Two days later, the Clan Head meeting was held as scheduled.
Ryōsuke, of course, did not attend this time. After all, he had already yielded the position of Hokage to Tsunade. He no longer had a specific objective, so there was naturally no need for him to appear.
Fugaku, however, attended in his capacity as the head of the Uchiha clan. Naturally, he wanted to see exactly how many clans would support the Uchiha in taking power. From this, he could gauge whether the Uchiha clan had truly gained the village's trust and, most importantly, whether they had successfully integrated into the village.
Soon, the various clan heads began to arrive at the conference room one after another. Tsunade arrived as expected, accompanied by Shizune.
Nara Shikaku and the clan heads who supported Tsunade's bid for Fifth Hokage were all quite pleased. With her entry, the Uchiha clan finally had a true rival for the position. It wasn't that they believed the Uchiha clan was inherently bad; they simply felt that this particular clan was not suited to hold the highest office.
Shikaku, observing more closely than the others, sensed a difference in Tsunade compared to yesterday. To put it in descriptive terms, if Lady Tsunade had seemed like a withered woman yesterday, today she felt like a woman in full bloom. It was obvious she had been 'nourished,' as her skin possessed a healthy, rosy glow.
'It really is strange. How could there be such a massive change?'
'Logically, such a transformation only occurs when a woman receives a man's favor, but it is clear that no man has ever been able to conquer Tsunade.'
Before long, all the clan heads had assembled in the meeting room. Most of them noticed that the village's strongest powerhouse, Uchiha Ryōsuke, had surprisingly failed to attend such a vital meeting.
'Does he have no intention of competing for the position of Fifth Hokage?'
'Or is he leaving the bid to Uchiha Fugaku, who is present?'
That would certainly be a plausible explanation. Fugaku, however, remained entirely composed, acting as if he didn't care about their reactions in the slightest. This time, he certainly wouldn't be competing for the spot. He and Yatsushiro had already pacified the clansmen, so there would be no dissatisfaction from the Uchiha side.
Nara Shikaku, sitting at the head of the table, was also somewhat puzzled. However, since everyone was present, it was time to begin. He was the one presiding over today's meeting. Previously, Uchiha Ryōsuke had left him in temporary charge of the village's major affairs, including the selection of the Fifth Hokage.
"Everyone is present, so today's Clan Head meeting officially begins. I believe everyone knows the purpose of this session: to select the Fifth Hokage to lead the village. Does anyone have a suitable candidate to propose? We will then decide by a vote of everyone present."
Ever since the Second Hokage took office, the selection of the Hokage had always been a very democratic process. Anyone could be nominated, and the individual with the highest number of votes would naturally be elected.
A segment of the clan heads who supported Tsunade immediately stood up to speak.
"We recommend Lady Tsunade to become the Fifth Hokage."
"Lady Tsunade made outstanding contributions against the Stone and Sand Villages during the Second Great Ninja War. She stood alongside the others against the man known as the Demi-God, Hanzo, saving the Leaf Village from immense losses. Furthermore, she is the granddaughter of Lord Senju Hashirama. In terms of experience, lineage, and personal ability, she is qualified to be the Fifth Hokage and will surely lead the Leaf Village down the correct path."
Others, however, held different views, as they were supporters of the Uchiha clan. The Uchiha had rid the village of the Third Hokage and Danzo. One had been conducting horrific human experiments, while the other was a traitor to the village. Although their primary targets had been the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, the other clans wouldn't have fared well either if those two clans had been defeated.
Most important was the Third Hokage's history of inaction. Whether it was the Nine-Tails Rampage or the conflict with the Cloud Village, many of their clansmen had died during those catastrophes. The Uchiha clan had undoubtedly provided them with a great sense of vindication.
Thus, several clan heads stood up and spoke.
"If we are discussing merit, I fear the Uchiha clan is not inferior to Lady Tsunade in any way."
"Lady Tsunade made great contributions in the Second Great Ninja War, but the Uchiha clan likewise contributed during the Third Great Ninja War—monumental contributions, at that. None of you have forgotten the incident triggered by the Cloud Village, have you? The Uchiha clan defeated the Cloud Village's shinobi army, a feat that is famous throughout the ninja world. Recently, the borders have been quite peaceful, and that is entirely due to the Uchiha clan's efforts. Therefore, I believe Uchiha Fugaku should become the Fifth Hokage."
Several others also stood up to express their support for Fugaku's ascension. This gave Fugaku a pleasant surprise; he hadn't expected so many people to nominate him for the role. He felt very gratified; it seemed the Uchiha clan had finally gained a degree of recognition.
Tsunade was also somewhat surprised. To think so many people supported the Uchiha—it seemed the clan was different from the isolated Uchiha of years past. This was likely the work of that "evil brat." Although the Fugaku appearing now didn't look like a puppet, that brat was the true mastermind of the Uchiha.
Despite so many people coming forward to support Fugaku, Tsunade didn't think anyone else would actually be elected to the Hokage position. The fact that the brat didn't show up proved he was keeping his promise, which was a point in his favor.
Naturally, the clan heads supporting Tsunade listed even more of her virtues.
"Lady Tsunade is the granddaughter of Lord Senju Hashirama! Have you all forgotten the contributions made to this village by Lord Hashirama and the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama? Do you intend to suggest that their successor is unworthy of being the Fifth Hokage?"
A portion of those supporting the Uchiha clan spoke up in response.
"Lady Tsunade is indeed qualified, but she has one fatal flaw. Not only has she been away from the village for a long time, but most importantly, she suffers from hemophobia. She becomes completely paralyzed at the sight of blood. With such a weakness, I'm afraid she can't even function as a ninja anymore. Of course, I don't mean to mock Lady Tsunade; I am simply stating the facts."
After speaking, he bowed to Tsunade to apologize. The Senju clan held immense prestige in the village, and he did not wish to offend her personally, as that would make life in Konoha very difficult.
The room fell silent. Even the clan heads who supported Tsunade were unable to offer a rebuttal. They had actually forgotten about this issue. It was indeed a fatal flaw. As Hokage, one would naturally be unable to avoid conflict with enemies. If she lacked combat capability, how could she be elected?
At that moment, Tsunade stood up and spoke.
"I am no longer afraid of blood. That hemophobia is gone."