncle Shuo Mao, your acting is quite good."

He hoped that everything would proceed as planned. He had heard Sakumo Hatake talk about his reforms, and the direction was basically correct, but he was being a bit too hasty.

Yakumo patched up Hatake Sakumo's work.

"Congratulations... Kakashi."

Rin Nohara clasped her hands together, blushing slightly as she looked at Kakashi. Obito Uchiha, standing to the side, immediately spoke up, sounding a little jealous.

"One day, I will become Hokage!"

"I believe you...can do it."

Yakumo took the opportunity to pat Obito on the shoulder and encourage him, saying that when someone is praised for being smart hundreds or thousands of times, he will really start to believe that he is smart.