Chapter 874 Unforeseen Ascension
As the distant sound of firecrackers echoed through the air and the cheers of the crowd reverberated across the village, ‘Madara' stood at the edge of a cliff outside Konoha Village, wearing his distinctive red and black mask. Beside him stood Hyuga Aoki, who had recently defected from Konoha. However, Aoki's calm and unsupported standing posture indicated that he was not the real Aoki, but rather a puppet that closely resembled his original body.
Despite Shinichi's disruptive actions, Aoki managed to form an alliance with the Akatsuki Organization. In exchange for providing information about Yama, the Amatsukami Organization, and the Ōtsutsuki Clan, he received a powerful puppet as a valuable asset.
With his Byakugan activated, Aoki observed the scene from a distance, and a smile played on his lips. "It appears that the Godaime Hokage has been elected," he remarked.
The Byakugan embedded in the puppet's eye sockets did not belong to Aoki himself. It had been taken from the Hyuga Elder whom Aoki had assassinated a few years ago during his ill-fated attempt to access the forbidden section of the Hyuga Clan's domain. However, due to the considerable distance, even with the high purity of the Byakugan, Aoki was unable to discern the exact situation atop the Hokage building. He could only surmise from the jubilant cheers and celebratory noise that the Godaime Hokage of Konoha had been officially announced.
As the two figures silently observed the village below, the air hung heavy as the two former Konoha ninjas stared at the distant village where a new chapter of history was unfolding.
‘Madara' turned his gaze towards Aoki. "Who do you believe has the highest likelihood of being elected?" he inquired curiously.
Aoki didn’t even ponder for a moment and responded confidently, "It must be the Patriarch of the Uchiha Clan." He paused, a subtle chuckle escaping his lips. "There is no chance for a member of the branch family, bound by the Cursed Seal and fated to live as mere servants, to ascend to the position of Hokage. A bird in the cage would never be allowed to soar the skies, it would always be chained within the cage."
While Aoki's tone held a hint of amusement, his eyes conveyed his utmost seriousness. Having been part of the Hyuga branch family himself, he understood the political standing of branch members within the Hyuga Clan and the village as a whole. To put it bluntly, they were deemed inferior, sometimes even beneath the status of civilian ninjas. With this knowledge, Aoki was convinced that a branch member could never emerge victorious over the formidable Uchiha Clan Patriarch and secure leadership through the Vote of Confidence.
‘Madara' nodded, contemplating Aoki's words. Recollections of his time in the ninja school resurfaced, reminding him that Hyuga Kuroto, even back then, had shown little promise in terms of surpassing him. He acknowledged the unlikelihood of Kuroto's victory, as he was unwilling to accept the idea that someone he had easily bested in the past could rise to the position of Hokage.