From a certain perspective, the difficulty of Hayashi becoming Hokage had always been quite high.
Unlike the Third Hokage in his youth, Hiruzen Sarutobi's greatest obstacle to inheriting the position had been a lack of prestige and military accomplishments. Even with the Second Hokage's personal appointment, it still took Hiruzen several years before he could officially assume the title of Hokage.
Hayashi's situation was entirely different.
During the Second Shinobi World War, despite being only eleven or twelve years old, he had already amassed battle achievements second only to the Sannin and Sakumo Hatake. During the Third Shinobi World War, he fought across four major battlefields. Aside from not directly participating in combat against the Hidden Cloud Village, he had fought against every other major village.
In terms of military achievements, he was unquestionably among the greatest shinobi of his era.
However, becoming Hokage required more than strength and prestige.
Although the village maintained a Jōnin voting system, the final decision still largely rested with the Third Hokage.
If one of the Sannin had accepted the position, Hayashi, as a member of the younger generation, would have had little chance of becoming the Fourth Hokage. After all, two of the Sannin had been his mentors. Considering his age, it would have been perfectly reasonable for him to wait and compete for the title of Fifth Hokage instead.
Yet circumstances developed in an unexpected direction.
None of the Sannin were willing to inherit the position.
Tsunade was the most obvious example.
Not long after the Konoha Crush ended, she left the village once again.
Did she not realize Konoha had reached a critical moment that required new leadership?
Of course she did.
She simply did not care.
"Hokage? Is that really something special?"
"My grandfather was Hokage, my granduncle was Hokage, and even my teacher became Hokage."
As a descendant of one of Konoha's founding clans, Tsunade viewed the title with remarkable indifference. This was the confidence and perspective that came from generations of influence.
Compared to the Uchiha Clan, who would likely celebrate throughout the entire shinobi world if one of their own became Hokage, Tsunade remained calm and unimpressed.
The difference in mentality was obvious.
As for Hayashi being an Uchiha, Tsunade might have objected if it were someone else. Since he was her disciple, however, she had no complaints whatsoever.
In fact, she was rather pleased.
Once Hayashi became Hokage, who in Konoha would dare stop his teacher from enjoying a few privileges?
The Third Hokage had been able to keep her in check because he was her teacher.
Now she had become the teacher of the Fourth Hokage.
That was quite the promotion.
Naturally, she had no intention of opposing his succession.
Jiraiya's situation was similarly straightforward.
When he was younger, he had often spoken about becoming Hokage, but much of that ambition had been motivated by his desire to impress Tsunade.
Unfortunately for him, Tsunade had never cared about the title.
Trying to impress a Senju princess with promises of status was like trying to impress the daughter of the richest man in the world by promising to become wealthy one day.
The logic simply did not work.
As a result, Jiraiya firmly declined the Third Hokage's offer.
He knew his own personality.
He was not suited for the position.
In truth, he would have preferred for Minato to become Hokage. However, Minato's military achievements were still somewhat lacking compared to the leading candidates.
Given the circumstances, serving as a Senior Advisor would be more appropriate.
Then there was Orochimaru.
Among the Sannin, he was the one who had genuinely desired the position of Hokage.
He possessed the qualifications, prestige, intelligence, and political skill necessary to obtain it.
However, the choice eventually became one between ambition and obsession.
Becoming Hokage meant sacrificing the research he loved most.
And after witnessing the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan firsthand, Orochimaru realized just how vast the shinobi world truly was.
Compared to the mysteries of life, bloodlines, and the limits of human evolution, political power suddenly seemed insignificant.
After a lengthy discussion with Hayashi, Orochimaru ultimately abandoned his pursuit of the Hokage position.
Instead, he chose to support his disciple while securing control of Root, allowing him to devote himself entirely to research.
His goal had shifted.
He wanted to unlock the secrets of the Rinnegan.
The Third Hokage could only sigh helplessly.
For various reasons, all three of his disciples had refused the position.
That left only one truly qualified candidate.
Hayashi.
Unlike Danzō, Hiruzen never harbored extreme hostility toward the Uchiha Clan. After all, one of his closest teammates had been Kagami Uchiha.
Even so, handing the title of Hokage directly to an Uchiha was not a decision he could make lightly.
If Danzō had remained in the village, his influence and seniority would have made Hayashi's succession significantly more difficult.
But Danzō had become a rogue ninja.
Homura Mitokado, another figure often wary of the Uchiha, had left the village in pursuit of him.
Was Homura truly that loyal to Danzō?
Of course not.
The reality was far more complicated.
After Danzō defected and the Third Hokage quietly allowed him an opportunity to escape, no one remained capable of blocking Hayashi's path to becoming Hokage.
Danzō had transplanted Sharingan into himself.
He also possessed Kagami's eye.
Those actions had created an irreconcilable conflict with the Uchiha Clan.
If the Third Hokage wanted to protect his old comrade, he needed to offer the Uchiha something substantial in return.
That compensation was the position of Hokage.
Hayashi's succession was made possible by his strength, his accomplishments, and the support of the Sannin.
But it was also the result of a political compromise between both sides.
Such matters were never spoken aloud.
The day the Third Hokage quietly asked Hayashi to let certain matters rest, that had already been the most direct acknowledgment possible.
Under those circumstances, no one could stop Hayashi from becoming the Fourth Hokage.
Especially after his solo invasion of the Hidden Cloud Village, his reputation had already surpassed that of the Third Hokage himself.
Once Hayashi became Hokage, a consolidation of power was inevitable.
As a former political opponent, Homura Mitokado would naturally lose influence.
Remaining in Konoha's leadership would only lead to embarrassment.
Leaving voluntarily was the most dignified option for everyone involved.
Thus, in July of Konoha's 41st year, Hayashi officially became the Fourth Hokage.
The succession ceremony was held on an unprecedented scale.
Konoha had experienced numerous crises over the previous months. The village desperately needed a grand celebration to restore morale and ease the anxiety that had accumulated among its citizens.
Fortunately, the ceremony proceeded smoothly.
There were no embarrassing mishaps, no absences, and no disruptions.
When everything concluded, Hayashi officially moved into the Hokage Building.
His first order after taking office was the appointment of the Third Hokage as Senior Advisor and Village Elder.
In essence, Hiruzen had inherited the position previously occupied by Danzō.
As for Homura Mitokado, Hayashi chose not to strip him of all authority.
Some respect still had to be shown.
However, his influence would undoubtedly be reduced.
From this point forward, a Senior Advisor would remain exactly that, an advisor.
They could provide experience and guidance, but they would no longer wield the immense political authority they had enjoyed during the Third Hokage's administration.
Meanwhile, Utatane Koharu's authority remained intact.
After all, she had become one of the most reliable supporters of the new administration.
At least until Himeji became capable of succeeding her position.
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