The Decision on the Next Hokage

The world truly ushered into completely new and unpredictable times after the fall. The wicked great war that was plaguing it was finally over. But, the world didn't look nearly the same afterward.

The undisputed winner of this war was obviously Konohagakure, of the Land of Fire. Mainly thanks to their formidable elites, but also their use of ingenious and sometimes less than respectable war tactics. People were forced to recognize them as true winners in the end!

And the prize they achieved this time, was the tremendous increase in their influence on the whole world. Their neighboring small countries, consumed by the previous war waged on their territories, basically becoming informal vassals to the great Land of Fire.

The other Four Great Nations essentially forced back to shrink to their own territories in defeat, leaving their previously occupied territories and ninja villages alone, for Konoha to control in the future politically.

But, the current moods of the people in Konoha weren't just uniformly happy and festive, they were also somewhat impatient and a bit inquisitive as well.

They were all currently wondering about the same thing...

Just, who will become their next Hokage?

Minato Namikaze, notoriously called the Yellow Flash, literally ending the whole war on the Iwagakure battlefront all by himself,

Or, Orochimaru the Sannin, also ending the war on another important battlefront by himself, as well.

But, pity, those civilians don't really have any say in that matter. The only institutions, deciding on that, were the Konoha's Elders' and Jonins' Councils, respectively.

The Jonin Council is made up of high-ranking shinobi of Konohagakure, jonins. This council also had a nominal head, usually called just the Jonin Commander.

Its existence is unique only to Konohagakure, who prided itself as being a moderately progressive village, and it has a partial say in the matters of importance for the whole village.

The other council mentioned, the Konoha's Elders' Council, was currently holding a very important, crucial meeting, only they held the answer to the question on everyone's minds right now.

The members of this distinguished council were just the Hokage's two advisors, the Hokage himself, and the leader of the dark force, Root, Danzo Shimura.

In the secret room, underground of the Hokage's building sat the four of them seriously. The room looked very gloomy and solemn, and Danzo looked precariously at the now, grey-haired middle-aged man, at the head of the table, who was clearly about to announce something very important.

After receiving that exceptional and rare right arm from the Orochimaru before, and hearing about Orochimaru's newly exploits that far surpassed his own on many different levels, he was forced to reevaluate his stance, recommending Orochimaru as the next the Hokage, instead of himself!

Orochimaru had way more chances for success than him, and even more importantly, he was still firmly in his own team. After he succeeds in the Hokage position, they could promptly start carrying the upcoming Senju genome experiments even more freely, truly without any restraint.

"The Jonin Council voted in favor of Minato Namikaze!" Hiruzen finally read the important results, after standing up from his chair seriously, after a light cough.

'As expected!' Danzo secretly hissed a little, already expecting this kind of result.

If Minato was the light, then Orochimaru was the darkness of this world!

And most people, even seasoned shinobi, would always subconsciously be more inclined towards the light, not to mention this was still the First Hokage's own Konoha!

'It seems that even the honored Sakumo's opinion didn't manage to sway public opinion in his favor, after Hiruzen's previous flagrant propaganda...' Danzo thought all of a sudden, still not understanding why exactly would Sakumo try and help Orochimaru.

'Everything will depend on these two...' Danzo suddenly looked up at the silent Koharu and Homura in the distance. Also thinking of these two as somewhat reasonable people that would understand what's the best decision for the current Konoha.

Allowing people like Minato Namikaze to become the Hokage, would truly pose a great risk!

No matter how much they are sure to be able to control him in the future, it's still an incredible risk!

Now were the times of constant conflict and war, not the times of imaginary peace. Not the times for people like Minato. People like him would only get eaten alive, in periods like this one, by other great ninja villages.

'We must show other big villages our ruthlessness at this moment!' Danzo thought critically, already understanding that after Orochimaru's previous actions, the wars of the future won't be the same.

"Since that's clear, we should vote now, as well!" Hiruzen finally said seriously, after sitting down again, and there was clearly some kind of confidence hidden in his shrewd, old eyes.

"I, myself, vote for Minato Namikaze, and Danzo you presumably vote for Orochimaru?" Hiruzen suddenly asked the sharp-looking man who was sitting on his left side of the table.

He was asking this so directly because Danzo was the one who recommended Orochimaru for the Hokage position in the first place before.

Danzo just nodded a little, a very bad premonition suddenly rising inside his heart while looking at Hiruzen's confident expression.

"Koharu, Homura?" Hiruzen suddenly asked the two of his advisors, an unknown light shining through his eyes.

They suddenly sighed a bit and just answered him promptly at the same time. "Minato Namikaze!"

"What!?" Danzo suddenly stood up from his chair intensely, in shock, looking at both of them like they are crazy.

"That's our decision, and you have no right to interfere, Danzo!" Koharu finally replied seriously. They decided on Minato, in the end, for only three simple reasons.

First, Minato was the future husband of their only Jinchuriki, Kushina Uzumaki.

Second, Minato finally completely mastered the extremely precious and useful Flying Thunder God Jutsu on time, as he promised them before the war.

And the third, more subconscious reason, was that they decided to give the face to Hiruzen, this time. In their minds, he was currently still miles ahead of Danzo in terms of strength.

Looking at them now, Danzo finally realized something, and growing extremely angry, he thought.

'These three idiots had him as the next Hokage from the very beginning!

'For who knows how many years already!' He thought furiously, suddenly remembering everything.

He remembered how stupid it sounded, that time when the young boy in question managed to 'rescue' their only Jinchuriki alone when even their shinobi couldn't.

He remembers how hard he scolded them for their inability at that time, for letting the enemy shinobi infiltrate their own village and kidnap their only Jinchuriki through the forest so easily.

'How laughable!' He only just now realized that it was all a part of their plans.

'Strength! It's all about the strength in the end!' Danzo suddenly sat down dejectedly again.

After a while, he suddenly grudgingly looked up at Koharu and Homura again.

'I'll show you! I'll show you just how big of a mistake all of you really made today!'

- - -

Tomorrow came, and a piece of news hit the whole Konoha like a tornado!

Minako Namikaze was the one chosen to be the next Hokage!

And it will happen only a week from now, when the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would be officially abdicating for simple reasons that he's too old now, and his strength slowly declining.

The entirety of Konoha was constantly discussing this, outside with their friends, inside with their family.

And, reactions were mostly positive, after all, who wouldn't want the flashy 'Yellow Flash' to become their next leader?

The man they were all talking about, Minato, was currently inside his home, with his soon-to-be wife, Kushina Uzumaki.

"You finally realized our dreams, Minato!" Kushina suddenly said excitedly again, she really couldn't take her eyes off him today.

"Haha, alright Kushina, I have to meet with the Lord Hokage now, I'm running late, already!" Minato just smiled a bit and replied softly while petting her on the hair a bit.

"Uhm." Kushina nodded softly, her heart filled with happiness, a large part of her dreams was realized just today.

After marrying this man later, and giving him a child together, creating them all a really warm family, all of her current wishes in this life will be completed!

As for her other family, her birth clan?

She already truly forgot about them, unwittingly, a long time ago...

.

At the same, in another part of the large Konohagakure, the atmosphere, surprisingly, wasn't that happy nor cheerful there, at the moment. It even felt a bit solemn and very indignant as well.

The place was called the Uchiha Clan Compound, and it was the home of the majority of the Uchiha people in the world. Due to somewhat peculiar reasons, it was placed on the outskirts of this village.

In one of the compound's ordinary-looking homes, ate a family of special three. They were the current Uchiha clan head, Fugaku Uchiha. His wife Mikoto Uchiha, and their young son, Itachi Uchiha.

Mikoto was a fair-skinned woman with long, straight black hair with bangs hanging on either side of her face to roughly frame her cheeks and black eyes. She wore a simple dark purple blouse with a red-plum skirt and a light-yellow apron normally worn over it.

Itachi was still a young boy with a fair complexion. He had onyx eyes, under which were long, pronounced tear-troughs. He had jet-black hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail and his face was framed with center-parted bangs that extended to his chin.

His clothes consisted of a black shirt with the Uchiha clan symbol on the back, bandages around his ankles, and black sandals. He wore tan pants with a weapons pouch strapped to his back.

At age six, Itachi enrolled in the Academy, where he consistently scored the highest in each subject and quickly learned any skill taught to him, resulting in him being praised as the best of his generation.

And, even though he was only nine years old at the moment, he already had, surprisingly, a chunin-level strength. Even the leaders of the whole village took notice of his strength and the potential.

However, the most surprising thing about him was the fact that he successfully awakened the legendary Sharingan, after his friend mysteriously died, at just eight years old, last year, setting up a historic record directly.

But, the atmosphere on the dining table also wasn't right.

Mikoto looked at her husband worriedly, also appearing to be a little distressed as well. She already heard many worrying gossips this morning, in the clan's compound. 'Is it true that my husband was duped?'

The entirety of the Uchiha's populace currently living in this village felt really betrayed and even a bit hurtful, after their clan's famed hero Fugaku Uchiha didn't even receive a formal nomination for the Hokage's position, last week. No one from the Konoha's high-level even recommended him!

Were his achievements really any lower than Minato's and Orochimaru's, in this war?

The answer would certainly be, no!

Orochimaru got the support from the Konoha's dark part of the high-level decision-makers. Minato got that from the light ones, instead. But, who would support Fugaku Uchiha? Uchiha clan?

That's clearly not even remotely enough!

So, many people from that illustrious clan realized just now, exactly how little power they had in this village. They are truly, currently, nobodies in this village, at least on the political spectrum.

People of the Uchiha clan felt as if basins of cold water were suddenly poured over them.

This was the beginning of the more serious rift that was forming between them and the Konoha.

Looking at worried Mikoto and unknowing Itachi, Fugaku suddenly sighed hard.

His whole thought process rather changed after the war, the last faint traces of respect he held towards this village's high-level, completely gone by now, blown away by their insidious means!

"You don't need to be so worried, Mikoto, I already expected this!" Fugaku looked at Mikoto and said a little softer than usual.

Then he suddenly turned his head a little, looking at young Itachi now, surprisingly asking all of sudden, "Itachi, were my achievements in this war satisfying?"

Itachi looked a little surprised after hearing the question, but still swiftly answered his father.

"Of course, father! After all, you even defeated the Mizukage before!"

"Then, what do you think, why wasn't I even nominated as the next Hokage?" Fugaku nodded satisfied, but then continued even more surprisingly, an unknown light shining through his eyes.

Recently, realizing that the situation somewhat changed, he decided to become a little more proactive with Itachi, explaining to him a few more worldly truths, here and there.

He realized that his son was gradually turning to the wrong side, often hanging out with that problematic Shisui, who without a doubt put the village's high-level over his own birth clan, in the same way as his grandfather Kagami did many years before.

Fugaku actually felt really helpless about this situation.

After Kosuke's previous total avoidance of the village's regular shinobi forces, joining the Uchiha Police Force directly instead, he realized that the village high-level grew a little suspicious and annoyed with them.

So he decided to let his own son, Itachi, enter the village shinobi forces and become a genin to appease them a bit.

However, who would've thought that his son was, in fact, the biggest genius of the whole Uchiha clan's history, awakening the Sharingan at just eight years old?

Later, the previous war started, and he didn't have any time to pay attention to his son's affairs, but now, when he finally came back, he realized that it just might be too late already.

Itachi already started showing clear signs of the "Will of Fire" engraved into him, even this young!

"E-Eh..." Itachi stuttered all of a sudden, he truly didn't think about that question before.

"You don't know? Then, I'll tell you now!"

"It's because I'm from the Uchiha clan!" Fugaku suddenly shouted loudly and intensely.

Many years of pent-up emotions and grievances, of himself and his ancestors, held up in that simple, yet powerful sentence.

After saying it aloud, he suddenly felt abnormally peaceful, as if a great stone was lifted from his heart. Seeing his son showing such frivolous behavior before, after he got back from that bloody war, made him really emotional and indignant.

Mikoto suddenly looked at him seriously, like she was seeing a crazy man! Was this really her husband? Wasn't he always an obedient and avid follower of the village's high-level before? What was he insinuating here then?

"Father, what are you saying, the village surely wouldn't disri-" Itachi immediately acted like Fugaku was slandering his village.

'Yes, that's what I hate to see the most! These are not rational words at all! These are the words of an indoctrinated person!' Fugaku thought indignantly and a little hurt as well. 'Itachi...'

"Stop, Itachi!" He suddenly yelled dangerously, this was also his first time yelling at Itachi like this.

"Go to your room right now to think about this, and reflect on your mistakes!"

"Remember, what your friends or idols say to you, doesn't always have to be right!"

Itachi opened his eyes wide, but then nodded a bit, and expressionlessly went back to his own room.

Mikoto also looked extremely shocked and worried after seeing this. "Fugaku..."

"Sigh... Mikoto, just why did it have to be like this...?" Fugaku looked at her emotionally while clenching his fists a little.

If only this war didn't happen...

Then he would never allow that little impostor Shisui to get close to his son like that!

.

In another part of the Konoha, in Orochimaru's hidden laboratory, another emotional outburst was currently taking place. Pieces of equipment were flying around, getting shattered.

"Konoha!"

"Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

"You'll remember me!"

Orochimaru hissed murderously.

This was his first time feeling this intense of an emotion, or even any emotion at all, after Nawaki Senju and his other disciples tragically died before.

But, this one wasn't sorrow. It was pure hatred, instead!

"Since you all clearly don't want me, then good!"

The last straw of connection between himself and this village suddenly broke away completely!

He's about to throw away the decades of his previous loyalty to this village, and start doing some very illegal and wicked experiments, without any care, in the upcoming months!

- - -

And the week later, it truly happened!

Minato Namikaze was about to officially become the Fourth Hokage!

Alongside the Third Hokage and his two recognizable advisors, he was currently standing on top of the eminent Hokage's building, on its spacious roof.

"Fourth Hokage, this is yours now!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said solemnly, taking off his prized Hokage mantle and the hat, promptly, handing them over to Minato seriously.

"I hope you won't disappoint me!"

"As long as I'm alive, I won't disappoint your's nor this village's expectations of me!" Minato replied swiftly and resolutely. Hiruzen and the two advisors nodded satisfied after seeing this.

He suddenly turned towards the large crowd in the distance down below, then took a confident stride forward after putting on the prized white robe and the hat.

Beneath the building, was a horde of curious-looking people. Both the civilians and shinobi came here to see this spectacular scene today.

In the front row of this large crowd, stood some of the Konoha's current most prominent shinobi of the generation. Yoshi Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake, Anko Mitarashi, Asuma Sarutobi, and others.

Seeing him coming closer to the fence of the roof, with his mantle and the hat on, the crowd suddenly burst into a round of loud applause and enthusiastic cheers.

After smiling gently and motioning them to stop for a bit, Minato finally began his own long "Will of Fire" inaugural impassionated speech.

Hiruzen and the two advisors just nodding delightfully behind him while listening to it.

Yoshi felt like his whole body was losing energy fast, and his brain quickly losing brain cells, while just listening to it.

This was the biggest amount of bullshit he's ever heard in one go, in both of his lives!

'Is this idiot truly that stupid?'

'Wait, he actually is!?'

Yoshi thought incredibly after checking on Minato's chakra aura and realizing that he was actually speaking through his heart!

Sincerely and completely believing in his own words!

'No wonder he died only one year later!'

"What do you think of him, Yoshi?" While he was thinking about that, Asuma suddenly approached him and asked curiously.

'He's a loser that will die in a year!' Yoshi thought in his heart, but on the surface still replied cordially and sincerely.

"I think he will bring a lot of fresh air into this village, improving the living standards for all of us, even further!"

Anko who was standing beside Yoshi now suddenly chuckled a little naughtily. Asuma turned towards her curiously, but she just remained silent, thinking about something inwardly now.

'This Yoshi is truly a masterful actor! If he didn't tell me before, there is no way in hell, I would be able to accurately guess what he really thinks of that guy!'

Anko thought suddenly feeling intrigued, and now grinning again after remembering Yoshi's previous words describing their next Hokage.

'Sissy...'

- - -

If you truly appreciate my efforts in writing chapters this long, and my really thoughtful writing style, then support me on the Patreo-n, right now!

Also, the four advanced chapters are FINALLY AVAILABLE there!!!

The link is the first one in my story's main page, in the story's synopsis!

And if you decide to join, you can even participate in the future polls I make for deciding on my next fanfics there! Some of my current ideas are the Ice Release MC, Uchiha MC with a new MS ability,

They are not even limited to the Naruto world, I'm even considering creating some fanfics for One Piece, Bleach, or Akame ga Kill!

Everything will be decided through a big poll I'll make there once I finish with this story.

Judging by my current writing speed, this fanfic will probably be over in about a month and a half, and by that time, If I don't reach my goals on Patreo-n, I'll have to stop writing any further!