At this moment, Jiraiya walked out from the side, his face resolute and without a trace of a smile.
Everyone knew Jiraiya was usually unserious, but seeing him so earnest, if Jiraiya were truly to take the position of Hokage, they probably wouldn't have any objections.
After all...
Koharu said: "Jiraiya is a student of the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen and the teacher of the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato, he is most suitable to be Hokage."
The Jonin nodded in agreement.
Shisui smiled. "Are you talking about 'Hokage Orthodoxy'?"
His voice was mocking, making the slightly eased atmosphere turn cold again.
Shisui said with icy eyes, "Don't forget. The clans present, and even the villagers, were not recruited, they joined this Konoha. The position of Hokage is not about status."
Homura snorted coldly and said, "One is influenced by those around them. With a Hokage as a teacher and a Hokage as a student, what is wrong with Jiraiya taking the position of Hokage?"
Shisui sneered and said nothing more.
Everyone thought he was convinced, but only the Uchiha Clan Members knew that he disdained to argue about a fact that was obvious at a glance.
Just as Homura smiled disdainfully and wanted to continue speaking, Shikaku spoke up, "I nominate Shisui as the Fifth Hokage."
Once these words were spoken, the Jonin widened their eyes in disbelief.
Shikaku... had actually taken a side?!
Koharu and Homura's expressions were gloomy.
Jiraiya frowned.
He sensed that the situation in the village was even more serious and complex than he had imagined. But Konoha was the life's work of his teacher, and he would not back down from the position of Hokage.
Amidst the strange atmosphere, Shikaku walked toward the Uchiha clan's position and stood beside Shisui. And the Nara Clan, Yamanaka Clan, and Akimichi Clan followed without hesitation.
Suddenly, a third of the people were supporting the Uchiha clan's side.
Koharu and Homura stared fixedly at Shikaku, then smiled confidently and took out a written scroll, which bore the seal of the Land of Fire Daimyo.
Shikaku anticipated something and became somewhat angry. In the future he had predicted, there was now an additional outcome where the Daimyo's residence was ravaged by a great fire.
Koharu and Homura thought Shikaku was afraid, and became even more smug.
"This is the written scroll sent by the Daimyo, he has already agreed to Jiraiya serving as the Fifth Hokage."
The words "act first and report later" appeared in the minds of all the Jonin.
Although the Hokage and the Daimyo were of equal status, the Daimyo's position was still slightly above the Hokage's. After all, whoever pays is the boss.
This could be seen from when Minato died in battle and Hiruzen took over the position of Hokage again, which required going to the Daimyo's Residence to obtain permission.
Therefore, Shikaku had lost completely.
But they didn't know.
Was the Sarutobi Clan wiped out by One-Tail?
Was Hiruzen killed by Orochimaru?
Was the Shimura Clan wiped out due to the Coup détat?
Danzo... oh, that one was slaughtered to his face by Hiromi, and no one dared to say anything.
But...
The Sarutobi Clan, Hiruzen, and the Shimura Clan were all done by the Uchiha.
The Uchiha clan, who dared to even kill the Hokage, would they be afraid of a Daimyo?
He looked at Koharu and Homura, revealing for the first time an anger of "wishing they were better".
To actually drag the Daimyo into opposing Hiromi—what on earth were you thinking?
Did you really think a Daimyo could suppress his explosive temper?
Facing such a situation, he was powerless to turn things around.
"Sigh."
Shikaku sighed, and under the gaze of all the Jonin, he took another small step toward Shisui's side.
This small step stunned many Jonin who wanted to support the seemingly certain Fifth Hokage, Jiraiya.
Shikaku's combat power was not strong. But why was he able to lead the Jonin and become the Jonin Commander? That was because of his monstrous intelligence.
Therefore, they felt a chill all over, and their minds were in chaos.
Why? Why wouldn't Shikaku give up?
Suddenly, they recalled what Shikaku had once said to them: "When the time comes, follow behind me to protect yourself."
From the moment they recalled it, this sentence became louder and louder, so deafening that they got goosebumps all over.
Shikaku's sigh... was it reminding us?
The Jonin were suspicious and uncertain, but they still did not walk over.
Once the Jonin went over to the Uchiha side, it would mean offending two Hokage Advisors, the future Fifth Hokage, and the Daimyo. Since it was a matter of life and death, they had to be cautious.
At this moment, Itachi stepped forward, piquing the Jonin's curiosity.
Kakashi, however, felt a tremor in his heart. He hurriedly pulled Guy and Yamato toward Shikaku.
"Senpai?" Yamato asked, confused.
"Don't speak." Kakashi lowered his voice, cold sweat pouring down.
He felt as if, from within the Uchiha Clan Compound, a pair of violent eyes were piercing through walls, trees, and every obstacle, staring at him with killing intent, making him terrified and deeply afraid.
This action left the Jonin stunned.
Kakashi was highly capable, but he was also a very laid-back person. He hadn't befriended anyone, nor had he made any enemies. Therefore, he wasn't the type to actively take sides and offend others.
Now, not only was Shikaku acting out of character, but even he was actively taking a side, choosing to offend the two Hokage Advisors, Koharu and Homura, who currently held the highest prestige in the village?
"Why?" They looked at Shikaku, hoping for a clue.
But they saw Shikaku with his head bowed, saying nothing and doing nothing, seemingly adopting an attitude that he didn't care what happened next. This made them even more uneasy.