Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 140 The New Hokage

Faced with the staggering losses tallied in the Konoha War, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew he had no reason to remain Hokage. He had no choice but to fulfill the promise he made when mobilizing all the clans of Konoha and hold a new Hokage election.

At this moment, the Uchiha clan appeared brimming with confidence, wholeheartedly recommending their strongest member, Uchiha Fugaku, as the new Hokage candidate. However, faced with this situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi merely displayed a disdainful smile. Although Hiruzen Sarutobi had decided to resign as Hokage, he still firmly controlled most of the Hokage's power. Even so, despite the Uchiha clan's outstanding achievements in this war, as long as Hiruzen Sarutobi skillfully utilized his propaganda power, the ordinary people and ninjas of Konoha would remain unaware of the truth.

In this fierce and turbulent war, those with true strength and outstanding achievements who could compete for the Hokage throne were actually few and far between, truly exceptional. When Hiruzen Sarutobi had already decided to appoint Minato Namikaze to this important position, rumors about Minato's great achievements began to spread throughout Konoha.

These rumors, like blooming flowers in spring, flowed endlessly into people's ears. They praised Minato Namikaze's brave and fearless performance on the battlefield, or lauded his extraordinary wisdom and decision-making ability; or they told stories of how he single-handedly saved the battle from peril, making the enemy tremble with fear... All these deeds intertwined to create a magnificent picture, filling people with admiration and anticipation for this hero who was about to become Hokage.

All of this was clearly the result of Hiruzen Sarutobi's meticulous planning. He knew that a great leader needed the recognition and support of the people, so he cleverly used propaganda to make Minato Namikaze's image even more lofty and glorious. In this way, he could not only smoothly complete the transfer of power, but also ensure that the newly appointed Hokage had a solid foundation of public support.

When Jiraiya learned that Hiruzen Sarutobi's chosen successor for Hokage was Minato Namikaze, he felt a surge of pride. He held his disciple in high esteem, considering Minato to be a perfect candidate in terms of personality, strength, and character. More importantly, Minato himself had a strong desire to take on this responsibility, which made Jiraiya deeply proud, and he unhesitatingly gave him his full support.

Jiraiya's fame had spread far and wide. He had distinguished himself in the fierce battle against the Sand Village, defeating not only the powerful Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, but also successfully capturing the One-Tailed Jinchuriki. This victory was of great significance to Konoha, and Jiraiya undoubtedly played a crucial role. Many ninjas who had made their mark on the Sand Village battlefield held Jiraiya in high esteem and admiration.

When Jiraiya publicly expressed his support for his prized student, Minato Namikaze, to become the next Hokage, this statement undoubtedly indirectly influenced the choices of these ninjas. After all, Jiraiya was highly respected and had achieved remarkable military exploits, so his opinion naturally carried considerable weight. As a result, those who already favored Minato Namikaze became even more determined in their beliefs, responding to Jiraiya's call and expressing their willingness to follow and support Minato's ascension to the Hokage throne.

The Uchiha clan, who were originally full of confidence and ambition, suddenly felt extremely angry and disappointed. They felt that they had been completely deceived! The Uchiha clan paid an extremely heavy price in terms of casualties in order to win the war against Kirigakure in the Land of Water, but in the end, this great victory was attributed to Minato Namikaze alone.

Moreover, even after suffering heavy losses, the Uchiha clan still resolutely dispatched their ninjas to other battlefields to continue fighting. It can be said that they gave their all and made enormous sacrifices for Konoha. However, unexpectedly, all these efforts seemed to be in vain—the ordinary people and ninjas of Konoha were completely unaware of it!

This unfair treatment was unbearable for all members of the Uchiha clan, instantly igniting their anger. The Uchiha clan's higher-ups' resentment towards Konoha reached its peak, leading to fierce clashes with many Konoha villagers and ninja. These conflicts caused the Uchiha clan's reputation in Konoha to plummet, making them increasingly infamous.

The already arrogant and self-important Uchiha clan found the rift between themselves and Konoha Village growing increasingly irreconcilable. For the first time, the Uchiha clan's elite members considered launching a coup. However, the clan's strength was now significantly diminished, its foundation severely damaged, and it was powerless to challenge the now-powerful Konoha leadership. Therefore, it had no choice but to swallow its pride and accept Konoha Village's current arrangements.

However, the injustices in Konoha Village were evident to all, making the Uchiha clan realize that the village was no longer the one founded by Hashirama Senju, upholding the principles of fairness and justice. This realization fueled resentment among most clan members, who swelled with a desire to rectify the chaos and return the village to the righteous path.

Looking at the Uchiha clan, whose relationship with the village had become deeply fractured, Hiruzen Sarutobi secretly gloated: "Heh heh, everything is going smoothly according to plan!" He knew that in this war, he originally intended to exhaust the forces of all the clans in Konoha that were not on his side. The Uchiha clan, in particular, was like a thorn in his side, making him extremely unhappy.

It's important to understand that the Uchiha clan, as a founding family of Konoha, possessed immense power. Yet, they lacked the proper respect for Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage. Now, seeing such a golden opportunity to sow discord between the Uchiha clan and the entire village, how could they not seize it? Consequently, rumors about the Uchiha clan's arrogance and disdain for other Konoha ninjas began to spread throughout the village.

However, the Uchiha clan has always been known for its arrogance. Faced with these rumors, they didn't bother to utter a single word of explanation to the other ninjas, continuing to act as they always had. It was as if they were declaring to the world: We are simply unique, why should we need others' understanding or approval?

As time went on, discontent with the Uchiha clan intensified in Konoha. Although the Hokage election had nothing to do with the Uchiha clan, they seemed unaware that they had been completely excluded from the village and continued to vie for this supreme position with all their might.

In stark contrast, however, was the Hyuga clan after the restoration of peace. They showed no interest in the political upheavals taking place in Konoha, as if it were all irrelevant to them. The Hyuga clan had never been involved in the struggle for the Hokage position. In their minds, whoever ultimately ascended to the throne, the Hyuga clan's position in Konoha remained unshakeable.

Now, the Hyuga clan can finally focus on their training to enhance the clan's foundation and strength. They understand that only through their own efforts can they ensure the clan's prosperity. As for which ninja will become Hokage, that is not their concern, and therefore they are unwilling to interfere too much.

Originally, if Orochimaru had joined the war, he would most likely have won the title of "Hokage." However, this exceptionally intelligent ninja had already seen through the thoughts of his master—the Hokage. No matter how hard he fought and how many great feats he made for Konoha, the supreme position of Hokage would ultimately elude him.

Given Orochimaru's consistently tough style, if he were to truly ascend to the Hokage throne, how could he tolerate others bossing him around? Moreover, as the Hokage, how could his ANBU subordinates, who specialize in carrying out special missions, dare to outwardly comply while inwardly disobeying his orders? It's a bitter pill to swallow; Orochimaru absolutely cannot tolerate such a "regent" placing himself above him!

Furthermore, the position of Hokage holds no allure for Orochimaru now. As he delves deeper into the information provided by Hyuga Kanan, Orochimaru increasingly feels that he is approaching the ultimate truth of this world.

Now, Orochimaru has resolved to leave Konoha and seek out Hyuga Kanan to delve deeper into the true meaning of the world. As his strength grows daily, his sensitivity to anomalies in chakra becomes increasingly acute. Combined with the chakra origin knowledge passed down to him by Hyuga Kanan, Orochimaru is increasingly convinced that chakra conceals a profound secret. At this moment, Orochimaru is filled with an intense longing for these hidden things. The unknown, like a magnet, holds a fatal attraction for Orochimaru.

Konoha Village has been bustling with activity lately, with villagers and ninjas everywhere discussing who is most likely to inherit the Hokage position. The most frequently mentioned candidate is Minato Namikaze, a commoner by birth, who has been described by Yanran as a shining example of commoner ninjas.

Various feats of Minato Namikaze were exaggerated and publicized, such as single-handedly defeating a team of thousands of Iwa ninja, obtaining a unique privilege in the ninja world that allowed Konoha's White Fang to abandon missions without punishment, and defeating the combined forces of the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. These achievements continued to circulate among the village's ninjas.

Within a month, almost everyone in Konoha had heard that Konoha's victory in the Third Shinobi World War was almost entirely due to Minato Namikaze's heroic efforts. His prestige far surpassed that of the other candidates.

Under these circumstances, Konoha Village initiated a vote of confidence to elect a Hokage.

As expected, Minato Namikaze was elected Hokage with the highest number of votes. Now, all that's needed is for the Fire Country Daimyo to approve and issue the decree of appointment, after which Minato will officially become the Fourth Hokage of Konoha.

The Fire Country Daimyo has no intention of interfering with Konoha Village. Having already learned about the internal situation from Tsunade's explanation, the Konoha Daimyo knows that now is not the time for him to intervene, and directly issues an appointment letter to the Fourth Hokage of Konoha.

Thus began the era of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, in Konoha.