UTBW: Ch. 80

In a high-level ward of the convalescence department at Konoha Hospital, a voluptuous blonde woman quietly walked into the room.

She wore a loose, sleeveless gray kimono, with a tea-green outer robe trimmed in black. Her mature air carried a clean, sharp elegance. Yet her skin was as smooth and delicate as a girl in her early twenties, without a trace of wrinkles.

On her forehead was a bluish-purple diamond-shaped mark. Within that mark was sealed a massive amount of chakra.

"Sensei..." Tsunade looked sorrowfully at the unconscious Hiruzen Sarutobi lying in the hospital bed and softly said, "I never thought you'd one day end up like this."

She sighed and placed her hand on his forehead. From her fingertips, a gentle green light of medical ninjutsu began to glow.

After a moment of examination, she pulled her hand back, her expression dim, and said with sadness, "Ruptured blood vessels, severe ischemia, resulting in widespread brain tissue necrosis."

"This isn't just paralysis. There'll be dementia, breathing irregularities, organ failure... You're never leaving the intensive care unit for the rest of your life."

Shaking her head, she effectively delivered a death sentence. This kind of condition had begun appearing recently.

Hiruzen's consciousness was deteriorating day by day. His temper had grown erratic and violent. More than a few nurses had been reduced to tears by his outbursts.

"Sigh..." Tsunade took one last look at Hiruzen, as if remembering her former teacher, and then exited the ward.

Next, she visited Koharu and Homura. Their condition was slightly better than Hiruzen's, but they too were bedridden for life and incontinent. Such debilitating states, while still mentally aware, brought even deeper suffering.

"All three have fallen." A flash of suspicion crossed Tsunade's mind, but after thinking about it, she didn't dwell on it.

Though it seemed coincidental, the three were already of advanced age, clinging tightly to power that had been later dismantled by Junichi.

Their clans had been effectively wiped out. With this dual blow, ending up like this was plausible.

Tsunade soon dismissed her suspicions. Leaving the rehabilitation ward, she headed to the hospital rooftop.

On the rooftop, a man with long white hair, wearing wooden clogs and red facial markings, was already leaning against the railing, letting the wind blow across his face.

Seeing her approach, the man asked hopefully, "Is there still any chance for sensei?"

"No chance." Tsunade shook her head. "Even if I had been there at the time, the outcome wouldn't be much better than it is now."

"How could this be..." The man froze in disbelief.

"Jiraiya, the human brain is a precise and fragile thing," Tsunade said, pointing to her own head. "It's not like muscle, where you can roughly stimulate cell activity with medical ninjutsu. Whether it regenerates too much or too little doesn't matter much. But not the brain. The blood vessels inside are as thin as threads. Even a deviation of one millimeter could lead to disaster."

She shook her head, her expression turning cold.

"In short, sensei and the others are beyond saving. Just consider them already dead."

Hearing this, the hope in Jiraiya's eyes extinguished swiftly. His face filled with grief.

Silence fell over the rooftop. Only the quiet evening breeze continued to blow gently.

But life had to go on. Tsunade's expression regained its calm, and Jiraiya also steadied himself emotionally.

The two of them leaped down from the rooftop and left the hospital.

---

In a secluded residence at the Senju clan grounds, more than twenty jonin were gathered in the living room.

Seeing Tsunade and Jiraiya enter, they all rose and bowed respectfully at a ninety-degree angle, saying, "Lady Tsunade, Jiraiya-sama, welcome back!"

"Alright, sit down." Tsunade responded listlessly and walked straight to the seat of honor.

Jiraiya followed and sat beside her.

Once the two were seated, the others also sat down, kneeling properly on their cushions with straight backs, gazing at Tsunade with anticipation.

These people represented the full might of Konoha. They were essentially an alternative Jonin Council.

And the purpose of this gathering was clear: To confirm the next Hokage.

"For the Fifth Hokage, let's go with Tsunade." Jiraiya was the first to speak, smiling as he gestured to Tsunade beside him. "I'll stay in the village to assist her."

"Tch..." Tsunade clicked her tongue in annoyance, but didn't object. She merely sighed and rubbed her forehead. "As much as I hate taking on this hassle, given the situation, I can't just sit by and watch the village my grandfather built be destroyed. So..."

She took a deep breath. Her gaze suddenly turned sharp and commanding as she declared with force. "The position of Fifth Hokage belongs to no one but me!"

"Ohh!!" The twenty-some jonin representatives trembled with excitement. If the occasion were more casual, they probably would've screamed with joy.

After enduring the Uchiha clan's tyranny for so long, the turning point had finally arrived. As long as Tsunade became Hokage, Konoha's springtime would return.

"Lady Tsunade, no time should be wasted," one representative said excitedly. "How about we hold the meeting and begin the voting process tomorrow?"

With that, the other representatives quickly chimed in support, "Yes, and send the election results directly to the daimyō."

"If it's Lady Tsunade, he will definitely have no objections."

"We must bring Konoha back to a proper state!"

"The Uchiha are too arrogant, it's time they were put in their place!"

Hearing all their passionate outcry, Tsunade remained calm, though her eyes darkened slightly with thought. She already understood how terrifying Junichi was.

This enemy lacked the usual arrogant flaws typical of the Uchiha clan. Not only was he powerful, but his political cunning ran deep. He was practically a "perfect" adversary.

Even her former teacher had been driven into a cerebral hemorrhage, now spending his final days in a hospital bed. That alone spoke volumes about how dangerous Junichi was.

"Rest assured, I won't let the village fall into the hands of a ruthless, tyrannical madman!" Tsunade declared in a deep voice.

"That's right." Jiraiya nodded in agreement and added, "And I won't just let what happened to sensei slide, either!"

Hearing this, the attending representatives beamed with delight. Tsunade and Jiraiya's resolve to fight was just what they needed. What they feared most was that the Fifth Hokage would be another gentle soul, someone trying to appease or negotiate with the Uchiha clan.

That was unacceptable.

The village's power and benefits had long since been divided.

The Uchiha clan, after being gradually stripped of influence by the Second and Third Hokage, had lost much of their share, now sitting in the stomachs of these very men.

If the Uchiha clan rose again, the entire balance of power would be reset.

All that they had once seized might have to be given back. No one was willing to accept that.

"Tomorrow, we convene the full jonin assembly and begin the vote for the Fifth Hokage," Tsunade declared boldly, waving her hand.

"Yes!!" The representatives bowed deeply, overwhelmed with excitement.