Analyzing the Ninja World Starting from Konoha

Chapter 200: I was force-fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of

At the end of the fiftieth year of Konoha, in the capital of the Land of Fire.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was somewhat dull and oppressive.

Although the Third Shinobi World War ended in Konoha's victory, the price of this victory was far too high.

In particular, Sunagakure once penetrated deep into the Land of Fire, causing great economic losses and casualties to the Land of Fire.

In the subsequent ceasefire negotiations, Konoha, in order to end the war as soon as possible, actually gave up many benefits that it had already gained.

This makes the original victor look like a defeated nation, feeling quite aggrieved.

The daimyo sat in the main seat, covering half of his face with a fan, making his expression unreadable.

"Hiruzen, the losses this time are indeed quite significant."

"Regarding the concessions made in the postwar treaty, and the heavy losses that the war brought to the Land of Fire and Konoha, I, as the Hokage, cannot shirk my responsibility."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his seat, his voice sounding somewhat old and tired, but his tone was very firm, "All of this is due to my mistakes in decision-making. Therefore, I have decided to resign and step down as the Third Hokage, entrusting the future of the village to the Fourth Hokage."

These words immediately caused a stir in the meeting room.

The daimyo tapped his palm lightly with his folding fan, a look of regret on his face: "Hiruzen, you actually did quite well, why did you have to—"

Just then, Danzo, who was sitting opposite Hiruzen, suddenly raised his head and coldly glanced at the daimyo with his one eye.

That sinister gaze sent a shiver down Daming's spine, and he instinctively swallowed the rest of his words.

Danzo withdrew his gaze, snorted coldly, and said in a deep voice, "Daimyo, if we're going to trace the root of the problem, it's precisely because Hiruzen's ideas were too naive, and his constant compromises and concessions have driven the village to this point!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and raised his voice slightly: "Although the war is over, the ninja world remains turbulent. What we need now is a Hokage who can lead the village through radical change, uphold the ninja code, and possess an iron fist!"

The daimyo, regaining his composure, coughed twice and asked, "Then—does Danzo have any recommendations?"

"certainly."

Danzo's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. "I recommend Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin!"

Upon hearing this name, the ministers opposite immediately began whispering among themselves.

They had naturally heard of Orochimaru's name, and his strength was indeed undeniable, but his reputation in the Land of Fire, including in the village, was somewhat ambiguous.

The daimyo looked at the Third Hokage: "Hiruzen, what do you think?"

Orochimaru is indeed a genius whose talent is rare, perhaps only once in a century.

Hiruzen's voice was calm, "However, deep within his heart lies a malice and ambition that is difficult for ordinary people to perceive. The heavy responsibility of Hokage must never be entrusted to such a person."

"I recommend that Minato Namikaze succeed as the Fourth Hokage."

Koharu Utatane also spoke up at the right time, introducing Minato Namikaze to the daimyo: "Minato Namikaze is Jiraiya's student and Hiruzen's grand-student, the rightful successor of the Will of Fire."

"Minato is too young!"

Danzo immediately stood up to express his opposition.

"Youth is not a problem; achievements are the standard by which a Hokage is measured."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared directly at Danzo without backing down. "Minato made outstanding contributions in this war, and the Battle of Kannabi Bridge turned the tide of the battle. He was the greatest contributor to the end of the Third Shinobi World War. His prestige is unmatched in Konoha today."

Danzo gritted his teeth and remained opposed.

The daimyo looked around and asked for the opinions of the other advisors and ministers.

Unsurprisingly, everyone except Danzo agreed with Hiruzen Sarutobi's recommendation.

Minato Namikaze was officially established as a candidate for the Fourth Hokage.

The name was finalized.

"In that case, it's decided that it will be Minato Namikaze."

Upon returning to Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not immediately summon Minato Namikaze.

The first person he summoned was Yamashiro Aoba.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside the Hokage's office, the afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the windows, bathing the entire room in a warm orange hue.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, a pipe dangling from his lips, his gaze complex as he looked at the young man in front of him wearing round-framed glasses.

"Aoba, if I were to step down, who do you think would be more suitable to become the next Hokage?"

Aoba was taken aback at first, but he knew perfectly well that the old man was testing his attitude.

Without hesitation, he replied, "It must be Minato Namikaze."

A hint of admiration flashed across Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.

"Oh? Why not someone else?"

He looked at Aoba meaningfully, "Or—why not yourself?"

Upon hearing this, Qingye laughed twice.

"Lord Third Hokage, you must be joking! Putting aside my age, in terms of reputation alone, Minato-senpai is the one everyone respects."

He paused, then said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Given the current state of Konoha, whoever becomes Hokage will be exhausted. So, let Minato-senpai worry about the Fourth Hokage. I'll reluctantly take on the role and reserve the Fifth Hokage for later."

Hiruzen was amused by Aoba's words and burst into laughter, which lightened his previously heavy mood considerably.

He never intended for Aoba to become the fourth generation, but he wanted to know the young man's attitude.

Now, he is relieved.

"You little rascal, you're still as slippery as ever."

Hiruzen smiled and shook his head, then his expression became serious. "The Daimyo meeting has approved it; Minato will indeed succeed as the Fourth Hokage. From now on, you must assist him as much as possible."

Aoba immediately stood up straight and bowed slightly: "Understood. Thank you for your trust, Third Generation Lord."

After Aoba left, Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Minato Namikaze at the Hokage's residence.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat cross-legged on the platform, looking at the young man before him who was as dazzling as the sun, his eyes filled with satisfaction and expectation.

-

"Minato, I've always believed you are the successor to the Will of Fire."

The Third Hokage's expression was solemn, and his tone dignified. "I entrust the future of Konoha, and the future of the ninja world, to you. Are you willing to accept?"

Minato knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with unwavering determination: "I will do my utmost to repay your trust!"

Hiruzen sighed: "I had planned to hold your succession ceremony in a better environment, but the war has just ended and Konoha is in dire need of rebuilding. The road ahead for you will be very difficult."

"I'm mentally prepared."

Minato raised his head, his smile warm and confident.

Hiruzen smiled: "I believe you can do it."

That evening.

When Minato returned home, he told Kushina that the Third Hokage was going to hand over the position of Fourth Hokage to him.

"Really?!"

-

Kushina's eyes widened in surprise, and she threw herself into Minato's arms. "Great! Minato, your dream has finally come true!"

Kushina was as happy as a child, and just as the two were playing around, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Minato went over and opened the door, where he saw Aoba standing outside with two bottles of sake.

Upon seeing Minato, Aoba immediately stood up straight and gave an exaggerated bow: "Greetings, Fourth Hokage!"

Minato was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, Aoba, come in quickly."

The two entered the house and sat down in the living room. Minato poured Aoba a cup of tea.

"You found out too?"

"As soon as the third generation returned, they summoned me over."

Aoba nonchalantly picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then curled her lips into a smile. "I think he suspects I'm trying to take your place."

"Oh?"

Minato became interested.

"I told him that if I'm going to be one, it will be for the fifth generation."

Aoba shook his head, his tone full of disdain, "Now that Konoha is such a mess, whoever becomes Hokage will be exhausted. As for the Fourth Hokage's mess, Minato-senpai, you'll have to fill it yourself slowly."

Minato shook his head with a wry smile.

Aoba turned to look at Kushina, his face serious.

"Kushina-nee, be prepared. Once Minato-senpai becomes Hokage, working overtime will be a regular occurrence, and he won't be home for days on end. Don't come complaining to me then~"

Upon hearing this, Kushina did not panic. Instead, she turned to Minato with a serious expression and said gently, "Minato, I'm afraid you'll have a hard time from now on."

Minato's lips twitched, his expression indescribable.

Seeing the couple's oblivious interaction, Aoba immediately covered her face with her hands.

"Oh my god, what am I doing? I came all this way late at night, only to be force-fed a mouthful of dog food for no reason!"

Minato and Kushina were both amused by him and started laughing.

He then lowered his hand, as if remembering something.

"By the way, where's Jiraiya-sama? With such a momentous event as the Third Hokage's abdication, didn't they call him back?"

Minato's expression darkened slightly, and he sighed, "It seems that Jiraiya-sensei received a letter from Amegakure and is in a bad mood. After consulting with the Third Hokage, he has left the village to continue his travels in search of the Child of Prophecy."

A thought struck Qingye.

"A letter from Amegakure—"

He could probably guess what it was.

It seems that something must have happened to Yahiko and the others, and now Nagato has probably gone down a completely different path.

His clone stayed in Akatsuki for a few days, during which time he spoke with Nagato several times.

It could be said that Nagato, rather than relying on naive communication, preferred to achieve peace through the threat of powerful force, much like Hashirama Senju.

However, Aoba did not say these things aloud.

He simply nodded nonchalantly, "That's just like Jiraiya-sama."

Somewhere underground in Konoha, at the secret experimental base of the Roots.

Danzo, leaning on his cane, looked at Orochimaru, who was busy at the lab table, with a gloomy expression.

He recounted the events of the Daimyo meeting, especially Hiruzen Sarutobi's assessment of Orochimaru, word for word.

"In front of the Daimyo, Hiruzen commented that you 'harbor malice and ambition,' and believed that the heavy responsibility of becoming Hokage could not be entrusted to you."

With his back to Danzo, Orochimaru's two golden vertical pupils flashed with a cold glint.

"Exceptionally talented, but harboring malice and ambition —"

Orochimaru's hoarse voice echoed in the empty basement, "Heh heh—as expected of my good teacher, your evaluation of me is as sharp as ever."

-

Orochimaru's tone was calm, but those who knew him well knew that the calmer his tone, the more it represented the turmoil deep within his heart.

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