"..."
Kakashi saw Hyūga Kawa's hand resting affectionately on Hyūga Aoi's flushed cheek, and Hyūga Aoi herself looked utterly dazed and lost in thought.
Hiss! Has the iron tree finally blossomed?
His dead-fish eyes couldn't help but widen slightly, and the words he was about to say were swallowed back.
"Ahahaha."
Kakashi reacted extremely fast, immediately looking up at the ceiling, pretending he hadn't seen anything, scratching the back of his head, and turning to walk back: "You two carry on, carry on!"
With that, he quickly retreated from the ward, even gently closing the door very considerately, leaving a strange atmosphere inside the room.
Hyūga Kawa slowly withdrew his hand, acting as if nothing had happened.
"You should head back first."
Looking at Hyūga Aoi, whose eyes seemed to have turned into spirals, his tone returned to its usual composure: "For the time being, I'm counting on you and Iroha to handle the affairs of the Hyūga Clan."
"Mm-hmm..." Hyūga Aoi was completely bewildered, her brain entirely rebooting.
She stiffly stood up almost instinctively, her movements slightly uncoordinated, and she didn't even know how she managed to walk out of the ward.
It wasn't until the cool breeze in the hallway brushed her burning face that she suddenly snapped back to alertness.
She subconsciously raised a hand to touch her cheek, and as she recalled the previous moment, her lips involuntarily wanted to curve upwards...
"Ahem." A deliberate cough came from the side.
Hyūga Aoi immediately suppressed her smile, quickly straightened her face, and reverted to her usual demeanor, turning her head to the side.
Hatake Kakashi was leaning against the wall, holding an 'Icha Icha Paradise' book, looking down as if reading.
Hyūga Aoi maintained her composure, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and then quickly left the hallway.
It wasn't until she walked out of the hospital entrance that her thoughts fully focused again, and she couldn't help but go back to thinking about Hyūga Kawa's question.
"What is the greatest distance from understanding?" she murmured to herself.
Although the return of a shred of rationality told her that this was likely a question with no standard answer, relying entirely on his subjective judgment.
But what if?
What if there is a correct answer?
In Hyūga Aoi's view, Hyūga Kawa's meaning was obvious: he simply hadn't decided yet and wanted some time to think.
"At least he's given a response!" Hyūga Aoi cheered herself up internally, "Keep up the hard work, Hyūga Aoi!"
That sliver of doubt had long been tossed somewhere she couldn't find.
In the ward, shortly after Hyūga Aoi left, the door was pushed open again.
Click.
Hatake Kakashi returned. Looking at Hyūga Kawa leaning on the hospital bed, his eyes held unconcealed teasing. He smiled: "Well, well, rapid progress, Kawa."
Hyūga Kawa didn't mind his banter, merely smiling: "Is something wrong?"
Turning to business, Kakashi dropped the jesting expression and became serious.
"Lord Third just decided to convene an emergency Jonin meeting tomorrow morning. The agenda concerns the village's reconstruction, the investigation and pursuit of the Holllow Realm and Akatsuki, and also..."
He paused there, then continued: "The nomination and endorsement of the next Hokage."
According to the traditions of the Hidden Leaf Village and the regulations set in the Joint Agreement between the Land of Fire and the Hidden Leaf Village, the election and change of the Hokage must follow a set of relatively rigorous procedures.
This ensures a stable transition of power and the stability of the village.
First is the Nomination and Endorsement Phase.
Typically, the current Hokage, the Hokage Advisors, or the heads of important departments like the Anbu publicly nominate candidates during the Jonin meeting.
The candidates themselves must be registered Jonin of the Hidden Leaf and usually need to possess formidable strength, high prestige, and unquestionable loyalty to the village.
The nomination requires an explanation of the reasons for the choice. Once nominated, the candidate has the right to accept or decline the nomination.
Next is the Daimyo Consultation and Proposal Phase.
As the Hidden Leaf Village serves as the primary military force of the Land of Fire, the appointment of the Hokage naturally requires formal recognition and proposal from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
While the Daimyo does not hold the ultimate decision-making power, this is a crucial step for maintaining the symbiotic relationship between the ninja village and the nation.
After the internal nominations are completed, the Hidden Leaf higher-ups travel to the capital to consult with the Daimyo and his retainers.
The Daimyo considers factors such as the overall national interest, the candidate's background, and their relationship with the nobility.
Although the Daimyo generally does not directly veto a consensus candidate from within the Hidden Leaf, his "proposal" carries significant weight, and his preference greatly influences the subsequent process.
If the Daimyo strongly opposes a candidate, the current Hokage and other Jonin must take it into consideration.
After that is the Public Opinion Consultation Phase. The village gathers public sentiment, guild opinions, and conducts public surveys to gauge the acceptance and views of the common citizens toward the candidates.
Strong public support also has a considerable impact on the final vote of the higher-ups and Jonin.
Following this is the Jonin Confidence Vote Phase: This is the most substantive step.
All registered Jonin with voting rights participate in a secret ballot.
The vote typically uses a simple or absolute majority system, requiring the candidate to secure support from more than the stipulated proportion of Jonin.
This directly reflects the candidate's prestige and recognition among the Hidden Leaf higher-ups.
Any Hokage must be genuinely embraced by the majority of the Jonin to effectively command the entire village.
Finally, there is the Appointment and Succession Ceremony. When a candidate successfully passes all the above steps, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire formally issues the appointment letter.
Subsequently, witnessed by the entire Hidden Leaf, the Hokage Succession Ceremony is held, where the new Hokage receives the iconic hat from the predecessor, completing the induction.
Tomorrow's Jonin meeting is the first step to launch this entire process: the nomination and endorsement.
Clearly, Hiruzen Sarutobi can no longer withstand the immense pressure from both inside and outside the village. With public opinion raging, he must make a choice.
However, this nomination process is unlikely to be peaceful.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi is already wary of me. He will inevitably conspire with those two old advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, to try and obstruct my easy ascent to that position."
Hyūga Kawa's expression was calm, but his mind was crystal clear.
But, unfortunately.
"I must take that position," Hyūga Kawa thought.
Only by becoming Hokage, standing at the pinnacle of power in this village, can he push the 'lie' he has woven to its grandest climax.
He needs to harvest a massive amount of points to fully replenish the two Hōgyoku within him.
Whether it is Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō Shimura lurking in the shadows and coveting power, or the Daimyo far away in the capital attempting to maintain the old order...
They are all merely obstacles that need to be cleared.
"Understood."
Hyūga Kawa looked up at Hatake Kakashi, a slight smile appearing on his face: "Speaking of which, Kakashi, your support isn't low either."
"Spare me," Hatake Kakashi said with his dead-fish eyes, self-deprecatingly, "Compared to you, I'm just a filler running mate at best."
With that, he waved his hand and turned toward the door: "I won't disturb your rest. Get ready for tomorrow's meeting."
"Mm." Hyūga Kawa nodded, watching Kakashi's figure disappear behind the closed door.
Silence returned to the ward. The smile on Hyūga Kawa's face gradually faded, his gaze becoming as deep as a bottomless pool.
But the next moment, he seemed to perceive something, and his eyes subtly narrowed.
Without any hesitation, he closed his eyes and sank his consciousness deep within, establishing a connection with a figure in a distant location.
When he "opened" his eyes again, the scene before him had completely changed.
It was no longer the clean, quiet ward, but a massive underground space shrouded in dim light.
The air was filled with a cold, damp atmosphere. His feet stood on the finger of a gigantic statue with a monstrous, grotesque shape.
This was the base of the Akatsuki organization.
And what he was standing on was the Gedō Mazō.
'Kage' looked up toward the distance, seeing the figures of several battered individuals standing on the other nine fingers.
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