After Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, he left the conference room without looking back.
Utatane Koharu, Homura Mitokado, and Jiraiya naturally followed behind Hiruzen; only after they exited did the seated Jonin begin to file out.
However—
unlike previous Hokage successions, virtually no one in the room wore a smile.
And that was understandable.
Although the civilian Jonin had once again sided with the Hokage faction, the sudden rumors circulating through the Village still made their hearts skip a beat.
Compounding matters, hardly any of the Ninja Clans had attended this Jonin Meeting, casting an even darker shadow over everyone present.
Did the Village still have a future?
No matter how much they resented the clans, they had to admit that clan-born Ninja were elites.
A Fifth Hokage unsupported by any clan—could Jiraiya truly hold the seat securely?
Hard to say.
With that in mind, the gathering dispersed in somber silence.
"Clan head..."
"The Hokage-sama's glance at you just now felt off—was our decision a mistake?"
"Is our Hyuga Clan really staying neutral?"
Throughout the Hyuga ranks, voices rose in unison.
Every gaze fixed on Hiashi Hyuga; apprehension filled their hearts.
As for that—
Hiashi himself felt a twinge of guilt, yet a decision once made left no room for regret.
After a brief pause he spoke slowly: "I trust my choice; the Uchiha camp won't fold so easily. Something big will happen at tomorrow's Hokage inauguration—I can feel it."
"Let's go."
"Who wins or loses, we'll know tomorrow."
With those words,
Hiashi led the way out of the chamber, the rest of the Hyuga following suit.
As they walked the streets, the atmosphere in the Village felt eerily wrong.
Though a new Hokage had been chosen, not a single villager looked happy—something unprecedented in Konoha's history.
Watching the numb faces around him, Hiashi grew ever more certain that abstaining had been the right call.
The Village had lost its cohesion.
He still remembered when Minato Namikaze took office: lanterns everywhere, shops offering celebratory discounts.
But this time?
It felt like a storm was about to break.
...Meanwhile,
at the Hokage Office,
Jiraiya leaned against the window, staring at the deathly quiet Village, his stomach churning.
"Old Man!"
"The Uchiha camp is too quiet—it's unsettling."
"Are you sure your plan is solid?"
Hiruzen kept puffing his pipe, replying nothing.
Clearly,
he too felt uneasy, yet they had no choice but to press on.
Seeing the worry on Jiraiya's face, he sighed. "Jiraiya, we've only one path—straight ahead."
"Well—yeah!" Jiraiya gave a wry laugh.
Indeed!
Even knowing something was off with the Uchiha, they had long since lost any way to retreat.
If the Uchiha were plotting, could they simply give up?
Impossible.
Against the ever-stronger Uchiha camp, the Hokage faction had no cards left; only by making Jiraiya the Fifth and reshuffling the deck did they stand a chance—otherwise...
they would have to fight with everything on the line, or simply wait for death.
After a soft sigh he murmured,
"Let's hope tomorrow goes smoothly."
Hiruzen offered no reply.
Much as he wished to reassure himself, he was just as anxious.
He had crossed blades with Uchiha Jin long enough to know the man would never concede easily.
On the contrary,
the calmer Uchiha Jin appeared, the grander whatever he plotted must be.
Yet the question remained:
where would Uchiha Jin strike to break the deadlock?
He could not fathom it.
In his view the best move for Uchiha would have been to defeat Jiraiya at today's Jonin Meeting and seize the Fifth Hokage seat by sheer strength... but sadly,
the Uchiha camp had abandoned that easiest path. What, then, was that bastard Uchiha Jin planning?
Carrying that unease, he waited until nine the next morning.
In front of the Hokage Building,
countless dazed villagers and Ninja stood like walking corpses in every street, eyes full of doubt and dread fixed on the rooftop of the Hokage Building.
Hiashi Hyuga and several clan elders sat in a teahouse with a perfect view of that same rooftop.
Clearly,
they too were waiting,
wondering what secret scheme the Uchiha camp had brewing.
So was Hiruzen.
He now wore the official Hokage robes; beneath the Hokage Hat his expression remained gloomy.
Beside him, Jiraiya was dressed the same,
though the characters on his white robe read Fifth Hokage, while Hiruzen's bore Third Hokage.
"Ninja and villagers alike,
today is a fine day. This old tree has withered; it is time I hand over the title."
"Yet take heart!"
"A new sprout has grown among us. Jiraiya's deeds and strength suffice; he shall lead our Village to even greater glory."
"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire burns eternal."
...
After finishing his speech, Hiruzen lifted the Hokage Hat from his own head and solemnly placed it upon Jiraiya's.
His eyes held reluctance and sorrow—he had worn that hat his entire life.
Still,
while each Hokage might own many robes, there was but one Hokage Hat to pass on.
Jiraiya's gaze was complex;
the instant the hat touched his head he felt the crushing weight of responsibility.
Nevertheless,
he stepped to the edge of the rooftop, looked down at the sea of villagers, and declared himself the Fifth Hokage, promising to lead them to a better life.
After two dry sentences he fell silent.
He had no choice—
unlike Hiruzen, he lacked the gift of lofty oratory.
Even so,
cheers rose from below; whatever their mood, respect demanded applause.
Yet
neither man on the rooftop paid heed; their minds raced, wondering why the Uchiha camp still had not made a move.
Jiraiya had already become Hokage—why hadn't they struck?
Could it be... they truly had given up?
While the two pondered, an Anbu rushed to their side.
"Lord Third, Lord Fifth!"
"Terrible news!"
...