The Clan Heads present looked at one another. It was clear that, aside from Tsunade, there were no other viable candidates to choose from.
Perhaps there were others with some measure of ability, but compared to Tsunade and the members of the Uchiha Clan, they fell short in every aspect—be it combat power, seniority, or any other metric of comparison. Those who supported the Uchiha Clan naturally gave up on nominating anyone else once they saw that the Uchiha were not contesting the position. They were in no position to force the Uchiha Clan to participate; they simply didn't have that kind of influence.
Nara Shikaku looked over the silent meeting room, knowing full well that no one more suitable remained. He himself recognized that even he could not compare to Tsunade or Uchiha Fugaku, let alone anyone else. It was time to make the announcement.
"Since there are no other candidates, Tsunade, as the sole nominee, naturally becomes the Fifth Hokage. I will dispatch messengers to the Daimyo's mansion to deliver this news. Once the Daimyo's approval is secured, Tsunade-sama will officially assume the position of Fifth Hokage. Does anyone have any objections?"
The crowd remained silent. Clearly, there were no objections. If anything, they were still somewhat dazed. The Uchiha Clan had actually declined to run for the position. But that was the reality of it; the Uchiha would do as they pleased, and as long as they were satisfied, that was all that mattered.
Soon, the news of Tsunade being elected as the Fifth Hokage spread throughout the village. Upon hearing the news, the villagers were equally surprised.
"So Tsunade-sama won after all."
After all the major events involving the Uchiha Clan recently, it was hard to believe that none of them had even entered the race. It sparked a wave of discussion among the populace.
"Have you heard? Tsunade-sama is set to become the Fifth Hokage. She's just waiting for the Daimyo's approval to make it official."
"That doesn't seem too surprising. Tsunade-sama certainly has enough prestige to win the election."
"That's not the point. The point is that the powerful Uchiha Clan didn't even compete. Isn't that strange? Do you know what happened?"
"No idea. Besides, these things don't really concern us civilians. We don't get a say in who becomes the Hokage anyway."
"As long as whoever is chosen can lead Konoha to prosperity, it's fine. I'm sure Tsunade-sama will make the village even more flourishing."
"You have a point. The affairs of the ninja world aren't for us villagers to decide."
The news spread rapidly through the village, but it settled down just as quickly. After all, the common folk had their own lives to lead and didn't have that much spare time to worry about such matters.
Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade sat in the seat formerly occupied by the Third Hokage. Her heart was filled with a thousand different emotions. Once upon a time, she had never imagined becoming the Hokage. To her, being the Hokage was the ultimate source of trouble. But circumstances had changed; as a member of the Senju Clan, she had to step forward.
Since she was in this position, she would naturally do her utmost to lead the village, especially in preparing for the great disaster of the Ten-Tails. 'I should find a time to communicate with Uchiha Ryōsuke about how to deal with it.'
At that moment, Nara Shikaku pushed open the door and walked in, a smile on his face.
"Congratulations on becoming the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade-sama."
"You look like you're in very good spirits, Tsunade-sama. Did something pleasant happen?"
Tsunade felt a bit speechless. Was it that obvious? 'It must be because I was revitalized by that man.'
"It's probably just because being back in the village is better for my lifestyle," she said, making up a casual excuse to brush him off. There was no way she would tell him the real reason.
Nara Shikaku didn't quite believe that. When Tsunade lived outside, it wasn't as if she was starving. With the wealth of the Senju Clan, even if she lost frequently at gambling, she likely had enough savings to live quite well. Seeing that Tsunade was unwilling to elaborate, he naturally didn't press the issue. Instead, he raised a greater doubt that lingered in his mind.
"Do you know why the Uchiha Clan gave up on the position of Fifth Hokage, Tsunade-sama? Weren't they always incredibly persistent about this?"
The Uchiha were a proud clan; in their eyes, only the seat of the Fifth Hokage was worthy of their status. If there was anyone in the village they would be willing to step aside for, it could only be someone from the Senju Clan. Even his own Ino-Shika-Chō trio didn't have that much face.
Shikaku wondered if Tsunade, as the representative of the Senju Clan, had made some kind of deal with them.
Hearing his question, Tsunade crossed her hands on the desk and said calmly, "Who knows? Maybe they just suddenly didn't want it anymore."
She had no intention of telling Nara Shikaku about her deal with the Uchiha Clan. Initially, she had intended to sacrifice herself. But the result had turned out to be the opposite; she was quite satisfied with how things were now—aside from the matter regarding Shizune. Indeed, after such a long time, physical intimacy with a man was quite comfortable.
She didn't want to continue the conversation on that topic, so she changed the subject.
"I've just returned to the village and am not very familiar with its administrative affairs. I plan to promote you to an official Konoha Consultant Elder. Are you willing?"
Nara Shikaku was a smart man. With his assistance, managing the village would certainly be easier. Moreover, Shikaku was in his prime; he wouldn't be as ignorant or prone to acting on his seniority as the previous consultants. Only this way could the village be led into a new era.
Nara Shikaku naturally agreed. The village had switched to a new generation of leaders, and things had yet to stabilize. With his abilities, he was certainly willing to contribute to the village. Fortunately, the current situation wasn't as dire as it was during the Third Hokage's time.
Back then, the four high-level officials had labeled the Uchiha Clan as terrorists and a threat to the village's safety. But facts had proven that the Uchiha Clan had no ambition for rebellion—and frankly, they didn't need to rebel. Now, they didn't even care about the position of Hokage. In the future, they would undoubtedly become a central force for stabilizing the village. This was highly significant and would make it much easier for the high-level administration to accomplish their goals.