Chapter 73.4- One Thousand Hands

Uzume prepared to reply so I just cut in, “So you mean to convince them to vote our way, we had to convince them that we didn’t need their votes?” I asked, incredulously.

“The Clan heads are a complicated bunch. If they felt you needed them then they would either have held out to extract concessions or withdrawn support to extract concessions from Hiruzen instead.” She said.

“They would have backed him as Kage? Even with that report?” Uzume wasn’t the only one shocked.

“No. But they would have blocked Shori’s coup and then allowed Hiruzen resign with honour and pick a successor.”

“Good thing that isn’t going to happen then”

“I can toast to that,” She said, lifting her cup with her single hand instead of two like would have been proper. I stared at the stump and swore my oath again. I had to do it. One way or another.

“So I will move the motion once the meeting begins and present the report, Nara Kagame will testify to its veracity and you will abstain from all the voting. Uzume, you just focus on having that scary expression on your face and bullying the others into submission. By the end of the day, you will be Hokage, Shorirama” I smiled, feeling my cheeks stretch without my consent and remain pulled that way.

XXXXXXX

“I vote yes” Uzume, one.

“I vote yes” Shikahime, two. Even as she gave me a look that said she was far from pleased at being kept out of the loop. I would make it up to her, I knew. Of course, I cursed myself as I decided that. Four clans now, I owed loyalty to.

“I abstain” Cousin Tsunade spoke, looking at me like I had stolen her favourite cookie.

“I vote yes” Inoken, three.

“I vote yes” Choni’s uncle next. four.

“I vote yes” Mateo Fuma, five.

“I vote no”, the Shimura representative— I cared little for his name tossed his vote out there.

“I vote yes” Kenpachi Onokuma, six.

“I vote no” Kagami Sarutobi, Hiruzen’s first son spoke, glaring around him.

“I vote yes” Kimiko Inuzuka, seven.

“I vote yes” Ayame Kurama, eight.

“I vote yes” Shito Aburame said in his customary whisper, nine. Good, he had been a loose canon.

“I vote yes” Kito Izuno spoke, clearly seeing where the ship had turned.

“I vote yes” Uraume, eleven.

“I vote yes” Me, twelve.

“With twelve votes assenting to two dissenting and one abstention, the motion to remove Hiruzen Sarutobi as Hokage for lacking fitness passes and will be forwarded to the Daimyo for assent.” I said. That would have been another lengthy process for anyone else, but this is where my trump card came in. His guards escorted him in and the Council paused in shock before rising.

He stepped next to me, looked at the motion paper I’d presented before calling for his seal. In a matter of seconds, the reign of Hiruzen Sarutobi, third Hokage of Konoha, came to an inglorious end.

“I look forward to working with you” the Daimyo said, squeezing my shoulder as he left.