"Choice?"
Shikamaru Nara's expression grew unusually serious when he heard that word, his breath almost seeming to halt.
This topic was too heavy!
No… it wasn't the topic itself, but the weight of responsibility.
No matter what choice he made, Shikamaru felt it would be wrong.
"There's no need to be so tense. Just speak your mind!" Shikaku Nara looked at his son's grave expression and spoke slowly. "It's just the two of us here."
"Tell me what you really think."
Shikaku spoke gently; this was also part of how he raised his son. Eventually, Shikamaru would have to face such matters on his own, and Shikaku wanted to hear his thoughts.
"My real thoughts?" Shikamaru looked at his father, took a deep breath, and continued. "Actually, I hope that Uchiha Kinya could become Hokage, that would be good—for both the Uchiha and Konoha."
"In recent years, the Third Hokage may have grown old."
"Some of his decisions have been questionable."
"First, he stripped the Uchiha of half the police force and gave it to his own clan, yet they handled it so poorly. There's no way the Third Hokage didn't notice, but he still allowed the Sarutobi Police Force to act recklessly."
"Unbelievable!"
"That's not how a Hokage should act!"
By the end, Shikamaru's frustration with Hiruzen Sarutobi poured out.
In recent years, the decisions Hiruzen made weren't fitting for a Hokage. He had lost his clarity and was acting in favor of the Sarutobi clan.
Everyone in Konoha's major clans had witnessed these things firsthand. They remembered them in their hearts.
Yet Hiruzen Sarutobi was still the Hokage. Even if people were unhappy, they didn't dare voice it. Otherwise, they feared suffering the same fate as the Uchiha clan.
Back then, the Uchiha were suspected when the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha.
If it weren't for Uchiha Kinya's sudden rise, the once-powerful Uchiha might have been completely crushed by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Now, by stepping back from Konoha's high council, the Uchiha ensured their clan wouldn't decline.
But if anyone else dared question Hiruzen's actions, they could face retaliation—just like the Uchiha did.
"So… you're thinking of siding with the Uchiha?" Shikaku asked slowly, looking at his son.
"No." Shikamaru shook his head slowly. "I'm just stating my thoughts for now. Our clan cannot take sides yet."
"Oh?" Shikaku raised an eyebrow, his surprise growing.
There was no denying it—Shikamaru's analysis was precise. If a Hokage election were to happen, he too would hope for the Uchiha to succeed. Hiruzen Sarutobi was truly getting old.
But for the sake of the clan, not taking sides with the Uchiha was the right choice.
"Although the Third Hokage has become somewhat muddled now, it's not that he's foolish—he's just become a little stubborn. But he still has strength, resources, and even hidden cards!"
Shikamaru Nara pondered seriously, his tone falling silent. "If a real conflict breaks out, the Uchiha might not be able to face off against big clans like Sarutobi or Shimura."
"Sarutobi, Shimura, Mitokado and Utatne—the four major clans are united like branches of the same tree. Trying to overturn them all at once is still too difficult."
"They've been running things in Konoha for far too long."
As he spoke, Shikamaru let out a helpless sigh.
There was a trace of helplessness, a hint of sorrow, and also the quiet despair of being unable to change the current situation.
He possessed a mind capable of seeing through everything, yet was powerless to alter it, only able to watch events unfold bit by bit.
"So, what do you plan for the clan?" Shikaku Nara listened to his son's answer. He had to admit, he was satisfied.
Shikamaru had inherited his intellect perfectly, and his perspective was impressively comprehensive.
"Observe and wait, don't take sides."
Shikaku Nara nodded, eyes full of wisdom. "Our three clans—the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi—are also united like branches of the same tree. As long as the three of us stand together, even if we don't take sides, neither faction will dare act against us."
Asuma Sarutobi chose the three of them as his disciples, which proved this point.
The Third Hokage wanted to win over these three clans.
Shikaku nodded. Shikamaru, as expected of my son, had analyzed the situation thoroughly.
Bang bang bang.
Just as they finished talking, the door was knocked!
"Shikaku Nara…"
Then came a deep, heavy voice from outside. It was clearly a large man.
"Fatty… can you knock a little softer? You're going to burst my eardrums!" Another man's voice followed, teasing, but it sounded like the two were very familiar with each other, exchanging jabs freely.
Hehe… they've arrived! Shikaku Nara smiled when he heard the voices outside.
These two were the heads of the other two clans: Choza Akimichi of the Akimichi clan, and Inoichi Yamanaka of the Yamanaka clan.
As Shikamaru said, the three clans were united like branches of the same tree, complementing each other to reach their strongest potential.
Meanwhile, in the Inuzuka clan.
A girl with a wild afro and sharp teeth sat in a room.
Her expression was clearly displeased, and beside her sat a large one-eyed dog, Kuromaru.
She was Tsume Inuzuka, head of the Inuzuka clan, and this was her ninja dog.
"Hmph, is Konoha about to descend into chaos?"
The behavior of the Hyuga and Aburame clans had surprised her, but her tone carried a hint of exasperation.
"Should we take sides?" The one-eyed Kuromaru asked.
Now, with the Aburame clan and the Hyuga clan choosing sides, it could very well change the balance of power in Konoha.
"Choosing sides… choosing who?" Inuzuka Tsume sneered coldly. Then she continued, "My son, Inuzuka Kiba, wasn't even placed in Konoha's top teams, and yet you expect me to pick a side for the Sarutobi clan?"
Her son, Inuzuka Kiba, was no weakling, and their clan hadn't fallen behind. Yet he hadn't been placed in any of Konoha's core teams!
Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan had taken two positions, and even the famously useless Uchiha Genya was included!
She was even more dissatisfied.
Because the core teams were destined to become the future power center of Konoha!
"Maybe Hiruzen Sarutobi has his reasons," Kuromaru said slowly, his tone unusually serious.
"Enough talk… this time I won't do anything. Let whoever wants the Hokage position take it!" Inuzuka Tsume said angrily, refusing to waste more words with Kuromaru.
The Inuzuka clan was not weak. Just as Shikamaru had said, no matter who became Hokage, the Inuzuka clan wouldn't be greatly affected.
Scenes like this were unfolding across all the clans in Konoha. Some chose to remain neutral, while others picked sides. But most clans still aligned with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
They believed that, in the end, the dispute would be won by Hiruzen Sarutobi, simply because he had held the Hokage position for so long.
As Konoha stirred with hidden currents, a clay bird soared toward the Land of Earth.
****
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