Chapter 12: The Real Obstacle is the Senju!
"If you want to become Hokage, the biggest resistance will come from the ninja clans of Konoha, with the Uchiha taking the lead."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. The news of his teacher Tobirama Senju's death was leaked by the Uchiha. He believed that Kagami Uchiha was not the one who leaked the information, which meant that the Uchiha had their own information channels.
It was even possible that they had prior knowledge of the attack during Tobirama's negotiation.
The Uchiha's desire for the Hokage position had always been undisguised. Even during Tobirama Senju's tenure as Hokage, there were still radical voices within the Uchiha clan calling for the overthrow of Tobirama's rule.
However, such people always met their demise in some mission or war, and the Uchiha clan could never find any evidence to prove that their deaths were related to Tobirama Senju.
The deaths of several extremists had made the Uchiha wary and much quieter.
Furthermore, Tobirama Senju was fair in his dealings, and the Uchiha received their due share of benefits. Other ninja clans in Konoha had flourished in recent years and fully recognized Tobirama Senju as their Hokage.
Unfortunately, Tobirama's unexpected death during negotiations had given the Uchiha a golden opportunity to seize the Hokage position.
"I have confidence in the Uchiha. They have always been the same, listening to whoever has the bigger fist. Back then, when Hashirama defeated Madara, Madara eventually left Konoha, but the Uchiha clan did not follow him."
"And now, no one in the Konoha Uchiha is my match. Unless they go crazy and send out their clan's elites at any cost, they might be able to kill me."
"But they don't have the guts!"
Mito Uzumaki changed the subject, her tone filled with confidence. Currently, no one in Konoha was her match. With her already formidable strength, plus the Nine-Tails inside her, Mito was a walking natural disaster.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was moved by Mito Uzumaki's confidence, feeling the demeanor of the older generation of strong individuals.
He had already experienced Mito Uzumaki's strength, which was suffocatingly powerful.
"I have ways to deal with the Uchiha, but the clans that are hindering you from becoming Hokage are not just the Uchiha."
"The Senju clan is also unwilling to let you become Hokage."
Mito Uzumaki sighed. The real crisis was not from the external Uchiha, but from her own clan, the Senju.
Hiruzen Sarutobi opened his eyes wide, assuming that Mito Uzumaki supported him and subconsciously thinking that the Senju clan was on his side.
"You don't think I can represent the Senju clan, do you?"
Mito Uzumaki said slowly, looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression.
"Normally, my status allows me to act freely in the Senju clan, and even Tobirama gives me face. But now that Tobirama is dead, the position you are vying for is the Third Hokage of Konoha."
"Two Hokage have already come from the Senju clan. The Senju enjoy this glory and are accustomed to the benefits brought by the Hokage position. They have even taken it for granted that the Third Hokage will also come from the Senju."
Mito Uzumaki spoke slowly, giving Hiruzen Sarutobi time to digest her words.
How to persuade the Senju clan to accept Hiruzen Sarutobi was Mito Uzumaki's biggest headache.
The Senju clan founded Konoha, and two Hokage came from the Senju. They also died in the Hokage position, which was a great honor.
Moreover, in the First Shinobi World War, the Senju clan contributed the most in Konoha, since their clan leader was the Hokage of Konoha. Senju clansmen were often the most numerous in the most dangerous battlefields.
The Senju clansmen were also generous in sacrificing their lives to protect Konoha. Almost the entire Senju clan believed that the Third Hokage would still come from the Senju. Some extreme Senju clansmen even believed that their Senju clan was Konoha!
Now that the war was about to end and the fruits of victory were about to be harvested, the blood of the Senju clan's warriors was almost drained. To let a Sarutobi clan, who used to follow behind them and pick up leftovers, take the fruits of victory...
Mito Uzumaki didn't dare to imagine how much resentment that would cause.
The old men of the Senju family who had survived from the Warring States Period were not all dead yet. Each of them valued the future of the clan more than their own lives.
Some were even older than Hashirama, and some were even two or three generations older than him. They had dedicated their lives to the Senju clan and could slap Hashirama, who would still happily try to appease them.
"Grandpa, does your hand hurt? I won't do it again next time."
Mito Uzumaki could imagine how furious they would be if she told them that Tobirama had passed the Third Hokage position to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
They would probably curse Tobirama into a pile of dung even if he were alive, let alone her.
They could choke her with a single sentence: "You, a Uzumaki, have no right to discuss the Senju family's affairs."
These old men, when pushed to the extreme, would dare to say anything. Even if she was invincible, she couldn't attack them.
Moreover, these old men were not afraid of death. They could even stick out their necks and let Mito Uzumaki chop them off, as long as she could guarantee that the Third Hokage would still be from the Senju family, they would die willingly.
"Lord Mito, this..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless. He couldn't do anything if the Senju clan opposed him. What could he do to his teacher's clan?
He couldn't beat them, and he couldn't justify himself.
"The old men in the Senju clan have long since decided on the candidate for the Third Hokage, and that is Tobirama Senju."
"His identity is Hashirama's son. His strength is also among the best in the Senju clan. He has made great contributions in this Shinobi World War. As a commander of a front line, he withstood the pressure from the Iwagakure Village."
"He is now rushing back to Konoha and will return to the village soon."
Mito Uzumaki looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, scrutinizing him. She could help him share the pressure from the Uchiha, but she couldn't do anything about the pressure from the Senju clan.
Being neutral was already the limit, not to mention that Tobirama Senju was her son, who had taken his father Hashirama as an example since childhood and dreamed of becoming Hokage to protect Konoha.
She, Mito Uzumaki, was not so selfless as to help an outsider fight her own son.
"If you want to become Hokage, you must defeat Tobirama, defeat him openly and fairly in front of the Senju clan, and then I will have a chance to help you persuade the Senju clan."
Mito Uzumaki continued, this was the limit of what she could do. She had seen how much Tobirama had sacrificed to become Hokage.
"Alas, Tobirama, you bastard, you are even more of a bastard than Hashirama. You really know how to give me a problem."
Mito Uzumaki was conflicted and wanted to pull Tobirama Senju out of the underworld and beat him up.
"Lord Mito, I understand. You have done enough."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was filled with gratitude. Mito Uzumaki had been selfless enough. Tobirama Senju was her son. She had deliberately avoided this identity just now. Lord Mito had been fair enough.
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