Izumi's eyes widened when she heard Jie's idea.
She did not know why he had suddenly thought of leaving the village, but the thought of traveling through the ninja world with him still made her heart stir.
No missions, no village affairs, no other people following behind them. Just the two of them walking wherever they wanted.
When Jie saw the look on her face, the last bit of hesitation disappeared.
This trip had to happen.
The only problem was that he was still the Hokage. Leaving the village for a few days was one thing, but leaving for two or three years was another. There were many things that needed to be arranged first.
Fortunately, Jie had pushed through Konoha's reforms early on. The Three Departments and Six Ministries system had already taken shape, and the village would not stop functioning just because the Hokage was not sitting in the office every day.
Besides, Jie had been a hands-off Hokage for a long time already. This time, he would only be gone a little longer.
That was what Jie thought.
Tsunade clearly did not agree.
When Tsunade heard that Jie wanted to take Izumi away and travel for two or three years, another desk in the Secretariat met its end. A short while later, she stormed into the Hokage's office, furious.
"Jie Uchiha, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Jie took one look at Tsunade's expression and wisely decided not to speak first.
Tsunade pointed at him angrily. "Do you still remember that you're the Hokage? I tolerate you acting like a hands-off boss because at least you're still in the village. But now you want to take Izumi and disappear for years?"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became.
"Tell me, are you the Hokage or am I?"
Jie paused.
Then his eyes slowly lit up.
Right.
Why had he not thought of that?
The ninja world had basically been pacified, Konoha's new system was already stable, and whether he sat in the Hokage's office every day no longer mattered as much as before. Since Tsunade was already handling so much work, then letting her take the position properly seemed perfectly reasonable.
The best candidate was standing right in front of him.
"Tsunade, you're right," Jie said, his expression turning serious far too quickly.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. That tone was wrong.
Jie sighed as if he had truly reflected on himself. "As Hokage, how can I be so irresponsible? How can I abandon my duties just because I want to travel? After hearing your words, I finally understand my mistake."
Tsunade almost nodded, but the feeling only lasted for a moment. This brat was admitting his mistake too easily.
Sure enough, Jie continued, "So I've decided. Since I'm clearly not suitable to be Hokage, I'll step down immediately. Tsunade, from today on, you can become the Sixth Hokage."
The more Jie spoke, the brighter his expression became, as if the free life after retirement was already waving at him.
"Don't even think about it," Tsunade cut him off without hesitation. "Since Grandfather chose you to be Hokage, stop trying to throw the position onto someone else. You took the hat, so wear it properly."
Jie looked at her in disbelief.
This woman was ruthless. He had only wanted to slack off a little, yet she had blocked his escape route before he could even run.
He wanted to argue, but after thinking it over, he swallowed the words back. If he wanted to leave Konoha, Tsunade's approval was important. After all, she was the head of the Secretariat. Once he was outside the village, most major affairs would still pass through her first.
After a moment of thought, Jie suddenly remembered one of Akatsuki's techniques.
The Magic Lantern Body Technique.
It could create projections over long distances and allow several people to speak face to face. To Jie, it was basically the ninja world's version of a video call.
If he learned it, then even while traveling, he could still appear in meetings and handle important matters whenever needed. With that, Tsunade would have much less reason to stop him.
Tsunade only gave him a cold laugh after hearing the idea.
A ninjutsu that allowed people to communicate face to face across any distance? Even Tobirama had never created something so convenient. How was she supposed to believe it existed just because Jie said so?
Jie did not care whether she believed him now. He knew the technique was real, and that was enough. Once he showed it to her personally, she would have nothing left to say.
Then another thought came to him.
Even if he was not in Konoha, there was still Itachi.
After wandering the ninja world for five years, Itachi was no longer the same person who had once carried everything alone and walked straight into darkness.
He had seen different villages, different people, and different ways of surviving. Now that he had worked in the Hokage Building for a while, his talent for politics had also started to show.
If Jie left for a few years, Itachi could temporarily handle part of the Hokage's authority in his place. It would count as training, and it would also give him a chance to build enough ability and reputation inside the village.
Then, when the time was right, Itachi could naturally take over the position.
The Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Itachi.
The thought made Jie's mood improve at once.
Turning the man once known as the clan-killing traitor into Konoha's Sixth Hokage sounded much more interesting than sitting in the office every day.
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