"Stop, stop, stop, you two! Stop spreading dog food!"
Wakato interrupted abruptly.
"Sir, what is dog food?" Minato asked, genuinely puzzled.
"That's not important."
The charming atmosphere between the couple was disrupted, leaving Kushina visibly annoyed. She couldn't help but complain:
"Isn't there any way to avoid all this? It's so unfair to let you, the one who saved the village, bear such disgrace!"
Minato shook his head, a solemn look on his face.
As Hokage, as a shinobi, concepts like fairness and unfairness didn't hold much weight.
There were only decisions—evaluating pros and cons, weighing outcomes, and making choices.
This was one of the harsh truths Minato had come to accept as he matured.
"There is a way!"
Wakato's calm yet resolute statement immediately captured Minato's and Kushina's full attention.
"Sir, do you truly have a solution?"
Minato's spirits lifted at the possibility. If not for his family, he wouldn't mind taking the blame. But now that there seemed to be a way out, hope flickered in his eyes.
"It's simple—expose the real perpetrator."
"You mean Obito?"
Minato frowned, clearly conflicted by this suggestion.
"Sir, even if we could prove the masked man is Obito, the likelihood of success would still be slim."
"First, it's incredibly difficult for an unknown, mysterious enemy to become the focus of hatred."
"Second, the village elders, particularly Danzo and the others, would never allow it."
Not only would they oppose it outright, but if Minato didn't take responsibility and surrender some of his authority, those elders would undoubtedly create obstacles.
They'd accuse Minato of fabricating a false culprit to shirk accountability.
They might even exploit the fact that the supposed masked man was his own former apprentice, tarnishing his image as a teacher and leader.
Given their extensive influence and deep-rooted connections in Konoha, it would be frighteningly easy for them to twist facts and manipulate the narrative.
Hearing this, Kushina's brief surge of hope was extinguished.
"That makes it even easier," Wakato remarked coolly.
"If the concern is about those old fogeys interfering, just eliminate them all."
His words sent a jolt through Minato and Kushina, their eyes widening in shock.
This... This was too extreme!
Are sages always this ruthless? Always this straightforward?
"No, sir! Please calm down!" Minato quickly interjected, horrified at the thought.
"While their actions may be wrong, their offenses aren't punishable by death!"
Minato was genuinely alarmed that Wakato might just unleash some Sage Art technique and obliterate Konoha's senior leadership.
Regardless of how flawed the Third Hokage might be, Minato had never entertained the thought of killing him. After all, he was Jiraiya's teacher!
As for the other three—Danzo and the advisors—they were certainly infuriating, but outright execution?
Moreover, such drastic actions would undoubtedly spark fierce resistance from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, if not plunge the entire village into civil war.
"It can't be done, sir. It simply can't."
"Tsk! Fourth Generation, you're far too soft-hearted," Wakato said, sighing.
"I never said you have to kill them. There are other ways to remove them."
"Find a way to strip them of their positions and power without shedding blood."
Whether it was for unifying the ninja world or ensuring post-unification stability, Wakato saw these "Konoha F4" as nothing but obstacles.
As long as they remained in power, they'd only hinder progress and create unnecessary problems.
It was better to let Minato act decisively now and clean house.
"That... won't be easy," Minato admitted, his voice tinged with resignation.
He had considered this path before, but the anticipated resistance and the sheer difficulty of implementation had forced him to abandon the idea.
"If they stay where they are, they'll only drag Konoha down. You realize that, don't you?"
"I do," Minato said with a deep sigh.
"But the price of removing them might far outweigh the benefits, and the risks could spiral out of control!"
He understood all too well the unyielding greed for power those elders harbored.
"How can you be sure the cost will exceed the benefits?"
"And how do you measure the harm their foolish actions are already causing?"
Wakato pressed on, his voice unwavering.
Minato's expression darkened slightly, but his determination remained steadfast.
"You're right, sir, everything you've said is correct."
"But Konoha cannot endure another massive upheaval right now."
As Hokage, Minato had his reasons.
The scars of the Third Ninja War were still fresh. Konoha, battered and fragile, couldn't handle more turmoil.
There was also another reason he didn't mention: no single leader, no matter how strong, could govern alone.
Minato couldn't oversee the village's security, manage its finances, and train its ninjas all by himself.
Even with the assistance of Shadow Clones, his energy was finite, and fatigue would inevitably accumulate.
If he removed Danzo and the others, he'd still have to rely on other prominent clans to fill the power vacuum and maintain balance among the factions.
There was no guarantee their replacements would be any better.
Unless... he had time to cultivate a new generation of capable leaders.
"Minato, you're playing a game of chess."
"You have a plan—a more moderate, long-term strategy, don't you?"
Wakato's piercing gaze seemed to strip away Minato's very thoughts.
Minato flinched, his resolve momentarily shaken, but then he nodded.
After ascending to the position of Hokage, Minato had felt constrained.
As a ninja from a civilian background, lacking the backing of the great clans, he hadn't been handed true authority.
He wanted to reform the village. He wanted to foster growth.
But it was painfully hard.
Instead of seizing power through force, which would be too destructive, Minato had chosen a subtler, quieter path.
He had negotiated with the elders and gained control of the Ministry of Education, slowly introducing more civilian-born ninjas into the academy and nurturing them.
His vision was clear: break Konoha's entrenched clan dominance and build a new, more inclusive system.
From hosting the first School Ninjutsu Competition to initiating the first Ninjutsu Exhibition, Minato was laying the groundwork for change.
He even managed to teach three different individuals the Flying Thunder God Technique, a testament to his dedication to developing talent.
His seemingly "weak" leadership was, in fact, a deliberate strategy—a forest where strong trees could grow unseen.
As new ideas and techniques took root and blossomed, Konoha would eventually shed its decayed branches and flourish anew...
This was the path Minato had chosen as Hokage.
Even though he hadn't shared this with anyone—not even Kushina—Wakato had seen through it all.
Minato couldn't help but be awed. Was this the insight of an immortal?