Hatake Tatsuya in Naruto

"She doesn't want to be Hokage anymore?"

It was nighttime in Konoha, and the local pub was quiet. Nawaki had invited Tatsuya out for a drink, hoping to discuss something important. But when Tatsuya heard the topic, he couldn't help but shout in surprise.

"Aniki keep it down!" Nawaki hissed, startled. He quickly glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention, then sighed in relief and leaned in closer, speaking in a hushed tone.

"This is confidential. If people in the village find out, it'll cause an uproar."

Tsunade, still not yet 40, didn't want to be Hokage anymore. It was a piece of news that could shake the village. After all, many shinobi dreamt of the Hokage title, but Tsunade seemed ready to abandon it.

"She's bored with it or is just being lazy?" Tatsuya asked, puzzled.

When you think about it, it wasn't entirely shocking. In the original events of the Fourth Ninja War, Naruto becoming Hokage was inevitable. Tsunade could have easily stayed in the role for a few more years before handing it over. Yet, after the war, she had rushed to give the title to Kakashi, showing she wasn't particularly attached to the position.

But now? Tatsuya suspected it had something to do with Rin and Terumi stirring things up...

"Now that the village is full of talented shinobi, changing leadership isn't out of the option," Tatsuya said. As someone who deeply loved his wife, he didn't oppose her idea. To him, the old faction, led by Sarutobi Hiruzen, was nothing but dead weight. There was no reason to fear them anymore. If Tsunade wanted to step down, so be it. The next Hokage would be one of their own, after all.

"That's exactly the problem..." Nawaki's voice dropped even lower, laced with concern. "If a new Hokage comes in who isn't from the Uchiha, what do you think they'll do?"

If Tsunade stepped down during this period, the candidates for Hokage were obvious: Hatake Sakumo or Namikaze Minato. Tatsuya wasn't interested, that much was clear. But no matter who took the position, Uchiha would be left out once again. Since the village was founded, not a single Hokage had come from the Uchiha clan.

Who knows how furious the Uchiha would be this time?

Nawaki, who had spent years as Tsunade's assistant, was already seasoned in the village's political games. He knew that Uchiha Fugaku was an unlikely candidate. Even if Uchiha wanted one of their own to rise to the top, the rest of the village would never agree.

In terms of strength, accomplishments, or leadership, Fugaku was far from being a serious contender.

What's more, in the wake of the Nine-Tails incident, the village's distrust of the Uchiha had reached its peak. Electing Uchiha Fugaku as Hokage wasn't an option at all. Many in Tatsuya's past life had echoed the sentiment that "Konoha owes Uchiha a Hokage," but they often overlooked one crucial detail: from the time Uchiha Madara left Konoha until the 60th year of Konoha, the Uchiha clan simply didn't have anyone truly suitable for the position of Hokage—whether due to lack of strength or charisma.

Even Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui, despite their prodigious talents, were too young when the question of leadership arose. It just wasn't their time.

"I'll discuss this with Tsunade," Tatsuya finally said after a brief hesitation.

He had initially been tempted to express that, even if the Uchiha rebelled, he could easily suppress them. But on second thought, he realized how pitiful their situation had become. With Tsunade in power, the Uchiha had at least been able to live in relative peace, even if they harbored some dissatisfaction.

But then Madara and Obito emerged, dragging the clan back into chaos and sealing their tragic fate once again. Tatsuya couldn't help but feel a shred of sympathy for them.

At the core of the issue, though, was the long-standing rift between the Uchiha and the rest of the village, one that had existed since Konoha's founding. With Tsunade in charge, that divide hadn't been fully bridged, but she had at least managed to stave off the catastrophe that had unfolded in the original timeline.

Sadly, in the end, the Uchiha had still been brought low by the actions of two men from their clan—Madara and Obito.

...

"Is this really what you want? Not to be Hokage?"

That night, after a long-lost moment of relaxation, Tatsuya held Tsunade close and whispered as they lay together.

"..."

Tsunade didn't respond verbally, but her look clearly said that Tatsuya should figure it out for himself.

Initially, she had accepted the position of Hokage partly because of her admiration for her two grandfathers who had held the title, and partly out of dissatisfaction with the old faction led by Sarutobi Hiruzen. Sitting at a desk for more than ten hours a day, signing documents, was never something she enjoyed.

Though Tatsuya's situation with the two younger women had served as the final trigger, the frustration had been building for a long time.

"You don't want the position, but the Uchiha might take this opportunity to stir trouble. How about letting me handle it if things get out of hand?"

Tatsuya's words, coupled with his proximity, made Tsunade's expression shift noticeably.

Despite her reluctance, years as Hokage had unintentionally sharpened her political instincts. Tatsuya's reminder made her realize that if she stepped down in favor of Hatake Sakumo or Minato at this juncture, it could provoke a severe reaction from the Uchiha clan.

Even if the ensuing turmoil was manageable, the consequences could still be dangerous for the village.

Thinking this over, Tsunade gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, I'll stay for now!"

"Feeling sympathetic towards them?" Tatsuya grinned, planting a few more kisses on her cheek.

"Ugh! With you showering affection on those three vixen, it's making me look cruel!" Tsunade snapped, her Tsundere side coming through.

Even though the Uchiha were long-standing enemies of the Senju, the animosity had mostly faded. The Uchiha were now a shell of their former selves, and the Senju were also on the brink of exhaustion. The old rivalry seemed almost irrelevant now.

But more importantly, Tsunade had a soft heart.

"Can you do that? Then I'll..." Tatsuya smirked playfully.

"Get lost!" Tsunade retorted, though her irritation was softened by her feelings for him.

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