Tsunade was quite surprised by their response. She hadn't expected them to truly believe she was the optimal candidate. After all, her reputation in the village hadn't exactly been stellar in the past. Moreover, in the eyes of some, she was merely a woman—someone perceived as unfit for such a heavy responsibility. She had also been away from the village for a very long time.
Compared to the currently skyrocketing prestige of the Uchiha Clan, she felt herself to be in a distinctly weak position.
"Don't you think it would be bad if the Uchiha Clan took power?" she asked.
One of the clan heads stepped forward. "The Uchiha Clan's way of doing things is too radical. I fear it wouldn't lead to a good outcome."
By their own power alone, they had eliminated some of the village's high-level officials and kicked the rest out of the game. Which other family in the shinobi world would dare to do such a thing? Even if they acted with a legitimate cause, it proved that this clan was exceptionally difficult to deal with. Compared to the Uchiha Clan, if Tsunade took power, she clearly wouldn't be as overbearing.
Hearing his words, Tsunade found herself in agreement. It was only natural that the Uchiha's radical methods would invite dissatisfaction. From that perspective, the Uchiha were still the same Uchiha.
However, being the Third Hokage's successor was no easy task. "I refuse."
The visiting clan heads showed looks of disappointment. If Lady Tsunade didn't stand for election, no one else would have the qualifications to compete with the Uchiha Clan—whether in terms of prestige, combat power, or reputation. In all three areas, the Uchiha Clan stood at the very top. Currently, no other members in the village could match them; it wasn't even close.
One clan head stepped forward with a pained expression. "Lady Tsunade, you cannot do this! Hidden Leaf Village was created by Lord Senju Hashirama himself. You cannot stand by and watch it go down the wrong path."
The others quickly chimed in. "Please, Lady Tsunade, stand up and lead the village!"
Seeing so many people desperately urging her to take the position, Tsunade's heart began to waver. The Leaf Village was a precious existence that her two grandfathers had protected with their very lives. Could she truly just sit back and do nothing?
In truth, she couldn't clearly see what kind of state the Uchiha Clan would bring the village to. It might be better, but it could certainly be worse. Uchiha Madara had once wanted to launch wars against other nations; would the current Uchiha Ryōsuke follow Madara's example and start a war? If a war broke out, the peace of the village would vanish, potentially leading to years of constant tension. The peaceful days they had finally achieved would fly away.
Tsunade was deeply conflicted. She could only say, "All of you, go back for now. I will consider it further."
Seeing that Tsunade had said this much, the group had no choice. They had said everything they needed to say and didn't want to push her too hard. They knew her temper well. The more she was pressured, the more likely she was to become resentful. There was still a chance she might run; if they pushed too fast, she might simply turn her back on them, and the matter would be ruined.
But before leaving, they had to have one last word. "Lady Tsunade, please think carefully about the future of Hidden Leaf Village. We shall take our leave."
After the crowd left, Tsunade fell into deep thought. 'Should I really take on this heavy responsibility? Do I actually have the ability?'
She had been idle for so many years, and the road ahead was filled with obstacles. The Uchiha Clan stood right in front of her as the greatest hurdle. Though that clan had changed somewhat, they were likely still Uchiha to the bone. If they lost the election, would they resort to force? If that clan refused to accept defeat and seized power through might, even Tsunade would be helpless against them.
That man named Uchiha Ryōsuke... let alone her, even her second great-uncle would find him difficult to handle. Perhaps only her eldest great-uncle would have been certain. Her grandfather, Senju Hashirama, was the Ninja God, after all. Even if Uchiha Ryōsuke was strong, he should have been able to suppress him. Back then, the incredibly powerful Nine-Tails had no ability to resist in her grandfather's hands.
Regrettably, when Uchiha Madara defected, her grandfather pursued him and fought a massive battle. Although he successfully killed Madara, he himself died a few years later due to the severity of his injuries.
Tsunade sighed in her heart. 'Now the Uchiha Clan has produced another powerful man approaching the level of Uchiha Madara. It's truly frustrating.'
Beside her, Shizune watched Tsunade's contemplative face with surprise. She couldn't help but ask, "Lady Tsunade, you aren't actually considering running for the position of Fifth Hokage, are you? You love gambling so much and have such a big temper—no matter how I look at it, you can't handle the heavy responsibility of being the Fifth Hokage, right?"
Hearing Shizune's words, Tsunade frowned and turned to look at her, raising a fist. "Shizune, I think your skin is getting itchy. Do you want a taste of my fist?"
Seeing Lady Tsunade getting serious, Shizune quickly waved her hands. "I was wrong, Lady Tsunade!" If Lady Tsunade's fist landed on her, it would be extremely painful; she didn't want any part of that.
Seeing Shizune immediately admit fault, Tsunade didn't bother her further. She wasn't in the mood; the upcoming decisions wouldn't be easy.
Shizune breathed a deep sigh of relief. 'It's great that Lady Tsunade didn't hit me. It looks like she really is thinking about the position of Fifth Hokage.' In truth, if Lady Tsunade reined in her temper, it wasn't impossible for her to take power. She was, after all, the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama and her combat power was decent—at least Kage-level. She just needed to overcome the problem of her Hemophobia. But if Tsunade set her mind to it, she should be able to overcome it; it was essentially just a psychological barrier.
Perhaps this was the opportunity to help Lady Tsunade pull herself together. Shizune suggested, "Lady Tsunade, if you really have the intention to run for Fifth Hokage, why not go ask Nara Shikaku? With his intelligence, he should be able to give some advice."
Tsunade's brow furrowed tightly. "Don't you know that man has already joined the Konoha Military Police Force? He's thrown his lot in with the Uchiha. Why look for him?"
Shizune explained, "The Uchiha Clan has always been out of step with the other families, and the Ino-Shika-Chō trio is quite loyal. They might not have completely defected to the Uchiha. Perhaps they just reached a cooperation agreement."
Tsunade felt there was some logic to Shizune's words. Based on her previous impression of those three clans, they weren't people who lusted for power. Although the Police Force had great authority, they would have had equally great power if they had the Hokage's trust. There was no need for them to betray the Third Hokage to join the Uchiha camp. There might be something she hadn't noticed.
It seemed she had to go and ask this person. "Shizune, you're quite smart. Go and invite Nara Shikaku over."
Shizune looked helpless. "Lady Tsunade, can't you let me rest? We've been traveling all day and I'm exhausted, and now I have to run errands." The territory of the three clans was quite far from the Senju Clan compound.
Tsunade looked serious. "Go. Important matters come first. You can rest when you get back."
Shizune had no choice but to drag her tired body away. Nearly an hour later, Shizune finally returned to the Senju compound with Nara Shikaku. She had gone to the three clans' compound first only to find he wasn't there. He was actually at the Police Force Branch Building. She had to go there instead, making the trip in vain and leaving her body even more exhausted.
She simply said to Nara Shikaku, "Lady Tsunade is right there. Go on in yourself." Then she turned around and went straight to rest.