In the Hokage's office.
Although the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had retired long ago, the two senior advisors still consulted him on major and minor village affairs.
With the position of the Fifth Hokage still vacant, Hiruzen remained as crucial as a stabilizing pillar for the village.
One could say he had retired, but not completely.
But today, Hiruzen was beginning to regret not finding a secluded place to live after stepping down… or simply dying during that attack.
"Hmm— Former Third Hokage, is what the two Hokage Advisors have reported true?" The Daimyo of the Land of Fire, fan covering his mouth, drew out his words, his eyes occasionally flicking over Hiruzen's aged face.
Hearing this, Hiruzen was internally cursing Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura vehemently, but outwardly, he could only maintain a look of ignorance.
"Daimyo-sama, this old man has already retired. I am not clear on this matter."
"Is that so…" The Land of Fire's Daimyo lightly tapped his fan before continuing, "But they left the village without authorization... and even took the Nine-Tails Tailed Beast, which belongs to the Land of Fire. That is a fact, is it not?"
Hearing this question, Hiruzen's lips moved slightly.
"Naruto merely accepted the mission to find Tsunade, the candidate for the next Hokage... it c-cannot be considered leaving the village without cause."
At this moment, Koharu spoke up from the side.
"They departed several months ago, and there have been confirmed eyewitness reports of Tsunade within the Land of Fire, in Tanzaku Quarter."
Under Hiruzen's glare, Koharu lowered her eyelids and added, "Bounty hunters have already engaged Tsunade and Uzumaki Naruto. The evidence proves he located Tsunade long ago."
After saying this, the old woman fell silent, offering nothing more.
'Fools! The both of you!'
Hiruzen couldn't comprehend why the two senior advisors would take this matter directly to the Daimyo.
Even putting aside Naruto's identity, they had witnessed firsthand the destruction he could unleash.
'If their goal was to maintain village stability, shouldn't they be turning a blind eye instead?'
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen momentarily lost for words, the Land of Fire's Daimyo closed his fan and clapped his hands.
"Then it's settled. List the Genin, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and the Jonin, Jiraiya all as Missing-Nins."
"Daimyo-sama! I implore you, please do not do this!"
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen immediately objected with great emotion.
"Oh? Do you have some other suggestion, Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
This time, the Daimyo did not refer to him as the Third Hokage.
The implication was clear: 'Since you've retired, stay in the background and observe quietly.'
"..."
"Your action will undoubtedly push them into a corner, making them enemies of the village and the nation! It should not have to come to this!"
"Then do you believe their unilateral actions have shown any respect for my face?!"
The Land of Fire's Daimyo's voice suddenly sharpened, the true nature of someone long accustomed to absolute authority finally revealing itself.
In truth, this matter could have been handled with more or less severity.
Originally, with Hiruzen's backing, as long as no one in the village actively reported it, the issue could have been swept under the rug.
But now, it was being dragged out into the open without a doubt.
Hiruzen stared fixedly at the three people before him. Finally, he let out a long, heavy sigh.
"I have retired. I will not involve myself further in this matter. Then... if you will excuse me."
With that, Hiruzen rose to leave.
His posture had grown increasingly stooped since his retirement, as if his very spirit had vanished along with the title of Hokage.
"Ah, yes. The village's Hokage cannot remain vacant indefinitely."
Just before Hiruzen left the room, the Daimyo added, as if remembering something.
"Appoint the head of the Hyuga Clan... Hyuga Hiashi, correct? Have him become the next Hokage."
Hearing this, Hiruzen showed no reaction.
He knew the Land of Fire's Daimyo indeed held the power to directly appoint the next Hokage.
After speaking, the Daimyo gave a slight yawn and then departed for his residence, escorted by a team of Ninjas.
This surprise move had caught Hiruzen completely off guard. The price for the Daimyo, as the nation's ruler, was having to voluntarily leave his seat of power and undertake the long journey to Konoha.
Thinking about it, the attitude he displayed earlier might have been partly due to that very inconvenience.
Only after everyone had left the office did the two senior advisors depart without a word, returning to Koharu's home.
The two old people closed the door, then opened a hidden compartment in an inner room. Inside lay two corpses.
Their appearances were unmistakably those of Koharu and Homura.
Clearly, the real advisors were already dead.
The face of 'Koharu' spiraled open, revealing the White Zetsu features underneath.
"So easy... This way, Konoha becomes our tool."
Beside him, the other White Zetsu, disguised as Homura, swiftly slapped him.
"Idiot! Don't change back! We still need to keep using these identities! If we're discovered, it's over."
The slapped White Zetsu sullenly shifted back into the old woman's form, then looked at the real advisor duo.
"What should we do with these two?"
"The bodies might still be useful. Let's seal them for now."
...
The Hyuga Clan's compound.
During the clan meeting, all the clan's elders and senior members were thrown into confusion by the sudden, unexpected windfall.
'How had this pie fallen from the sky and landed directly on our Hyuga Clan?'
"Head, congratulations on your imminent appointment as the Fifth Hokage!"
Hiashi looked at the elder whose aged face was wreathed in smiles and felt a wave of nausea.
These people usually relied on their seniority to address him simply as 'Hiashi', but now they remembered to call him 'Head'?
But that was a minor issue.
Hiashi was not a stupid man.
He understood that this suddenly bestowed title of Fifth Hokage was not an easy mantle to wear.
Never mind what the other major Ninja Clans in the village thought… the very first task awaiting him after accepting the position was daunting enough.
The pursuit and capture of Uzumaki Naruto and Jiraiya, one of the [Sannin].
He automatically dismissed the Uchiha brat from consideration.
Hiashi simply could not fathom this order.
If it hadn't come directly from the Daimyo himself, he would have been cursing violently.
The inauguration ceremony for the Fifth Hokage was scheduled for just a few days later, making it incredibly rushed.
At this moment, Hiashi felt nothing but a splitting headache.
He had entertained thoughts of the Hyuga Clan becoming Konoha's foremost clan, but not in this manner.
Looking down at the clan's elders still lost in their foolish daydreams, Hiashi could only see a pitch-black future for the clan.
In the next generation… his own daughter Hinata was, needless to say, out of the question. Perhaps only that child, Neji, could shoulder the burden he was meant to bear.
'But that child was from the branch family and had always harbored hatred towards me.'
'Sigh... What am I to do...'