The actions of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado plunged the entire venue into a stunned silence.
Countless shinobi stared in disbelief. The Konoha elders frowned. Even the spectators—civilians and nobles alike—sensed something was deeply wrong.
Their actions had drastically shifted the course of the election and blatantly violated the principle of fairness.
Everyone had witnessed the entire voting process with their own eyes. As things stood, Uchiha Fugaku was practically guaranteed to win the seat of Fifth Hokage. But now, with this sudden turn… how could Fugaku—and the Uchiha Clan—possibly tolerate it?
All eyes turned toward Uchiha Fugaku, the man who had cut down enemies on the battlefield and led Konoha to victory against Kumogakure. A war hero.
His fists were clenched tightly. His eyes burned crimson—his Mangekyō Sharingan glowing with bloodlust—as he stared at the Hokage faction atop the platform, as if trying to pierce the darkness and uncover the truth hidden behind all of this.
"Acting Hokage-sama."
Fugaku's voice rang out slowly, low and restrained, yet heavy with emotion. Anyone could hear the fury brewing beneath.
"Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado's actions… are they really acceptable?"
All eyes immediately locked onto Hiruzen Sarutobi.
As acting Hokage, he wasn't just the host of today's election—he was also the arbiter and highest authority present.
If he said the action was invalid, even if the votes had already been combined, they could still be "recast."
But if he declared it legitimate…
"Koharu's actions may have been somewhat improper, but they did not violate the rules."
Hiruzen lowered his gaze, voice calm and steady.
"I ask Representative Uchiha Fugaku to refrain from disrupting the proceedings."
His words sent a shockwave through the crowd. Fugaku's eyes narrowed, and the entire Uchiha Clan erupted with outrage.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you're absolutely full of it!"
"This is supposed to be Konoha's grand event! A historic moment for the entire Land of Fire! A live broadcast being watched across the whole shinobi world!"
"This is rigged! The Hokage election is completely rigged!"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you're a damn snake!"
"Damn you, Sarutobi! You think someone like you deserves to be Hokage? Deserves to judge this election? Get real!"
The air filled with curses, jeers, and furious shouts.
Countless complex gazes fell upon Hiruzen—even Danzo, Koharu, and Homura glanced at him.
They all understood that pulling something like this in front of the entire village—under such public scrutiny—risked far more than a backlash from the Uchiha. It could completely destroy Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation, dragging him back into infamy even after he'd narrowly escaped the fallout from the "Box of Ultimate Bliss" scandal.
No matter the outcome, Hiruzen's name would be disgraced after today. He was putting everything on the line to stop the Uchiha Clan.
"Ame, prepare the barrier," Danzō ordered through chakra transmission.
"Be wary of the Uchiha lashing out in desperation. If they make a move, cut the live signal immediately."
The ROOT shinobi responded instantly, vanishing into thin air. At the same time, several others discreetly formed a four-corner formation around Uchiha Fugaku.
If Fugaku made even the slightest hostile movement, they would strike without hesitation.
At that range, not even the Mangekyō Sharingan could resist their sealing techniques.
Hiruzen remained silent. But in his downcast eyes, a sharp glint flashed.
ANBU agents maintaining order in the shadows also began making preparations.
Everyone's attention turned to Fugaku.
What would he do?
Flip the table in rage?
Very likely.
After all, what Hiruzen had just done was a blatant slap in the face. A clear message: The Hokage seat? Dream on, Uchiha. Combined with the Uchiha's famously fiery temperament, Fugaku might very well snap and explode in fury right here.
But under the weight of all those eyes, Fugaku didn't speak. He simply stared at Hiruzen and Danzo with his blood-red eyes.
"I hope the Acting Hokage understands… this is an election. Not a game."
"Heh heh, Representative Fugaku Uchiha is joking," Hiruzen replied with a smile. "Of course I know this is an election."
"Everything we're doing is in full accordance with the rules."
And who defines those rules? Naturally, me—the Acting Hokage.
"…"
Fugaku didn't respond, and many in the crowd let out disappointed sighs.
But more than disappointment, what filled their eyes now was helplessness and simmering resentment.
"Damn it, Sarutobi Hiruzen is going too far. Fugaku-sama was thinking of the village—trying to avoid conflict. And they're just using that against him!"
"Exactly! Fugaku-sama thinks only of Konoha and its people. And this is how they repay him…"
"Damn that Sarutobi!"
"Rigged! Rigged! Rigged!"
The Uchiha Clan was visibly furious. Even ordinary shinobi watching couldn't help but be moved. But with the voting already complete, no matter how stirred they were, it was too late to change anything.
Some even began chanting "rigged," but were quickly silenced—either by ANBU or ROOT.
Tiny sound-dampening barriers were deployed to filter out the "unpleasant" noise.
"A shinobi," someone muttered, "must endure what others cannot. In that regard, Fugaku-sama truly sets himself apart."
Up on the platform, Hozuki Mangetsu clicked his tongue in amazement.
"If this were Kirigakure, forget all this nonsense—he'd have activated Susanoo and smashed the whole place already."
Wasn't that exactly how the current Fourth Mizukage, Yuki Yoru, took out the previous Mizukage and claimed the title?
Compared to that, Konoha was almost too "harmonious."
Fugaku's silence didn't deter Hiruzen and Danzo from moving forward. Now that they'd acted, they wouldn't stop at just a few votes.
Sure enough, before Hiruzen could even speak, Akimichi Torifu stood up and dumped all his votes into Danzo's box.
"I lack the wisdom, talent, and vision of Representative Danzo. My votes… I give them to him."
"Indeed," came a deep voice from Aburame Shibi, head of the Aburame Clan. "Compared to Danzo, I fall short in both experience and ability."
"If anyone in Konoha is fit to inherit the Fourth's legacy—to carry the torch from the Third—it must be the Darkness of the Shinobi."
"Ahh, I'm just an old man," another chimed in. "But I feel the same."
In mere moments, all remaining candidates—except for Hyuga Hiashi—had withdrawn and given their votes to Danzo.
Technically, this was a blatant breach of rules. But in Konoha, it still seemed to make perfect sense.
I entrust my hopes to the one I believe in!
This kind of reasoning always seemed surprisingly logical in a hot-blooded manga like Naruto.
After handing their votes to Danzo, Koharu and the others stepped down from the stage, leaving only Uchiha Fugaku, Danzo Shimura, and Hyuga Hiashi behind.
But all focus had already narrowed to just two men: Fugaku and Danzo.
Few paid Hiashi much mind.
Most of his votes came from the Hyuga Clan itself. Even with some support from others in the village, it wasn't enough to compete with Fugaku or Danzo, now bolstered by a wave of transferred votes.
"Judging by the count… Danzo wins," Hiruzen estimated internally, though his aging face wore a faint trace of tension.
After all, he'd just torn the Hokage position from someone who already had it in the bag. It was a dirty political maneuver, and no matter how composed Fugaku seemed, he could still snap.
And if that happened… Konoha would descend into civil war.
No one stays calm in the face of Mangekyō Sharingan.
But Fugaku just sat quietly in his seat, not the slightest bit anxious, patiently watching as one representative after another dumped their votes into Danzo's box.
His calmness confused Hiruzen and Danzo.
Had Fugaku's temperament truly reached such heights? Was he really so composed that even losing the Hokage title right before his eyes couldn't shake him?
In truth, Fugaku was seething inside. Furious. Anxious.
He kept stealing glances toward the VIP section—specifically, at Hozuki Mangetsu.
All he got back was a confident little smirk.
"Relax. Stay cool. It's all under control."
Control? Bro, we're losing everything! Are you sure it's all under control?!
"Guaranteed win, bro~!"
Fugaku's eye twitched.
Still, he took a deep breath and held his silence.
Seeing this, Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief.
If Fugaku was willing to let things go—if it meant avoiding a civil war in Konoha—that would be the best-case scenario.
Fine, he thought. We'll toss the Uchiha a bone later—give them a bit of territory, a few seats. Let them crawl out of their corner.
"Well then, let's move on to the final vote tally—"
"Hold on!"
A sudden voice cut through the proceedings once more, interrupting what was supposed to be the final step.
Everyone looked up in shock as Hyuga Hiashi, who had remained silent and meditative this whole time, suddenly stood and turned to Fugaku.
"Clan Head Fugaku has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan… A worthy successor to your ancestors. I am impressed."
And then—
To the stunned disbelief of all in attendance, Hyuga Hiashi cast all of his votes for Uchiha Fugaku.
The crowd exploded.
"What?!"
"Hiashi—do you even know what you're doing?!"
"Hiashi, why?!"
Even several elders from the Hyuga Clan's main branch looked completely stunned, unable to comprehend what they had just seen.
The Uchiha and Hyuga were the two most powerful clans in Konoha. From the village's founding, they had always stood in competition. If anything, the Hyuga were closer to the Hokage faction than the Uchiha had ever been.
So why—
Even Uchiha Fugaku wore a stunned expression.
He hadn't seen this coming.
He looked at Hiashi, then instinctively turned his eyes to the VIP section—to Hozuki Mangetsu.
Bro, are you serious? You even got Hiashi on board?!
"Told you, my guy. You're solid."
Hiashi's actions drew everyone's attention. And since Fugaku and Mangetsu were communicating via chakra-based telepathy, no one else noticed.
After casting his votes, Hiashi calmly stepped off the platform—just like Koharu and the others.
He ignored the shocked stares and the angry whispers of his fellow clan members.
His behavior only left the Hyuga elders more bewildered.
Hiashi… what are you doing?
Even if they couldn't win the Hokage seat themselves, as long as either Fugaku or Danzo won, the Hyuga Clan would retain their elite status in the village. Their place at the heart of Konoha's hierarchy would remain untouched.
But now, with Hiashi's vote… hadn't the Hyuga just bowed to the Uchiha?
Was Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan really that intimidating?
Hiashi saw all their confusion and doubt, but didn't care.
Status, reputation—those things mattered to the Hyuga. But compared to what he was about to gain, what did they mean?
His eyes locked onto Hozuki Mangetsu once more as he recalled their conversation from the previous night.
"Hiashi-sama, look at the Hyuga Clan now. Then look at Fugaku Uchiha."
"Do you know why the Hyūga clan was able to contend with the Uchiha clan, who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, for hundreds, even thousands of years during the Warring States period without falling behind, yet now they can't even compare to the Uchiha clan after Madara Uchiha and Fugaku Uchiha appeared?"
"The answer is simple. Your Hyūga clan's legacy has long since deteriorated—lost to the flow of history."
That guy named Hozuki Mangetsu used a nearly 'empty-handed trick' to ignite the thoughts in his heart.
"As long as you help Clan Head Fugaku seize the Hokage position tomorrow, the Hyūga clan will be able to rekindle the glorious brilliance of a thousand years ago. This is the promise of Fourth Mizukage Yuki Yoru!"
The phrase, "Fourth Mizukage Yuki Yoru's promise," directly convinced Hiashi Hyūga!
He clenched his fists silently. The chaos of the election no longer held his interest.
His gaze remained fixed on Hozuki Mangetsu.
His temple veins bulged. His Byakugan activated unconsciously.
To rekindle the glory of a thousand years ago, power completely on par with the Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan...
The strength that belongs to us—
The Hyuga.