Chapter 16

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As soon as Sarutobi Hiruzen said those words, everyone turned to look at him and Toki in astonishment.

"Tsunade-sama isn't in Konoha?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen sneered and looked at Toki, saying, "Tsunade's vote count is being controlled by your Uchiha clan. She hasn't even shown her face. If you want her to be Hokage, shouldn't she at least be present?"

Danzo, standing to the side, also sneered internally. Over the past month, they had searched Konoha and its surroundings but found no trace of Tsunade. Two days ago, upon the Root's return, they had located Tsunade in the Land of Hot Water (Yu no Kuni).

So, the Uchiha clan's efforts were just a bluff. Tsunade wasn't even around, yet they still expected her to become Hokage.

Uchiha Fugaku, surprised by this revelation, turned to Toki and asked, "Tsunade isn't here? Then why did we push for her election?"

Fugaku thought about how the clan had been vigorously promoting Tsunade and hoped to gain something from this alliance. But now it seemed like a waste of resources.

Uchiha Setsuna, amused, looked at Fugaku and said with a smile, "What does choosing a Hokage have to do with whether she's in the village? Who said Hokage can't leave the village?"

"Our second Hokage said it right. Hokage is a pioneer, leading the way and leaving the future to the next generation, always at the front line."

"Look at the faces on the Hokage Rock behind you. The true Hokage leads from the front, and even the one who survived stepped down."

"The position of Hokage is a spiritual symbol, greater than all else. Do you understand the Will of Fire? Tsunade has both strength and prestige. Our choosing her as Hokage doesn't mean she has to run the village."

"Leave the day-to-day management to professionals. Strength doesn't always mean you're good at managing a village."

"Take Sarutobi here, for instance. Is he strong? Absolutely. A legendary disciple of the Second Hokage, a 'Professor of Ninjutsu.' But what's happened under his leadership? Look at how Konoha is now."

"During the First Shinobi World War, Konoha had four Hokage and didn't lose ground. Now, we can barely handle one conflict."

"What does that tell you? It's called lack of professionalism."

"So, Hokage doesn't need real power. It's a spiritual role, a hero, a symbol."

"When the fighting starts, a hero leads the way, and that's the end of it. Who cares about the details of running Konoha afterward?"

Uchiha Setsuna's words left both the jonin and Konoha's F4 with dark expressions.

Since when did being the leader of a village sound so much like being cannon fodder?

On one hand, what he said made sense. But on the other, it seemed so twisted that no one knew how to respond.

Uchiha Fugaku, with a dazed look on his face, felt completely lost.

Danzo slammed the floor in anger and shouted, "If that's what being Hokage is, who would want to be Hokage?"

Uchiha Setsuna looked at Danzo with a mix of frustration and disdain, saying, "What? You want power? Did you even graduate from the Ninja Academy? Do you understand the Will of Fire? 'Where Konoha flies, the flames are endless,' do you get it?"

"With great power comes great responsibility. And you're telling me you want to be Hokage for power?"

"We Uchiha have always aspired to be Hokage, not for power, but out of duty!"

"And now, you're telling me you want to be Hokage for power? Heh! Tui!"

Boom!

Danzo's chakra flared in rage.

But Uchiha Setsuna, unbothered, stared back at him without fear, his posture straight.

Even if he couldn't defeat Danzo, as a jonin, he wouldn't be intimidated by sheer chakra.

Especially with the powerful Uchiha Toki behind him.

A Mangekyō Sharingan!

The same eyes as their ancestor, Uchiha Madara!

In Setsuna's mind, the Uchiha clan had returned to the era when Madara was invincible.

"Enough!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted angrily, trying to contain his rising fury. He fixed his eyes on Toki and said, "This nonsense will only give enemy villages a chance to exploit Konoha!"

"We've gone over a month without a Hokage, and both Kumogakure and Iwagakure are starting to stir at our borders."

"If no one takes charge soon, Konoha will face another great war, which no one wants to see!"

Sarutobi's words made it clear to Nara Shikaku and the others. Even if they didn't want Hiruzen to be Hokage, if they allowed enemy villages to invade, it would be disastrous for everyone.

The message was clear: quickly and quietly elect a Hokage. With Tsunade out of the picture, Hiruzen, with the second-highest votes, would naturally take the position.

Nara Shikaku frowned, deep in thought.

He glanced at Uchiha Toki, who was as calm as ever, and couldn't figure out what the Uchiha clan's next move would be.

Meeting the eyes of Akimichi Choza and Yamanaka Inoichi, Shikaku coughed and suggested, "Hiruzen-sama has a point. We don't have much time to debate these matters."

"If Tsunade-sama isn't here…"

At that moment, Toki spoke softly:

"Don't worry about the time. If foreign enemies invade, the Uchiha clan will take full responsibility."

Everyone turned to Toki in shock.

"Nani!?"

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