In Konoha Village, after attending a grueling two-hour high-level meeting, Minato Namikaze dragged his weary body back to the Hokage's office. Instead of attending to the usual village affairs, Minato stood by the window, gazing at the peaceful and serene village outside, deep in thought.
During the meeting, Minato had faced subtle yet pointed opposition from several members of the village's leadership. Though the advisory elders who served under the Hokage didn't overtly oppose him, they had begun to push back against the reform policies he had been trying to implement over the past few months.
Leading this opposition was Danzo's faction, which believed Minato was being too lenient with the Uchiha clan. They argued that the decision to place the Uchiha in charge of the village's police force was a decree set by the Second Hokage. Despite Minato's newfound status as Hokage, they felt it wasn't his place to go against a decision made by one of their predecessors.
The faction supporting the Third Hokage, on the other hand, preferred to maintain the village's status quo. They believed that change was unnecessary and risky, fearing that any drastic reforms could lead to irreversible consequences.
Minato could still ignore these dissenting voices and push forward with his reform agenda, dismissing the elders' resistance as the rigid thinking of those who had held power for too long. However, what troubled him more deeply was that opposition wasn't just coming from the elders—it was also coming from his friends, subordinates, and even his recent ally, Fugaku Uchiha.
This made Minato start to question the righteousness of his reforms.
After all, while his close friends like Shikaku and Choza had remained silent—likely due to the pressure from their clans—the opposition from the civilian ninjas and even some within the Uchiha clan baffled him.
The reforms clearly benefitted their future development, yet rather than supporting him, they had resisted, dragging their feet on policy implementation, delaying the execution of his plans, and ultimately leading to greater harm than good.
Minato sighed deeply, recalling his conversation with Yahiko months earlier.
At that time, Minato had heard of Yahiko's struggles with reform in his own village, and while sympathetic, he had felt a bit superior, believing that with the support of the Third Hokage, his own reforms would go smoothly. But now he realized that the greatest obstacles to change weren't external enemies—they were the very people who had supported him, the Third Hokage himself, and even his closest comrades.
As an elder, the Third Hokage was untouchable, and Minato's old friends, who had fought beside him, could not be pressured. Strangely enough, the only faction that hadn't obstructed his reforms was Danzo's Root organization, where reforms were progressing relatively smoothly.
Yahiko had once told him that facing opposition during reforms was inevitable. While dealing with the challenges directly was important, sometimes the real solution lay in eliminating political adversaries rather than the problems themselves.
Minato had been surprised by Yahiko's pragmatic approach, wondering where Yahiko had learned such methods, but he couldn't deny there was some truth in what he said. After all, this was how things had functioned under the Third Hokage. The Hokage presented a flawless, ideal image to the village, while the dark, dirty work was left to Danzo, creating a balanced yet opposing relationship between the two.
But Minato didn't like such tactics.
The Hokage's responsibility was to protect everyone in the village, not to target or manipulate them—especially not by delegating the village's dark dealings to someone else.
The most important issue was that Minato didn't have anyone who could act as his "cleaner" or scapegoat.
Danzo, who led Root, could serve this role, but since he had already been used by the Third Hokage, Minato couldn't fully trust him. He knew that Danzo needed to be kept in check.
Of all the ninjas Minato knew, the only one capable of handling such dark responsibilities was his own student, Kakashi Hatake. However, Kakashi had already spent too much time immersed in the shadows. Minato didn't want him to be tainted by Konoha's darkness any further.
After much deliberation, Minato realized that there was no suitable candidate for this role. In the end, he was left with only one option: to take on the role of the "villain" himself and adopt a firm, uncompromising stance, even if it meant alienating those around him.
The Hokage is the Hokage—there is no need to divide it into light and dark.
Minato Namikaze firmly believed that his reforms were for the benefit of the village, and with that conviction, he had no reason to fear any opposition.
With renewed determination, Minato turned his gaze back to his desk and began issuing a series of Hokage directives.
Several hours later, the elite ninjas of Konoha received the Hokage's orders. In these orders, Minato demanded, with unwavering resolve, that the major clans and departmental heads enforce the reforms issued two months prior.
Regardless of their personal opposition, they were required to implement these reforms.
Minato made it clear that unless he stepped down from the position of Hokage, he would not abandon his reforms for as long as he held the office.
Faced with Minato's firm stance, the high-ranking ninjas had no choice but to proceed with the reforms, despite their reluctance. They had initially planned to drag out the process, hoping that Minato would eventually give up. However, Minato was prepared for a protracted struggle.
Though they were resistant to the changes, they were also wary of antagonizing the young and determined Fourth Hokage. Moreover, if they refused to implement the reforms, their deputies were waiting in the wings, ready to take over their positions.
As for the idea of impeaching the Fourth Hokage, they had considered it but found no other suitable candidate for the role. No one else was as fitting for the position as Minato Namikaze. After all, becoming Hokage required the support of most of the high-ranking ninjas, but ultimately, it was the strength that mattered most.
At the time of the Third Hokage's resignation, Minato was the strongest ninja in the village. His title of "Konoha's Yellow Flash" and his battlefield achievements in the Iwagakure war were the best proof of his prowess.
Additionally, the high-ranking ninjas knew that Kushina Uzumaki, the host of the Nine-Tails, was Minato's wife. This connection further solidified Minato's position.
Upon receiving the Hokage's orders, the current Ino-Shika-Cho trio was momentarily taken aback but quickly commanded their clan members to strictly adhere to the Fourth Hokage's directives.
They had been observing from the sidelines, but Minato's resolute attitude forced them to make a decision. They recognized the benefits of the reforms but had been concerned that Minato might be influenced by the advisory elders. Even though Minato was the Fourth Hokage, the retired Third Hokage still wielded considerable power in the village.
Minato's efforts to reform the departments were not only for the village's benefit but also to consolidate his own power.
Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, and other influential figures had a good personal rapport with Minato but had not chosen sides as long as the situation remained uncertain. They would only align themselves with Minato if he demonstrated a decisive advantage.
In their view, the struggle between the Fourth Hokage and the Third Hokage would ultimately end with Minato emerging victorious, as youth and determination were his greatest assets.