Chapter 74: Minato's Two Conditions
Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Shisui Uchiha split up and headed in different directions.
Minato quickly arrived at the Hokage's office.
Uchiha Dali was casually sitting in the Hokage's exclusive seat.
Both of his feet were propped up on the desk, giving off the air of someone who clearly saw himself as the master of this place.
When he saw Minato walk in, he smiled faintly. "Did you come all this way just to congratulate me?"
"Congratulate you?"
Minato stopped a short distance away, momentarily confused. His eyes instinctively glanced toward the two advisors seated to the side.
"Uchiha Dali has already received the official appointment from the Daimyō of the Land of Fire. He is now the Fourth Hokage. This is the appointment letter, along with the official withdrawal of your nomination," Koharu Utatane said in a tone like she was tattling.
Homura Mitokado sat beside her, his face tense and silent.
Minato's eyes fell to the documents on the desk.
He then looked up at Uchiha Dali, and in that moment, he had already pieced things together.
The Daimyō of the Land of Fire would never go back on his word. If he had already appointed Minato as the Fourth Hokage, then later withdrew that appointment, there could only be one explanation.
"When you made that agreement with me back then... had you already anticipated all of this?"
Minato stared deeply into Dali's eyes and asked.
Dali just smiled without answering, locking eyes with him in silence.
Seeing that smile, Minato's expression turned even more serious.
"I've heard some troubling news, and I wanted to verify it with you."
"The documents were signed by the Daimyō himself. There's no forgery involved. The two advisors have also clearly expressed their support for me becoming Hokage."
"So long as you keep your promise, nothing will happen to the village. Everything will remain as it is—peaceful and unchanged. That's my word."
Before Minato could even ask the questions on his mind, Uchiha Dali had already given all the answers with unshakable confidence.
Hearing how prepared he was, Minato realized this matter had likely already been decided.
Yet rather than feeling angry, he actually felt a sense of relief.
Dali's assertive stance gave him a legitimate reason to honor the promise he had made—one he could stand by when reporting to the Third Hokage.
But this was only the first step.
"The Third Lord would never agree to the Uchiha clan becoming the rulers of the village."
"His will isn't something I can alter."
"Not to mention the attitudes of the other clans and shinobi in the village—how do you plan to…"
"There's no need to worry about the others. The other shinobi already support the Uchiha clan."
Dali cut Minato off before he could finish. That gave Minato pause, and in an instant, he realized that during his absence from the village, Dali had probably already secured the support of the other clans.
Minato didn't know how he had managed to do it.
But in that moment, a chill ran down his spine.
The cheerful, harmless-looking young man before him was even more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
This was both a capable man—and a ruthless one.
"Minato, Hiruzen made the right decision. You're not seriously planning to give up the Hokage position, are you?" Homura Mitokado frowned, unable to hide the anger in his voice.
He had been completely consumed by the fury brought on by Dali's blatant overreach.
What he desperately wanted was for this disrespectful young man to be punished and put in his place.
Minato's response, however, was far from what he had hoped for.
At that moment, Minato turned to meet Homura's eyes and explained earnestly, "I've actually discussed this matter with the Third Lord many times."
"As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter who becomes Hokage, as long as they truly have the ability to lead the village toward a better future."
"In terms of strength…" Minato turned to look at Uchiha Dali, "I acknowledge Dali's capabilities. Compared to him, I may not be the strongest in the village. Great power is a prerequisite for becoming Hokage."
He then glanced at Koharu and Homura.
Seeing that neither of them objected, Minato turned back to Dali once more.
"However…"
His tone suddenly shifted.
"I'm willing to step down from the Hokage position, but only if I can confirm that you truly have the strength and sense of responsibility to lead Konoha to a brighter future."
That was exactly what Dali had been waiting to hear.
Hearing Minato say it, he pulled his feet off the desk and sat up a little straighter.
Then he replied confidently, "You can rest assured. If I become Hokage, this village will only improve—it won't deteriorate."
"From now on, you'll be my Hokage Advisor, Minato. When I eventually step down, the title of Hokage will absolutely be yours."
Minato's eyes flickered with surprise at those words.
But his expression quickly turned solemn again. "Words mean nothing. I need to confirm your true intentions."
"How do you plan to do that?"
"There are two steps. First, we need to show the entire village what you're really capable of. In other words, you and I need to fight for real and determine a clear victor."
"Second, within three months, I want to see actual progress in the village. The economy needs to show signs of recovery, and the quality of life must improve. I'm not expecting a complete overhaul, but there needs to be clear, positive momentum."
Minato laid out his two conditions very seriously.
And they weren't unreasonable.
The first one could be resolved easily—he and Dali just needed to have a match.
As for the second, that was also no problem. With his abilities, Uchiha Dali had no doubt he could deliver.
"Deal."
He accepted Minato's conditions without hesitation.
Their conversation left Koharu and Homura completely dumbfounded.
To them, Minato's decision seemed absurd.
He was handing over the Hokage title to some kid from the Uchiha clan just like that?
While they were still staring in shock, unable to believe this was Minato's actual decision, he turned to them and said, "Elders, please don't worry."
"I believe in Uchiha Dali's character. He's qualified to hold the title of Hokage."
"If he fails to live up to his promises, I will never sit idly by. I'll be supervising his work closely from here on out."
Those words weren't just to reassure Homura and Koharu.
They were also a veiled warning to Uchiha Dali.
And that was exactly where Minato's brilliance lay.
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