Although Hiruzen Sarutobi had already given his preliminary approval in the Hokage's office, becoming Hokage was by no means a simple matter.
There were still many tedious procedures to go through. No matter how much they were simplified, three hurdles could not be avoided: the High Council meeting, the jōnin assembly, and the approval of the Fire Daimyō.
Of these, the Daimyō's approval was the easiest for Tsunade. After all, she was one of the Daimyō's granddaughters. Having a family member ascend to Hokage was exactly the outcome the Daimyō would most welcome.
The jōnin assembly would not pose much of a problem either. The battlefield feats of Hoshiyomi and the others had been seen by all who fought in the war, and Tsunade, as the head of the medical corps, had saved the lives of countless jōnin. Even if there was resistance, it would likely be minor.
The true difficulty lay with the High Council meeting.
This was the part that Hoshiyomi and Tsunade dreaded most. They had attended such meetings before alongside Mito. Those people were the type to abandon everything for the sake of power. If their interests were threatened, they would even challenge someone like Uzumaki Mito. Although most of them had since died off thanks to Mito's groundwork and Hiruzen's efforts at division and co-option, a few stubborn old men remained—hard and stinking like rocks in an outhouse.
Even so, Hoshiyomi and the others felt little fear. In the face of overwhelming strength, all obstinate forces were ultimately pale and laughable.
Roughly a week later, the council meeting convened as scheduled.
When Hoshiyomi, Tsunade, and the rest pushed open the door of the small conference hall, they immediately felt dozens of gazes fall upon them. Inside, thirty to forty people were seated. Most were of advanced age—venerated elders of the village, clan heads of the great families, ministers of key departments, or Hokage advisors.
It was no exaggeration to say that if you added up the years of everyone in that room, it would nearly match the entire history of the shinobi world. Against such a backdrop, Hoshiyomi and his five companions—mere youths of twenty-five or twenty-six—stood out sharply, like bright lights in the gloom.
These veterans, who had been maneuvering in Konoha's political stage for over a decade, knew very well what the presence of Hoshiyomi and the others meant today. Expressions around the room varied.
Those familiar faces from the Senju faction, who had once supported Mito in meetings, and the Uzumaki elders who had since migrated into Konoha, all gave them friendly looks.
Meanwhile, the heads of the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans—the so-called Ino-Shika-Chō trio—remained utterly calm. These families never picked sides, standing solely with the Hokage regardless of who held the title. Because Hokage needed them, and they harbored no ulterior motives, their lack of ambition made them strong.
Other expressions were harder to read. For example, the heads of the Hyūga and Uchiha sat with blank faces, giving no hint of their true thoughts.
But the elders who had once followed Danzō showed far more colorful reactions—some looked terrified, others tried to ingratiate themselves, while a few glared with undisguised hostility.
After Hoshiyomi and the others found their seats, the Third Hokage slowly entered the room. Once the doors were closed, he began the day's proceedings.
The first half dealt mainly with administrative adjustments in the aftermath of the Second Shinobi World War. Nothing too major—most responded with indifference.
But then Hiruzen raised the final item on the agenda:
"Before we begin today's last topic," he said, "I must first announce something."
At those words, everyone in the room visibly stiffened, straightening in their seats with sudden tension.
Hiruzen Sarutobi swept his gaze across the entire conference room and continued:
"Since the 16th year of Konoha, I have held this position for twenty years. Now, feeling that my strength and energy are no longer sufficient, I have decided to resign as the Third Hokage and recommend Tsunade to serve as the Fourth Hokage.
Therefore, the final agenda item for today is this: a discussion on whether Tsunade is suited to take on the role of the Fourth Hokage. If any of you have thoughts, now is the time to voice them."
The moment those words left his mouth, the previously quiet conference hall exploded into chaos. Everyone except for Hoshiyomi and his five companions was visibly shaken by the name of this candidate.
Tsunade? How could it be Tsunade? Wasn't it supposed to be Gekko Hoshiyomi? This did not match the script they had anticipated at all.
But it didn't matter—in the end, they just had to choose sides. Those who wanted to support would support, those who wanted to oppose would oppose.
As Hoshiyomi had predicted, two classic voices immediately emerged. The Senju faction and the Hokage faction elders one after another expressed their agreement.
What made Hoshiyomi chuckle was that his own teacher, Akimichi Torifu, was especially enthusiastic in cheering for Tsunade, loudly rebutting the opposition while also sneaking glances back at Hoshiyomi, winking at him in encouragement.
Meanwhile, the remnants of Danzō's supporters openly voiced their strong objections. The Hyūga clan's elders remained silent, while the Uchiha clan head hesitated briefly before taking a clear stand on the opposition side—having seemingly caught the scent of the Senju clan's revival.
The previously calm conference room instantly devolved into chaos, voices clashing back and forth with neither side able to persuade the other.
Hoshiyomi, however, showed no concern. His gaze eventually settled playfully on Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, seated beside Hiruzen.
This was their last chance. If the two of them chose to side with Tsunade, Hoshiyomi might still treat them with a degree of leniency. But if they showed even a shred of hesitation or opposition, then he would no longer show mercy—regardless of the bond they had once shared during his six months of training under them.
After a brief pause, Homura finally made his choice:
"I believe Tsunade, at only twenty-six years old, is still very young. Konoha today is not in as desperate a situation as during the First Shinobi War. As for the matter of appointing the Fourth Hokage, perhaps we should maintain our current course and observe a while longer."
Koharu, though she didn't speak, made her agreement obvious with her expression.
Seeing this, Hoshiyomi shook his head almost imperceptibly. So power really does change people… The Homura who had once devoted half a year wholeheartedly supervising and guiding him for the Chūnin Exams had, in the end, become as stubborn and conservative as the one from the original story.
Since that's the case, I can't be blamed for being merciless.
Turning to the other five, Hoshiyomi silently mouthed: "Begin."
In that instant, six terrifying auras erupted skyward. Four of them were the overwhelming presences of true Kage-level shinobi, while the remaining two, though somewhat weaker, were still formidable beyond doubt.
The combined release of six such auras made the entire conference room tremble. The chaotic noise instantly fell silent, leaving everyone staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed.
Under their astonished gazes, the sharpest and most dominating presence—Hoshiyomi—slowly rose to his feet. His voice was calm and not especially loud, yet carried an undeniable force:
"I support Tsunade's appointment as the Fourth Hokage. Do any of you still have objections?"
Author's Notes:
This is Hoshiyomi's show-off moment.