Inside Naruto's cabin.
"Is that so?"
Naruto sat on the chair and looked at the three people in front of him.
Just now, Naruto had taken a shower and planned to rest.
But Tsunade suddenly visited, bringing Haruno Sakura and Ino with her.
Tsunade's personality is straightforward, so she explained her purpose directly.
At this moment, Naruto already understood the situation.
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell ill for no apparent reason.
He wanted to appoint Tsunade as Hokage, and Tsunade intended to accept.
But Danzo disrupted everything.
Now Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted Tsunade to gain Naruto's support.
After hearing the full story, Naruto immediately smiled: "Looks like the bet developed normally, and I did win."
Tsunade was silent for a moment, then asked Naruto, "If you give me a clear answer—will you support me or not?"
Compared to Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tsunade's tone and attitude were harsher.
But Naruto liked that. Being straightforward was better.
Everyone has their own needs. There's no point in being a riddle-solver. Honest conversations aren't tiring.
Naruto looked Tsunade up and down and realized she really was big…
Ahem~
Naruto looked away and said, "I can agree, but I have conditions."
"Tsk~ Little pervert." Tsunade said disdainfully. "You're not thinking of anything unrealistic, are you?"
Tsunade, you don't want to be Hokage, do you?
For some reason, that line popped into Naruto's mind immediately.
Of course, he didn't say it.
Tsunade had a terrible temper. Even if she knew she couldn't beat Naruto, if he said something like that, she would definitely hit him.
Naruto straightened his expression and said to Tsunade: "I need you to guide Sakura carefully. I found her progress with the Strength of a Hundred Seal is very slow."
"Hmph!" Tsunade frowned, displeased. "Of course I teach my disciple wholeheartedly. You don't need to remind me."
Naruto didn't mind and made his second request: "Afterward, I'll need support from some of Konoha's technical personnel."
Tsunade frowned slightly in confusion. "What specifically?"
"I need Konoha to help me build a large barrier," Naruto said. "The same type of barrier Konoha is currently using."
"Alright!" Tsunade agreed without hesitation. "If that's all, I accept."
"But… you're not planning to build some sort of power structure, are you?"
That was Tsunade talking too much, but her curiosity made her ask.
Naruto shook his head slightly. "I don't have that idea. I just want my home to be safer."
After receiving Naruto's support, Tsunade relaxed a little.
Naruto then asked Tsunade: "How do I support you?"
Tsunade chuckled. "You don't have to do anything. Just stick with me these days."
"That's true…" Naruto nodded slightly, understanding the logic.
His identity was sensitive and special.
He was a Jinchūriki, had defected, and was strong.
If Naruto followed Tsunade around, it would give everyone the impression that Tsunade had his support.
And Naruto supported Tsunade. Since the Hyuga clan had a connection with Naruto, they would also lean toward supporting Tsunade.
In addition to Naruto's strength and circumstances, he was also the son of the Fourth Hokage.
Namikaze Minato's popularity in Konoha needed no explanation.
Furthermore, many Jōnin would vote.
And Naruto being Minato's son meant Minato's fans would most likely choose Tsunade.
Combined with Tsunade being the First Hokage's granddaughter, her chances of winning were greatly increased.
It could be said that if Danzo didn't stir trouble, Tsunade would definitely become Hokage.
…
Tsunade did not take Naruto to the Elders' Meeting.
The reason was that this meeting was only to decide who would compete for the Hokage position.
The final candidates were indeed Tsunade and Danzo.
Originally, the advisors thought Danzo was too old, but he used other excuses to push through.
After that, Danzo began moving in secret, trying to gather more votes.
The Hokage Selection Meeting was extremely important.
All Jōnin had to participate, even those on missions who needed to return to the village first.
It was essentially a large assembly.
According to the elders, the meeting was scheduled ten days later.
By then, all Jōnin would have returned to Konoha.
During these ten days, Naruto stayed in Konoha.
He studied the barrier system while spending time with Hinata.
On days when Sakura didn't have training assigned by Tsunade, she would almost always come to bother Naruto and Hinata.
And Naruto trained as well—after all, improving his combat ability was part of his system mission.
As the days passed, Naruto didn't care about the secret confrontation between Tsunade and Danzo.
All Tsunade needed from him was to show his face.
Soon, the day of the big meeting arrived.
As agreed, Naruto followed Tsunade to the meeting.
Following Tsunade—like Naruto—was Jiraiya of the Sannin.
Jōnin were the key fighting power of a ninja village.
At this meeting, almost all Jōnin and Elite Jōnin were present.
The elders and advisors sat together, waiting for the meeting to start.
More and more people arrived, and the hall grew increasingly lively.
Tsunade and Danzo sat on opposite sides of the main platform.
Tsunade's supporters were Naruto and Jiraiya, while Danzo had the elders and Root members.
The tension was thick between the two sides.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in the main seat with his frail body propped up.
As the meeting time approached, a few Jōnin had still not arrived.
Anbu appeared beside Sarutobi Hiruzen and reported: "Hokage-sama, among the Jōnin who have not arrived, Kurenai Yuhi said she went to the Land of Wind for a trip, but she hasn't returned yet."
"The other two were injured during their mission and are currently in Konoha Hospital."
So only Kurenai Yuhi hadn't shown up?
What was she doing in the Land of Wind at a time like this?
Although Sarutobi Hiruzen was puzzled, the meeting could not be delayed because of her.
Sarutobi Hiruzen announced the start of the assembly.
Naruto, sitting next to Tsunade, felt an odd sensation when he heard Kurenai's name.
It felt like they were close, but he and Kurenai had barely interacted.
Still, with more important matters happening, Naruto could only set the feeling aside.
Soon, the voting began.
And as Tsunade and Sarutobi Hiruzen expected—
The First Hokage and Namikaze Minato were incredibly popular in Konoha.
The older Jōnin trusted the First Hokage's bloodline and voted for Tsunade.
Naruto's presence also influenced many younger Jōnin.
When Hyuga Hiashi noticed Naruto, he instantly forgot whatever Danzo had told him.
Naruto and the Hyuga clan shared ties—their interests were linked.
Naruto was clearly more important than Danzo.
So Hiashi voted for Tsunade.
The votes of the ninja clans were crucial. Each Jōnin in a clan meant another vote.
And the Hyuga clan was the strongest clan in Konoha.
With the Hyuga clan leading, the hesitant clans followed and voted for Tsunade…
Those supporting Danzo were mostly Root members and a few elders.
As the voting continued, Danzo's expression grew uglier.
He never expected Tsunade to gain Naruto's support.
With Naruto present, the Hyuga clan's vote shifted.
The smaller clans followed the Hyuga clan's lead.
This ruined Danzo's plan completely, and the vote gap between him and Tsunade grew wider and wider.
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