Minato gave his own speech afterward, thanking everyone who came and especially the Sandaime, his wife, and his team member Kakashi. When his speech concluded, a cheer so loud Kannin thought they could probably hear it in Sunagakure erupted from the crowd. The celebration went on so long and so loud that seemingly all of the birds in Konoha flew from their perches and all the rats scurried from their hiding holes.
Kannin managed to find Minato afterward and give his congratulations again,
"Minato!" he said, "What's your first act as Hokage going to be?"
Minato pondered for a moment before saying, "I haven't given it much thought, now that you mention it, but I think a formal peace with Kiri and Kumo would be pretty high on the list."
Kannin raised an eyebrow, "Really? So administrative already," he said with a sardonic smile, "I hope the position won't suck all the fun out of you, Minato."
"Well that's still to be seen, Kannin." Minato said, "By the way, did you get my gift?"
Kannin responded with a sigh, "Yes I did, Yondaime. Though I can't say that I was entirely enthusiastic about it. You might be a genius, but for us regular people that jutsu is in another dimension of difficulty." Kannin realized how he sounded and added, "Thanks, though."
Minato chuckled and said, "I have faith that you'll master it in no time, maybe even better than me! I have every reason to believe that."
"Could you tell me one of them?" Kannin asked inquisitively.
"Not right now." He said, shaking his head, "All I have are suspicions, your mom probably has the real answers."
"And yet she still won't tell me" Kannin said dejectedly.
"Just give her time." Minato said.
With that, Kannin decided to leave Minato to his business, and waved at Kushina as he left. Pushing his way through the dense and rowdy crowds that had gathered in the village square, Kannin broke into one of the alleyways where there weren't so many people, and leaned against the brick.
While Kannin was happy for Minato and proud of the way the village had prospered and lifted its spirit in the last few months, the celebration made Kannin realize that he wasn't cut out for big crowds. The noise, bodies pressed together like sardines, the heat--it all was a little too much for him. It had been a long time since he had seen that many people together and not one of them try to kill the other.
"I thought I saw you walk down here," a familiar voice called out.
Looking over towards the nearing footsteps, Kannin said, "I don't suppose anything escapes those eyes of yours, Warai."
Warai smiled and said, "Not in a long time. What about you? You don't look so hot."
Chuckling a little, Kannin looked up and said, "I guess I'm just not used to peace yet, y'know?"
She walked over and sat down next to him,
"I get that. We spent the last what 4, 5 years in something like a war. It's hard to get out of that mindset so quickly. Doesn't mean you can't"
"Well honestly I don't know," Kannin said with a sigh, "my mom's been at war since I can remember. I don't want to end up like that."
Warai put her arm around Kannin and said, "You won't. As sad as your mom's story is, you have me and Tetsu and Minato and everyone else."
"I suppose..."
"But enough of that, Kannin," she said with a more upbeat tone, "We still haven't decided what we're going to do on our date tomorrow!"
"Oh, right..." Kannin said, trying to think of something to do, "How about we get dinner somewhere?"
"Any place in mind?"
"Well..." Kannin tried to think of restaurants, but could only think of Ichiraku, "We could go-
"We're not going to Ichiraku, if that's what you're about to say." Warai said resolutely
"How would you know?" Kannin said with some indignation
Warai smiled and pointed to her eyes, saying, "I can read your lips a few moments ahead, Kannin. Plus it's the only restaurant you ever suggest. You need to broaden your culinary horizons."
"I ate that restaurant Shin took us to after we became chunins!"
"And what did you have there?" Warai asked with a laugh
Kannin's head hung in shame as he answered, "...ramen..."
"See! You never change!" Warai laughed, "How about I pick the restaurant," she paused before adding, "and if you eat ramen I'll never go on another date with you again, got it?"
Kannin chuckled before agreeing to her terms.
'It seems like at least some of us can offer peace terms.' He thought to himself
"So where are we eating, then?" Kannin said
"Hmmm..." Warai thought for a moment, "I'll just keep it a secret until we get there. Meet me at my place tomorrow at 4, and I'll lead you to the place, got it?"
"Sure" Kannin said
-
When Shisui saw Minato's hooding, he turned to Warai's mother, Hoya, who he had gone with, and asked,
"You think Minato is a good fit for Hokage?"
Hoya looked down at the boy whose eyes were wiser than she could believe, and replied,
"Well, his relations with Fugaku are pretty good, but who knows." Hoya paused for a moment before adding, "I fear that, like Sandaime said, he might be a little too much like the Lord Second, especially if that man is meddling around..."
Shisui looked up in confusion, "Who's meddling?"
Hoya realized she had spoken a little too much, and told Shisui to forget what she had said, though it was a hint at much murkier waters that Shisui would swim in down the line, whether he would drown in them was another matter.