Chapter 27: The Jōnin Confidence Vote
An event as grave as the selection of a Hokage could never be conducted by secret ballot.
According to Konoha's established protocol, every jōnin was required to write both their own name and the name of the candidate they supported on their ballot. Once all ballots were collected, the presiding officials would publicly read each vote aloud and tally the results on the spot.
In the tense silence, ballots were distributed one by one to every jōnin present.
The decision, however, had already been made long before this moment. Almost no one hesitated. One after another, the jōnin calmly and decisively wrote down the name they had already chosen.
Senju Morin, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Uchiha Isshin were no exception.
All three were jōnin of the village—and each possessed a single, precious vote of their own.
At the front of the chamber, beneath the presiding dais, stood a ballot box reinforced with chakra-based sealing techniques. After completing their ballots, each jōnin—or a representative explicitly approved by them—rose from their seat and personally deposited their vote into the box.
When the ballots were read aloud, not only would the name of the chosen candidate be announced, but the name of the voter would be read as well, allowing every jōnin present to confirm that their vote had not been altered.
Every step existed for one purpose: to eliminate even the slightest possibility of manipulation.
The jōnin maintained impeccable order. From filling out the ballots to casting them, the entire process took remarkably little time.
When the final jōnin placed his ballot into the box and returned to his seat, the chamber fell completely silent.
So quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Sarutobi Sasuke drew a deep breath, preparing to announce the next stage—
When suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from beyond the doors.
A heartbeat later, the tightly shut doors of the conference chamber were pulled open from the outside.
Every head snapped around at once.
Who would dare interrupt the jōnin confidence vote?
But in the very next instant, shock rippled across the room.
Standing there was Uzumaki Mito, widow of the First Hokage.
Lady Mito wore a plain, elegant kimono bearing the crest of the Uzumaki clan. Accompanied by two female attendants, she entered the chamber with calm, unhurried steps.
Her gaze passed serenely over the assembled jōnin before she came to a stop beside the presiding platform.
A nearby shinobi hurriedly brought over a chair—but Mito did not sit.
She first inclined her head slightly toward Sarutobi Sasuke and Senju Tōka, then turned to face the gathered jōnin. Her voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"If you do not object," she said,
"then allow me to bear witness to today's outcome."
Only then did Sasuke and Tōka recover from their surprise. They rose at once and bowed deeply.
"With Lady Mito as witness, it is our great honor."
After Mito took her seat to the side, the two presiding officers finally spoke again.
"Proceed with the count."
"Yes!"
The vote tally had begun.
The task of reading the ballots fell to several chūnin who served as instructors at the Ninja Academy. For them, this was the first time participating in an event that would determine the future Hokage—and the magnitude of it left their voices trembling with barely restrained excitement.
Under the gaze of every jōnin in the village, three chūnin clad in Konoha flak jackets—each bearing the "Ninja Academy" armband on their right arm—parted the crowd and slowly made their way to the front.
The one at the lead was named Umino Kiyoshi, the grandfather of the future famed Umino Iruka. At this time, however, he was merely a slightly shy young man. Lacking any clan affiliation and holding a position least entangled with factional politics, he had been entrusted with the crucial duty of reading the votes.
He took a deep breath, exchanged a brief nod with the two chūnin beside him, and—before all assembled—personally broke the seal on the ballot box.
His movements were stiff, but his expression was solemn, as though he were performing the most sacred ritual of his life.
"T-The vote count… begins!"
Kiyoshi's voice was dry with nerves, but he quickly cleared his throat and steadied himself.
Reaching into the box with a slightly trembling hand, he withdrew the first ballot, unfolded it carefully, and read aloud—slowly and clearly, word by word:
"Jōnin Sarutobi Sasuke—vote cast for Sarutobi Hiruzen."
"Jōnin Senju Tōka—vote cast for Senju Morin."
"Jōnin Hatake Shūichi—vote cast for Senju Morin."
"Jōnin Mitokado Homura—vote cast for Sarutobi Hiruzen."
"Jōnin Uchiha Hokane—vote cast for Uchiha Isshin."
"Jōnin Akimichi Hiro—vote cast for—"
"..."
Although many had anticipated the outcome, when the name "Uchiha Isshin" was read aloud, a number of jōnin still cast curious glances toward the Uchiha section.
The Uchiha themselves remained utterly indifferent.
As Kiyoshi continued calling out the votes, the other two chūnin alternated marking the tallies on a large wooden board at the front. Each time a candidate's name was announced, they scored a deep line into the wood with a kunai.
In the silence of the chamber, the scraping of metal against wood rang out with piercing clarity.
The count proceeded at a slow, solemn pace. The three chūnin remained intensely focused, daring not to falter even for an instant, while more than a hundred jōnin watched every movement without blinking.
The tally marks climbed steadily.
Under the mounting pressure of countless gazes burning into his back, Kiyoshi's flak jacket was already soaked through with sweat.
Whenever he came to the name of one of the village's true powerholders, he unconsciously slowed his speech, ensuring not a single syllable was misplaced.
He knew it well—
Every word he spoke could shape the future of Konoha.
After reading through a consecutive block of Uchiha ballots, Kiyoshi reached for the next one. But the moment he unfolded it, the handwriting on the page caused his pupils to shrink violently.
His breath caught.
It took every ounce of his will to force himself calm. Then, summoning his voice, he declared:
"Jōnin Nara Shikayuki—vote cast for Senju Morin!"
The words struck the chamber like an explosive tag.
"What?!"
Someone among the jōnin cried out involuntarily.
Already stretched to his limits, Kiyoshi nearly dropped the ballot in shock. Flustered, he glanced helplessly toward the presiding platform.
Senju Tōka met his eyes and gave him a steady, encouraging look.
Sarutobi Sasuke immediately roared:
"Silence! No interruptions!"
Kiyoshi snapped back to himself at once. He adjusted his breathing, forcing his nerves under control—but the next few ballots only made his pulse race faster.
"Jōnin Nara Tsukasa—vote cast for Senju Morin!"
"Jōnin Nara Iwagoro—vote cast for Senju Morin!"
"Jōnin Nara—"
"..."
"Jōnin Nara Shikatsune—vote cast for Senju Morin!"
The ballots from the Nara clan came one after another, stacked together as though deliberately placed into the box as a group—
And every single one of them had been cast for Senju Morin.
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(Kiyoshi right now: 😰🥶)