Chapter 173: The Candidate Vote, the Uchiha Stand United!

Chapter 173: The Candidate Vote, the Uchiha Stand United!

*Cough, cough…*

The Third Hokage stepped out from behind the scenes, walking to the front of the meeting room, where he took his place at a podium-like structure.

At this moment, the meeting room fell silent, even the usually enthusiastic and talkative Guy became solemn.

"The Third Great Ninja War has ended. Many have bravely sacrificed themselves on the battlefield."

"As Hokage, I cannot escape responsibility for this, and I plan to resign from the position, passing it on to the next generation."

"Today's Jonin meeting is about the candidate vote."

The Third Hokage signaled to the Anbu, who brought in boxes for the voting process. He looked up, scanning the meeting room, and his gaze lingered for a moment on where Orochimaru, Minato, and the Uchiha were sitting.

"Anyone who wishes to run, please step forward."

After he spoke, silence filled the room. Some people looked at Orochimaru, others at Minato, but many focused on the Uchiha. The grandeur of the Uchiha today gave the impression that they might be vying for attention and might even put forward a candidate.

Even Orochimaru glanced at Haneda with a hint of curiosity. During the Third Great Ninja War, Haneda had proven himself admirably in decisive battles and had racked up significant achievements. More importantly, he had the full support of the Uchiha, and he would inherit Sakumo's political legacy. In terms of accomplishments and reputation, Haneda qualified to run for Hokage.

However, Haneda simply sat quietly in his seat without making any move.

Orochimaru, finding the situation intriguing, licked his lips. He glanced at Minato, who seemed like he wanted to stand but kept his hands on the table. Orochimaru became the first to step forward.

The Third Hokage signaled Orochimaru to say a few words, but Orochimaru merely stood to the side, observing coldly, almost as if he were a spectator.

Simply standing there without saying a word, Orochimaru had already drawn the attention of the entire room. Many people quietly admired Orochimaru's calm demeanor.

At this moment, Kushina tugged on Minato's arm, prompting him to finally make up his mind. He strode to the center of the stage, standing opposite Orochimaru.

"My name is Minato Namikaze."

"My dream is to become Hokage. This has been my pursuit and is the reason I'm standing here today…"

Minato passionately spoke about his commitment to becoming Hokage and shared his views on the village and the Hokage's responsibilities. However, most of the Jonin below were not listening closely—especially the clan members, who had already decided to support Orochimaru due to his status as a direct disciple of the Third Hokage and his greater experience and reputation.

Victory for Orochimaru seemed nearly assured.

Just as everyone was waiting for Minato to finish his speech, a voice suddenly rang out, accompanied by applause.

"Well said!"

"Minato-senpai truly lives up to his reputation as the Yellow Flash, clashing numerous times with the Fourth Raikage and the Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails, Killer Bee! His speech is as brilliant as his reputation!"

Haneda had risen, clapping loudly. As he did so, all the Uchiha Jonin stood up simultaneously. In an instant, one-tenth of the Jonin in the room were standing.

Some of the more neutral clans began to reconsider their stance on Minato. The Uchiha were a powerful force in the village, and since Haneda's rise, they had exerted a growing influence over the village's leadership. Even the Hyuga Clan, the second-largest in Konoha, started to take Minato's candidacy seriously. Those who had been ready to fully back Orochimaru were now considering staying neutral.

On the elders' bench, Danzo watched Haneda and the assembled Uchiha with a dark expression. He had expected the Uchiha to weaken after losing Sakumo and Kenji, but Haneda had unified the clan, even challenging Orochimaru, whom Danzo had covertly supported.

Danzo tried to signal Orochimaru to suppress Minato's momentum, but Orochimaru, watching as Kushina, Jiraiya, and Kakashi each stood to support Minato, merely observed with interest.

"The decayed windmill is beginning to turn again… Who started this breeze?" Orochimaru looked at Haneda, recalling something Haneda had once said at the Memorial Stone.

"Interesting."

Due to the strength of Orochimaru and Minato, others who had considered running dropped out. The voting process ended quickly, and the result was unexpected: Minato's votes were closer to Orochimaru's than anyone had anticipated, with nearly 30% of the votes abstained. Even the Ino-Shika-Cho Alliance, traditionally loyal to the Hokage, had some members voting for Minato.

The Third Hokage watched as Haneda and the Uchiha Jonin left the meeting room in perfect order, deep in thought.

At this moment, Danzo approached, asking sternly, "Hiruzen, what were the vote results?"

The Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe and replied, "Minato was only seven votes behind."

"What?!"

Danzo's eyes widened in disbelief. Such a close result between Orochimaru and Minato shocked him. Then a wicked face flashed in his mind, and he gritted his teeth.

"It was that Uchiha brat Haneda, wasn't it?"

The Third Hokage's silence confirmed Danzo's suspicion. After a pause, he exhaled a puff of smoke and said quietly, "A third of Minato's votes came from the Uchiha Clan. Another quarter came from Sakumo's former subordinates."

*Bang!*

Danzo slammed the table in frustration. "Hiruzen! I told you before—you would regret your decisions!"

"If only you had listened to my advice seven years ago, none of this would have happened!"

The Third Hokage argued back, "The Uchiha show no signs of rebellion, Danzo! Haneda's support for Minato as Hokage shows they are working to integrate into the village!"

Danzo's eyes widened. "They're after greater power! They've never abandoned their ambitions!"

"Hiruzen, if you release the restrictions on the Root, I can personally..."

"The Uchiha are Konoha's Uchiha—I won't permit it..." the Third Hokage cut him off.

But Danzo interrupted in turn, "You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"

"I am the Hokage!"

Once again, the discussion between the Third Hokage and Danzo about handling the Uchiha ended in disagreement.

Meanwhile, as he left the meeting room, the Uchiha Anbu operative Hachidai quietly returned to the Uchiha clan grounds, seeking out Haneda and Fugaku to report what had occurred in the meeting room.

Hearing the familiar words exchanged by the Third Hokage and Danzo, Haneda smiled.

"The Uchiha have never been this united. Even if the Root's restrictions are lifted, Danzo is just a rat in the shadows—no storm he stirs will trouble us."