Takeshi's cooking skills were quite impressive—an entire table full of dishes was devoured quickly by the group.
After dinner, Shisui took Itachi back to their clan grounds.
...
The next day arrived.
Takeshi got up very early that morning. He had received notice a few days prior that a jōnin meeting would be held today.
Knowing Takeshi was leaving, Itachi, who had arrived at the Shimura residence early with Shisui, had a fleeting look of disappointment in his eyes. But he hid it well, only able to watch Takeshi's figure disappear.
Recalling the directions given by the messenger, Takeshi easily found his way to a spacious room, where he saw many ninja who had arrived early.
Most of them were strangers to him—people he couldn't put names to.
Carefully stepping over neatly arranged floor cushions, Takeshi scanned the room for any familiar faces.
The other ninja were also curiously observing this young newcomer.
Some who didn't know Takeshi's identity began whispering among themselves, mistaking him for a clueless child who had barged in to find a parent.
"Yo, isn't this Takeshi?"
A hearty voice accompanied by a broad hand clapped him on the back. Takeshi coughed lightly and turned to see the man.
"Chōza-san, your hand is still as heavy as ever."
"Is that so? Hahaha, well, I eat grilled meat every day, after all!"
Chōza ignored the teasing tone in Takeshi's voice and enthusiastically dragged him to the front row.
"Shikaku, Inoichi, this is that promising young shinobi I told you about. Probably the youngest jōnin in Konoha—right?"
The elder generation of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
Through their distinctive features, Takeshi quickly identified the two men in front of him.
The Nara clan's iconic pineapple hairstyle made Shikaku easy to recognize.
Upon hearing the introduction, the blond-haired Yamanaka Inoichi, wearing a ponytail, merely nodded without saying a word.
Nara Shikaku, however, looked Takeshi over with interest and smiled, extending a hand.
"I'm Nara Shikaku. Pleased to meet you, Takeshi."
Takeshi returned the handshake. The contact was brief, and they exchanged no further words.
Thanks to Chōza's warm welcome, Takeshi knelt beside him, listening to tales of battlefield experience—and was even lucky enough to receive some snacks.
But… was it really appropriate to be snacking at a meeting like this?
Takeshi wanted to ask, but the stage was still empty. Since no one was watching, he figured it was probably fine to munch a little.
He glanced at the seats clearly reserved for the higher-ups and hesitated before finally popping a snack into his mouth.
With Chōza's endorsement, many people came to understand who Takeshi was.
The earlier dismissiveness disappeared, replaced with praise and admiration.
People began chatting quietly—some, like Chōza, shared wartime stories; others bragged about their outstanding children. Everyone sat differently—some cross-legged, others with one leg up, or half-kneeling. A few, like Jiraiya, went so far as to put their feet up on others.
He was really bold—putting his foot on Orochimaru like that?
Even Takeshi could see the killing intent flashing in Orochimaru's eyes.
Tsunade said nothing, simply enjoying the drama. Her cheeks were flushed—she'd clearly had a drink before coming.
Only two people sat upright in formal seiza the entire time, never speaking a word.
Their Byakugan eyes confirmed their identities.
Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hizashi.
Seeing that most others were sitting casually, Takeshi shifted into a more comfortable posture.
...
But as the small door at the back of the stage creaked open, and Takeshi saw who stepped out, he stiffened instantly and snapped back into formal posture, sitting straighter than even the Hyūga brothers.
Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu—and walking at the rear, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The high-ranking leaders who held Konoha's fate in their hands had all arrived. They silently took their seats, instantly quieting the room.
"Sorry to interrupt everyone's rest," Hiruzen began in a calm tone. "To end this meeting quickly, I'll keep things short."
"I've formally submitted my resignation as the Third Hokage to the Daimyō and recommended Hatake Sakumo as the Fourth Hokage. Today's gathering is for a vote of confidence."
So that's how it is. Minato became the Fourth—
Wait, Hatake Sakumo?!
Takeshi looked up sharply at the four onstage, especially focusing on his father's expression.
Danzō looked calm, likely already aware of this.
Crap… did I accidentally change the plot?
Takeshi began to panic, but quickly collected himself.
Right—Obito was still alive. Having someone else become Fourth Hokage wasn't a huge deviation anymore.
Still… how does this voting thing work? Is it anonymous?
It was his first time in such a situation—rather thrilling, actually.
Fortunately, many of the jōnin present had also been promoted during the war and didn't know the voting rules either.
So Hiruzen kindly explained.
All that was required was to write "yes" or "no" on a slip of paper. No names, and the votes would be read aloud immediately.
Takeshi naturally wrote "yes."
He figured everyone would vote yes.
After all, Sakumo-san's reputation was solid.
But what about Dad? What's his opinion? Ugh, I'm dying to know!
...
[Isobu, do you think my dad agrees or disagrees?]
[Isobu: …How would I know, duh?]
[Rolling over in his mindspace, Isobu ignored Takeshi.]
[Come on, don't be so cold. We're partners, right? A little communication is good for bonding!]
[Isobu: I don't even know who your dad is. How could I possibly guess what he's thinking?]
[With a forehead full of metaphorical veins, Isobu smacked Takeshi with his tail.]
With a nervous heart, Takeshi folded his slip of paper and placed it in the ballot box held by an ANBU.
He had a strange sense that his father—so obsessed with the Hokage title—was probably cursing up a storm right now.
And likely using some very foul language.
Danzō, of course, had no idea his son was imagining him in such an unflattering way. If he did, he'd probably smack him lovingly across the face and dig up a new human sacrifice to restart Training Plan 3.0.
At this moment, Danzō just wanted the meeting to end as soon as possible so he could concentrate on hunting down the Uchiha who dared attack his son.
...
The results came quickly—Sakumo passed the vote without surprise.
"You all should be aware—although Kumogakure and Kirigakure have withdrawn their forces, they haven't signed peace treaties. The war is not truly over. In the coming days, please stay alert and vigilant."
Hiruzen concluded with a few words, then prepared to leave.
But Danzō had already gotten up, rushed past everyone, and vanished before Hiruzen could stand.
Yep—Dad is definitely pissed!
From Danzō's hurried retreat, Takeshi "cleverly" deduced that his father was furious about not becoming Hokage. He even helpfully imagined what was going through his father's mind:
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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