As the conference room fell into a brief silence, a clear and tranquil voice sounded at just the right moment, breaking the suffocating quiet.
"I sincerely thank all of you for your trust, whether you supported me, or supported Lord Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade, or Kakashi."
Hyūga Kawa's face held its usual gentleness. In those eyes, which seemed to hold revolving nebulae, there was no trace of smugness or arrogance, only the calm humility and seriousness of still water.
"Lord Third's concerns are very reasonable. My seniority is indeed shallow, and my experience in village management, in particular, is severely lacking, but I never expected..."
He sighed, saying, "To receive such trust from all of you, Kawa is deeply honored and humbled."
"Please rest assured, regardless of the final outcome, and regardless of the position I hold, Kawa will do his utmost and contribute all his strength to the future of Konoha."
This statement was neither servile nor overbearing, landing just right.
While expressing humility and respect for the elders, he also didn't stand against his supporters like some fool, but appropriately displayed his sense of responsibility and determination.
Refuse?
Others risked supporting you, yet you insist on refusing? What do you take their kindness for? To casually push away? And what do you take the position of Hokage for?
Jiraiya dared to speak that way because he was Jiraiya; everyone understood his often unreliable nature and knew he genuinely did not want to be Hokage, not that he was being false or affected.
Therefore, upon seeing Hyūga Kawa's performance, everyone couldn't help but sigh: How dependable.
At this very moment, although officially, Jiraiya and Hyūga Kawa were tied in votes.
However, everyone present knew that the true winner was Hyūga Kawa.
The majority of those present had already lost faith in the current Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
They merely wanted to leave the hardworking old man with a final bit of remaining dignity.
Once the Daimyo's appointment arrived, Hyūga Kawa would already be the nominal Fifth Hokage. The subsequent public opinion survey and Jōnin confidence vote were just formalities.
At the same time, Kazuma, observing everything with a cold eye, took it all in.
Looking at the now visibly aged and fatigued Hiruzen Sarutobi, a faint, fleeting trace of disdain passed through his eyes.
Hmph. Clinging to power, rigid and corrupt, unable even to manage his own subordinates. Is this what is called a Hokage?
If it were His Lordship the Daimyo...
Although Kazuma felt deep contempt for Hiruzen Sarutobi in his heart, he swiftly put on an impeccable smile.
"Konoha truly is a place of extraordinary people, constantly producing talent."
Kazuma broke the brief silence and chuckled, "Please rest assured, I will report the nomination results and the excellence of each candidate to His Lordship the Daimyo in detail and with objectivity."
"I trust His Lordship will make the decision that best aligns with the interests of both the Land of Fire and Konoha."
Having said that, he changed his tone, opening the discussion, "Now then, regarding the specific terms for the Land of Fire's resource aid for Konoha's reconstruction, can we begin detailed negotiations?"
"After all, Konoha's reconstruction is an urgent matter, and the Land of Fire needs Konoha."
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been keeping his eyes closed, slowly opened them.
He forcibly suppressed the disappointment and exhaustion in his heart.
Since things had come to this point, and he could not directly prevent the choice of Hokage, he could only accept reality and keep a close watch on Hyūga Kawa, defending against any actions that might harm Konoha.
In any case, even upon stepping down, he would remain the esteemed Hokage Consultant, possessing the right to speak and supervise, enough to check Hyūga Kawa's actions.
With this thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi recovered his usual composure. He looked at Kazuma and nodded slightly: "Of course. Konoha is grateful for His Lordship the Daimyo's assistance during this time of crisis."
The following period saw the meeting enter the tedious and specific phase of negotiating clauses.
Homura Mitokado, who was in charge of logistics and finance, mainly liaised with Kazuma, while others supplemented and checked the terms.
The discussion covered the scale, method of delivery, and timing of aid for resources like grain, construction materials, and funding.
Although the process involved inevitable haggling, overall, both sides showed sincerity in cooperation.
After all, Konoha urgently needed the Daimyo's assistance to recover, and the Daimyo also needed a stable and powerful Konoha as a military shield.
However, just as the terms were mostly agreed upon and everyone thought the meeting was about to conclude, Kazuma softly cleared his throat, a small smile appearing on his face.
"There is one more, what you might call a small supplementary condition, or rather, a wish from His Lordship the Daimyo." Kazuma's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the conference room.
"His Lordship hopes to select a group of talented children from the Konoha Ninja Academy—children with clean and clear backgrounds—to take back to the Daimyo's estate for meticulous cultivation."
"In return, as a gesture of sincerity and trust, His Lordship the Daimyo's eldest son will also visit Konoha under the guise of an exchange program to experience life in the Hidden Village."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the subtle changes in everyone's expressions, and explained, "His Lordship's intention is to break down barriers and deepen the connection and bond between the next generation of the Land of Fire and Konoha."
"He wishes for them to understand from a young age what it means for 'Country' and 'Village' to be one, and what it means to jointly protect the Land of Fire."
"These children will receive the most advanced cultural, etiquette, economic, and even political education at the Daimyo's estate."
"Whether they return to Konoha to serve in the future or alleviate the Daimyo's concerns, they will become pillars of the Land of Fire."
Many eyes in the room flickered, and even Danzō Shimura frowned deeply.
The Daimyo intends to directly cultivate a generation of ninjas who are close to the Daimyo's system, creating a force loyal to the Daimyo?
In the short term, this might deepen the friendly relationship between Konoha and the Daimyo.
But in the long run, it could weaken Konoha's independence and influence.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Lord Kazuma, this request is of great importance, concerning the futures of children. It may require careful consideration."
He was somewhat unsure of the Daimyo's intent and wanted to use the "delaying tactic" to stall for time.
"Of course, His Lordship the Daimyo repeatedly instructed me."
Kazuma pretended not to hear the veiled refusal, his smile unchanged, "This matter must fully respect the wishes of the children and their families. There must be no coercion whatsoever."
His tone was sincere, hoisting the "principle of voluntary participation" high, blocking Hiruzen Sarutobi's potential excuse for further refusal.
The matter had reached this point. If Hiruzen Sarutobi were to strongly refuse again, it would appear unfeeling, or even a blatant defiance of the Daimyo.
After all, the other party's sincerity seemed completely impeccable.
Not only did he promise to respect personal wishes, but he also promised to provide those children with comprehensive education, including culture, etiquette, economy, and even politics.
This was precisely what Konoha's current ninja system relatively lacked.
Furthermore, the Daimyo was even sending his eldest son as an "exchange"—a son who would, in all likelihood, be the future Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the conference room shifted subtly.
The eyes of many leaders of the smaller and medium-sized clans began to flicker, clearly showing signs of interest.
For them, this was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to establish a direct connection with the Daimyo.
If they could use this chance to align themselves with the Daimyo's estate, or even be fortunate enough to establish a marriage alliance, it would bring incalculable benefits to their entire clan's status in Konoha and the Land of Fire.
After all, these people, although ninjas, also needed money. Who among them didn't own a family business or two? For example, the Nara clan's medicinal herbs, the Akimichi clan's catering...
Hiruzen Sarutobi took all of this into account. After a brief thought, he slowly nodded: "Since this is His Lordship the Daimyo's wish, Konoha will naturally cooperate."
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi finally concede, the smile on Kazuma's face deepened, and he smoothly put forth the next seemingly natural request.
"In that case, I wonder if I might have the honor of requesting your company to visit your village's Ninja Academy?"
"I've long heard that the Ninja Academy is the cradle where Konoha nurtures its heroes, and I have always yearned to see it. I would love to witness the demeanor of Konoha's next generation with my own eyes."
Clearly, this was a request for a "site inspection" to scout suitable candidates.
Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally did not refuse.
At this stage, there was no need to refuse such a thing.
Thus, apart from Danzō Shimura and a few department heads and clan leaders who genuinely had official duties, everyone, including Hyūga Kawa, left with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kazuma.
The group, grand yet each harboring their own thoughts, walked out of the conference room and headed toward the recently rebuilt Ninja Academy in the distance.
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