"I don't think I'm suitable to be a sensei."
Since it was Naraku's suggestion, Uzuki Yugao thought about it carefully, but in the end she declined.
Although Uzuki Yugao was very beautiful, she was no ordinary member in Anbu. Not to mention her strength, Naraku's seniority in Anbu was not as high as hers.
"If you don't want to, forget it. Being a sensei is actually pretty demanding."
If Uzuki Yugao had wanted the position, Naraku would have transferred her out of Anbu and made her the instructor of the tracking team formed among the Rookie Nine.
That is, the instructor of Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino.
That's right, this would have taken away Kurenai's position.
Yuhi Kurenai, who was promoted to Jōnin not long ago, could only become the instructor of the tracking team with support from others, especially from Sarutobi Asuma.
After all, Inuzuka Kiba, Hinata, and Shino were from prestigious ninja clans, and they had the possibility of inheriting their respective families, especially Hyūga Hinata, who was the heir to the main branch of the Hyuga clan!
If Yuhi Kurenai wanted to be the instructor of these three students without Asuma's support, it would be really difficult.
But if Naraku really wanted to make a move, it would be very easy for him to secure this position.
But if Uzuki Yugao didn't want it, then there was no point pushing.
...
The next day, at the Hokage building.
Third, Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Nara Shikaku gathered in the Hokage office.
Except for the Hokage Sarutobi Hiruze,n who was puffing on his pipe, everyone else was flipping through the documents in their hands.
The photos of Shihouin Naraku and Hatake Kakashi were clearly printed on the papers.
Why hadn't the meeting started yet?
Nara Shikaku knew why he was here, but he was a little confused. Weren't all the people already present?
Who were they waiting for?
Could it be—
"Tap, tap, tap..."
The sound of a cane hitting the ground became clearer and clearer, and Nara Shikaku immediately knew that he was right.
The office door opened, and Shimura Danzō walked in step by step.
He didn't even knock on the door?
Nara Shikaku frowned, and of course,e everyone present knew that this was Shimura Danzō showing his dissatisfaction.
After Shimura Danzō silently sat in the chair that had been prepared long ago, the Third Hokage spoke.
Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up his pipe and tapped it on his chair, "Everyone should know why you were called here."
"Hmph!"
Before the Third Hokage could say more than a few words, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked at each other before Homura spoke.
"Hiruzen! You're doing a fine job as Hokage. Why are you suddenly planning to step down?"
"Ahem... I'm old, and my eyesight is starting to fail. If I don't step aside, I'll hinder the growth of Konoha's next generation."
Mitokado Homura frowned and wanted to say something but was interrupted by Sarutobi Hiruzen, so he could only remain silent for the time being.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up, pipe in hand, and looked out through the glass at the flourishing Konohagakure.
"I actually stepped down a long time ago, didn't I?"
"If the Fourth Hokage was still around, an old man like me would have retired long ago."
"At that time, the situation was critical due to the Nine-Tails attack. Minato died suddenly. For the stability of the village, I took this position again. Now, Konoha Village has long returned to peace and is developing well. The new generation of shinobi has also grown up. It is a good time to step down."
You shouldn't have taken that position again!!!
I was supposed to be the one sitting there!
Shimura Danzō had always been unhappy and resentful of Sarutobi Hiruzen's return to the position of Hokage after Minato's death.
In his opinion, if Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't gone back on his word, he, Danzo, should have been the Hokage!
Trying hard to suppress the anger in his heart, Danzo narrowed his one visible eye slightly.
"Actually, the most suitable one is... Never mind, what are your opinions?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen turned around and looked at the group, waiting for their answers.
Everyone present knew who was most suitable...
As for Jiraiya and Tsunade, both of them were travelling outside and didn't return to the village all year, so they weren't viable options.
Orochimaru, his favourite and most valued student, had defected, and the other two stayed away from Konohagakure for various reasons.
It could be said that Sarutobi Hiruzen's teaching was very impressive, but none of the three students he had taken the trouble to train remained in the village.
The departure of Jiraiya and Tsunade was a big blow to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"What I meant to say, Koharu, is that Hatake Kakashi is a more suitable candidate for Hokage!"
Since they knew Sarutobi Hiruzen had made up his mind, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu didn't waste any time. The two had discussed it long ago and directly chose to support Hatake Kakashi!
"Of course, Naraku is not bad either, but he not only has to deal with the medical department, but he also has to manage Anbu. If he becomes a candidate for Hokage, he will need to temporarily step down and become an instructor, which will delay a lot of important work."
This was just an excuse!
An excuse everyone saw through!
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were absolutely unwilling to let Shihouin Naraku become the Fifth Hokage!
As Tsunade's direct disciple, Naraku had connections with the Fire Country Daimyo and nobles, and he maintained these relationships very well through his own medical department.
Naraku could also get funds from the medical department, plus he now had influence in Anbu.
Naraku had it all: connections, money, and power!
If he were to become Hokage, Shihouin Naraku would seize complete control in the shortest possible time and push these two elders out!
When Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato took office, he didn't have such amazing resources as Naraku!
This was absolutely unacceptable!
At least for now, the two elders, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, were unwilling to give up their power.
The decision of the two did not surprise Sarutobi Hiruzen, so he looked directly at Nara Shikaku.
Nara Shikaku pondered for a while before speaking: "Whether it is Hatake Kakashi or Shihouin Naraku, they are both suitable candidates..."
You are talking nonsense!
Several people present were somewhat dissatisfied. This was not the time for meaningless statements.
"...But I think Shihouin Naraku is relatively more suitable!"
Nara Shikaku gave his answer and then kept silent.
The Third Hokage took a puff on his pipe, a small smile on his face, "Shikaku, tell me your reasons."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
The Hokage requested, and there was no way Nara Shikaku could refuse.
"Hatake Kakashi and Shihouin Naraku are both capable and experienced. But the most important issue is that Kakashi's character has some... concerns. If he becomes Hokage..."
Nara Shikaku didn't finish his words, but everyone understood what he meant.
This problem did exist.
Everyone here was a high-ranking official of Konoha Village, and they were all aware of what happened to Hatake Kakashi. They also knew that after experiencing many tragedies, his personality had changed significantly, and he had been unable to move past those shadows for a long time.
In particular, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen had discovered more than once that Hatake Kakashi would regularly visit the memorial stone to pay tribute to Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin.
Being a little soft-hearted sometimes is not a bad thing, but if your character is too fragile, there will be serious problems in becoming a Hokage.
Of course, what no one knew at this time was that after becoming the sensei of Naruto and Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi would gradually begin to overcome his emotional problems and shine with his own brilliance.
The problem was that in everyone's eyes, Kakashi was now a person who had been hit by all kinds of hardships and couldn't fully recover.
So at this time Sarutobi Hiruzen was also hesitating, otherwise he would not have called these people together. At least for now, he was still uncertain in his heart.
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