"Hokage candidates are decided by..." Shikamaru looked at his notebook. There were paper stacks everywhere.

Naruto was nowhere to be found. Now inside a reality that is a shadow cast underneath the leaf shadow, Shikamaru wakes up knowing only one thing: He must resign.

Who are the candidates? No one stands out. Head of the black ops is Uzumaki Jozero. A shady character, operates under the table. "Reminds me of a certain person from my past incarnation..."

(Danzo...)

But the candidate is an Uzumaki clan member. How can he be so misguided? He has a nephew. Uzumaki Sisda. Sisda? What kind of name is that..?

"The other two candidates are even stranger. Ambitious shinobi, but not the type you would want to trust a village under. All hell would break loose."

Shikamaru concluded his report. "Nonza Katsyuki. The Leaf's highest Jonin assassin. Does her job well enough but not the leadership type by any means. She would certainly be the type to sacrifice teammates left and right. Says she has a son as well. Katsyuki, but omits the clan surname. Just Katsyuki? That's strange. What kind of a mother names her son after herself and doesn't let them have a surname? She's not right in the head... as long as I've known her, that is certain."

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Khan Pabuko, Shikamaru's only trusted assistant, offered his opinion. "Nonza Katsyuki would be a worst case scenario. Jozero is the best we have. You might not be on the same page with him, but..."

"It's not that simple." Shikamaru said. "There's a third candidate to consider as well."

"The...kekkai genkai user?" Pabuko was hesitant. "But Lord Hokage, kekkai genkai is banned since the fall of the Uchiha. Even I know that."

"She's smart. She's kind. She's honest. And, even for her age, a force to be reckoned with," Shikamaru corrected in his report.

Pabuko interjected. "It would be bold of you to even put her on the list of candidates, with Jozero and Nonza on our backs. They would never allow her to give orders out to Jonin who are twice their age. It's like that. You know how it is, Shikamaru. Don't pretend these war hardened elites would just obey some outcast girl with kekkei genkai, let alone that girl! You think you can just promote her to Hokage and no one would bat an eye? There could be outright protest."

Shikamaru scowled, speaking in confident monotone. "Protest against Shetyoko Kodi, the 19-year-old nudist ice-nin? Just try it. That girl has her head higher in the clouds than myself, and I don't say that lightly."

"So she has an arrogant edge about her. That's it?" Pabuko eventually surrendered his intentions to debate Shikamaru. It would be of no use. "I will put the list of candidates out, then. We will work from there... Uzumaki Jozero, Nonza Katsyuki, and.. ugh. Shetyoko Kodi. If that's the list, that's the list."

Shikamaru put the Hokage's hood upon his head once more. "Get to it, then."