After returning from the battlefield, the Higashino family enjoyed a few leisurely and relaxed days.
As meritorious contributors on the battlefield, all their achievements had been earned with their lives. After coming back, they only needed to enjoy the flowers and applause, while the village's administrative departments had far more to consider.
They had to busy themselves transitioning Konohagakure from a wartime state back to normalcy. The surviving shinobi needed their merits verified and reward items discussed. The fallen shinobi required their names checked and the total amount of compensation calculated, so it could be reported to the Daimyō for accounting.
Some departments had even already begun preparing for the Hokage handover.
During these days, rumors spread throughout the village. However, one rumor could be confirmed: the Third would step down before long. This had almost become public information and had been circulating for quite some time.
With that, the voices that had harbored some resentment toward the Third and other high-level officials during this war disappeared. After all, he was resigning because of it—what more did you want?
Your relatives had only lost their lives. What the old man was losing was the authority of the Hokage.
Thus, the village's rumors evolved into a guessing game over who would become the Fourth.
The biggest favorite was naturally Namikaze Minato, but there were also many who supported Orochimaru. After all, his qualifications were there for all to see—he lacked neither status nor merit, and he had quite a few die-hard supporters.
There were also quite a number who supported Jiraiya. However, once someone explained that Jiraiya was Minato's teacher, the two men's supporters overlapped. In any case, whether master or disciple became Hokage, it was all the same.
Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hiashi were even included in the discussion list, though hardly anyone supported them.
Just because Makoto had spoken so decisively to Fugaku did not mean everyone knew that Minato would become the Fourth Hokage.
This was actually caused by an information gap. It was not because Makoto, as a transmigrator, possessed innate knowledge. Rather, only by having contact with all these high-level figures, understanding their backgrounds, and being aware of certain shifts in the upper echelon's direction could one judge the final outcome.
How would ordinary shinobi or villagers normally have access to such things? In the end, they could only rely on guesswork.
It was just like stock trading in Makoto's previous life. The real stock gods were never among the common people—they were sitting inside the White House.
If someone wanted to know what level their status occupied in Konohagakure, it was actually very simple: just see whom they could come into contact with, and to what extent of information channels they had access.
As for genin, chūnin, and jōnin? Those were merely standards of strength-based rank. One could not say they had no relation at all to your importance in Konohagakure—but one could only say the relation was not significant.
...
The 19th, evening — Yakiniku Q.
With the war over and the normal mission system not yet resumed, it was rare for everyone to have time. Today was a good day for a classmates-and-friends gathering.
The small circle gathered around Makoto was still the same eight people they'd always hung out with: Hayate and Yūgao; Hyūga Tokuma's squad; Shisui, who had been dragged out of the Uchiha clan compound; plus Tsubaki, a classmate of Hayate's.
As for that husky bastard named Rocky? Ever since Makoto carved the dog's head into an Earth-Style Wall and used it to scare off the Kumogakure shinobi—and word of it spread around Konohagakure—this guy had been living extremely well within the Inuzuka clan. Where would he find the time to come to some bullshit gathering?
Was it that the other dogs' flattery wasn't pleasing enough to the ear, or that the pretty female dogs weren't fragrant anymore?
The aroma of barbecue was tempting, and everyone raised and clinked cups. Unfortunately, they were all minors and couldn't drink alcohol, so their cups were filled with juice.
Tokuma, the optimist, took a satisfied bite of grilled meat and said, "Yo, our hero—pretty rare for you to have time to come out for a meal. Not being Mommy's baby at home anymore?"
Makoto felt this guy was just a husky wearing human skin. He didn't know if Tokuma was usually stifled by the Hyūga clan's stiff, strict atmosphere, but when he was with friends, Tokuma always let himself go a bit.
"The village is busy as hell right now. You think everyone's like us?"
"Then what are you hiding at home every day for? Training again? You're already that strong—still not satisfied? How are the rest of us supposed to live?"
"My foolish brother Tokuma, training has no end."
"Ma, then why don't you teach us some training secrets? I really want to fly up into the sky too."
Because everyone was so familiar, they spoke without much restraint. Also, they really wanted to hear experience from a peer genius, so each of them perked up their ears.
"I've said this before. When you've trained chakra shape transformation and nature transformation to a deep level, a lot of methods can naturally be done. For example, short-term flight is just an application of the light, flowing property of Wind Release chakra."
Tokuma, deflated, chugged a cup of juice. "So it's still like this. The problem is none of us are as freakish as you. Most importantly, I don't even have Wind Release."
That was how the ninja world was. Everyone understood many of the basic theories behind ninjutsu—especially the children of shinobi clans—but understanding and being able to do it were two different concepts.
Makoto's core competitiveness was that kind of ultimate control over chakra brought by the body modifications from white natural energy.
That couldn't be taught—teach it to one person and one person would die. If others couldn't do it, they couldn't do it.
Everyone quickly lost interest in it. With Tokuma's big mouth, he rapidly dragged everyone's level down to that of Konohagakure's unruly riffraff, and they started discussing who would succeed as the Fourth.
After a brief discussion that did not involve any confidential information, the conclusion they reached was still Namikaze Minato.
After all, no one was blind; everyone had basic analytical ability.
Jiraiya was lingering on the front lines and refusing to return. Orochimaru's whereabouts were a mystery and he could not be seen. Only Minato was going in and out of the Hokage Tower on a daily basis—the answer was already laid out in plain sight.
As for Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hiashi, Shisui and Tokuma, who understood their own clans' situations, knew even more clearly than civilian shinobi that it was impossible.
But this conclusion angered someone in the adjacent booth.
"Hmph!" She let out a heavy snort, slapped the dining table with one palm, then rushed over in a blaze of fury. "You guys—why are you so certain? Don't you think Orochimaru-sensei is more qualified?"
Makoto raised his eyes and looked. Oh, so it was Mitarashi Anko. No wonder she was so anxious.
Tokuma did not indulge her. "Is your brain not working? Isn't it obvious?"
"Bastard, who are you calling brainless?"
At that moment, Anko's two teammates ran over. One of them was a member of Tokuma's clan, named Hyūga Tetsu. He grabbed Tokuma and pressed him back into his seat. "Tokuma, say less."
The other was a bespectacled boy with light-brown curly hair, wearing round-framed glasses, somewhat similar to Yakushi Kabuto in the future. Makoto remembered that his name was Akado Manabu.
"Sorry for the disturbance, everyone. My teammate isn't in a good mood. My apologies!" Manabu said as he apologized, dragging Anko back into their booth.
A small disagreement was easily resolved under the mediation of their respective teammates.
Well, of course Anko had teammates. Orochimaru himself was a jōnin squad leader, so naturally he would not have taken only Anko as a disciple. Just like Jiraiya's team did not consist of Minato alone—there were two other teammates, from the Akimichi and Inuzuka clans.
It was just like planets that are too close to a star being difficult to notice. The light Minato emitted was too dazzling, weakening the sense of presence of quite a few people of the same generation.
It could only be said that Anko had probably had fewer opportunities to come into contact with her teacher recently and had no other means of obtaining information. She was still immersed in the fantasy that her teacher would absolutely become the Fourth Hokage.
Makoto, however, knew that on the second day after they returned, the Konoha F4 had already gone to the Land of Fire's capital to meet the Daimyō.
Jirō had gone this afternoon to attend a meeting of the jōnin class and had not yet returned.
In other words, the process of meeting the Daimyō to recommend a successor and obtaining official recognition had already been completed, and it had now entered the stage where the jōnin class cast their vote of confidence.
At this stage, things generally would not get stuck—unless the Hokage candidate was too outrageous and the jōnin did not want him to take the position.
A certain "5.5th Hokage": Am I outrageous? I am the darkness of the shinobi world. I devoted my entire life to Konohagakure.
The final result did not exceed anyone's expectations.
Early in the morning of October 20, a notice was posted in front of the Hokage Tower: Namikaze Minato would succeed as Konohagakure's Fourth Hokage, and the ceremony would be held at 11 a.m.
The news quickly spread through the streets and alleys of Konohagakure.
In fact, the necessary procedures had already been completed. What needed to be explained had already been privately discussed between Hiruzen and Minato. The so-called succession ceremony was merely a formality carried out before the people of Konohagakure.
Not important, yet very necessary—it was a declaration of the Hokage's legitimacy.
As the time approached, ordinary residents and shinobi in Konohagakure who had free time began gathering in batches toward the open space in front of the Hokage Tower.
When the time arrived, on the rooftop of the Hokage Building, in the presence of the Konoha F3, the heads of the various clans, several jōnin representatives, and his own girlfriend Uzumaki Kushina, Minato received from Hiruzen the ceremonial hat symbolizing the authority of the Hokage.
Hiruzen: "I leave it to you, Fourth."
Minato placed the hat upon his head. "I am willing to dedicate my life, Third-sama!"
The dense crowd below was unusually silent—so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping. They watched as Minato took the hat from the Third, as though the transfer of authority had been completed.
Then they watched as Minato stepped to the edge of the rooftop, removed the hat and held it in his hand, looking down at everyone below.
"From today onward, I, Namikaze Minato, officially assume the position of Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure. For the peace and prosperity of this village, I will give everything I have. From now on, I ask for everyone's support. Let us work hard together. Please, everyone!"
The crowd ignited like a barrel of gunpowder, erupting with a thunderous roar.
"Fourth-sama!"
"Long live the Hokage!"
"Long live Konoha!"
Amid the boundless outpouring of emotion, Konohagakure officially entered the era led by the Fourth Hokage.
Standing at the front of the crowd, dragged there by his friend Guy, Kakashi looked at his teacher in shock. At that moment, the gloom in his heart was dispelled by the newly appointed Hokage and by the stirring cheers of all Konohagakure. It was as if he had seen the sunlight once again.
Among the crowd, however, Makoto was looking at Hiruzen behind Minato.
Konohagakure had a new Hokage. What should be done with the old one?
Would anyone be willing to come collect him?
It would be best if he were collected.
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