That very night, news spread like wildfire across Konoha.
Namely, that Minato Namikaze had managed to offend both the Uchiha and the Hyūga clans in a single evening.
Almost overnight, the entire village was buzzing with discussion. Word was that Minato, once he became Hokage, intended to interfere in the internal affairs of the major clans. The reactions were… divided.
Many ordinary ninja believed Minato wasn't wrong. After all, quite a few clans still clung to outdated, harsh systems inherited from the Warring States Era. Reform was long overdue.
But just as many felt Minato's hand was reaching too far.
Was it truly wise to entrust the village to someone who would pry into clan autonomy?
Among all the factions, none reacted more fiercely than the Uchiha and the Hyūga.
The majority of the Uchiha flatly declared they would never relinquish control of the Konoha Military Police Force—even if Minato became the Fourth Hokage.
The Hyūga response was even sharper.
Several elders of the Main House publicly criticized Minato for "failing to grasp the bigger picture," declaring that he was wholly unfit to become Hokage.
The political winds were shifting.
And someone was very pleased.
Root Headquarters
"Hahahahaha! That Namikaze brat has cut off his own path!"
Inside the dimly lit Root base, Danzō Shimura burst into laughter after hearing the full report.
Originally, he had planned to wait until Minato assumed the Hokage's seat. Once Minato was securely in power, Danzō would subtly inflame tensions between the Uchiha and the village, ignite a larger crisis, and let Minato shoulder the blame. When the dust settled and Konoha found itself leaderless and unstable, Danzō would step forward to "restore order" as the Fifth Hokage.
But now?
Perhaps he didn't need to wait for a fifth generation.
Perhaps the Fourth could be his.
"Uchiha… Hyūga…"
He narrowed his visible eye in thought.
"Terai. Arrange a meeting with Hyūga Hiashi tomorrow at noon. I want to speak with him personally. And prepare a full report on every major clan in the village—their current difficulties, their needs. Mark everything clearly."
"Yes."
A Root shinobi emerged from the shadows and bowed.
"Wait."
Danzō paused, his thoughts turning deeper.
"Reschedule the meeting with Hiashi to the evening. Prepare Subject One and Tenzō in Laboratory One. I will visit Orochimaru first."
Negotiations required leverage.
The stronger the cards in your hand, the more likely others would fold.
If he could secure Orochimaru's support, that would be his first trump card.
With Orochimaru backing him, persuading the Hyūga would become far easier.
And once the Hyūga stood with him, they too would become a powerful piece on his board.
With Orochimaru and the Hyūga in hand, what minor clan would dare refuse?
Even the Uchiha would one day kneel and submit.
The Hokage's seat—
Belonged to him.
Who else could possibly take it?
That Same Night — Hiruzen's Residence
At nearly the same time, Minato—who had only just gotten into bed—was awakened by an ANBU operative and urgently summoned to Hiruzen Sarutobi's home.
"Minato, you were too impulsive!"
Hiruzen's face was dark with frustration as he scolded him.
Minato stood calmly. "Hokage-sama, I was not acting on impulse. Those were my genuine thoughts. Don't you believe the Military Police is ill-suited to the Uchiha?"
"And the Hyūga's Main and Branch House system has long-standing contradictions. Members of the Main House can sentence Branch House members to death at will. That isn't fair. The Branch House are villagers too."
Hiruzen faltered for a moment.
The logic was sound.
But governance was not merely about logic.
Ironically, Minato's youthful idealism was one of the reasons Hiruzen had chosen him as successor in the first place.
After a pause, Hiruzen spoke in a patient tone.
"Minato… the world is not perfect. You must learn to compromise."
"Take the Hyūga issue. They understand their internal contradictions better than anyone. But to prevent their Byakugan from falling into foreign hands, they feel they have no choice."
"Yes, the Branch House bears grievances. But if both sides accept the arrangement… what right does the Hokage have to force change?"
Minato's voice lowered. "Is it truly acceptance? Or is it that they have no choice but to accept? The Branch House's lives are literally in the hands of the Main House."
Hiruzen fell silent again.
There was truth in that.
But there was also something he did not say aloud:
A divided Hyūga was easier to manage than a unified one.
Stability mattered more than fairness.
Finally, Hiruzen exhaled.
"Enough. Do not raise these matters again—for now."
"The Hokage must consider the bigger picture. As long as the Hyūga handle their affairs without disrupting village stability, sometimes we must turn a blind eye."
Minato went quiet.
Truly quiet.
Part of his earlier confrontation had been performance. But part of it had been sincere.
He had always hoped to address the injustice within the Hyūga system.
He had suspected the political reasoning behind the village's inaction.
But hearing it spoken plainly—
He found it hard to agree with Hiruzen's philosophy.
Hiruzen, however, was practical.
Power would eventually pass to Minato. As long as things remained stable while Hiruzen still had strength to maintain order, that was enough.
What happened after he stepped down…
Or after he died—
That would no longer be his burden.
"Listen carefully," Hiruzen continued.
"Both the Uchiha and the Hyūga are major clans. Their jōnin hold voting rights. Your path to becoming Fourth Hokage may depend on those votes."
"I will help repair your relationship with them. For the next few days, follow my arrangements. Teach at the Academy. Visit the hospital. Volunteer at the orphanage."
"Leave the political maneuvering to me."
"One rule, Minato: do less, make fewer mistakes. Do nothing, make none at all. This is a critical period. You must not stumble."
Minato sighed softly.
"I understand."
But whether he truly did—
Was another matter entirely.
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