Hanekawa arrived at the ANBU base early.
"Lord Hanekawa," Aoi said, knocking before entering the office. She handed over a scroll. "The ANBU have established ten voting locations throughout Konoha."
Hanekawa unrolled the scroll, revealing a detailed map of Konoha. Ten small red dots marked the voting stations, evenly distributed across the village.
Yesterday's victory celebration had given way to today's crucial vote—jonin in the Hokage Building, civilians at designated ANBU stations scattered throughout the village.
"Good work," Hanekawa said, closing the scroll. "Station a squad at each location. I want no disruptions."
"Understood." Aoi produced another document. "Here's the shortlist of ANBU candidates."
Hanekawa opened it and immediately frowned. "Why are there still Uchiha and Hyuga applicants?"
In the original timeline, neither clan had ever supplied ANBU members. The Hyuga's branch family system made loyalty to the Hokage questionable, and the Uchiha—well, Shisui and Itachi were theoretically double agents.
"Likely because of you, sir," Aoi explained. "The Uchiha and Hyuga clans never actively applied before. Now that you're their teacher..."
Hanekawa nodded, understanding. Hiashi and Fugaku were making political moves—showing goodwill to the new Hokage while leveraging his influence.
He flipped through the rest of the list. Ino-Shika-Cho clan members, Aburame, Inuzuka—all jonin or special jonin. Quality candidates across the board.
I've apparently become quite the kingmaker, he thought wryly.
"Select one representative from each major clan," Hanekawa decided, marking the scroll with his pen. "Focus on fairness. Even the Hyuga can contribute—raw strength matters more than their internal politics."
He paused, noting the absence of familiar names. Kurenai was still too young. Kakashi and Shisui had their own teams now, thanks to his interference. No need to pull them into ANBU work.
"I'll notify them immediately," Aoi said.
"One more thing," Hanekawa added. "Compile a list of war orphans adopted by Konoha over the past four years."
Aoi hesitated but didn't ask. She simply nodded and left.
---
By afternoon, both votes had concluded.
The result was unanimous. Tsunade was the Hokage.
Her succession ceremony was scheduled for tomorrow.
---
Night fell. Hanekawa stretched at his desk, finally satisfied with the ceremony arrangements. The ANBU had handled the logistics flawlessly. He locked up the base and headed home.
"Teacher, I'm back," he called, opening the door.
Tsunade sat up on the couch, straightening her posture with obvious irritation. "About time. I'm starving, brat."
Hanekawa's eye twitched slightly as he took in her appearance—her fair skin, the way she stretched... Focus.
"The succession ceremony took longer than expected," he said, deliberately looking away. "What would you like?"
"Anything. Just fill my stomach quickly."
"Tonkotsu ramen, then."
He retreated to the kitchen before his wandering eyes could betray him further.
"Pervert!" Tsunade called after him, though her tone held more amusement than anger.
When he returned with the steaming bowl, Tsunade picked up her chopsticks immediately. "I wanted to discuss something about the Uchiha clan. We didn't get the chance at the office."
"What about them?" Hanekawa asked, settling across from her.
"What's your assessment?" Tsunade slurped her ramen. "Beyond the obvious—they're Konoha ninja."
Hanekawa considered carefully. "They have issues with integration, but they're not inherently disloyal."
"Exactly. Yet Danzo treats them like enemies." Tsunade frowned. "His approach will only push them further away. The real problem is the Police Force. Second Grandfather meant it as a bridge, but they've turned it into a clan institution. The villagers resent them for it."
"You want to reclaim some authority," Hanekawa said, understanding.
"I need to. But it's complicated—the Uchiha lost people in the Land of Snow campaign. Pushing too hard now looks like punishment." Tsunade set down her chopsticks. "Is there a way to make them accept outside officers willingly?"
Hanekawa smiled. "Promise them the Hokage seat."
Tsunade's eye twitched. "That's not a 'way'—that's fantasy. The Hokage position isn't something you hand out."
"Not the Fifth seat," Hanekawa clarified. "The Sixth. Or Seventh. Or Eighth. Show them the path exists, that they can compete fairly. The Uchiha have waited this long—they can wait a few more years for hope."
Tsunade leaned back, considering. "And in exchange?"
"I'll speak with Fugaku about taking a student. An Uchiha prodigy as my disciple sends a clear message: the clan has a genuine path to the top."
"Itachi?" Tsunade asked.
"Actually, no. Uchiha Mikoto is pregnant again. I'd prefer to wait for the younger one."
Tsunade's eyebrows rose. "You're turning down the most talented Uchiha child?"
"I want him to remain my student for several more years," Hanekawa said carefully. "The unborn child will need time to develop anyway. No point delaying Itachi."
It was a half-truth. The real reason was far more complicated—involving timelines, tragedy, and the butterfly effects of his presence. But Tsunade didn't need those details.
"Fine," she said after a moment. "This actually works well for my image. Show the clans I'm fair, inclusive. It'll make them more cooperative overall."
"Exactly what the Second Hokage intended," Hanekawa noted.
Tsunade snorted. "If only Danzo had half his intelligence."
After dinner and cleanup, Hanekawa stood to leave. "I should go. Big day tomorrow."
"Wait," Tsunade said suddenly, then hesitated. "You should... stay. Sleep here."
Hanekawa blinked. "What?"
"The ceremony tomorrow—I have more things to discuss with you," she said quickly, clearly improvising. "We can talk in the morning."
She's making this up as she goes, he realized with amusement. But he wasn't about to argue.
"All right."
---
While Tsunade retreated to her room to "organize her thoughts," Hanekawa practiced outside. He experimented with one-handed seals, testing the limits of his Wood Style control. The technique worked—slower than two-handed seals, but it freed up one hand for offense or deception.
Useful, but not urgent. My seal speed is already sufficient.
Three hours passed. When he returned, the house was dark. Hanekawa checked the time—10 PM.
He approached Tsunade's room. The door was open.
She lay on the bed, turned sideways, her white thighs exposed above the quilt. Her breathing was steady, but something about her posture felt deliberate.
Is she awake?
Hanekawa carefully tucked her feet under the blanket, then paused. Her eyes remained closed, but she hadn't moved away.
He made a decision and lay down on the other side of the bed, facing her back.
The fragrance of her skin filled his senses. From this angle, he could see the curve of her figure—the soft swell of her hips beneath her clothes.
Better than Samui, he thought objectively, then closed his eyes.
Tsunade's breathing remained steady. She didn't kick him out.
That was enough.
Hanekawa drifted toward sleep, content with the small victory. Tomorrow would bring new challenges—the ceremony, the Uchiha negotiations, the weight of his role in shaping the village's future.
But tonight, he could simply rest beside her.
---
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