Capítulo 137: Chp-137: Fourth Hokage! Orochimaru! Orochimaru! Fourth Hokage!
Two months flew by in the blink of an eye. During this period, the debates surrounding the Hokage election reached a fever pitch.
Finally…
Bang! Bang!
The sound of two flower cannons marked the beginning of the Jounin vote.
In the crowded square in front of the Hokage building, the atmosphere became electric.
On the rooftop of the building, Tsunade looked down at the dense crowd below and sighed.
"That old man… I already told him I wasn't interested in being Hokage, yet he still insisted on making me one of the candidates."
"I just want to go back to sleep!"
Tsunade couldn't help but complain.
Minato, standing next to her, felt a bit awkward hearing Tsunade's blunt grumbling. Orochimaru, however, maintained a faint smile, exuding a completely different aura of leadership as he gazed at the bustling square below.
Behind them, wearing the Hokage hat, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a bit helpless. Temporarily adding Tsunade to the Hokage candidates was a last resort. He had calculated the votes and didn't have complete confidence in overwhelming Orochimaru. Many Jounin admired the legendary Sannin.
Adding Tsunade to the mix was a strategy to dilute the votes that would have otherwise gone to Orochimaru, indirectly increasing Minato's chances. Convincing Tsunade had cost him dearly, and his wallet still ached.
Don't blame me, Orochimaru. You're just not suitable for the position of Hokage. Only a ninja like Minato, who truly embodies the Will of Fire, is the best candidate for Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed inwardly.
"Let's begin."
As soon as his voice rang out, several ANBU members carried a massive ballot box to the top of the Hokage building. The prepared Jounin formed a neat line, casting their pre-prepared ballots into the box.
Typically, it was difficult for civilian ninjas to rise to the rank of Jounin, so the number of Jounin from the major clans far exceeded those from civilian backgrounds. In this election, the candidates focused more on garnering the support of clan factions, indirectly ignoring civilian Jounin.
Danzo, watching Sarutobi Hiruzen's back, sneered inwardly.
"Sarutobi, that old fox, would never have guessed that I've arranged for a large number of civilian Jounin to vote for Orochimaru. This gap will be enough to give Orochimaru an advantage."
As the leader of Root, persuading a few civilian Jounin was easy. He had done the same during the White Fang incident. Back then, it was to prevent someone from becoming Hokage. Now, it was to ensure Orochimaru's victory.
Standing nearby, Hyuga Satoru and Uchiha Fugaku exchanged a knowing smile. Though they didn't know Danzo's plans, it seemed he was inadvertently doing them a favour.
The Hyuga and Uchiha clans were undoubtedly the two largest clans in Konoha, boasting the most Jounin.
Especially the Uchiha. Once they unlocked the three-tomoe Sharingan, they had the strength of a Jounin. If Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't been suppressing their Jounin numbers, the Uchiha would have even more Jounin.
After the clans aligned with the Hokage faction, like the Ino-Shika-Cho and the Sarutobi clan, finished voting, it was the Hyuga and Uchiha's turn.
The two clans formed long queues, casting their ballots into the waist-high ballot box.
Next were the smaller clans, whose strength was visibly weaker, with some having only one or two Jounin.
After them came the civilian-promoted Jounin. A quick glance revealed that compared to the clan Jounin, these civilian Jounin were a mixed bunch, with many bearing injuries.
Danzo sneered. In the Jounin vote, the votes of the powerful clan Jounin and those of disabled civilian Jounin carried the same weight. Unlike the major clans, civilians were easier to manipulate.
"Orochimaru, be grateful. Without me, you couldn't have become Hokage."
Time passed slowly. The Jounin vote ended.
Sarutobi Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief. He had roughly calculated each Jounin's vote. If everything went as expected, Minato would undoubtedly be the Hokage.
"Begin the vote counting."
He ordered solemnly. Several ANBU members approached and began the vote-counting process.
"Wait, Lord Hokage, you don't mind if I supervise, do you?"
Satoru Hyuga stepped forward. Though everyone had witnessed the voting process, leaving no room for tampering, the counting process still needed oversight.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.
"As you wish."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Satoru activated his Byakugan. Behind him, Hizashi and many other Hyuga Jounin simultaneously activated their Byakugan, closely monitoring the vote counting.
The ANBU members counting the votes began to sweat. It was their first time being subjected to so many Byakugan at once, and they felt like their every move was being scrutinized.
Their counting sped up slightly. Before long, the counting was complete.
Sarutobi Hiruzen asked with a hint of a smile, "So, who won?"
The ANBU members exchanged nervous glances and reported in unison.
"Lord Hokage, the candidate with the most votes is Lord Orochimaru."
"What?!"
The smile on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face froze. He stared at the ANBU member, his expression darkening.
"Are you sure there's no mistake?"
The ANBU members exchanged glances.
"No mistake, Lord Hokage. Lord Orochimaru received the most votes."
A murmur of discussion broke out among the crowd.
"Orochimaru won? I voted for him too."
"Orochimaru won. It's a pity about Minato. He was also an excellent candidate."
"Actually, I voted for Tsunade…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath, his face dark.
"I request a recount."
"Understood."
Given the former Hokage's request, the ANBU members didn't dare slack off. The ballots were sorted and laid out, clearly displayed for all to see.
Satoru Hyuga remained unfazed, his Byakugan having already revealed the results.
As expected, halfway through the recount, Sarutobi Hiruzen halted the process, his face pale.
"Enough."
He had seen that Orochimaru maintained an overwhelming lead. Even if all the remaining votes went to Minato, the outcome wouldn't change. Continuing the recount would only further embarrass him.
Discussions erupted in the crowd. Some were happy, others were disappointed.
The Hokage faction, led by Sarutobi Hiruzen, looked grim.
"Excellent!"
The first to celebrate was Danzo, his visible eye gleaming with fervour.
"Orochimaru, you owe me for this. Without my help, you couldn't have become Hokage."
Orochimaru let out a sigh. The Hokage position he had long dreamed of was finally within his grasp, but it felt oddly surreal.
"I guess I'm still no match for Lord Orochimaru."
Minato scratched his head awkwardly.
"Finally, I can go home. Standing here has exhausted me."
Tsunade stretched her legs, which had grown stiff from standing too long.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed deeply, accepting the result with resignation.
He walked forward, removed the Hokage hat from his head, and handed it to Orochimaru.
"Congratulations, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru felt a surge of emotion, his eyes heating up. He glanced at Satoru, who smiled at him.
Feeling a warm sensation in his chest, Orochimaru smiled and took the Hokage hat, placing it firmly on his head. He stepped to the edge of the Hokage building.
Below, the villagers held their breath, their eyes fixed on the building.
When a figure stepped forward, it was as if something ignited.
"It's Lord Orochimaru! Lord Orochimaru is the Hokage!"
"Wonderful! Lord Orochimaru! Lord Hokage!"
"Fourth Hokage! Fourth Hokage! Fourth Hokage!"
The square erupted in deafening cheers.
Orochimaru stood at the centre of the celebration, wearing the Hokage hat and smiling faintly. The sun seemed especially warm that day.
"Satoru, I can stand by your side now, right?"
"I can't wait to see that new world with you!"
Status de energia semanal
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