A few days ago, when she had merged with Uchiha Ryōsuke, blood had been drawn. Naturally, Tsunade had been the one to clean her own bedsheets. Discovering those traces of blood had triggered no adverse reaction at all. She was no longer afraid of blood.
This was sufficient proof that she had finally overcome her hemophobia. Now, she also had to prove that she possessed the necessary combat strength to be elected as the Fifth Hokage. Otherwise, she felt that she wouldn't be worthy of the title herself.
The supporters of Tsunade present in the room were all wearing expressions of joy. 'Has Lady Tsunade truly overcome that weakness?' they wondered. If so, the objections raised by those who supported the Uchiha Clan's rise to power would no longer hold any weight.
Nara Shikaku was equally delighted. This way, even if Lady Tsunade did not ultimately become the Hokage, she would still remain a major combat asset for the village. From a personal perspective, he also hoped to see Lady Tsunade pull herself together and find her spirit again.
Hearing Tsunade's words, someone from the Uchiha camp immediately spoke up. "Can Lady Tsunade provide some proof?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Tsunade drew a kunai from her ninja tool pouch. With a firm hand, she drew the blade across her palm, opening a small cut that allowed blood to flow freely over her hand.
Tsunade stared at it intently. There was no fear, only a resolute inner strength. She knew she could do this; she had to move forward. Living in the past offered no future. She focused on the sight for a full minute, and during that entire time, her heart felt no dread.
Everyone present was profoundly shocked. Lady Tsunade really had overcome her weakness. For the clan heads who supported her, this was the most powerful evidence possible.
"Everyone, you should have seen Lady Tsunade's performance by now. She has conquered her hemophobia. Such courage will surely lead the village onto the right path."
Even Fugaku was filled with admiration. She was truly a member of their old rival Senju Clan—though now, she could technically be considered a member of the Uchiha Clan as well. He knew something of the tragic events Tsunade had endured in the past. To be able to transcend such a dark history proved that her character and mental fortitude were exceptional.
The Uchiha supporters who saw Tsunade's display were also deeply impressed and no longer spoke up to refute her.
Shikaku, however, found himself in a difficult position. At the moment, there were many supporters for Tsunade, but there were just as many for the Uchiha Clan. This made things quite complicated. Selecting either side would inevitably lead to internal division within the village. Furthermore, seeing Fugaku's calm expression, Shikaku wondered if the man wasn't worried at all. Or perhaps the Uchiha Clan was already entirely confident in securing the Hokage position.
At that moment, Hyūga Hiashi stood up to speak. "I support Uchiha Fugaku to become the Fifth Hokage."
His words carried significant weight. The Uchiha taking power would bring immense benefits to the Hyūga Clan. The two sides had fought side-by-side; if the Uchiha ascended, they certainly wouldn't forget the Hyūga Clan. The Uchiha were not a petty family; they had even been willing to give the Hyūga Clan the massive ransom as agreed upon in the past. There was no doubt that following the Uchiha would bring prosperity. Naturally, the family would also rise to a new level.
Although their status would be lower than that of the Uchiha, Konoha would surely become the number one village in the ninja world under Uchiha leadership. For the Hyūga Clan to become the second-most powerful noble family in the strongest ninja village was perfectly acceptable. Moreover, Hiashi harbored a great dislike for the Third Hokage. Since Tsunade was the Third Hokage's disciple, there was no way he would support her.
The others weren't surprised by his opinion. Over the past year, the relationship between the Uchiha and Hyūga clans had become very close. This was especially true after Uchiha Ryōsuke helped the Hyūga family resist the unreasonable demands of the Cloud Village. Subsequent rumors had even circulated that Hiashi's younger brother had been prepared to sacrifice himself to appease the Cloud Village's anger.
Although the relationship between the Main House and the Branch House was not particularly good, he was still Hiashi's biological brother. Hiashi wouldn't have just watched his own brother go to an undeserved death. This made his debt of gratitude to the Uchiha enormous. Not to mention, they had faced the Cloud Village together, creating a bond of comradeship forged in shared hardship.
A slight smile appeared on Fugaku's face, his heart light with joy. He was glad the Hyūga Clan could stand on the Uchiha's side. The Hyūga were a major clan in the village, and their words carried substantial influence.
Shikaku felt the situation becoming even more troublesome. With such a major clan joining the ranks of Uchiha supporters, it heavily influenced the direction of the election. As the moderator, he couldn't openly express support for Lady Tsunade himself. He could only turn his gaze toward Yamanaka Inoichi.
Sensing Shikaku's look, Inoichi understood immediately and stood up. "Our Ino-Shika-Chō trio supports Lady Tsunade to become the Fifth Hokage."
His words also caused a stir of surprise. Even the Ino-Shika-Chō clans were standing up for Lady Tsunade? They were members of the Konoha Military Police Force; was this a declaration against the Uchiha?
Shikaku looked at Uchiha Fugaku's reaction with concern, but he saw that the man was still sitting there as steady as a mountain. There wasn't a trace of displeasure on his face, which allowed Shikaku to relax. It seemed the Uchiha wouldn't cause trouble for their three clans over this.
Fugaku, of course, had no intention of making things difficult for them. When the power was originally decentralized, he never intended for the three clans to surrender to the Uchiha; it was merely to reverse the Uchiha's image in the village and drive a wedge between those clans and the Third Hokage.
Now, it was time for him to state his position.
"For this election of the Fifth Hokage, my Uchiha Clan does not intend to participate. Therefore, there is no need for everyone to nominate me any further."
Aside from Tsunade and Shizune, everyone present was wearing expressions of utter shock and confusion. Whether they were Uchiha supporters or Tsunade supporters, the sudden withdrawal was baffling. Hadn't this clan always wanted to seize the position of Hokage? They had harbored that ambition ever since the death of the Second Hokage.
There were reasons for the clan's ambitions, mainly because so many powerful geniuses had appeared within their ranks. Whether it was Uchiha Shisui or Uchiha Itachi, they were both top-tier. Meanwhile, the other powers in the village had withered away during the same period, leaving no successors.
Shikaku also couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Is Clan Head Fugaku serious about this?"
Fugaku nodded in response. "Of course it's true." He certainly wouldn't joke about such a matter.
The expressions on everyone's faces changed drastically; it really was true. They truly couldn't understand it. Even Hyūga Hiashi was a bit baffled by the Uchiha's decision, as it was completely outside his expectations. What was this clan thinking?
In that room, perhaps only Tsunade understood that the young man had fulfilled his promise. Forgiving the position of Fifth Hokage made her own sacrifices worthwhile.
Shikaku was the first to recover from the shock. It seemed the reason the Uchiha had appeared so unbothered earlier wasn't because they were certain of victory, but because they had no intention of participating at all. Since the election had nothing to do with them, they were naturally indifferent.
Shikaku hadn't seen this coming, which made him look a bit dazed. But it didn't matter anymore; this was a personal admission from the Uchiha Clan. Their voluntary withdrawal would prevent internal conflict and benefit the village's unity.
"Since the Uchiha Clan does not intend to campaign, does anyone else have any other candidates in mind?"