But in the very next second, Tsunade came to her senses.
It really was a way to cut all knots with a single stroke: if she became Hokage, all the current problems would solve themselves.
But she had never even considered it before.
Besides, Hiruzen Sarutobi was in his prime, renowned as a great shinobi, and over all these years, he hadn't shown a single sign of decline.
Replace him now?..
"You don't have to accept right away. You can even refuse outright—it's okay," Uchiha Ran smiled, gently reassuring her. "Even if you make your decision after I'm gone, I'll still help you from the shadows. What's more, I have a feeling: one day, even if not because of me, harsh reality will force you to consider becoming Hokage."
"Even if not because of you, reality will still make me think about the Hokage position?" Tsunade repeated, catching the certainty in his voice. "Ran, do you know something?"
"I can't give you exact information or concrete proof right now. Are you sure you want to hear it?" he asked seriously.
"I do!" Tsunade replied without hesitation. She was desperate to grasp any chance that might make Ran stay.
If she could find the right reason, she might actually take the leap.
"All right," Uchiha Ran made his choice. "Tsunade, all these years in the pharmaceutical division, I wasn't just making medicine. I found something."
"The pharmaceutical division? What exactly?" Tsunade frowned.
Uchiha Ran chuckled.
"Over the years, I've developed many new drugs, provided exact formulas, and improved numerous production methods. And yet, oddly enough, the division's reports to the village kept showing a steady increase in material losses—year after year."
"And at least twenty percent of the medicines I created never showed up in Konoha at all. They weren't even strategic drugs... But if you put those two facts together, with your intellect, you know exactly what that means."
"Utata ne Koharu is abusing her position for personal gain?" Tsunade clenched her fists, quickly drawing the conclusion.
Uchiha Ran nodded and added:
"All these years, she's been hanging around the supply division more than her own home. And the result? Even though the village borders have long stabilized and the number of troops on the front lines has dropped, the shipments of supplies beyond Konoha only kept increasing."
"God..." A chill ran down Tsunade's spine.
The two village elders were secretly exploiting Konoha's resources for their own benefit?
What kind of nightmare was this?..
"Ran, how did you find all this out?" she asked quickly.
She didn't doubt his words—she just wanted to understand the details.
"There's no need to explain Koharu's case: no one knows better than I do how much the efficiency of medicine production improved with my changes. That's one of the main reasons she wants me dead so badly. The hatred is just a convenient excuse."
"As for Mitokado Homura..." Ran smirked. "When I was preparing to escape, I constantly made 'accidental' observations at the village gates. In the end, I spent two years carefully watching every person, every cart, every load going in and out of Konoha."
"That's how I gathered precise data. I'm sure Homura still has no idea someone caught on to his schemes. After all, who in their right mind would stand at the gates every day, taking detailed notes for two whole years? Even the rotating guards didn't notice a thing."
"And Hiruzen-sensei?.. He doesn't know anything?" Tsunade finally voiced the real question, quietly.
"Of course he knows," Uchiha Ran said with a wry smile. "Koharu's greed is too obvious. While I was improving formulas day by day, her reported losses kept increasing. Hiruzen Sarutobi isn't a fool."
"But he didn't do anything about it?" Tsunade asked in disbelief.
"He probably did," Ran continued. "A few times, Koharu lashed out at me especially viciously. Once, she even slipped and said: 'It's one thing if Sarutobi throws dirty looks my way—but you, you little freak, how dare you talk back to me?!' That really surprised me at the time. Can you picture Hiruzen Sarutobi openly showing his displeasure to Koharu?"
"That's when I dared to assume he'd found out about her schemes, was furious, and scolded her. But Hiruzen has one fatal flaw: he's obsessed with his reputation. He tries to handle everything in a way that doesn't let a single speck of dirt land on the Hokage's name."
"And that's why I call it a flaw, not a virtue. Because at the root of it lies a simple craving—for glory, for power, for recognition. Once a man falls into that, he loses his judgment. In his drive to preserve his spotless image, Hiruzen grew more and more entangled in his own obsession. And that leads to two possible outcomes."
"First: he could start neglecting everything and everyone for the sake of his honor. If that were the case, I'd even respect him—it would mean he was truly loyal to the village. But clearly, Hiruzen isn't that kind of person. Second: he becomes completely dependent on the opinions of those around him, acting out of constant fear of making a mistake."
"Do you see where that leads? His will grows weaker and weaker. So weak that anyone close to him can sway his decisions. Especially old comrades who know him inside and out. They start manipulating him, pulling his strings. All it takes is one of them showing disapproval, and to him, it's like the sky is falling. He'll bend over backwards to please everyone, terrified of disappointing them—especially if all three elders gang up on him."
"Picture it: a Hokage who has to second-guess everyone's opinion before making a move. And not for the sake of political balance, not to stabilize the situation…"
"But simply because he's scared people might think he's unworthy. Pathetic, isn't it? And because of that, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned a blind eye to corruption at the very top of the village."
"This all started two years ago. But instead of stopping, Utatane Koharu just got bolder. And to this day, no one's punished her. In any other village, a crime like that would've cost the culprit their head. No other Kage would put up with it."
"And Hiruzen just looked the other way. As if nothing happened. What's more, I'm almost sure: not only did they break him… they eventually pulled him in too. At least, the facts speak for themselves: the Sarutobi clan suddenly became much wealthier, pouring significant effort into training their own shinobi."
"You wouldn't believe," Ran laughed, "how funny Koharu could be sometimes. As much as I despise her, she had her moments. Her biggest weakness? She just can't keep her mouth shut. All it took was a little nudge—no questions asked—and she'd start blurting out secret after secret. Ha, it was honestly entertaining."
"That's why she wanted me dead so badly: she knew perfectly well she'd already said too much. And only my death could guarantee her secrets stayed buried."