"Impossible. Orochimaru will never become the Fifth Hokage."
Uchiha Yuan's calm but resolute words stunned Yamanaka Mokuno. For a moment, Mokuno simply froze, his expression thoughtful. Akimichi Kai and Moonlight Ryūka, however, immediately objected.
Kai rubbed his chin. "If not Lord Orochimaru, then who? Lord Jiraiya? Or Lady Tsunade? But neither of them has ever shown interest in becoming Hokage."
Ryūka nodded. "Exactly. I can't think of anyone in the village more qualified than Lord Orochimaru."
Yuan didn't answer. He simply stopped walking and looked at the two of them quietly.
Kai and Ryūka exchanged confused glances. Under Yuan's steady gaze, they suddenly had the odd feeling that they'd said something foolish.
Mokuno frowned slightly. "Lord Yuan, what are you looking at?"
Yuan sighed softly. "I'm looking," he said, "at two very naïve men."
Both Kai and Ryūka blinked in surprise.
Ryūka frowned. "Naïve? Why would you say that, Lord Yuan?"
As a seasoned squad captain, he'd been called many things—cold, ruthless, domineering—but never naïve. Even in the Academy, children learned to abandon naïveté early on. To call him that was practically to call him stupid.
Kai scratched his cheek and chuckled. "Haha, I've been called a lot of things, but never naïve. Interesting. Please, Lord Yuan, enlighten us."
Yuan said evenly, "If Lord Orochimaru were truly allowed to become Hokage, then the Fourth Hokage would never have been Minato Namikaze. It would have been him."
"Minato's strength was indeed remarkable," he continued, "and he earned the title of the Yellow Flash for good reason. But compared to Lord Orochimaru—his power, reputation, and influence—he was far inferior."
Kai nodded. "Lord Yuan's right. Honestly, when Minato was chosen as the Fourth Hokage, I was happy for him, but I was also shocked. I never thought he could actually surpass Lord Orochimaru in the election."
Ryūka frowned. Something about that didn't sit right with him. "But, Lord Yuan… there's no one in the village now who carries the same fame as the Yellow Flash once did. Why would Lord Orochimaru still be unfit to succeed the Hokage's seat?"
Yuan gave him a weary look. Like most shinobi, Ryūka was a master of combat, stealth, and assassination—but when it came to politics and power, he was painfully dull.
Before Yuan could answer, Yamanaka Mokuno spoke up in his place. "It must be that someone doesn't want Lord Orochimaru to become Hokage."
Ryūka's expression hardened instantly. "Who?"
He looked between Mokuno and Yuan, only to find both men watching him silently.
Kai lowered his voice. "Mokuno… don't tell me you mean the Third Hokage himself?"
Mokuno shrugged as they walked. "Who knows? It's just speculation."
Ryūka frowned. "But why? Isn't Lord Orochimaru one of the Third's own students?"
Yuan finally spoke again, his tone quiet. "Ryūka… I heard that the Fourth Hokage often clashed with the village elders, didn't he?"
Ryūka nodded. "Yes. Back when I served as an ANBU guard in the Hokage's office, I witnessed several of those disputes myself. There were times when the elders outright vetoed the Fourth's decisions."
Yuan's eyes glinted. "Tell me—if the Fourth had been Lord Orochimaru, do you think those same elders would have dared to reject his decisions?"
At that thought, the image of Orochimaru's cold, serpentine face flashed through their minds. A shiver ran down their spines.
Kai gave a nervous laugh. "If those elders ever tried to defy Lord Orochimaru, his snakes would've wrapped around their throats before they could finish their sentence."
Mokuno exhaled slowly, his strategist's mind piecing everything together. "So that's it… Lord Orochimaru's prestige was too great. The higher-ups blocked him from the position because if he became Hokage, the elders would lose their power. He'd never tolerate anyone meddling with his rule."
"Ah… I see."
Ryūka and Kai exchanged looks of dawning realization. Though part of them refused to believe that the Third and the elders would go that far, deep down they knew Mokuno's reasoning was sound.
Yuan smiled faintly. "If you want proof, you'll get it soon enough. Just wait and see who the Fifth Hokage will be. If it's another young candidate—someone like the Fourth—then our suspicions will likely be correct."
Kai asked, "So… someone young, but with strength and reputation. Who do you think has the best chance?"
The others fell into thought.
Finally, Yuan said, "I believe it will be Captain Sarutobi Shinnosuke of the Third Division."
Ryūka nodded slowly. "He's certainly a possibility. But I'd also say Captain Nara Shikaku, Lord Mitokado Zixiao from the liaison unit, or Yamanaka Haiichi from the analysis division could all be contenders."
Kai chimed in enthusiastically, "And don't forget Hyūga Hiashi, head of the Hyūga Clan—or even our own clan head, Uchiha Fugaku!"
Yuan's response was immediate and unhesitating. "No. None of them will make it. Only Shinnosuke has a real chance."
He paused, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Especially not Fugaku. He doesn't stand a single chance. As for Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Haiichi—they may be qualified, but you're forgetting something crucial. They aren't part of the Hokage lineage. No blood ties. No mentor-apprentice connection to any of the previous Hokage."
At that, the realization hit them like a stone. The so-called fair election for the Hokage wasn't fair at all—it had invisible walls built into it.
Mokuno sighed softly. "You see through it all, Lord Yuan. I was even thinking of persuading my uncle Haiichi to run… but I suppose there's no point now."
As they spoke, they arrived back at Yuan's command tent.
Yuan said quietly, "It's only speculation, after all. Even if we're right—what does it change? The power struggles within the village are far beyond our reach."
Kai patted his stomach and grinned. "Lord Yuan's right. Instead of worrying about who'll be the next Hokage, I'd rather think about what's for dinner tonight."
They all laughed softly at that, and soon after, Mokuno and the others took their leave.
Yuan watched them go, his expression unreadable.
A seed has been planted, he thought. And the first cracks will soon appear.
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