Part 1 : The nomination of the new Hokage
I stood, stunned, before the lifeless body of Tobirama Senju. A thousand ninjas… He had faced a thousand ninjas… And he had defeated almost all of them. Right up until the very last moment, he had fought to protect the village of Konoha from the enemy.
My master was a great hero. One of the greatest heroes the ninja world had ever known, alongside his brother Hashirama Senju. How on earth could I possibly succeed him? Was it even possible to live up to his legacy?
This man had established the village's entire economic, social and military infrastructure even before he was appointed Hokage. He had protected the village on numerous occasions, risking his own life, and this time, he had died as a result.
But he hadn't died in vain. He had sacrificed his life for me and my companions. I was part of the Hokage's escort, alongside Danzō Shimura, Kagami Uchiha, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado and Torifu Akimichi.
On that day, Tobirama ordered us to leave him behind so that he could defeat our attackers. He sacrificed himself, entrusting the future of the village to us. And the person most affected by this event... was, of course, me, Hiruzen Sarutobi. For my master had then nominated me for the position of Third Hokage.
But… was I really the right man for the job? Was I even up to the task? And even if I was… Could I really shoulder responsibilities on a par with those of the legendary Hashirama and Tobirama Senju? No… That seemed far too utopian…
I stood there gazing at my master's body, lost in thought. A deep sadness washed over me, but I held back my tears. I had to stay strong — for my master, for the village. I had no choice; this was now my new path.
I then slowly crouched down and gently lifted my master's body; then, without making a sound, I left the clearing and made my way towards the village.
Konoha's great hero was to be brought back to his homeland. His body would rest alongside those for whom he had fought all his life.
— Thank you… Master… I'll do everything… to make you proud of me.» I whispered.
Then I set off through the woods towards the village.
*****
The room was vast. In the centre stood a large oval table surrounded by numerous chairs, at which at least twenty people were seated. I was standing there, in the middle, all alone. Everyone was staring at me.
As complete silence reigned, a man at the far end of the table spoke up:
— We have just lost our Hokage. I can imagine how overwhelming this must be for most of you, and I'm sure the same goes for the villagers. We must act quickly. We need to appoint a new Hokage.» he announced.
All eyes, which had previously been fixed intently on the man who had just spoken, turned back to me.
— I hear it was you whom the Second Hokage appointed as his successor?» the man asked.
— Yes, Master Fuyugu.» I replied.
Fuyugu Shimura was one of Master Tobirama's advisors; in fact, he was the last of them to survive.
— We have no concrete evidence of the Second Hokage's words, and besides, it is not for him to decide such matters.» announced Fuyugu.
A woman in the assembly then replied:
— True, but personally, I would have recommended Hiruzen Sarutobi for the post.»
— That is a matter for debate.» Fuyugu declared.
I had a feeling this would happen. It was clear that Fuyugu Shimura would never let me take power. He himself had been coveting the position for years, even before my master was appointed as the Second Hokage.
However, as it was my master who had asked me to succeed him as Hokage, I felt I had to honour his choice, even though I personally didn't feel I was the right person for the job. Above all, I didn't want Master Fuyugu to take on that title; I didn't trust him on a personal level.
— I suggest that everyone puts forward their arguments for a potential candidate, and we'll decide by a vote.» said Fuyugu.
The others nodded or shook their heads in agreement.
In the assembly, there were exactly 17 people besides myself, each leading one of the 17 clans that made up Konoha. Among them, the most prominent were the Uchiha, the Hyuga, the Sarutobi, the Shimura, the Nara, the Akimichi and the Yamanaka. Next came those whose ranks had recently swelled: the Aburame, the Inuzuka and the Hatake. And finally, there were the minor clans or those with very few representatives, such as the Haruno, Hagoromo, Chôjin, Hatake, Arsehole, Namikaze, Uzumaki and Senju.
Depending on the clan's standing, the weight of each vote varied. As Fuyugu Shimura was the Hokage's former advisor, his vote carried greater weight; indeed, that was where the greatest danger lay for me. It was obvious that Fuyugu would vote for himself.
The debate went on for a very long time among the 17 Clans. It seemed to last an eternity. I couldn't really take part, as I wasn't the leader of the Sarutobi Clan, but Tobirama's special recommendation meant I had to be there. Finally, the verdict was reached. I was now sitting with the others, who were taking turns to vote.
The older members tended to support Fuyugu, who had more experience and was now the highest-ranking officer. Conversely, some were looking to the future, backing me because, in their view, I was younger and therefore capable of bringing about change.
Other names were, of course, mentioned. There was Oykô Uchiha, the current leader of the Uchiha Clan, who was renowned for his military exploits, but above all for his status as leader of the village's most powerful clan.
Ayata Namikaze was also mentioned; she was a very promising young prodigy. She was younger than me; for some, she was too young to take on such a responsibility, whilst for others she was the ideal choice to represent the new generation that was emerging following Master Tobirama's tenure.
Personally, I was a bit perplexed. For obvious reasons of excessive ambition, I feared Fuyugu Shimura. But I wasn't particularly in favour of Oykô Uchiha either, as power alone should not justify a candidacy, and the Uchiha tended to be too individualistic. As for Ayata Namikaze, she was just 20 years old and probably too young; she might be better suited to succeed me later on.
Anyway... I was the only one left... Except that I didn't really think I was the right man for the job. I was afraid of failure... I'd failed to save my master, I'd previously failed to save my father, and during the Battle of the Fall of the Senju, I'd been unable to protect Master Hashirama's family, with the exception of his granddaughter Tsunade. So how could I possibly protect this village?
In the end, after a very close vote, my score surpassed Fuyugu's. I was now officially known as the Third Hokage. A position… that came with a great deal of responsibility. But… was I up to the task?
It remained the focus of all my concerns, even years later.
I've always had doubts about my role as Hokage, and one question has lingered in my mind for a long time… Was my master right? Could it be… for the first time… that he had got it wrong?
At that very moment, I didn't have the answer yet. But it wouldn't be long before it became clear.
📖To be Continued...📖