A/N: Hi folks, hope all of you are well and following safety precautions. This Corona Virus pandemic has clearly disrupted quite a bit of our regular lives and I hope every one of you gets out of this relatively well.
Moving on, this chapter was a bit hard to write. I was stuck on proceeding how best to emulate the situation. Luckily, one of the reviewers gave me an idea. Reviewer: Heeheehoho (honestly, that's a bit amusing) wanted Fugaku's pov on this event and that got me thinking. I have also seen some of the others waiting to see others' reactions to it. And, previously, quite a few of you have asked to see how people were thinking of Hatorama. Hence, I decided upon this idea.
Hope this doesn't put people off. We will be back to Hato's POV from the next chapter.
Chapter 30 – Yondaimae Hokage
Fugaku:
"Uchiha Fugaku," Hatorama Senju's words shocked him to the core.
For a brief moment, he expected his obnoxious nephew Shisui to stare back at him smiling and tell him that he had henged and taken the Senju's place. It would be something right up his forte. The boy had some really crazy imagination.
But, that brief hope was gone out as he saw it really was the damn Senju who was staring back at him. He noted that the Senju's eyes danced with mirth and fake innocence so much that he wanted to punch him right in the face. If this was the damn Senju's way of getting back at him for taking Itachi to the frontlines, then it would make perfect sense.
But, the boy's - no, he was a man now. Fugaku corrected himself knowing that the Senju had earned the right more than many others in his clan to be called so - the man's eyes had a hidden sincerity to them that was hard to miss for Fugaku. And more than anything else, it unsettled him.
All he wanted to do was splutter and vehemently deny his association with this hare-brained idea of the damn Senju. It was far more trouble than he could handle. This would put his budding relationship with Minato in jeopardy. The other clan leaders would think he was making a play for the power. But above all, the paperwork.
Oh, Kami! The paperwork!
He knew far more than anyone else how much damn paperwork the job involved. His experience of being the Head of the Military Police and a battlefield Commander had given him ample opportunity to get well-acquainted with the horror that was known as paperwork. Most people only saw the Hokage post as a cushy chair to sit on, but the reality was something else. The administrative work involved was enough to frighten any sane man from wishing for the post after he had come into contact with it.
And Kushina, that redhaired banshee!
The mere thought of her made him cringe a little mentally.
But, on the other hand, his clan's words from last night echoed in his mind. They had been unhappy that while the village recognized Minato's work in the war, they seemed to conveniently forget his contributions. They had been rightfully resentful. Even though he never wanted the post, their resentment was understandable. But, as his duty to the village commanded, he had berated them and asked them to not utter a word about it.
His clan was his everything. He knew he would die for it. So, taking up an even more demanding post was nothing compared to it. So, if it would bring happiness to his clan, he would accept this nomination. But, first, he needed to determine the motives of the Senju. It was only prudent.
"Forgive me, Senju dono," it irked him to say those words, but he somehow managed to do it. "Am I to understand you are nominating me as the third candidate for the Hokage post?" he asked cautiously testing the waters.
The damn Senju nodded without much reaction. Just when he wanted to ask him to elaborate so that he could understand his intentions, he was rudely interrupted by one of the councilors.
"Hatorama, what nonsense are you saying?" Homura san interrupted angrily.
Then, it hit him like a rampaging fireball that not many people knew that the four founding clans had the power to nominate a Hokage candidate of their desire. He smirked wanting to see how the Senju was going to handle this.
"I assure you, councilor, I have no time to spout nonsense," the Senju spoke with a self-assured tone that would have made his forefather's proud. "I am merely nominating an extra candidate for the post."
"Hatorama!" Danzo's eyes were narrowed and it honestly surprised him to see the elder at loggerheads with the Senju boy. After all, who didn't know that the elder considered the Senju as his own adopted son. "Explain this lunacy!"
"Danzo, I told you the boy wasn't fit to attend this meeting. Look, now he seems to think up ideas of self-importance," the other councilor Komaru san sniped narrowing his eyes at the Senju.
This was becoming more and more interesting by the minute. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Shikaku dono shuffling with papers and intensely pursuing them. At least the man has a clear head on his shoulders. No wonder the Hokage made him the Jounin commander. He approved of how the man wasn't flustered by this new revelation. That was an important trait to have.
He roved his eyes towards others as the Senju explained his actions. Orochimaru san's face was interesting. He seemed very amused by the Senju's actions and was that a smile playing across his face? Interesting, it looks like the Sannin was not put off by the actions of the Senju.
Minato, on the other hand, looked equal part confused and intrigued. Even he didn't seem that keen to receive the Senju's vote. After his talk with him yesterday, it had become clear that Minato wasn't keen to get the Senju's vote. It violated Minato's base principles as a shinobi and even made a mockery of the reason he wanted to become a Hokage. It was no wonder he didn't look put off either.
What an irony! While the whole village was eager to see who the Senju voted for, the two people who were going to be affected by it most didn't seem to care for it. If he had any less control, it would have caused him to chuckle. But, since he was representing the Uchiha clan, he couldn't embarrass himself with such foolish actions.
He knew how much pressure the Senju had been placed under these last two days due to the election. Honestly, it wasn't a good thing to encounter right after coming from the battlefield. But, while they were all forced to choose from the two options provided, the Senju had been pushed to make the third one. Probably because he understood the significance of his single vote.
But, a part of him bristled at the notion of being the third option for the Senju. But, he ruthlessly squashed it. He knew the Senju's actions weren't malevolent in nature. He was trying the best he could do to escape a tricky situation. Regardless, it still bothered him that the Senju used him, among all the others, as a scapegoat for his escape.
Maybe, it really was revenge for taking Itachi to the frontlines!
The bickering was in full force now. Shikaku dono had obviously found the right document and confirmed the Senju's right to nominate someone. From the looks of it, the councilors weren't too happy. They were bickering with Hiruzen and Shikaku over the technicalities.
"…. or maybe, we should abolish this ludicrous law. This will set a foolish precedent." Koharu san's voice shook him out of his thoughts.
Rage flushed through him as he processed those words. That was their right as the founding clans. If he allowed someone to get away with undermining their status, then it might set a dangerous precedent.
"Enough!" he raised his voice to bring attention to him. "Koharu san," he continued with a soft tone that any Uchiha would know enough to run away from, "if I am not mistaken, I just heard that you wanted to meddle in the rights provided to the founding clans at the beginning of Konoha."
He felt Hiashi dono stiffen beside him. Even Choza dono's posture didn't have any friendliness. As for the one who began this chaos, he was acting as if it didn't bother him. But, he knew better. The Senju's lips had a downward tilt expressing his disapproval. So, he wasn't the only one who was offended by the presumption of the councilor.
"I… I…," Koharu san stuttered unable to form a reply.
"Make sure such ideas never rise in your mind again," he warned the councilor that there were some lines that shouldn't be crossed. "Our ancestors have sacrificed a lot to form this village. I am sure that none of the other clans begrudge us for the few paltry privileges we are given as a reward for the hard work of establishing this village," he roved his eyes towards the other clan heads who nodded acknowledging his point. "Do not make a mockery of our ancestors' hard work."
"Fugaku san," Homura san smoothly intervened helping his fellow councilor out of the trouble she had landed herself in, "I apologize for any disrespect you may have perceived from Koharu's innocent words. Her intentions were definitely not that."
Perceived disrespect! Innocent Words! And by addressing him alone, he had essentially made it as a matter between him and the councilor, instead of the founding clans and the councilor. What good silver tongue the old devil had!
But, before he could correct that misconception, the Senju, of all people, spoke.
"Councilor, it wasn't just Fugaku san who got offended. Your continued reluctance to even follow the rules set forth by our ancestors, offends me too," the Senju's sneer was something to take note off. It clearly depicted how foolish he found this entire thing.
"Essentially, you are preventing me from using my right as the representative of one of the founding clan. By doing so, you are letting me know that what my Grandfather, Grand Uncle, and countless other Senjus before me did for this village isn't worthy enough to let me exercise my right," the Senju continued with a sharp look that he had once been on the receiving end of.
"No one is disrespecting your ancestors here boy," Koharu san snapped.
"Then, allow me to use my right, old crone," the Senju spat back viciously.
"Hatorama," Danzo interrupted with a stern tone, "mind your words."
"Then tell your colleague to stop treating me as a boy, Danzo san. After all, I am one of the youngest jounins in the village. If she has so little trust in my abilities and decision-making skills, then she should have objected to sending me to the frontline. Remembering my age just when in suits her only reflects on her narrow-mindedness. As the representative of Senju clan, I have invoked my right to nominate a Hokage candidate. Does anyone here has a valid objection?" the Senju asked looking around.
He had to admit. The Senju was indeed worthy of his name. He effectively crushed any opposing arguments by dragging in his war accomplishments and his clan's status. The Senju had learned well.
"Even, if we are to agree that you have the right, it doesn't necessarily mean that your nomination should be accepted," Homura san once more used his silver tongue to good effect.
"Oh, that's fair," the Senju nodded taking him and everyone else by surprise. "I do indeed remember that there must be certain conditions met. After all, our ancestors weren't stupid enough to allow anyone to be nominated."
Before anyone could speak, the Senju continued, "According to me, Uchiha Fugaku is a rightful citizen of Konoha. He fulfills the requirement of being a Jounin and not being from my own clan. And, he has never been nominated prior to this for the post. That fulfills most of the conditions. The only one left is his contributions to Konoha."
He stiffened unknowingly. This was a dangerous question. The very same one his clan had raised. The Senju might have walked unknowingly into dangerous territory. He grimaced wondering how this was going to turn out.
"I don't know about most of you, but I have personally served under Uchiha Fugaku in this war," the Senju continued calmly, "From my observations, and I am sure many more would agree, he has contributed as much as Minato san did to the war effort. He has been stationed in the border as the Commander for most of the war. His name is resounding to the shinobi of Kiri and his prowess is unquestionable. Not to mention his contributions as the head of Konoha Military Police."
As he saw other clan heads nodding along with the Senju, he let out a relieved breath silently. The knot in his stomach became undone. A strange feeling of pride and elation bubbled up within him. It felt good to be acknowledged by his peers. This mere nodding along as someone else listed his sacrifices for the village gave him a fulfillment he felt he needed. And to come from a Senju of all people, it meant more to him. And his clan would certainly feel the same way. He couldn't help but form a thin smile on his face.
"So, in my opinion, Uchiha Fugaku has contributed to the village as the final condition requires. The only condition that is debatable is this one. If the Councilor feels that Uchiha Fugaku hasn't contributed enough to be nominated for the post, we can put it up for a vote and see if the others feel the same way."
Strangely enough, he almost felt like laughing at the look on Homura san's face. If he even suggested that he hasn't contributed enough publically like this, then he would be glad to shift the attention of all the disgruntled clansmen's anger towards him. After all, almost one-fourth of civilian business in Konoha was run by Homura san's clan.
The disgruntled noise from Homura san indicated clearly that the man understood that he was fighting a losing battle. The Senju waited for a bit eyeing the three councilors, before continuing.
"If that is not the problem, then I see what the problem is. I have nominated, Uchiha Fugaku satisfies all the conditions. In that case," the Senju paused a little for dramatic effect making him roll his eyes mentally as doing that physically would be unbecoming of an Uchiha, "neither the clan council nor the civilian council has any rights to reject this nomination. That would make Uchiha Fugaku the third candidate. And thus, it makes my vote valid. Now, can we move on to others instead of wasting everyone's time?"
He had to bend his head down a little to hide his smile. The Senju had played everyone beautifully.
"I think, we should move on to the next vote," the Hokage spoke, at last, letting out a puff of smoke.
The councilors grunted unwillingly, but they couldn't do anything else. Soon, everyone's attention turned towards him.
He eyed everyone for a few moments as his mind ruminated over what the Senju had done. As much as his clansmen would love to see him as a Hokage, he didn't have much interest in the post. He knew that Minato was genuinely interested in the post. He seemed to care about the entire village just like he did with his clan. That would make him a good leader. That is the kind of Hokage he would be proud to follow.
Even before the Senju created all this nonsense, he had been determined to vote for Minato regardless of how it would be perceived by others. And Uchihas weren't fickle to change their decision. This seat and position he held not only represented him but also represented the entirety of his clan.
As much as he wanted to thank the Senju for trusting in him, even to be used as a scapegoat for his escape, he knew Minato would do things for his clan better than he could do. He had his own position in Konoha.
A proud head of the Uchiha clan. A proud chief of Konoha Military Police. A proud father of a son.
But, he didn't know if he would be good enough to assume this mantle of Hokage. So, the best option was to vote for the best man for the betterment of his clan.
For his clan…..
"I vote for Namikaze Minato," he said succinctly making many eyebrows rise up.
If his clan could be better, then what did it matter if he didn't become Hokage.
For his clan, he would sacrifice his life. A mere Hokage seat meant nothing. He met Minato's eyes and gave him a nod to indicate that he supported his dream and was willing to place the future of his clan at that man's hands.
(*****)
Minato:
He watched a bit amused at Hato's clever ploy to get out of the situation the village had placed him in. It was interesting to see how if one was determined enough the world will always bend to their will. He knew was one such individual.
Not because Jiraya sensei had told him about the prophecy he received from the Toad Sage. It was because his determination to become Hokage and protect Konoha had led him to this stage. After all, no one would have expected a civilian born Shinobi to become a Hokage candidate even a year before.
He had never given up on his dream. When Kushina had taken a heavier burden and passed on her dream to him, he had merely gritted his teeth and continued on unmindful of the added weight to his shoulders. He had persevered countless battles and honed his skills to reach the stage he was currently in. His hard work and determination had paid off. Just like Hato kun's.
Even though he felt a little sad that Hato kun didn't vote for him, he understood the position Hato kun was in. That was the reason he had been so angry with Rin, Obito, and Kushina when they pressured the boy. Rin and Obito had never been on the receiving end of his temper before that. Kushina had been understandably ashamed of herself when he had patiently explained to her what Hato kun was going through.
Kakashi, on the other hand, has understood it far better than anyone else. After all, he had been there when Hato kun had explained what made a village. That was the day he had felt enlightened. Even before that moment, he had dreamed of becoming a Hokage. But, after that conversation, his outlook on who a Hokage was had changed tremendously.
It had allowed him to grow both as a shinobi and as a person. It had fuelled his dream to become a reality. Hato kun's thoughts on the reason the First Hokage created the village allowed him to see what the title of Hokage truly meant.
Maybe, it was the reason he felt a little sad. Getting the acknowledgment of someone with such a perspective would have meant more than any other votes. But, the situation made it so that he would never know the answer for whether Hato kun approved of him as a Hokage or not.
Honestly, he expected Hato kun to abstain from voting. That would have been the best option he had. But, Hato kun had pulled off a clever ploy using a loophole everyone had forgot about. No wonder he made Jounin even younger than Kakashi.
Thinking of Kakashi, he had to admit he liked this new change in Kakashi ever since they returned from the Kanabi Bridge mission. As he had long hoped, Obito had cracked open Kakashi's hard heart and made him understand the meaning of Hato kun's words from that day. As a result, Kakashi has become more and more friendlier with his teammates just like he had hoped when he took the boy under his wing.
He watched idly as the two councilors argued with the Hokage about abolishing the law and knew they had overstepped a line that they shouldn't have crossed. For all the grumbles the civilian born shinobis had, no one would dare find fault with the founding clans for their sacrifice. Trying to take away their right was really a bad move.
As expected, Fugaku broke up the argument to express his displeasure. The male councilor tried to downplay things with his silver tongue, but to the surprise of everyone Hato kun backed up Fugaku. What was Hato kun trying to do here? More than once he had supported Fugaku. Is it merely political or did it have any other significance?
Strangely enough, he could see that Danzo san was not pleased with Hato kun's actions. While he didn't argue with the Hokage about rejecting Hato kun's proposal his expression made it clear he disapproved of Hato kun's actions. He merely tried to reign in Hato kun's impulsiveness. After all, calling a councilor an old crone was anything but appropriate. But, it did bring a smile to him.
He exchanged a look with Orochimaru san who seemed as amused as him. The mere nod of acknowledgment he had received from the Sannin when they had been first introduced as contenders made him happy enough. Even if he lost, losing to a Sannin like Orochimaru san was no shame.
He watched as Hatorama brilliantly shut down any complaints about his proposal and went on to list Fugaku's contributions to the village. He felt happy for Fugaku. Fugaku had sacrificed as much as himself in the war. It's a shame that everyone had been caught up in the Hokage elections and forgot to remember his contributions.
He knew that as much as Fugaku tried to act as if it didn't bother him, he had been a little hurt with not receiving due recognition. From the looks of it, the recognition coming from Hato kun was more valuable to Fugaku than anyone else's. It made sense. After all, the long-standing rivalry between Uchiha and Senju clans were well documented.
He smiled as the little resentment Fugaku carried around dissipated. Did Hato kun know about that? If so, how? No one else seemed to have noticed it. Even he noticed it only because he had been acquainted with Fugaku for a longer period of time (it was hard not to with Kushina and Mikoto being the best of friends), and he was the reason for the resentment. If not, even he wouldn't have noticed with the perfect poker face the man had.
Then, it was Fugaku's turn to vote.
"I vote for Namikaze Minato," Fugaku stated simply causing a lull to appear in the bustling clan meeting.
It was hard to control his surprise. Instead of using the opportunity to cement his candidacy, Fugaku had voted for him. He didn't know what it implied. Whether Fugaku was expressing his support for him or criticizing the Hokage for his actions, it was clearly a muddled state of affairs. This election has made it hard to determine who supported him whole-heartedly and who was doing to spite Hokage sama.
He felt a headache forming. As he met Fugaku's eyes, his confusion cleared. If he felt the responsibility on his shoulders weigh a little more, he didn't care because the simple nod from Fugaku told him that he voted because he had trust in him.
And that somehow meant more knowing how protective the man was of his clan. He vowed to himself that he wouldn't let that trust end up in vain if he was selected.
(*****)
Orochimaru:
Kukukukuku
Orochimaru mentally chuckled watching the mayhem Hato kun had created. It didn't surprise him that Hato kun didn't vote for him or Minato. He had all but confirmed that he was going to stir up chaos. And he had to admit, Hato kun had the ability to create beautiful chaos.
As he watched the councilors bicker with sensei like little children, his mind couldn't help but drift towards the brat who had started it all. Senju Hatorama was an interesting specimen. He didn't have Tsunade's brashness, but he did have her sharp mind.
She had been the only one who truly understood him and his motives, provided her thinking had always been along a different line. Jiraiya and rest of the morons were too intellectually deficient to even catch up to his thoughts. He had far more things to do than look after pathetic civilians who had no drive to better themselves and were content enough to let someone else make their decisions for them.
As for the shinobi section of the populace, he wasn't much keen on the idea of herding sheep that had lost its individuality and were content enough to muddle along in mediocrity. Their thinking had been forced into a box and it had made them too conditioned to do anything outside it.
The only reason he was interested in the Hokage position was the level of access it gave him to the information that the village held. There was literally nothing that was stopping him from exploring the boundaries of chakra and its usages.
He could hardly digest the thought of not exploring something as interesting as chakra, which made one section of the population superior over others. Initially, he too had been bound with only thinking along the lines of exploring the usage of chakra on the battlefield. But, recently, his thoughts have been extended beyond those boundaries and a new horizon was in sight.
His explorations into the world of chakra had truly started with fuinjutsu. It was mindboggling to him that none of these dimwits actually understood how great the applications of fuinjutsu were. One of the best things about Hato kun was that he was not like those dimwits. He truly appreciated the art of fuinjutsu. That trap he had created had been ingenious. If he hadn't been bogged down with his own research, he would have given it some thought.
Alas! There were too many things to do with too little time.
And becoming a Hokage would severely limit the already limited time he had. It would be better if these sheep helped him extricate himself from sensei's expectations of him. Sensei and Biwako san were like parents to him. While he didn't actually understand what it meant to treat someone as his parents, that was the closest analogy that he could come up with. That was the reason he didn't understand why sensei was so worried about how those dimwits perceived him.
He had tried to tell sensei to not care about dimwits like them, but sensei hardly listened. But, Hato kun's words that night had helped sensei enough to let go of those foolish thoughts and he was a little bit grateful towards him for that.
There were very few people in the world that he actually cared about. Apart from Sensei and Biwako san, Tsunade and that idiot Jiraya were the only ones he cared about. As far Hato kun, he wasn't someone he cared about. Hato kun was interesting for sure, but he could never bring himself to care for him as he did with the others.
Initially, he was irritated with the boy. His propensity to escape his sight sometimes even irked him as sensei would often ask his opinion on the brat. Failing sensei's expectations left a sour taste in his mouth. And to realize the cause for it was a little brat, really made him want to throttle that brat. He refrained only because of Tsunade.
But when it became clear that brat was a sensor, his interest had been piqued. Did the brat inherit his grandfather's legendary chakra sensing abilities? If so, what made some abilities inheritable? Did the bloodline relation factor into an inheritance? Did the brat learn to avoid him because of his chakra? Was he able to sense that he was becoming more and more in tune with snakes than anyone else had done with their summons? After all, it was common knowledge that most people were uncomfortable with snakes. So, what else was the brat capable of sensing?
So many questions had flooded his mind due to that revelation.
Then came the spar he was asked to participate in by sensei to probe the boy's progress. And the brat had managed to draw blood. A mere brat out of academy managing to draw his blood made his blood boil in humiliation. But, it also made him know that he had been slacking off.
And the brat's usage of arrows was a new revelation to. Like so many other shinobis he had been one to disdain the usage of old war weapons, but the brat's usage had proved to him that it was not the weapon that was dangerous, it was the mind that was wielding it which was dangerous.
So, obviously the brat had piqued his interest.
He had been worried about the boy's sensei a little. Not because he cared for him or anything, but because he loathed the idea of someone so good being turned into a trash. Luckily, the sensei's influence had been cut short and he had been sent to the frontlines. The brat had honed his fighting skills to a terrifying degree if the reports were to be believed. And that new jutsu he had created, it was a nifty little one if he had to make a comment.
Now, he was very much interested in how the brat was going to develop in this peace-time. He didn't believe that this peace would last for long. But, he still hoped that the brat had enough time to come up with some interesting things before yet another war broke out.
Speaking of it, it would be a wasted opportunity to not spar with the brat. That way, he could experience that new jutsu and his taijutsu skills first hand.
He was brought out of his reverie as that old crone put her foot in her mouth by insulting the founding clans. It was delightful to see her being put in her place. He didn't think much of the silver tongue of the other councilor either. As he watched, he cackled inwardly with glee as Hato kun used Danzo's training to negate each and every opposition the councilor brought to table.
Strangely enough, Danzo had been silent throughout much of the meeting. On odd occasions he would interfere to curb some of Hato kun's recklessness, but other than that he was strangely silent. He knew about Danzo's hatred for the Uchihas – ah, they do have some interesting abilities, so it puzzled him that he wasn't arguing against an Uchiha being nominated.
He sent an acknowledging smile to Hyuga Hiashi when he voted for him just to keep up pretenses. It didn't surprise him that Akimichi Choza voted for Minato. Next, it was the councilors' turn to vote. He watched as the two councilors voted for Minato apathetically.
But, Danzo's stance made him narrow his eyes. He had remained neutral.
That….. was unexpected.
Even sensei looked a little surprised.
"There is a web being spun around you," Hato kun's voice echoed in his head.
He caught Hato kun's eyes across the table and alarm bells began ringing in his head.
This would need some careful thinking. Danzo had been very helpful in his research until now. But, if he was willing to distance himself this easily, then he needed to prepare some contingencies. If Danzo decided to throw him to the wolves, he needed to have some backup plans.
After all, the need for what he was doing with Danzo wouldn't be understood by dimwits and morons.
(*****)
Kakashi:
Kakashi was bored. He knew that this entire clan meeting was nothing but a charade, just going through motions when they all know the result. Normally, it would have been a tough competition with Minato sensei and Orochimaru san competing. But, the circumstances were not so.
So, he tuned out most of the welcome speech by the Hokage and was about to start introspecting his life choices until now when something interesting happened.
And of course, it had to come from Senju Hatorama.
The Senju had found some obscure loophole and had used it to his advantage to escape from the unfavorable situation he was placed in. He had to admit at least Hatorama had some intellect. It would be arrogant of him to not recognize the brilliance of his rival – Guy, and Obito were anything but that despite their claims.
Hatorama was his true rival.
And then the bickering began making him lose any interest he had dredged up.
"Shinobi who disobey the rules may be trash. But, you know what, those who abandon their friends are even worse than trash," Obito's words once again rang in his head.
He had to admit that he had been too hell-bent on following the shinobi rule book until then. Even then, he would have gone on to make the mission his priority if not for another set of words that rang in his head at that moment when he and Obito were arguing about whether to rescue Rin or not.
"What is the village?"
"Sakumo san…. I think Sakumo san is like my Granduncle. They both cherished lives. My Granduncle wanted to find a solution to the warring clans era to bring about peace because he didn't want people to die. That is why my grandfather looked up to him. And that is why I look up to Sakumo san."
It made him hesitate. And in the spur of the moment, he had decided to help Obito in rescuing Rin. When they had both rescued Rin and completed the mission smoothly, he began to wonder if following the shinobi rule book by the word was truly the right thing to do.
Obviously he had broken the code and went to rescue Rin. But, the mission had been completed successfully. And Rin had been alive too. But, if he had followed the rule book, Rin would have surely died.
This changed his entire outlook on the incident with his father. Did his father make the right choice? Was it a simple misconception that has caused his death?
Questions like this have been plaguing his mind these days a lot. Hatorama's staunch support and respect for his father was something he hadn't seen in many shinobi. Normally, such an attitude should have weakened him, but he still made a Jounin younger than him.
Then, did it make him right?
If so, then what did it make the entire village. His conversation with Minato sensei afterward had revealed that some of the new generation shinobi were truly beginning to understand his father's actions after experiencing war and were even supporting his actions. The loss of comrades does have some deep impact after all.
Then, what did it specify about Hatorama? Is he a pioneer in this new-generation of shinobi? If so, what does his actions today mean? Does it have some deep meaning?
Once again, his thoughts came back to Senju Hatorama and his actions. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Regardless, he had to admit that Hatorama Senju was his one true rival. Only by surpassing him would he become the best shinobi of this new era.
Before he could think any further, it was his turn to vote.
"Namikaze Minato," he said simply not bothering to waste his words wondering when this charade will be done with.
(*****)
Hiruzen:
Hiruzen let out a large puff of smoke and exhaled a sigh. It was finally over. The clan meeting had dragged on longer than he had expected. One surprise after another had been thrust into his face throughout the meeting, so much so that he was beginning to become immune to it. And it was all Hato kun's fault.
When Hato kun had said that his decision would surprise him, he had been a little skeptical deep down in his heart. But, the boy had indeed surprised him. Him and everyone else.
When he had come up with his strange proposal to add a new candidate, he had been surprised, to say the least. Even more so when Shikaku confirmed that the founding clans had such rights. Who knew that there was such a loophole?
Koharu and Homura's stubborn refusal to agree to that had surprised him too. But, not so much as Danzo's staunch refusal to take part in the debate. He had expected Danzo to be the first one to renounce the proposal. But, strangely enough, he had withheld his protests.
He knew Danzo far too well to know that he was angry with Hato kun's antics. Regardless, it was good to know that Hato kun hadn't been corrupted by Danzo's bias for the Uchiha clan.
The next one was a pleasant delight to see Hato kun calling his old teammate an old crone. Even though it reminded him of his own age, he did enjoy the look of shock on Koharu's face, albeit guiltily. The animosity between Hato kun and his two teammates was clear to see. He didn't know the reason for it, but he didn't mind it much. After all, he couldn't expect everyone to get along.
And the choice for candidature was interesting. He didn't know what his sensei would say if he saw his grandson nominate an Uchiha of all people to be a Hokage. Ah, how the times have changed! And when he listed off the reasons, he was even more impressed with Hato kun.
It shamed him a little to admit that he had been too focused on the Hokage elections to give proper recognition to the shinobi who had put their lives on the line in the war. Especially, people like Fugaku who had done as much as Minato has done.
Maybe, he should include the likes of Shikaku, Fugaku, Hiashi, and a few others who had worked harder than anyone else to ensure Konoha came out on top in his retirement speech. And if he mentioned the new generation shinobi who made a name for themselves like Hatorama Senju, Shisui Uchiha, and Kakashi Hatake, it would raise some moral too.
Food for thought, perhaps.
The three big surprises, however, came towards the end. He had expected Fugaku to support his nomination. After all, it was only logical both due to clan pride and the allure of Hokage seat. Fugaku, however, had surprised him when he supported Minato. And their little exchange didn't escape his eyes either.
It looked like Fugaku was far more mature than he had given credit. That was an oversight he needed to correct. If he can resist the allure of Hokage seat and still remain clear in his goals, then it told him that Fugaku was not hungry for power like Danzo had been fearing.
Maybe, he was the one who had been influenced by Danzo's bias.
Food for thought, definitely.
The next big surprise came in the form of Danzo's neutrality. The exchange of looks between Hato kun and Oro kun didn't escape his eyes either. What did Hato kun say to Oro kun that had sent him into deep thinking? Danzo's unexpected withdrawal will make things difficult for Oro kun to succeed him.
Sigh, it looks like Minato would be the one succeeding him. Not that he had anything against the kid, but he didn't have Oro kun's cunning. It was a much-needed quality for a man to sit in the Hokage seat.
But Danzo's withdrawal….
Food for thought, definitely.
The final big surprise was the few votes Fugaku received. Even though they were few in number, it showed how much people respected him. And he was able to generate such support within half an hour. While it was nowhere near to the amount Oro kun or Minato received, it still made him wonder what would have happened if Fugaku has few weeks like Minato did.
That was a big lapse in his judgment. It didn't sit well that he had made such a mistake. He should have included Fugaku as a candidate too. He wondered how the election might have turned out if he had done so.
Maybe, I have been influenced by Danzo's bias all along.
Sigh, it's good that I am retiring from the post.
(*****)
I walked out of the clan meeting with a spring in my step. With my two motives accomplished, I felt a little more relieved that I was done with this fiasco.
The first motive was to escape from the pickle I have found myself in. I didn't expect there would be this much resistance from the two councilors. Still, it wasn't as if they had much ground to stand on. With the loophole in my corner, they didn't have much chance.
I was honestly irritated with the two councilors treating me like a kid. Especially, the female one. She seemed as if she had it out for me. In the end, I couldn't control my tongue and ended up calling her an old crone. It was a mistake that I will pay for in the future. But, I didn't think much about it.
If offending her was the only way to escape from this pickle, I was more than happy to do it. The second motive was to let the Uchiha clan know that not everyone has forgotten about their contribution. I honestly didn't expect the number of votes Fugaku obtained.
After all, it was a last-ditch effort which nevertheless paid off handsomely. I was only expecting me and Fugaku to be the only ones that voted for Fugaku. But, the bastard had voted for Minato making me a little nervous about being the only one to vote for him. In the end, a couple of clans had voted for him making sure that I wasn't too embarrassed.
Whether they did it because they didn't want me and Fugaku to be embarrassed, or because they thought him to be a good Hokage material, or to curry favor with both the Uchiha clan and Senju clan, it didn't matter much to me. All it mattered was to let the Uchiha clan know that they were being recognized.
I knew I was going to be a hot topic of discussion with the stunt I had pulled. What I didn't expect was how fast the news was spread. It was like a wildfire. We came out of the meeting at noon and by evening everyone in Konoha knew what I had done.
There were some grumblings as to how the Senju and Uchiha were teaming up, but it was soon brought forth to a halt after the news about Fugaku voting for Minato spread. It was a blessing in disguise.
The strange thing was Kushina dragging me to ramen after she learned how I called the councilor an old crone. She was overjoyed with the fact that I was living up to her footsteps. Apparently, Kushina had done the same one time after being ticked off by the councilor's condescending attitude.
When the Civilian Council meeting came about, I wasn't paying much attention. I was roaming around Konoha with Harami and Anko, who by the way was little angry with me for not voting for her Shishou. In the end, I have to buy her Dango for a full week to get on her good side. She has been a nightmare ever since she had signed the Snake Summon Contract.
But, the result of the Civilian Council meeting was a surprise. I expected Minato to win with an overwhelming majority, considering how he was the champion of civilians. But, as a strange turn of events, Fugaku was equally popular among the Civilian Council.
As a result, the votes had been almost evenly split amongst the duo while a few went for Orochimaru. Orochimaru didn't seem surprised. In fact, he seemed a little bit relieved. It was as if he didn't want to be a Hokage, which made me confused a little. He even asked me for a spar to see if I truly had what it took to be Jounin, in his creepy and sarcastic way. I readily agreed eager to see how I matched up against a Sannin. We both fixed a date to spar after the Hokage elections were done with.
In the end, Minato became the Hokage with resounding support from both the Civilian Council and Clan Council. Orochimaru came second, closely followed by Fugaku due to his popularity with the Civilian Council much to everyone's surprise.
On a fine day after almost two weeks since I was called back from the frontline, Namikaze Minato became the Yondaimae Hokage of Konohagakure.
A/N: Honestly, Orochimaru is a hard character POV to write from. His narcissism and God-like mentality were truly difficult to portray. I have tried to keep every POV to be in-character and in lieu, with the story I am telling. Some of you might be disappointed with Minato as the Hokage. While I played with the idea of making Fugaku the Yondaimae, I didn't feel it flow naturally. Hence, I decided to stick with Minato.
But, fear not, Hato's attempts to fuck with canon are not done yet.
See you folks in the next chapter!
