Meanwhile, in the meeting—
Uchiha Fugaku officially represented the Uchiha clan and firmly stood by the Fourth Hokage's side.
This high-level meeting included representatives from every major clan, all of whom witnessed the shifting political landscape.
Although they did not openly take a stance, many secretly supported the Fourth Hokage.
By the end of the meeting, Namikaze Minato had almost completely achieved his three main objectives:
1. Orochimaru was appointed as the new leader of the Root organization.
2. The ANBU forces under the Hokage's direct command could now only be mobilized by the Hokage himself. Anyone else who wanted to deploy them would need explicit authorization from the sitting Hokage. The Third Hokage was allowed to keep only a few trusted subordinates as personal guards.
3. The Uchiha Police Force was granted permission to establish a base in the central area of Konoha.
However, the Uchiha clan's residential area remained on the outskirts, isolated from the rest of the village.
Both Uchiha Fugaku and Namikaze Minato fought hard to change this, but Konoha's high-ranking officials opposed it.
Most of these officials were trained under the Second Hokage, who deeply distrusted the Uchiha, believing that all of them were inherently evil.
As a result, Konoha's leadership also harbored this prejudice.
Despite this, Fugaku and Minato managed to secure some political advantages for the Uchiha, including giving Fugaku a voice in village politics.
And as long as the Fourth Hokage remained in power, the Uchiha would never face complete annihilation.
Things would change gradually—after all, you can't achieve everything in a single step.
Meanwhile, Danzo, the "Scapegoat King," had taken all the blame upon himself.
As a result, Konoha's high council unanimously decided to strip Danzo of his title as an elder and remove him from his position as the leader of Root.
Whether he was missing or dead, it no longer mattered.
If Danzo ever reappeared, he would be held accountable.
Once the meeting ended, some people were pleased, while others were frustrated.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was completely baffled by what had transpired. Even his most talented student, Orochimaru, had sided with the Fourth Hokage—though he still treated Sarutobi with respect.
"Maybe I really have gotten old... Orochimaru was my student, and he's incredibly smart. I suppose he's seen the writing on the wall. It's time to let go... If retirement is what awaits me, so be it. This era belongs to the younger generation now."
With that, the Third Hokage left with a few trusted subordinates, seemingly accepting his fate.
Although the ANBU had been placed under Minato's control, he still needed to cultivate his own loyal operatives.
Fortunately, he already had a candidate in mind—his own student, Kakashi.
The son of the legendary White Fang, a true prodigy among prodigies.
At just 12 years old, Kakashi had become a Jonin, served in both Root and ANBU, and completed multiple S-rank missions.
Unfortunately, after Minato's death, Kakashi lost his motivation to grow stronger.
Alone and consumed by darkness, he never actively pursued further power.
On top of that, his ever-active Sharingan constantly drained his chakra, further weakening him over time.
Because of this, Kakashi fell behind his peers.
Yet, people often forgot—Kakashi's father, the White Fang of Konoha, was once just as renowned as the Yellow Flash.
Had the White Fang survived, the position of Fourth Hokage might not have gone to Namikaze Minato.
Like father, like son—Kakashi had the potential to be Hokage from a young age.
In the final battle of Naruto, when Kakashi briefly wielded both Mangekyō Sharingan thanks to a temporary power-up, he was strong enough to rival Hashirama, the God of Shinobi.
He even landed decisive blows on Kaguya Otsutsuki, giving Naruto and Sasuke the opening they needed to seal her away.
Although the power boost faded afterward, Kakashi still reached Kage-level strength and later became the Sixth Hokage.
At this moment, however, his Sharingan was more of a burden than a blessing.
If it could be temporarily removed, he would greatly benefit from it.
Of course, Kakashi would probably refuse.
But if he learned that Obito was still alive…
Many thoughts raced through Minato's mind.
"The future is unpredictable… I have to become even stronger."
Once again, Namikaze Minato reaffirmed his determination to grow stronger.
Not just for his village—but for his family.
He thought of his wife, Uzumaki Kushina—the fiery "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero"—who, despite her temper, had moments of incredible gentleness.
Every little moment of their life together was filled with happiness.
"It's time to head home. I need to start preparing—Naruto's birthday is coming up on October 10th. Everything must be perfect."
As Minato walked through the village streets, people greeted him warmly.
With a gentle smile, the Fourth Hokage returned each greeting.
Minato was well-loved in the village.
"Minato, you're really popular, aren't you?"
Orochimaru's hoarse voice came from behind him.
"They are all part of the village. That's the bond we share," Minato replied.
Orochimaru nodded. "Alright, now that everything's settled, I'm heading to Root to fully take over. Danzo was good at brainwashing—so am I."
"Understood."
Minato agreed without hesitation.
Orochimaru formed a hand seal and vanished in an instant.
---
On his way home, Minato began to think.
"Another day has passed. That day is getting closer. The name Naruto… it's a good one. After all, it comes from my teacher Jiraiya's novel. But honestly, I think 'Menma Namikaze' has a nice ring to it, too. Maybe I'll discuss it with Kushina. Having two names might make Naruto happy."
With that, Minato continued home with a cheerful heart.
In reality, he and Kushina had been thinking about names ever since she became pregnant.
Both of them admired the protagonist of Jiraiya's debut novel, Tale of the Gutsy Ninja, whose unbreakable will and determination left a lasting impression.
So when Minato suggested naming their son after the novel's hero, Kushina wholeheartedly supported the idea.
To both of them, "Naruto" was the perfect name.
They had high hopes for their son's future.
---
Just as Minato was about to reach his home, he heard two familiar voices.
It was Ren Asakura and Lu Mingfei.
At that moment, Lu Mingfei was practically begging Ren Asakura.
"Come on, Boss! You have to share the goods! You can't be so selfish! This is the best-selling masterpiece in the entire Naruto world! This book is legendary—it even helped Kakashi find peace!
Think about it—Kakashi lost his best friend, was forced to kill the girl he loved, watched his teacher and his wife die, and his hands are stained with blood… This book was the only thing that kept his soul from falling completely into darkness!
I'm dying to know what's inside!"
Ren Asakura waved him off.
"Scram, kid. Go play somewhere else. This is for adults. Go slay your dragons or something."
Lu Mingfei immediately panicked.
"Don't be like this, Boss! I only took a quick glance, and I could already tell—this is a true work of literature! I was reading it purely from an academic perspective!"
Ren Asakura righteously declared,
"This book is dangerous—it can lead people straight to hell! I'm doing this for your own good, Lu Mingfei. If you end up like Kakashi—completely drained—you'll never be able to slay dragons!
Let me bear this burden instead!"
Lu Mingfei didn't hesitate to respond,
"As the saying goes—'If I don't go to hell, who will?' I'm ready to step into the abyss!"
Ren Asakura smirked. "You really are something else."
°°°
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