Here it comes! Finally, it has come!
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado's hearts skipped a beat. They exchanged glances, seeing the excitement in each other's eyes.
This was the topic they had been waiting for.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire had laid the groundwork for this moment, finally raising the issue of the new Hokage.
"Huff..."
Both took a deep breath simultaneously and exhaled slowly, calming themselves. After the previous discussions, they understood it was time to address the critical issue.
They still needed to be more sure about the Daimyo's intentions.
"I'll speak," Koharu Utatane said, capturing everyone's attention in the room.
"Go ahead," the Daimyo nodded. It didn't matter to him who spoke as long as the issue was resolved.
He then focused his gaze on Koharu, his face displaying a faint, ambiguous smile.
He seemed both interested and disinterested, making Koharu and Homura unsure how to gauge his thoughts. However, they knew they had to provide a decisive response.
"I choose Konoha's new generation genius," Koharu began, pausing momentarily before continuing, "Namikaze Minato."
"Hmm," the Daimyo nodded again, his expression unchanged. He turned to look at Homura Mitokado.
"Do you agree?" the Daimyo asked, his tone calm and almost emotionless, as if discussing a mundane matter.
"Yes," Homura immediately agreed. They had already discussed this before coming here, and there were no other viable candidates.
If this had been half a month earlier, they might have considered other options like Sakumo Hatake, Orochimaru, or Jiraiya. But now, the situation was clear.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had monopolized the Hokage position for so long that they had yet to consider replacements seriously.
Now that they had to face this issue, they found there were no other suitable candidates.
Sakumo Hatake had once been a prime contender for the Hokage position. Still, his performance in the recent war had tarnished his reputation, making it impossible for him to rise to Hokage.
Orochimaru had disqualified himself with his recent actions.
As for other potential candidates, they no longer mattered.
Minato Namikaze had returned from Mount Myoboku, leading Konoha to victory in the war and gaining immense popularity. He was the people's favorite, the most suitable choice for Hokage.
"Do you agree as well?" the Daimyo asked Shikaku Nara, turning his gaze to the other side of the room, seemingly seeking everyone's opinion.
"Yes," Shikaku nodded. His feelings were mixed. He had thought he was the highest-ranking of his peers, already serving as an advisor in the Hokage's office.
This was a significant position that only a few of his age could attain. But meeting Aoba had shown him his shortcomings.
Despite his youth, he often felt like an old soul, cautious and deliberate in his judgments, thanks to Aoba's influence.
Yet now, among his peers, Minato Namikaze was about to surpass him, becoming Hokage.
"Does anyone else have any objections?" the Daimyo asked, scanning the room, including the advisors from the Land of Fire.
The room remained silent.
The Land of Fire's advisors had no objections. They needed to be more knowledgeable about Konoha's internal matters and saw no point in opposing a unanimous decision from Konoha's representatives.
Any opposition would be, for its own sake, without a valid alternative and might create unnecessary conflicts.
Moreover, opposing Minato's appointment could lead to friction with him, which was undesirable. It was wiser to go with the flow and support the consensus.
Seeing no objections, the Daimyo fell silent, deep in thought.
"Alright," he said after a moment, smiling faintly. "Namikaze Minato it is."
"I hereby officially appoint Namikaze Minato as the Fourth Hokage of Konoha!"
With the Daimyo's declaration, the new Hokage was officially confirmed.
During the Land of Fire's meeting, the ninja world was in upheaval.
News of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, resigning had spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the ninja world.
Every ninja village received the news.
The leadership of various villages was shocked.
Konoha represented the most potent force in the ninja world. Even though it was no longer the undisputed strongest, its influence was still significant, drawing everyone's attention.
The change in Hokage was a significant event.
The news quickly spread, and every corner of the ninja world was abuzz with discussions, each with its own perspective.
The ninja world was shaken.
Everyone understood the implications of this change. The old Hokage stepping down signaled the rise of a new one. Each village, with its extensive intelligence networks, had already guessed who the new Hokage would be.
Major ninja villages held meetings to discuss the impact. Typically, such changes in other villages wouldn't garner much attention, but Konoha was different. Its power and history demanded notice.
As information flew around, people continuously discussed the Third Hokage's resignation.
But before they could fully grasp this event, new information surfaced.
Details of Konoha's past scandals, revealed by Orochimaru and Danzo, spread.
These revelations, initially made by Aoba's shadow clones, were recorded by some and sold as intelligence to other villages.
As these revelations circulated, the ninja world was further shaken.