Chapter 28 — The Third Hokage
If Sarutobi Hiruzen could still barely maintain his composure—keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead—then the same could not be said for those beside him.
Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and the others were already glaring at Nara Shikatsune with eyes sharp as blades, filled with fury and disbelief.
Koharu Utatane even lost her grip and knocked over the teacup on the table. The crisp sound of shattering porcelain rang out painfully loud in the silence.
Even Akimichi Torifu could not hide the shock written plainly across his face.
It was clear that Nara Shikatsune's decision had come as a surprise even to the Akimichi clan itself.
Yet Nara Shikatsune simply sat there in silence, eyes lowered, his expression inscrutable—utterly detached, as though everything happening around him had nothing to do with him at all.
It was only then that Uzumaki Mito, who had been resting with her eyes closed beside the moderator's platform, slowly opened them.
With nothing more than a calm, sweeping glance, the entire hall fell silent. The commotion that had just begun was extinguished in an instant.
Another ten minutes passed before the final tally was completed.
Uchiha Isshin received thirty-two votes, all of them cast by members of the Uchiha clan.
Sarutobi Hiruzen received forty-three votes.
Of these, the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado clans contributed sixteen votes.
The Akimichi and Yamanaka clans together added twelve votes.
The Aburame clan cast six votes, the Inuzuka clan five, and the Kazematsuri and Ise clans—both aligned with Hiruzen—contributed three votes.
And there was also… one vote from the Uchiha clan.
Senju Morin ultimately received sixty-seven votes.
The Senju main clan alone contributed a staggering thirty-five votes—and to Morin's slight surprise, several of the clan elders had ultimately cast their ballots in his favor as well.
The Hyūga clan added seventeen votes, the Nara clan seven, and smaller clans such as the Hatake and Gekkō clans combined for eight votes.
---
Of the Uchiha clan's thirty-three votes, the thirty-two cast for their own clan head were hardly surprising.
What truly caught everyone's attention was the single vote cast for Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Yet when the name of that voter was announced, the assembled jōnin quickly understood.
That vote had been cast by Uchiha Kagami's father.
By comparison, the Nara clan's sudden defection was something almost no one had anticipated.
To be fair, it was not that Sarutobi Hiruzen had been stingy.
After receiving word—delivered by a Nara emissary—Hiruzen had indeed been displeased by their maneuvering. But remembering that Nara Shikatsune had been the first to step forward and speak in his defense after his return to the village, Hiruzen swallowed his misgivings.
That very night, he sent a reply to the Nara clan, promptly increasing his offer.
At the time, the Nara clan had never intended to truly betray him, and the matter was successfully smoothed over.
However, although Senju Morin's earlier visit had failed to sway Nara Shikatsune outright, it had nevertheless left him with an exceptionally high opinion of Morin.
And that—more than any promise or bargaining chip—was what ultimately tipped the scales.
When Nara Shikatsune learned that Senju Morin had visited the Uchiha clan compound the day before—and then saw the scene that morning in which Morin and Uchiha Isshin appeared to be "getting along remarkably well"—a chill ran through his entire body.
It's over.
Uchiha Isshin must have been persuaded.
He must be bringing at least part of the Uchiha over to Senju's side.
Once the Uchiha and the Senju joined forces, who in all of Konoha could possibly stand against them?
Not to mention that Senju Morin already had the Hyūga clan's open support. Sarutobi Hiruzen had been at a disadvantage to begin with—how could he possibly still have a chance of winning now?
With this conclusion firmly in mind, Nara Shikatsune—convinced that Hiruzen's defeat was inevitable—made a decisive choice at the very last moment.
Before the ballots were formally submitted, he personally altered all seven votes belonging to the Nara clan's jōnin, changing them to Senju Morin.
From the final tally alone, those seven votes did not appear capable of altering the ultimate outcome.
Yet politically, Nara Shikatsune's decision carried enormous significance.
First, those seven votes had originally belonged to Sarutobi Hiruzen's camp. Their defection effectively created a fourteen-vote swing, transforming what would have been a narrow 60–50 victory into an overwhelming 67–43 landslide.
This dealt a severe psychological blow to Hiruzen's supporters, shattering their confidence and resolve.
Second, Nara Shikatsune's choice sent a subtle but devastating message to every jōnin in Konoha:
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen's most trusted strategist has lost faith in him.
Under such circumstances, was Hiruzen still worth supporting?
The damage to Sarutobi Hiruzen was nothing short of catastrophic.
As for Nara Shikatsune himself, his emotions were anything but simple.
His defection had been born from a misjudgment of the Uchiha clan's stance. Based on his impression of Senju Morin and the scene he witnessed that morning, Shikatsune had believed that Morin had secured at least some degree of Uchiha support.
Ironically, this decision—made on a faulty assumption—had nevertheless placed the Nara clan firmly on the side of the ultimate victor.
But victory came at a cost.
His hasty choice wounded not only Sarutobi Hiruzen, whom he had once supported, but also his old friend Akimichi Torifu.
More importantly, it introduced a subtle fracture into the long-standing alliance between the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans.
Though the final result proved that he alone had chosen correctly, from another perspective, the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans had effectively been sold out by his hand.
Nara Shikatsune felt a bitter mix of emotions.
Yet he also knew that this was not the moment for explanations.
He remained silent, his expression calm and composed as ever, as though everything had unfolded exactly according to his design.
---
At this moment—when all eyes were fixed upon the outcome—Uzumaki Mito slowly rose to her feet.
The meeting hall, moments from boiling over, fell silent once more.
Every gaze locked onto her serene face.
"The votes have been counted. The will of the assembly is clear."
Her voice rang through the hall, calm yet heavy with authority.
"I hereby announce that the successor to the position of Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village is—"
A brief pause caused the very air to freeze. Even the sound of wind outside the windows seemed to fade.
"Senju Morin."
Before the final syllable had even faded, a deep crimson hat appeared in Uzumaki Mito's hands.
At its center, the bold kanji for "Fire" gleamed beneath the lights, burning like a living flame.
Senju Morin drew a deep breath and solemnly extended both hands, receiving the hat with reverence.
At the instant his fingertips touched its brim, a glimmer he could no longer suppress flashed through his eyes.
Did you see that, Tobirama?
In the end, the Hokage's seat has returned to the Senju…
All emotions were reined in the moment he turned.
With a smooth flick of his wrist, the crimson hat traced a graceful arc through the air before settling firmly atop his head.
Facing the hundred and forty-plus jōnin of Konoha, Senju Morin stood tall—radiant, confident, and resolute.
A steady, assured smile spread across his face as he declared in a clear, powerful voice:
"A new era for Konoha begins with me."
"From this day forward—I am the Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village!"