Kushina's pregnancy had a huge impact on Simu.
So much so that he hovered around her the entire night.
Of course, in the end, she couldn't resist Rei's enthusiasm for wanting a child, and she was eventually taken away.
Thanks to Simu's monstrous physique, even after several days of intense activity, his physical condition remained unaffected.
At worst, he looked a little tired.
While Simu indulged in nightly passion…
The entire village was already stirring with undercurrents.
Not only had Jiraiya and Tsunade rushed back, but many ninjas stationed at the borders were also urgently recalled.
Only minimal defenses remained.
It could be said that the current border of the Land of Fire was at its weakest since the start of the Third Ninja World War.
But with Konoha's internal affairs now in disarray, no one had the capacity to worry about the outside world.
Even Simu's comrade, Namikaze Minato, had returned to the village.
At the Sarutobi clan's residence.
Over the decades since Sarutobi Hiruzen became Hokage, the clan's power had grown by leaps and bounds.
Some even whispered that the Sarutobi clan was now the most powerful in Konoha.
Their Fire Style techniques had surpassed even the Uchiha clan, who were renowned for their mastery of fire.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, previously sidelined by Sarutobi Hiruzen, had reappeared in the ancestral hall of the Sarutobi clan after a long absence.
"What are you planning, Hiruzen?" Utatane Koharu asked.
Now was not the time for internal conflict among the three of them.
Even if there had been rifts before, they had to present a united front now.
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head lightly and said,
"My retirement from the Hokage position is inevitable."
He looked at the two close comrades in front of him.
Once, there had been three of them.
A hint of nostalgia flashed in his eyes as he continued:
"What we need to do now is prevent Hanyu Simu from becoming Hokage."
Sensing Hiruzen's thoughts, the two advisors immediately perked up.
"You have a suitable candidate in mind?"
If Hanyu Simu was to be stopped, someone else had to be put forward.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.
"Namikaze Minato."
"Namikaze Minato?" Utatane Koharu repeated thoughtfully.
As one of the two most brilliant rising stars of Konoha's new generation, they were both well-acquainted with Minato's record.
They quickly understood the strategy.
Both Namikaze Minato and Hanyu Simu were born as civilians, making it easier to gain the support of ordinary villagers.
Over the years, Sarutobi Hiruzen had built strong ties and exchanged favors with the major ninja clans.
And with Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and the Shimura clan behind Danzo, they had enough political backing to push Namikaze Minato into the Hokage seat.
Most importantly, Namikaze Minato had no clan of his own.
As a commoner, his only support would come from the ninja forces aligned with Hiruzen.
That way, even if Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped down as Hokage, their influence would still be preserved.
Conversations like this were happening all over Konoha.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the village — the Uchiha clan compound.
This was also the location of the Konoha Military Police Force.
Within the sacred Naka Shrine, a clan meeting was underway—one that would determine the Uchiha clan's future.
As clan head, Uchiha Fugaku sat cross-legged at the main seat and spoke slowly.
"Tomorrow is the Hokage election. Everyone is free to speak their minds."
The Uchiha clan had many elite jōnin and remained one of the strongest factions in Konoha.
However, their strength was often accompanied by arrogance.
As expected, someone immediately said:
"Clan Leader, our Uchiha is the strongest clan in Konoha. It's time we produced a Hokage!"
The moment the words were spoken, many Uchiha ninjas echoed the sentiment.
"Yeah, I think Brother Fugaku would be a great choice!"
Uchiha Fugaku was widely recognized as the next clan leader, making him the obvious candidate in their eyes.
One of the few sharp minds in the clan, Uchiha Sifang, turned to Fugaku.
"What do you think, Fugaku?"
At barely twenty years old, Fugaku stood up respectfully and said:
"Thank you for your support. But I don't believe I have the ability to take on the role of Hokage yet."
"On the contrary, I hope all our clansmen will vote for Hanyu Simu."
His words caused an uproar.
"Hanyu Simu? Isn't that Miss Mikoto's boyfriend?"
"Even if he's Mikoto's boyfriend, why should the Uchiha vote for a commoner?"
What had just been a composed clan meeting quickly turned into a noisy argument.
This was the limitation of many in the Uchiha clan.
They were so obsessed with the pride of the family that they had become narrow-minded.
Under the immense pressure, Fugaku spoke up:
"Everyone, please listen to me."
"You all understand the current situation of the Uchiha clan in the village."
"If we only vote for our own people, the Uchiha will never be able to become Hokage."
"In fact, we'll only be further isolated and targeted by the rest of the village."
Fugaku began his analysis calmly and rationally.
"But voting for Hanyu Simu is different."
"First, he is the most likely candidate to become Hokage this time. If we support him, we'll gain the favor of the new Hokage and help the Uchiha clan reintegrate into the village."
"Second, as you all know, Hanyu Simu's wife is from the Uchiha clan. If even the Hokage marries into our clan, what do you think the other villagers will believe?"
"This will undoubtedly improve relations between the Uchiha and the village, and may even encourage more people to understand us and grow closer to the Uchiha."
"Only by letting the villagers truly understand Uchiha can we ever hope for the possibility of producing a future Hokage from our clan."
Although the Uchiha were being marginalized at the time, the situation hadn't yet reached a breaking point.
There were still many who believed in the village and wanted to be part of it.
After Fugaku's reasoning, most people felt...
It actually made sense.
Besides, many Uchiha had been saved—whether directly or indirectly—by Simu on the battlefield.
So there wasn't much resistance to the idea of Simu becoming Hokage.
With the added pressure from Uchiha leadership, any dissenting voices were quickly suppressed, and a consensus was reached.
Finally, under great anticipation, the new Hokage selection meeting was held on schedule.
Former Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had stepped down in disgrace, presided over the meeting.
Due to Danzo and Orochimaru's betrayal—and especially Hiruzen's actions during Orochimaru's defection—the people of Konoha now viewed their former great Hokage with suspicion.
Faced with this situation, Hiruzen could only sigh quietly.
After all, many had seen the footage of him fighting Orochimaru.
After being edited and spread, the video reached the ears of every villager like wildfire.
It almost completely shattered the image he had built over decades.
Although he tried to argue that he had fallen under Orochimaru's genjutsu, the people weren't so easily fooled.
Now that doubt had been planted in their hearts, Sarutobi Hiruzen had completely lost his standing.
"Cough, cough."
Hiruzen slowly stood up.
Before him stood a massive crowd—almost all of Konoha had gathered for this important event.
Behind him were stone monuments honoring past Hokage.
So far, there were only three:
Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Sarutobi Hiruzen himself, who was about to step down.
Thinking about becoming the first Hokage in Konoha's history to step down in disgrace made Hiruzen deeply uncomfortable.
Still, he quickly collected himself and spoke in a heavy tone:
"People of Konoha, I am your old friend, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen."
"Decades have passed since I first took up the role of Hokage."
"Over the years, under the Will of Fire, the village has grown stronger and more prosperous."
Hiruzen opened with a retrospective.
Essentially, he was saying that everything Konoha was today was because of him and the Will of Fire.
Then, his tone turned solemn.
"But recently, terrible things have come to light."
"Orochimaru, once a brilliant Jōnin of Konoha, betrayed the village by conducting forbidden experiments and killing his comrades. In the end, he was captured and executed."
"Elder Danzo, a respected figure in Konoha, conspired with other ninja villages and murdered fellow villagers. The evidence against him was overwhelming—he was also executed..."
Hiruzen wore a stern expression and seemed entirely impartial.
Anyone unaware might have thought that it was he who personally defeated Orochimaru and Danzo.
As for Simu, who was the one who actually captured them, Hiruzen didn't mention him at all.
"I never imagined that Orochimaru and Danzo would act against the Will of Fire."
"As Hokage, I bear responsibility. I am too old to continue holding this position."
He looked out across the crowd, then slowly removed the Hokage hat from his head and placed it on the table.
Then, he bowed deeply.
"I hereby resign as Hokage and will oversee the selection of the new Hokage."
The villagers were not surprised by this announcement—rumors had already spread.
Some even began to feel a little sorry for the Third Hokage.
After all, he had done so much for Konoha, only to be brought down by his own disciples and old allies.
This was exactly the response Hiruzen had hoped for.
Even if he couldn't remain Hokage, reputation still mattered.
If he could protect his name, there might be a chance for a political comeback one day.
"What an old fox…"
Kushina lightly held Simu's hand, frowning in disdain.
Simu had originally forbidden her from coming.
But one Jōnin's vote was worth twenty regular ninja votes.
So Kushina insisted on coming to vote for Simu.
Sensing Simu's concern, Kushina smiled and said:
"Don't worry, the baby and I are fine."
Simu gently pulled Kushina into his arms.
"As long as I'm here, nothing will ever happen to you."
Kushina's face flushed red. She quickly wriggled free from Simu's overly affectionate hug and whispered:
"We're in public…"
Simu chuckled and scratched his head.
"Then… can I hug you again when we get home?"
Kushina snorted coldly and turned away, ignoring him.
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