Atop the splendid Hokage Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi handed the Hokage hat in his hand to Minato Namikaze before him and said with a broad smile, "Starting today, you are the village's Fourth Hokage."
Minato Namikaze nodded solemnly. "I will protect Konoha with my life."
Then, Minato Namikaze put on the Hokage hat and looked at the cheering, jubilant shinobi below, as well as Danzo and Root hidden in the corner of the crowd. A trace of gloom flashed through his eyes.
Born an orphaned civilian shinobi, he had received the Sannin's guidance and become Hokage with everyone's support.
His life had been highly inspirational, and highly fulfilling.
If he continued working hard, perhaps he could one day lead the village to the pinnacle of the Ninja World and recreate the glory of the First Hokage's era. This had been his dream ever since he entered the Ninja Academy, and now he had already achieved half of it.
But he was not a Hokage who knew nothing.
A few months ago, he had taken his teammates to Rōran in the Desert Country on a mission, where he had unexpectedly encountered Naruto, a shinobi from more than ten years in the future, and learned from him what would happen in the future.
In that different timeline, far too many tragedies had occurred—so many that he did not even want to seal away his memories.
After the inauguration ceremony ended, Minato Namikaze returned to the Hokage's Office and began working with the assistance of the Hokage and the advisors. This was the Third Hokage's goodwill, helping him familiarize himself with the workflow.
Yet until the day he died in battle, the Third Hokage had never handed over all authority to him.
Thinking of this, Minato Namikaze revealed a gentle, breeze-like smile. "Third Lord,