The Uchiha Clan's Sun

"After all, the existence of the Divine Arrow Battalion is also a huge threat to them!"

In the Hyuga clan, although they are all brothers and sisters, the main family members control the life and death of the branch family members. Over time, the main family members' status has become transcendent, and they regard the branch family members as servants or even pigs and dogs!

In this environment, dissatisfaction and even hatred naturally arise among the members of the Hyuga branch family. Since the establishment of the branch family and main family system, there have been rebellious members of the branch family from time to time!

As for how to resist, the answer is, of course, to assassinate members of the imperial clan!

However, due to the presence of the Caged Bird Seal, these rebels who only knew physical skills had virtually no chance of getting close to the clan members!

Now, a divine archery battalion has emerged from the division! A group of archers has appeared who can take lives from hundreds of meters away!

This time, the Hyuga branch family members truly have the ability to resist!

How could the Hyuga main family sit idly by?

Uchiha Jin thought for a moment and said, "This matter cannot be rushed. Orochimaru and Kushina Uzumaki are still researching the Caged Bird Seal. We must wait until Minato has secured his position as the Fourth Hokage!"

"Furthermore, a suitable opportunity is needed to minimize casualties!"

Hiashi Hyuga gritted his teeth and said, "I'll try my best to stall!"

As the head of the Hyuga clan's main family, Hyuga Hiashi, despite his status as a member of the main family, was very dissatisfied with the system of the main family and the branch family.

After all, the current head of the Hyuga branch family, Hyuga Hizashi, is his twin brother!

However, no matter how dissatisfied Hiashi Hyuga was in the past, under the strict hierarchical system of the Hyuga clan, he, as the clan head, was also subject to the restrictions of the elders of the main branch, and could only hide these grievances in his heart.

In the original storyline, Hiashi Hyuga's dissatisfaction with the main family and branch family system reached its peak after the birth of his two daughters, Hinata Hyuga and Hanabi Hyuga. Under immense pressure, Hinata Hyuga, who had little 'talent', was never branded with the Caged Bird Seal until she reached adulthood!

After Hinata Hyuga married Naruto Uzumaki, the strongest ninja in the world, no one dared to clamor for putting the Caged Bird Seal on Hinata Hyuga anymore. This also caused the first crack in the Hyuga clan's system of main and branch families that had been passed down for thousands of years!

Now, the appearance of Uchiha Jin has given both Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi hope for change. No, perhaps it's not so much hope as Uchiha Jin's attitude is very firm: the problems of the Hyuga clan will have to be solved sooner or later, and they will have to change whether they want to or not!

Hiashi Hyuga shook his head, hoping that the members of the Hyuga main family would eventually yield to the prevailing circumstances.

Time flew by, and soon it was nine o'clock.

After all the seats in the large conference room were filled, the Konoha F4 pushed open the door and walked in right on time.

To everyone's surprise, only three of the Konoha F4 – Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo – walked to the others at the conference table, while Sarutobi Hiruzen sat down in a seat near the front of the table.

Only then did everyone realize with surprise that the main seats, which usually had four seats, only had three available today!

Chapter 240 Hiruzen Sarutobi, who is not qualified to be the master!

A small commotion broke out in the conference room as many people whispered and discussed the implications of the event.

"Lu Jiu, what happened? Did you receive the message?"

Among the small group of the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans, Yamanaka Inoichi looked at Nara Shikaku with a puzzled expression and asked in a low voice.

“No, but…” Nara Shikaku shook his head, then said uncertainly, “Perhaps it’s related to Elder Mitomon and Elder Shimura going to see Uchiha Jin yesterday?”

Yamanaka Inoichi frowned slightly, then asked, "What should we do?"

Nara Shikaku's eyes flickered for a moment, then he said, "We don't need to do anything. This meeting is not simple. Let's just wait and see!"

Yamanaka Ino nodded, sat up straight, and pretended to doze off, his eyes fixed on his nose and his mind.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya, who had rushed back from the border of the Land of Hot Water, patted Orochimaru on the shoulder and asked, "Orochimaru, what happened? Has the old man lost power?"

Orochimaru licked his lips and said with interest, "Who knows? I only got back to the village at dawn this morning, a day later than you!"

Having received no answer, Jiraiya turned to Minato Namikaze on the other side and asked, "Minato, do you know what's going on?"

Minato Namikaze shrugged and said with a wry smile, "I was busy with other things yesterday and don't know what happened."

Minato Namikaze was naturally busy with Team 7's affairs!

Knowing that Nohara Rin was not dead, the first thing he did after returning to the village and completing his mission was to take Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi, and Uzumaki Kushina to find Nohara Rin. The 7th team stayed together until late at night and had no idea what had happened.

Hiashi Hyuga looked at Jin Uchiha in shock, his eyes filled with confusion.

Could this be the surprise that Uchiha Jin was talking about?

Uchiha Jin, however, had no time to pay attention to Hyuga Hiashi; he was calmly staring at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was diagonally opposite him.

Did you take a step back because you knew things were hopeless, so as to avoid being too embarrassed and unable to back down?

Uchiha Jin gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a harmless smile, thinking to himself that the old man was indeed decisive.

"Ahem, quiet!"

Mitomon Yan spoke, instantly silencing the large conference room.

Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, Mitokado Homura continued, "Before the meeting begins, I must announce something: the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, went to the Daimyo's residence a few days ago to report on his duties and officially resigned from his position as Hokage!"

"The appointment of acting Hokage has not yet taken effect because it has not yet been reported to the Daimyo's office!"

"Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi is not attending this meeting as the Third Hokage or the Acting Hokage, but as a Konoha Jonin, the Minister of Education of Konoha, the Principal of Konoha Ninja Academy, and the leader of the Konoha Mission Team!"

After a pause, Mitokado Homura added, "Furthermore, given that the position of Hokage is currently vacant, this meeting will be jointly chaired by myself, Elder Utatane, and Elder Shimura Dan!"

As soon as Mitokado Yan finished speaking, the entire conference room fell into a deathly silence.

Some people in the conference room did not understand Mitokado Homura's implied meaning. In their opinion, Mitokado Homura was just saying some 'nonsense' that everyone already knew!

Many people in the meeting room realized the seriousness of the situation!

Many things are indeed common knowledge, but if no one takes them seriously, everyone just turns a blind eye and keeps quiet about them!

However, once these matters are brought up in such a formal setting, it is equivalent to making the matter official, and everyone can no longer pretend that they did not see it!

Mitokado Homura's words just now were undoubtedly meant to explain one thing: that Hiruzen Sarutobi is no longer the Hokage and can no longer use the authority of the Hokage!

The practical significance of this event is neither great nor small, but its symbolic meaning is extraordinary!

This means that Hiruzen Sarutobi's reign has ended 'early'!

Hiruzen Sarutobi isn't even qualified to sit at the head of the conference table right now!

Nara Shikaku glanced at Uchiha Jin without making a sound, wondering if this matter had anything to do with Uchiha Jin, or how much it did!

"Ahem, let's begin the meeting!" Mitokado Homura didn't explain anything and continued, "A lot has happened in the village recently, especially the Battle of Kikyo Mountain Fortress, which caused Konoha heavy losses!"

"Right now, many things in the village are in a mess, such as compensation for the injured and killed ninjas, rebuilding the damaged houses in the village, the defense arrangements along the border of the Land of Fire, and negotiations with several other villages, etc."

"We urgently need a Hokage to take charge!"

"Therefore, the topic of this meeting is the election of the Fourth Hokage!"

As Mitokado Homura spoke, the expressions of everyone in the conference room gradually became serious.

Indeed, Konoha Village is currently in dire need of reconstruction, and there are many things that urgently need to be addressed.

Mitokado Homura continued, "According to the village's rules, when electing Hokage, one to five candidates must first be nominated. After the candidates are determined, the villagers are given time to get to know them and understand them before voting to elect the Hokage!"

"Now let's determine the candidates for the Fourth Hokage. If anyone has a suitable candidate in mind, please feel free to share them so we can discuss them together!"

As soon as Mitokado Homura finished speaking, a Jonin who had returned from the border of the Land of Hot Springs with Jiraiya spoke up: "I recommend Lord Jiraiya! Lord Jiraiya is one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. He led us to victory in many wars. His seniority, achievements, and abilities are more than enough to qualify him for the position of Hokage!"

Then another ninja spoke up, "Then I recommend Lord Orochimaru! Lord Orochimaru is also one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. In terms of seniority, achievements, and abilities, he is no less than Lord Jiraiya, and he is absolutely qualified to become Hokage!"

The meeting room immediately became lively as many people shared their thoughts, with Jiraiya and Orochimaru being the most vocal!

This also shows how high Jiraiya and Orochimaru's prestige was in Konoha!

In the original storyline, if it weren't for Hiruzen Sarutobi's intervention, Minato Namikaze might not have been able to defeat Orochimaru!

Some people in the meeting room also wanted to recommend Minato Namikaze, but since someone had recommended Jiraiya, they were a little hesitant to speak up!

After all, Jiraiya was Minato Namikaze's teacher, so it wouldn't be appropriate for a disciple to compete with his teacher for the same position!

"Quiet!" Mitokado Homura spoke up at the right moment to stop the discussion, and only after the meeting room quieted down did he say, "I have heard everyone's opinions!"

After a pause, Mitokado Homura looked down at Jiraiya and Orochimaru and said, "Orochimaru, Jiraiya, you two have both seen the situation. Do you want to participate in the election for the Fourth Hokage?"

Chapter 241 I have found a higher pursuit than the Hokage!

As Mitokado Homura spoke, everyone in the meeting room turned their attention to Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

Although it was recommended by someone else, the person's own wishes are certainly very important.

Facing the expectant gazes of the crowd, Jiraiya grinned and said, "I'm sorry everyone, as you all know my personality, I'm really not up to the job of Hokage!"

"I can follow the Hokage's orders, but I really don't have the ability to become the Hokage and command others!"

Jiraiya's answer was not unexpected.

Although many people in the village did support Jiraiya, they also knew that Jiraiya, given his personality, would not compete for the Hokage position!

Therefore, no one was surprised by Jiraiya's answer.

Then everyone looked at Orochimaru, who had not yet answered!

Unlike Jiraiya, Orochimaru is much more composed and, aside from being somewhat aloof, is a natural leader.

Moreover, there were rumors as early as the beginning of the Third Shinobi World War that Orochimaru would become the Fourth Hokage. At that time, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, did indeed place Orochimaru in the position of Hokage successor, and Orochimaru did not refuse!

These are all common knowledge!

If it weren't for the emergence of the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru becoming the Fourth Hokage would have been a foregone conclusion!

After Minato Namikaze rose to prominence, everyone believed that the position of Fourth Hokage would be chosen between Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze!

Orochimaru never lost or gave up his right to run for the Fourth Hokage!

But under everyone's gaze, Orochimaru gave a wicked smile and said, "I'm sorry everyone, although it may sound harsh, it's the truth. I've found a higher goal than Hokage, so I won't be participating in this election!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the entire conference room!

"What does Lord Orochimaru mean by that? What do you mean by a pursuit higher than the Hokage?"

"What does he take the Hokage for? How could he say such a thing!"

"Although...but Orochimaru-sama looks so cool!"

......

For most ninjas in Konoha, the Hokage is their ultimate pursuit and an inviolable status in their hearts!

Therefore, Orochimaru's words and his disdainful attitude towards the Hokage position made many people in the conference room feel very angry!

However, some ninjas felt something was off because of Orochimaru's honest words, and some of Orochimaru's followers felt Orochimaru's strong personal charisma!

"quiet!"

Mitomon En frowned and slapped the table, clearly displeased with the noise in the conference room.

Once the meeting room quieted down again, Mitokado Homura frowned and looked at Orochimaru, the instigator of the disturbance, and said, "Orochimaru, watch your words! The Hokage's dignity cannot be insulted!"

Orochimaru remained calm and said indifferently, "I didn't mean to insult the Hokage, I was just stating the facts!"

"Orochimaru! Don't be so direct!"

Seeing this, Jiraiya quickly grabbed Orochimaru, fearing that Orochimaru might say something that would anger everyone.

Orochimaru thought for a moment and then said, "I think I didn't explain myself clearly and caused everyone to misunderstand me. I didn't mean to insult the Hokage."

"I just want to say that although the Hokage should be respected, everyone's pursuits are different, and the position of Hokage does not necessarily have to be the primary goal!"

"Just like Jiraiya, what he wanted was to find the so-called Child of Prophecy, so he never thought about running for the Fourth Hokage!"

"In his heart, the so-called Child of Prophecy is a pursuit even higher than that of the Hokage!"

Jiraiya: "?!?!?!?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the meeting room instinctively looked at Jiraiya standing to the side!

Jiraiya chuckled twice, looked up at the ceiling, and whistled guiltily.

At this moment, Jiraiya had already mentally punched Orochimaru a thousand times. He never expected that Orochimaru would use him as a target to draw fire.

He'll definitely go after Orochimaru after this meeting.

"Alright!" Mitokado Homura said, his face ashen. "Since neither of you wants to run for Hokage, we can't force you! Konoha isn't so desperate as to force people to submit to even the position of Hokage!"

"Let's talk about the other candidates!"

"I recommend Minato Namikaze!" Jiraiya immediately interjected as soon as Mitokado Homura finished speaking, "Minato's achievements and abilities are evident to all, and he is absolutely capable of serving as the Fourth Hokage!"

After saying that, Jiraiya shut his mouth and showed no intention of speaking further.

It is undoubtedly most appropriate for a teacher to recommend his own disciple, which is also the main reason why Jiraiya came to attend this meeting!