Playing with Hearts

At this moment, Minato Namikaze, who was always optimistic and sunny, warming everyone like a small sun even on the battlefield, was now filled with dread, disbelief, anger, sadness, and various other emotions.

Seeing Minato like this, everyone else in the Chat Group frowned.

After all, what Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, had done was truly disgusting!

[Kushina Uzumaki: Minato… please don't be like this…]

Even Madara Uchiha spoke up.

[Madara Uchiha: This truly sickens me! Hashirama! Look! This is the current Hokage of Konoha! This is Konoha now! It absolutely disgusts me!!!]

[Hashirama Senju: This… Madara! I never imagined a future Hokage would turn out this way! I……………]

[Madara Uchiha: Alright, Hashirama, don't say another word! It's not your fault! Blame that despicable Hiruzen Sarutobi! How could that bastard Tobirama teach such a student? If he were my disciple, I'd wring his neck first thing!!!]

[Tobirama Senju: Stop! Just stop! I want to wring his neck right now too!!!]

At this moment, Kushina Uzumaki not only felt for her son but also for her husband!

Her husband had sacrificed everything for Konoha, yet her child was treated this way!

[Minato Namikaze: Perhaps… perhaps it's all my fault! I shouldn't have sealed the Nine-Tails inside Naruto!

I shouldn't have become Hokage! If I hadn't become Hokage back then, our family of three would probably be very happy right now!]

[Kushina Uzumaki: No, Minato, this isn't your fault!]

[Minato Namikaze: First Hokage, Second Hokage! Why is this happening? What did I do wrong? Why can't the village even treat my child kindly?]

[Hashirama Senju: No! Fourth Hokage! This isn't your fault! It's the fault of Konoha's current higher-ups!]

[Tobirama Senju: Yes, what does this have to do with you? It's all because that son of a bitch Hiruzen Sarutobi has such a rotten heart!]

At first, Tobirama Senju kept calling him "little monkey," but now it had turned into "that son of a bitch Hiruzen Sarutobi"…

[Makoto Ito: This is human nature…]

[Madara Uchiha: Exactly! This is human nature! Human hearts are all corrupt! They're full of desire and darkness! That's why I say there will never be true peace in the Ninja World! Even if there's temporary peace, it's just that—temporary—because there's a true powerhouse who can suppress everyone of their generation, suppressing them so they dare not cause trouble! That's the only way to have brief peace! And when that powerhouse disappears, the Ninja World will immediately fall into chaos, just like the First Ninja World War!]

[Makoto Ito: To be honest, I actually quite agree with your idea, Madara.]

[Madara Uchiha: Right, right? I knew my idea wasn't wrong!!! Hashirama! Did you hear that?! My idea is correct!]

[Hashirama Senju: Shut up! Madara! Your idea is wrong!]

[Makoto Ito: Madara! From your words, you seem to hope for peace in the Ninja World! Why don't you give me those flashy eyes of yours, and teach me all your abilities! I'll take your place in suppressing the entire Ninja World and bringing it peace, how about that?]

[Madara Uchiha: You wish!]

[Makoto Ito: Tch, cheapskate!]

…………………………………………

Meanwhile, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was still immersed in self-doubt!

[Makoto Ito: Senior Minato, you are an excellent ninja and a person of noble character, but you are not an excellent Hokage!]

[Minato Namikaze: Am I really not an excellent Hokage?]

[Kushina Uzumaki: Minato, don't listen to his nonsense! You are an excellent Hokage! You are the best Hokage!]

[Makoto Ito: What is a Hokage? A Hokage plays politics, plays with people's hearts. The Fourth Hokage, what does he know? Does he know what a Hokage is? Does he know how to play politics? Does he know how to manipulate people's hearts? I feel bad for saying this, but after you became Hokage, did you have real power? The power was still in the hands of the retired Third Hokage, wasn't it? You were just a mascot!

Do you understand what a 'transition' is? You were just a transition! Hiruzen Sarutobi had already arranged the true position of Hokage! It was reserved for his son! He just didn't expect you to die so early, so he had no choice but to come out of retirement himself to lay a solid foundation for his son!

In present-day Konoha, the Uchiha Clan is gone, the Senju Clan is gone, but the Sarutobi Clan has grown increasingly large! How many ninja could the Uchiha Clan muster at its peak? 1000 ninja or 2000 ninja?

I'm telling you, the current Sarutobi Clan can easily field thousands of ninja! Do you really think he became Hokage for nothing?

Present-day Konoha isn't named Senju! It's not named Uchiha! It's not named Hyuga, but Sarutobi!!!]

[Tobirama Senju: Good kid! You've truly impressed me today! I never imagined someone so young would have such insight! Truly remarkable!

Actually, what you said is quite right. Neither my elder brother nor the Fourth Hokage were really suited for the position of Hokage given their personalities! My elder brother was indecisive and too benevolent, while the Fourth Hokage didn't understand politics or human nature!

Sigh, if Madara Uchiha had become the First Hokage back then, the Human World would probably have been unified by now! With the strength of my elder brother and Madara Uchiha, unifying the entire Ninja World would have been a piece of cake!]

[Madara Uchiha: Tch! I never thought I'd hear you, Tobirama Senju, say something good about me!]

[Tobirama Senju: I'm just speaking the truth! You evil Uchiha!]

[Makoto Ito: Indeed, the First and Fourth's personalities weren't quite suitable. Second, you are quite sensitive to politics, but when it comes to manipulating people's hearts, you're not just a little bit worse than the Third Hokage! So, I have to say, the Third is indeed formidable!]

[Tobirama Senju: Although in my eyes now, Hiruzen Sarutobi is trash! I have to admit what you said, his control over human nature is truly terrifying!]

[Minato Namikaze: Is that how it is…………………?]

[Hashirama Senju: I never thought I'd learn a lesson today!]

[Madara Uchiha: Idiot! You're so old and still can't see things as clearly as a child! Ridiculous!]