Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 509 The New Hokage

In the spacious and bright conference room, nearly a hundred people sat upright in their seats, their eyes all fixed on the direction of the head of the room. The room was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop. This made the atmosphere in the conference room exceptionally quiet.

At this moment, an indescribable expression crossed the faces of everyone present; some looked slightly nervous, while others were filled with doubt and anticipation. Although most of them had some guesses about the true purpose of being summoned, when faced with this moment, they were hesitant to believe that their long-held ideas would become reality. After all, things often unfold in ways that defy imagination, and no one can know for sure what will happen next.

Nara Shikaku stood ramrod straight, his wise and profound gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present, as if trying to take in every expression. Then, his gaze returned to Temari, the ninja from the Sand Village, beside him. Nara Shikaku parted his lips slightly and spoke in a steady, powerful voice: "The reason for this urgent summons is that a brutal war is imminent! Now, please let this ninja from the Sand Village explain the relevant matters in detail."

Upon hearing this, Temari took a step forward. Her posture was upright, and her beautiful face radiated confidence and composure. After all, as the daughter of the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure and the older sister of the Fifth Sunagakure Chief, this was not the first time she had witnessed such a scene. However, as she looked around, a sense of surprise still welled up within her. The reason was simple: she was astonished to find that the number of Konoha Jonin gathered there was far beyond her imagination.

It's important to understand that in recent years, the Sand Village has faced numerous problems, including financial constraints, which have slowed down the training and recruitment of Jonin. As a result, the number of Jonin in the Sand Village has remained relatively small, at most only about half that of Konoha Village. In comparison, one can't help but admire Konoha Village's deepest foundation in the entire ninja world! Even the other five great ninja villages don't possess such a large number of Jonin.

During the crucial Five Kage Summit, the Konoha representative unexpectedly left early, preventing them from personally participating in the subsequent series of dramatic events. Given this unusual situation, the Sand Village, Konoha's ally, felt obligated to explain the relevant matters to Konoha in detail.

At this moment, Temari, standing before everyone, took a deep breath and began to calmly explain the reasons for her personal visit. After all, this great war that would shake the entire ninja world had fully erupted, and the formidable power of Konoha Village was undoubtedly one of the key factors determining the course of the war. If Konoha was to be able to fully play its due role and cooperate closely with other allies to jointly defend against the enemy, it was essential to ensure that Konoha had a clear and accurate understanding of the current situation.

After a brief pause, allowing everyone to process what had just been said, Temari continued, "During the meeting that followed, a mysterious ninja calling himself Uchiha Madara suddenly appeared in the core area of ​​the meeting like a ghost. Even more astonishingly, this person displayed a space-time ninjutsu that had never been seen before and was incredibly powerful! This ninjutsu was so powerful that it could instantly break through spatial boundaries, making it impossible to defend against..." As Temari vividly described the scene, everyone present held their breath, the tense and exciting scene flashing through their minds.

Then, Temari took a deep breath and began to recount the series of thrilling events that occurred during the later stages of the Five Kage Summit. Her voice was clear and steady, and every word seemed to carry a heavy weight.

Temari provided an extremely detailed explanation of the dreaded "Eye of the Moon Plan." She explained the immense conspiracy behind it and its ultimate goal with remarkable clarity. Furthermore, she didn't omit crucial details, such as forcing the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Leaf Village to hand over the Tailed Beasts. Especially when mentioning the Hidden Cloud Village Raikage's unwavering and resolute stance, a hint of admiration appeared in Temari's eyes.

After explaining these key pieces of information, Temari paused briefly. Then, her gaze slowly swept over each of the Konoha ninja present. In this brief silence, everyone seemed to feel an invisible pressure gradually spreading. Finally, Temari broke the silence, speaking solemnly in an unusually serious tone: "Everyone, I have extremely important news to tell you. That mysterious ninja who calls himself Uchiha Madara has now openly declared war on all our ninja villages!"

At this point, Temari glanced around again, taking in the expressions of shock and solemnity on the faces of the Konoha ninja present. After a brief pause, she continued, "Faced with this sudden crisis, the other major ninja villages have already acted swiftly, officially activating their respective war response plans. My visit to Konoha is on the orders of the Fifth Kazekage, specifically to deliver all the intelligence related to this war to your village. What I have said above is all that I wish to convey."

With a solemn expression, Temari handed the confidential letter she was clutching to Nara Shikaku. She slowly raised her head, her beautiful, sharp eyes fixed on him, as if trying to see into his very soul. After a brief pause, she took a deep breath before continuing, "This situation is urgent, concerning the future and peace of our two villages. Therefore, I urge Konoha to give me a definite answer as quickly as possible. I must return to the village immediately to report your final decision to the higher-ups. Time is of the essence; every minute and every second is crucial. Please, Lord Nara Shikaku, take this matter very seriously!" Having said this, Temari stood quietly, awaiting Nara Shikaku's response.

As one of Konoha's strategists, Nara Shikaku is meticulous and insightful, fully understanding the deeper meanings and intentions behind others' words. However, Konoha is currently facing a difficult situation of leaderlessness and instability, and any major decisions must be made after careful consideration and thorough consultation with various factions.

Nara Shikaku nodded slightly, casting a calm yet slightly apologetic glance at Temari, before speaking slowly, "Your Excellency, please rest assured. Konoha Village needs some time to carefully consider its countermeasures. In the meantime, please move to an inn in the village to rest and recuperate. Once we have reached a conclusion, we will give you a clear answer as soon as possible." With that, Nara Shikaku nodded politely again, expressing his gratitude and appreciation for his guest.

As Temari's graceful figure gradually disappeared from everyone's sight, Nara Shikaku slowly turned around. His solemn gaze swept over the faces of every Jonin present, then he cleared his throat and said in a deep and steady voice, "Alright, everyone, let's officially begin discussing the next steps."

The atmosphere instantly turned serious, as if the air itself had frozen. Nara Shikaku took a deep breath and continued, "The most pressing issue facing us is determining the next Hokage. Regardless of whether we decide to participate in this war that could affect the entire ninja world, our immediate priority is to unite the power of Konoha Village into an unbreakable force. However, we do not have enough time or feasible methods to wait for the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, to awaken from her coma and resume her leadership. The situation is extremely critical. The other major ninja villages are anxiously awaiting a clear answer from Konoha Village, and at the same time, we ourselves must quickly begin a series of preparations to deal with the war."

At this point, Nara Shikaku paused briefly, looked around, and continued, "Based on the current situation, I personally believe that Mr. Hatake Kakashi is the only suitable candidate to succeed as Hokage. Therefore, I hope everyone will seriously consider this and express your opinions through a vote of confidence." Having said this, Nara Shikaku quietly looked at the Jonin present, awaiting their response.

When Nara Shikaku announced his proposal, a brief silence fell, quickly broken by a series of slight, synchronized nods. Everyone present expressed their approval of the suggestion in this manner.

It's important to understand that Kakashi Hatake is undoubtedly one of Konoha's top fighters! His astonishing strength has spread far and wide, earning him not only high respect within the village but also widespread renown outside. His formidable presence in the face of external threats, coupled with the immense prestige he has built within the village, makes him the perfect candidate to succeed as Hokage.

Most of the Jonin present had deep friendships with Kakashi Hatake and were well aware of his character and abilities. They had witnessed Kakashi's valiant performance in countless battles and knew his wisdom, courage, and unwavering determination to protect Konoha. Therefore, when they heard that Kakashi would inherit the Hokage position and lead Konoha in dealing with the current complex and ever-changing situation, a heartfelt sense of approval welled up in everyone's hearts. It was as if, with Kakashi in charge, Konoha could bravely overcome any challenge and forge ahead.