"I..."
"Have I really become the Hokage?"
Standing before the gathered clan leaders and jonin, Minato Namikaze found it hard to believe.
"Minato, you really have become the Hokage!"
Beside him, Kushina, who rarely wore the jonin's special vest, tightly gripped her husband's hand.
"Congratulations, Minato."
Nara Shikaku, the new head of the Nara clan, also offered his blessings.
Standing next to him were Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza.
They had already established their positions within their clans and were now candidates for the next clan heads.
Apart from them, Aburame Shibi, with his sunglasses and a large insect jar on his back, also congratulated Minato.
Even Uchiha Fugaku expressed his congratulations.
Although the Uchiha clan had sided with Danzo, it was still important to leave a good impression on the new Hokage.
Fortunately, Minato and Fugaku had fought side by side in battle.
Unlike other Hokage, Minato did not harbor any wariness toward the Uchiha. Instead, he gladly accepted Fugaku's congratulations and expressed his gratitude.
One by one, clan leaders and jonin approached him.
Those who were usually seen as big shots in the eyes of ordinary people were now doing their best to engage in conversation with the newly appointed Hokage.
Minato wore a gentle smile, skillfully handling each topic and ensuring everyone felt acknowledged.
From a distance, Jiraiya watched this scene with a look of pride.
"This is why Minato is more suited to be Hokage than I am."
Jiraiya's tone was filled with pride.
Although he hadn't become Hokage, his student had!
From now on, he would be the teacher of the Hokage, which was even more prestigious than being Hokage himself.
Seeing Jiraiya's smug expression, Tsunade couldn't help but chuckle.
"You'll only ever bask in the glory of your students."
After teasing Jiraiya, she asked, "Have you seen Orochimaru these past few days?"
This question immediately wiped the smile off Jiraiya's face.
"I invited him to today's jonin meeting, but he always brushed me off, saying he was too busy with experiments."
Jiraiya's tone shifted from pride to a hint of bitterness.
Although he was carefree, he wasn't a fool.
For him and Tsunade, who became Hokage didn't matter much.
But for Orochimaru, it was different.
He seemed to disdain such matters, focusing solely on his experiments.
But when you pass the Hokage position to a "junior" without considering his feelings, he would naturally be upset.
Refusing to attend this meeting was a clear sign of his displeasure.
"I'll find time to talk to him properly."
Jiraiya pushed these worries aside for now. After all, today was Minato's big day, and he should enjoy the moment.
Orochimaru wasn't going anywhere, right?
After the congratulations and socializing, the meeting finally ended.
Minato stayed behind.
Entering the Hokage's office, he finally escaped the noisy environment and let out a deep sigh.
Although he was good at socializing, this level of enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming.
Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled faintly.
"Minato, this is also one of the required lessons of being Hokage."
If Kushina had heard this, she would probably have patted her chest and said she was glad she hadn't become Hokage.
"Now that your position as the Fourth Hokage has been confirmed, the next step is for you to accompany me to the capital to receive the daimyo's coronation."
Although nominally the daimyo and the Hokage were of equal status, in reality, the daimyo held a slightly higher position.
Every Hokage had to go to the capital to receive the daimyo's recognition before officially taking office.
Of course, this was mostly just a formality.
"After we return, your Hokage robe should be ready, and we can hold the inauguration ceremony."
"I can also take the opportunity to request more military funding from the daimyo."
Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to have everything planned out.
However, this plan was met with opposition from Danzo.
Without even looking up, Danzo said indifferently, "I'm also going to the capital."
This simple statement immediately made Sarutobi Hiruzen frown, his face showing a guarded expression as he asked suspiciously, "Why are you going to the capital?"
Danzo leaned back in his chair and let out a cold snort.
"The daimyo has some misunderstandings about me. I'll take this opportunity to clear them up so he doesn't use that as an excuse."
Hearing Danzo's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others felt a headache coming on.
Misunderstandings?
Using bandits, even creating and disguising as bandits to plunder the northern nobles—was that a misunderstanding?
That was clearly the truth!
And is this your way of clearing up misunderstandings?
It sounds more like you're going to solve the problem permanently!
Koharu Utatane quickly tried to dissuade him.
"Danzo, Hiruzen has a better relationship with the daimyo. It's better to let him handle it."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in agreement.
"That's right, Danzo. I think it's better for me to handle this."
Danzo glanced at them, ignoring their opinions, and continued, "Hiruzen, you're too soft. Don't worry, with me there, the daimyo will obediently provide sufficient military funding."
Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other two advisors exchanged worried glances and tried to persuade him further.
"Danzo, if you, Minato, and Hiruzen all leave the village, who will ensure the village's safety?"
Danzo was even more dismissive of this.
"The village has Jiraiya, Orochimaru, my Root, and so many other ninjas. What's there to worry about?"
"And if you're really that concerned, Hiruzen can stay in the village."
Hearing Danzo's sarcastic tone, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened.
"Danzo, I haven't officially stepped down yet!"
Danzo looked over, narrowing his eyes.
"So what? Are you going to use the last bit of your Hokage authority to force me to stay in the village?"
Suddenly, Danzo chuckled, as if he had figured something out.
"Fine, I won't go. You can go by yourselves."
Danzo retracted his earlier sharp demeanor and leaned back in his chair.
Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart skipped a beat.
Was this guy planning to cause trouble while he was away from the village?
With Danzo's current prestige, aside from himself, no one in the village could restrain him!
As for Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, they couldn't handle Danzo before, and now it was even more hopeless.
Maybe...
It's better to let him go?
He could stay in the village and feel more at ease.
After all, the daimyo was an external matter, while the village was Konoha's foundation.
After some internal struggle, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally agreed to Danzo's request.
"In that case, you can accompany Minato to the capital. I'll stay and oversee the village."
Hearing this, Danzo's lips curled into a slight smile, as if to say:
Little Hiruzen, easily handled!
_
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