Since the announcement, the rumours of the Hokage looking bruised and beaten up giving his speech flew across the village - alongside who had done it. It shook their faith in their leader, along with everything revealed but in exchange the public perception of the White Fang had shifted once again, with it being far more positive than before. His good deeds had not been washed away, and under the subtle alteration of people's conceptions, were brought to light once again. It greatly helped that those who were artificially spreading the rumours stopped, allowing for the common sense that what Sakumo had done was not necessarily bad, and even if it was his good deeds for the village fair outweighed it.
Katsuro visited his sensei at his home, explaining and recounting the events further. After regaining his desire to live, his body kicked in healing quickly and allowing him to be dismissed home by Tsunade. He looked noticeably healthier, walking by himself even if he was under mandatory rest and banned from fighting or training. A few days wasn't enough to change his nature, but he no longer saw his job as a Shinobi as the be all and end all. His eyes had truly seen what was happening underneath the surface of the village he served, and the way he had been paid back for his service irked him. The Hokage's admission publicly and Katsuro's explanations led him to conclude that Sarutobi Hiruzen was not worthy of his sword. He was still someone who held duty above all, and he would still fight for his village if needed but he would not be the same loyal and mindless weapon as before.
As such, the Hokage's days only worsened. Sakumo came directly to him, asking for time off, a break from being a shinobi and time to raise his son. The way in which he asked made Hiruzen understand this was not something he could refuse. Reluctantly, he granted the leave in hopes that he would not sour their relationship to the point where Sakumo outright retired but as the white-haired man was leaving Hiruzen was hoping that he wouldn't ask about the Hokage position. His very public admission, forced by Katsuro and the clans, meant that if Sakumo so wished it, he would have his seat the very next day, no matter what kind of games he played with the Daimyo. And that was another matter in itself, the publicity of everything of course meant the Daimyo was aware, and of course he was less than pleased.
As Sakumo turned around, Hiruzen's heart leapt into his throat, "Lord Third, you should and likely do know it is not in my nature to become Hokage. It was not something I have ever wanted, which is why I am disappointed you took such drastic measures."
Sakumo left immediately after saying his piece, leaving Hiruzen mouth agape and shocked. After he thought about it, he realised something. He's right… I have taken such losses for something I didn't even have to do…
Hiruzen sighed at the thought, but no matter how much he regretted it, nothing could be done now.
—
If the Hokage had any hope of staying in his seat of power, it would require making good on his very public promises. Compensation was soon rolled out in the form of millions of Ryo which mainly originated from the Shimura clan. The village was still in no position to hand out such huge chunks of cash so freely - and the money the Root should have had also mysteriously gone missing. Thus, those who felt the consequences of Danzo's association were now suffering after years of benefit and nepotism. The Hokage used them, preferring that over his own clan and forced them to sell much of the property and land they had gained over the years.
On top of the money which aided their rapidly growing prosperity, the Senju also received another form of compensation stemming from what they had taken from the Root base. It included many Jutsus, even if they were replicas but also many they had been lacking such as all of Danzo's wind styles. But what was truly important was recovering the cells of their former Patriarch, and the research notes that derived from them. Katsuro was shocked at what he saw, a man who's been dead long before he was even born had unbelievable potential. The cells contained immense vitality and yang chakra persisting over time. When seeing that, Katsuro who had believed he had arrived at his ancestor's level, realised his true greatness. As much as his unfathomable chakra would be compared to Hashirama, Katsuro knew from this alone, that man had far more than him. Those who had more normal amounts could not possibly tell the difference between the sea and the ocean. But he was not discouraged. He excelled in areas the God of Shinobi did not, and they also shared common strengths. But still, it motivated him to work harder and get over his unknowingly building arrogance, especially in the Shikkotsu Forest.
Given his announcements, considerations for the 4th Hokage were being talked about throughout the village. No matter if they believed he should step down or not, everyone was interested in Hiruzen's replacement. At the forefront of those conversations, naturally stood the 3 Sannin. Tsunade, the world's greatest medical ninja who was responsible for saving countless lives in the last war. Her heritage as the Senju Clan's Princess and Slug summoning gave her a credibility and legacy that was difficult to match. Orochimaru's genius and leadership on the battlefield was renowned. His skill and success made him an ideal choice for those more prudent and pragmatic, caring more about ability. Though, he also turned many away for his perceived cruelty and look. Which was where Jiraiya shined. His happy, charismatic and joyful personality alongside being a civilian made him an inspiration for many.
But even above these 3, were 2 names that were held in much higher regard for the position. Hatake Sakumo, and Senju Katsuro. Sakumo's recent hit to his reputation meant his imaginary 'standings' had decreased, which meant the one at the forefront of this nonexistent race was the one and only Stormbreaker. It was a situation Hiruzen desperately wanted to evade, and in meetings that discussed the next Hokage often brought up by those against him like Fugaku, Hirzuen desperately threw any excuse he could imagine trying to delay. He tried to buy time for himself to win over the shinobi and people once again, but luckily for him it was making little progress. The clan leaders, civilian and shinobi representatives faced a tough dilemma. Those they were more than happy to vote for did not want the position. Sakumo made it clear it was not something that he would do when voted for, and Katsuro said something similar quoting his need to make his wife happy and marry her or he would die long before he could take the chair - a comment that earned him much more back home than just the laughs in the meeting room. This meant they could not agree on the next Hokage. Out of the three remaining prospects, votes were split between all of them. Orochimaru, who had been pulling away from the 'standings' by leveraging his links with people he led on the Iwa battlefield was counteracted by the Hokage. Out of the 3 remaining options, Orochimaru was by far the least controllable afterall, meaning the Hokage put his weight in ensuring he was not selected which caused things to stay at an impasse for a while.
Even though this particular aspect of the 'compensation' agreed by the Hokage was not making much progress, one had already been fulfilled. The imprisonment of Danzo.
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