It's worth noting that the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju's prestige in the village was still remarkably high. Although he often did unreliable things in private, he was still the Hokage, the God of Shinobi.
At the same time, Tobirama, who backed him, was also highly skilled, casually sending Sasuke out with some 'bait' to even deal with the most troublesome Uchiha clan.
Konohagakure has many shinobi clans, big and small, from single-lineage families like the Hatake clan and the Gekkō clan, to prominent families like the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyūga clans.
In between, there were many other clans mixed in. Yet, less than a day after the Hokage Residence issued its announcement:
The Senju clan, Sarutobi clan, and the Ino–Shika–Chō trio all quickly released statements in response to the call and policy.
Even the Uchiha clan, which had previously shown some signs of opposition, formally issued a statement that same afternoon, declaring that the Uchiha clan would firmly support the Hokage's decision.
This utterly baffled the other clans, both large and small, who were still waiting to take a stance.
To 'take a stance' naturally implies there needs to be more than one side to choose from. The undisputed leader of the supporting faction was the Senju clan. Once the Senju clan spoke, the Sarutobi clan and the Ino–Shika–Chō trio quickly followed suit, forming their alignment.
Everyone else was waiting for some prominent figure to challenge the Senju clan and act as an 'opposition.' The most hopeful candidate for this was the Uchiha clan, who, though not always well-liked, possessed a deterrent power not significantly different from the Senju clan.
Therefore, many people were waiting for the Uchiha clan to declare their position, after which they would follow suit and cheer them on. It wasn't that they wanted to 'collude' with the Uchiha clan; it was simply a matter of shared interests.
As it turned out, the Uchiha clan, burdened with everyone's 'expectations,' immediately sided with the Senju clan, catching everyone off guard.
As for the last clan that could have raised a banner and taken a stand, the Hyūga clan, they were even slower to declare their stance than the Uchiha, still undecided.
Because of this, all the shinobi clans in Konohagakure were feeling quite vexed. Following the Senju clan felt like a loss, but not following them meant there was no one to champion the opposing view, and there was also a sense that the momentum was unstoppable. This was truly frustrating.
Sitting in a barbecue restaurant in the village, observing the passersby on the street and listening to the conversations of other diners, Hibari had a general grasp of the current situation in the village.
"Hahahaha, how strange! What method did Tobirama-jiisan and the others use? I thought those fanatics in the Uchiha clan would fiercely oppose this, but I never expected them to 'chicken out' so quickly..." Hibari said with a laugh, while eating grilled meat.
"Although I'm not entirely clear on what happened either, I imagine it was just some exchange of interests~," Hiruzen said with a smile, pouring himself some sake.
"Exchange of interests... with the Uchiha clan?" Hibari rubbed his chin, contemplating with some confusion.
Now that the ninja academy was going to be established ahead of schedule, it meant that the village's future policy direction might undergo some changes. The most likely outcome was that many policies that would have gradually appeared later would now debut early, just like this one.
After careful consideration, Hibari felt that this change might have originated from him, but whether it was good or bad, he couldn't say for sure. He could only wait and see, as he didn't have much say in the matter anyway.
"Sigh, it really sucks to be young... Hiruzen, do you think I have a chance to work in the Hokage Residence?" Hibari asked Hiruzen with some regret after thinking for a moment.
"It's 'Hiruzen-jisan,' you brat! Your attitude towards me is getting more casual by the day!" Hiruzen first grumbled in dissatisfaction.
But he didn't really do anything to Hibari. Instead, he picked up on Hibari's previous topic. "Isn't that obvious? As long as you follow this current developmental trend, step by step, you're bound to become the third pillar of your Senju clan. By then, serving in the Hokage Residence will be a matter of course. In fact..."
Hiruzen paused here, deeply gazing at Hibari, then continued, "In fact, if you want to become Hokage... in my opinion, it's highly possible in the future!"
"Become Hokage? Hahahaha, forget about it, I'll pass on that," Hibari first froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
Hearing Hibari's reluctant words, Hiruzen was first very surprised and stunned, then he asked, "What's wrong? By your tone, you're looking down on the Hokage position?"
"No, not at all. It's a very meaningful thing, after all. The vast majority of shinobi in the village probably wish they could become a respected and beloved Hokage like Hashirama-jiisan," Hibari waved his hand, chuckling.
"Then what do you mean, kid?" Hiruzen asked, glancing at Hibari.
Just as Hibari said, most shinobi in the village had, to varying degrees, harbored such dreams. And Hiruzen was no exception. He too had often thought how wonderful it would be if he became Hokage one day, and how he would continue to lead Konohagakure to prosperity and strength.
"Being Hokage is too tiring, and there's no freedom at all. If you ask me, being an advisor or something similar would be fine. If I didn't want to do it, I could skip work or resign..." Hibari said with a big laugh.
After laughing, before Hiruzen could speak, Hibari's smile faded, and he said, "And this village isn't just our Senju clan's village. To put it a bit strongly, Hashirama-jiisan, in some aspects, isn't really suited for the Hokage position. He knows it himself. It's just that the current situation in the village forces him to be Hokage. I accidentally overheard him once, telling Tobirama-jiisan that once the situation stabilized, he would resign as Hokage and invite Madara-jiisan to be Hokage... But now Madara-jiisan's whereabouts are unknown, so that matter is naturally up in the air. But... Hiruzen, you've seen it too, haven't you?"
Hiruzen listened to Hibari's 'treasonous' words but showed no expression of surprise. He and Hibari were both part of the 'inner circle,' and he naturally understood the Hokage's situation.
And now that Hibari had brought it up, Hiruzen no longer concealed anything. He nodded and said, "Mm... Hokage-sama is currently intentionally training Tobirama-sensei, shifting his own authority towards him..."
"Then I don't need to explain the deeper meaning behind that to you, do I?" Hibari raised an eyebrow, smiling.
Hiruzen also smiled, then said, "You little kid, you know quite a lot and see things clearly... Indeed, if nothing unexpected happens, the Second Hokage's seat will be taken by Tobirama-sensei. And currently, it seems that, apart from the Uchiha clan, everyone else in the village has already tacitly accepted this."
"The Uchiha clan can't outplay Tobirama-jiisan, so they won't stir up any trouble. It's safe to say that Tobirama-jiisan will definitely inherit the Hokage position in the future. In that case, our Senju clan will have produced two Hokages. Do you think if I were to take over for another generation, the villagers would still accept it? Even if they could, our Senju clan wouldn't feel comfortable continuing to accept it!" Hibari waved his hand, chuckling.
Hiruzen looked at Hibari and smiled, then said, "...You're still young, kid. Even if you wait a few decades, let one or two more Hokages serve in between, then become Hokage yourself, and there won't be any problem?"
"Hahahahaha, forget about it, I don't have that much free time..." Hibari said with a big laugh.
Just as Hiruzen said, after two or three more Hokages, the Senju clan could indeed retake the Hokage position, and no one would say anything. But by then, Hibari wouldn't have the leisure to care about being Hokage...
"This village is too small, not enough for me to mess around with alone. This world is truly vast; I need to mess around more..." Hibari said with a chuckle, looking at Hiruzen.
"Heheheh, you're quite ambitious, kid. The village is too small? If Hokage-sama and Tobirama-sensei heard you say that, you'd be in for it," Hiruzen also chuckled.
"Isn't Tsunade here too? Who knows, maybe she'll become a successful Kage someday? Anyway, let's not talk about those things. Honestly, in my opinion, Hiruzen, you're very likely to succeed Tobirama-sensei and become the Third Hokage. So, you should really work hard!" Hibari took a bite of roasted meat and said to Hiruzen with a smile.
"Me?" Hiruzen first froze, then smiled and said, "Funnily enough, I'm working towards that goal myself."
He said this without any concealment. And why should he? Wanting to be Hokage wasn't some dirty secret; there was no need to hide it from anyone. On the contrary, being able to confidently and openly state it was a good display.
Hiruzen, as Tobirama's direct disciple, wanting to inherit his master's legacy was completely understandable, and their Sarutobi clan indeed had the qualifications. So, Hibari didn't tease him but nodded naturally and said, "I have high hopes for you."
"Heh, you brat, you're getting more arrogant by the day. Do I need your high hopes?" Hiruzen was amused to the point of laughter by Hibari.
But after playfully scolding Hibari, Hiruzen looked at him, picked up his sake cup, took a sip, and asked, "Should we talk about the real reason you called me here? You're not just inviting me to eat grilled meat, are you?"
"Hahahaha, not at all. Given the current situation, the ninja academy is inevitable. I was just thinking that you're about to become a teacher there, so I'd recommend two promising young talents to you... Oh, speaking of which, here they come..." Hibari said with a chuckle, looking at the figures approaching outside the window.
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