Hokage Tower — Hokage's Office
"The Crimson Sun… it seems nicknames are rarely wrong. Uchiha Ren 's Fire Release has already reached an extraordinary level. Every move burns like the sun itself—even the temperature of the surrounding area has risen."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with a grave expression. His tone revealed clear wariness toward Uchiha Ren .
He had watched the entire spar between Ren and Minato Namikaze through the crystal ball using the Telescope Technique, and he now had a rough understanding of Ren 's current strength.
Though he was reluctant to admit it, Hiruzen knew one thing clearly—
He was no match for Uchiha Ren .
Unlike Minato, he did not possess overwhelming mobility. Facing Ren 's devastating Fire Release techniques, his only option would be to counter them with equally powerful ninjutsu.
But he was already old.
In a direct clash, he simply could not outlast Ren .
Especially that final slash.
Hiruzen knew he would not have been able to stop it.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen turned toward Minato, who looked utterly exhausted after the battle.
"Minato," he asked slowly, "if you had no restraints—if you could fight without worrying about the village—would you be confident in defeating Uchiha Ren ?"
Although Minato had technically lost the spar, Hiruzen understood the circumstances.
Minato had been concerned about the safety of the village. In order to prevent collateral damage to Konoha, he had abandoned the fighting style he was most skilled at and ended up fighting within Ren 's rhythm.
If Minato could fight without those constraints, the result might have been different.
Minato gave a bitter smile.
"Lord Hokage, the essence of my Flying Thunder God Technique is sudden attacks."
"But Uchiha Ren understands my abilities very well. Against him, the element of surprise loses much of its meaning."
"Secondly, once Ren activates his self-created Fire Release Chakra Mode, his speed is no weaker than the Raikage of Kumogakure."
"And in critical moments, he can even transform his body into flames—something similar to the Hōzuki Clan's Hydrification Technique—to avoid damage."
"With all those advantages…"
Minato paused briefly before continuing.
"Even if I had no restraints, I can only guarantee that I wouldn't lose."
"But I also cannot guarantee victory."
Hiruzen's brows furrowed deeply.
Still unwilling to give up, he asked:
"Even if you used Sage Mode?"
Minato shook his head again.
"Lord Hokage, I'm actually not very proficient with Sage Mode."
"To enter it, I must spend time preparing beforehand—and I can't maintain it for long."
"After using just a few senjutsu techniques, the natural energy runs out."
"If I want to maintain Sage Mode for a long time, I would need help from the two Great Sages of Mount Myōboku, just like Jiraiya-sensei."
"But summoning them consumes a huge amount of chakra. Even Jiraiya-sensei needs time to prepare."
"If I tried it… I might collapse from chakra exhaustion the moment they appear."
"So overall, the cost of using Sage Mode is too high. It's not worth it."
Hiruzen sighed heavily and shook his head.
If the problem were in other areas, there might still be ways to compensate.
But chakra reserves were largely a matter of innate talent.
Even someone like him, who had access to all of Konoha's resources, could do little about it.
Of course, Minato's chakra reserves were not actually small.
They only appeared insufficient because the Flying Thunder God Technique consumed enormous chakra.
"…Wait."
Suddenly, a thought crossed Hiruzen's mind.
He looked at Minato—and recalled the image of Minato's fiancée, Kushina Uzumaki.
Everyone knew that becoming a jinchūriki had both advantages and disadvantages.
But one of its greatest advantages was obvious—
A jinchūriki essentially possessed a living tailed-beast battery.
Minato's own chakra might be somewhat lacking to become a jinchūriki…
But he was highly skilled in Fūinjutsu (Sealing Techniques), which could compensate for that weakness.
If Minato became a jinchūriki, his strength would undoubtedly increase dramatically.
The more Hiruzen thought about it, the more reasonable the idea seemed.
Of course, he was not considering Kushina herself.
The Nine-Tails sealed within Kushina was Konoha's ultimate weapon.
Unless absolutely necessary, it could not be moved.
However—
At this moment, the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, Killer B of Kumogakure, was still imprisoned within Konoha.
If Konoha wanted to claim the Eight-Tails, it could practically do so without effort.
But the consequence would be Kumogakure's furious retaliation.
The pros and cons would require careful consideration.
For now, Hiruzen set the thought aside and returned to the main topic.
"Minato, what about the other matters? Did the Uchiha clan agree?"
Minato nodded with a slight smile.
"Uchiha Ren has already agreed to fully support my candidacy as the Fourth Hokage."
"He even said the Konoha Military Police Force could relinquish part of its authority."
"…However…"
Minato hesitated.
Hiruzen immediately pressed him.
"However what?"
Minato continued:
"Ren said he can divide the Military Police's authority into several parts."
"But he thinks the conditions you offered… are too low."
"He also plans to invite all the clans in the village to participate in drafting the village's laws."
"How much influence each clan gains will depend on how much they are willing to pay."
Hiruzen let out a cold chuckle.
"Waiting for the highest bidder, is he? That Uchiha Ren is quite greedy."
Although he said this aloud, Hiruzen actually felt relieved.
His hostility toward Ren lessened considerably.
For Hiruzen, greed was not frightening.
What frightened him was someone who had no desires at all.
Hiruzen spoke again.
"I'll personally talk with him about this matter when I have time."
"You don't need to worry about it."
After a brief pause, he sighed softly.
"The next Jōnin Assembly is only a few days away."
"So tomorrow, I plan to travel to the Fire Daimyō's Court to report on the village's affairs."
"And while I'm there, I'll say a few good words about you—recommend you as the next Hokage."
Minato did not look pleased.
Instead, he seemed surprised.
"Lord Hokage… according to procedure, shouldn't the village first decide the candidate for the Fourth Hokage before recommending them to the Daimyō?"
"The election between me and Elder Danzō Shimura hasn't even begun yet."
"If you recommend me now… isn't that too hasty?"
Although reporting to the Daimyō was usually a formality, legally speaking, the Hokage must still be appointed by the Daimyō.
If Hiruzen recommended Minato before the village had made its decision, it would effectively use the Daimyō's authority to secure Minato's title as Fourth Hokage in advance.
Such a move clearly bent the rules.
Hiruzen shook his head gently.
"I've already spoken with the Hyūga Clan."
"They've completely sided with Danzō."
"Don't worry. I'll only say a few favorable words to build momentum for you."
"I won't overstep."
Somehow, Hiruzen felt that something about this Hokage election was… off.
He couldn't quite identify the problem.
So for now, he placed his suspicions on Shimura Danzō, while making additional preparations for Minato.
What Hiruzen failed to notice—
Was that deep within Minato's eyes, after hearing this, a subtle flicker of thought had appeared.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789