Outside the Hokage Building.

After saying this, Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, and his straight back was slightly hunched.

He silently handed the bamboo hat in his hand, which symbolized the power and responsibility of the Hokage, to Nara Shikaku beside him, with deep reluctance in his eyes.

Then, he looked back at the Hokage Building behind him with nostalgia. This majestic building witnessed his hard work for so many years and carried his youth for half of his life.

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly walked down the platform, and every step seemed so heavy.

He silently looked at the steps under his feet, recalling the scene when he had preached the will of fire here. At that time, he was full of passion and high spirits, and the people in the audience were full of respect and admiration for him.

However, now, he felt the undisguised disgust of the crowd, and those eyes were like sharp blades, piercing his heart.

Everyone watched his every move quietly, no one made a sound, and the whole scene was unusually quiet.

They watched the former Hokage leave in silence, and everyone's heart was filled with complex emotions.

Sarutobi Hiruzen walked slowly in the crowd, his figure looked lonely and desolate.

Recalling his glorious achievements in the past, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but laugh at himself. The high-spirited and confident Hokage of the past no longer exists, replaced by an old man who has been corrupted by the desire for power and has become selfish.

He couldn't help but sigh: "In my life, I still haven't been able to keep the will of fire!"

As early as a few years ago, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been the Hokage for more than 30 years and felt exhausted. At that time, he felt that he had done enough for Konoha and it was time to take a break.

So he resolutely resigned from the position of Hokage and handed over this important task to the young and promising Minato Namikaze through the election of the villagers.

However, when he really stepped down from the position of Hokage, a strange feeling came to his heart. He began to miss the busy and fulfilling days before, and felt empty inside, as if he had lost something important.

What's worse is that since he retired, no one has come to give him gifts! The once bustling doorstep has become deserted, and this sense of difference makes him regretful.

Sarutobi Hiruzen began to regret that he had given up the position of Hokage in a fit of rage, but there is no regret medicine in the world, and it's all too late.

He began to realize that power is indeed an attractive opportunity that can bring glory and respect.

Now, he can only accept reality silently and live an ordinary life.

But a few years later, the Nine-Tails Rebellion suddenly broke out in Konoha Village! In order to protect the village, the fourth generation Hokage Minato Namikaze had to seal the Nine-Tails with his own life.

This incident plunged the village into chaos, and there was no leader, and someone was urgently needed to stand up and lead everyone.

Sarutobi Hiruzen keenly observed this and realized that his chance to return to the position of Hokage had come.

So, he used his qualifications and prestige to ascend the throne of Hokage again.

This made his good friend Shimura Danzo so angry that he jumped up and down. Why could Sarutobi Hiruzen be Hokage twice? Because of jealousy in his heart, Shimura Danzo did not give Sarutobi Hiruzen a lot of trouble, but Sarutobi Hiruzen turned a blind eye.

The feeling of becoming Hokage again and mastering power made Sarutobi Hiruzen very excited. The major families that had alienated him now came to curry favor with him again.

This made him realize that he could not lose the position of Hokage no matter what. Although he was over 60 years old, he had never thought of abdicating and letting others take over. He planned to sit in this position until the last moment of his life.

But what happened today brought him back to reality after being lost in the vortex of power. He did do a lot of stupid things because of the expansion of power over the years...

But it was too late. At this time, he had lost the support of the people and there was no way to save it.

Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that from this moment on, he would lose the position of Hokage forever and become a part of history.

But he did not regret it, because he understood that the struggle for power would only hurt more people, and only true peace could bring happiness.

With this realization, Sarutobi Hiruzen silently left the Hokage building, leaving behind a lonely back.

After Sarutobi Hiruzen completely left, the patriarchs of the major families looked at each other.

"Nara Shikaku, what should we do now?"

"Since the Third Hokage has stepped down, who will be the Fifth Hokage?"

Hearing this, Nara Shikaku also fell into deep thought, and he didn't know who to recommend for the position of Hokage for a while...

Uchiha Fugaku was a little excited. He felt that Uchiha's opportunity had come. As long as heIf he could become Hokage, then the Uchiha clan would really rise!

He was about to recommend himself, but at this moment, an inappropriate voice suddenly sounded, making Uchiha Fugaku's face darken.

"The candidate for the fifth generation Hokage must have qualifications and inheritance, and it is best to have an extraordinary relationship with the previous generations of Hokage,

and only those who have a certain prestige in the village are qualified to be Hokage, not just any cat or dog can be Hokage!" Shimura Danzo walked slowly to the podium with a cane, and his voice was full of majesty and unquestionable tone.

Uchiha Fugaku heard this, and a surge of anger suddenly surged in his heart.

He stared at Shimura Danzo, wishing he could rush up and tear the old dog into pieces immediately.

However, he could only suppress his anger, because now was not the time to take action.

Uchiha Fugaku knew that according to Shimura Danzo, only those with a specific background and qualifications could become Hokage, which meant that the Uchiha clan had almost no chance to compete. They had always been an important force in Konoha Village, but they were excluded from the core of power.

Uchiha Fugaku knew that the conditions proposed by Shimura Danzo would be supported by most people. After all, people tend to prefer tradition and qualifications when selecting Hokage.

In this way, the Uchiha clan had no chance to become Hokage. Uchiha Fugaku felt extremely frustrated and disappointed.

He originally thought that he could win some voice for the Uchiha clan with his own strength and the influence of his family.

But now, they have to face reality and accept the fate of being marginalized.

It's just a pity for him, Uchiha, as one of the two major families that founded Konoha, there is no position for Hokage in the clan, not to mention a position for a high-level Konoha...

As Uchiha Fugaku thought, everyone agreed with Shimura Danzo's words.

"This is a good suggestion!"

"I support this suggestion!"

Nara Shikaku's eyes lit up, "He has qualifications, heritage, is related to the previous Hokage, and has a certain reputation in the village... I know who this person is!"

Hearing this, Shimura Danzo's mouth curled up, and he looked at Nara Shikaku with appreciation, "As expected of a member of the Nara clan, he is so smart!"

The conditions proposed by Shimura Danzo were tailor-made for him, and he met almost every requirement perfectly.

He was asking questions based on the answers!