The Konoha F4 Replacement Plan

"Stop, stop, stop! You two, cut out the PDA!"

Natsu Yuu hurriedly interrupted.

"Mister, what is 'PDA'?" Minato asked, looking completely confused.

"That's not important."

After their romantic atmosphere was broken, Kushina still felt very indignant and couldn't help but complain:

"Isn't there any way to avoid all this? For you, the one who saved the village, to have to bear the infamy instead—isn't that just too unfair?"

Minato shook his head, signaling there was no solution.

As a Hokage, as a ninja, where is there any such thing as fairness or unfairness?

There are only pros and cons, trade-offs and choices.

This was one of the truths Minato had realized as he grew up along his path.

"There is a way!"

As soon as Natsu Yuu spoke, he drew the attention of both Minato and his wife once again.

"Mister, you really have a way?"

If it weren't for his wife and child, Minato certainly wouldn't want to take the blame. Hearing there was a way, he naturally perked up.

"It's very simple: just expose the real culprit."

"You mean Obito?"

Minato frowned deeply, not agreeing with this method.

"Mister, not to mention whether we can prove that the Masked Man is Obito."

"Even if we did prove it, exposing him wouldn't have a high chance of success."

"On one hand, an unfamiliar, mysterious enemy is hard to turn into a target for hatred."

"On the other hand, Lord Danzo and the others wouldn't agree to it."

Not only would they not agree.

If Minato didn't take the blame and didn't divide his power, they would likely obstruct him in every possible way behind his back.

They would claim that Minato was just throwing out a fake culprit to escape his responsibilities.

They might even make a scene about him using his own deceased hero disciple, calling him unworthy of being a teacher and utterly shameless!

With the influence and channels they have cultivated in Konoha for years, distorting or fabricating key intelligence would be far too easy for them...

Hearing this, the passion that had just ignited in Kushina deflated once more.

"That makes it even simpler."

"Since you're worried about those old fogies obstructing you from behind, then just get rid of them all!"

Natsu Yuu's words left Minato and Kushina utterly shocked, their eyes widening significantly.

This—this is way too radical!

Are all so-called Sages this ruthless? This decisive?

"No, no, please wait, Mister! Although their actions may be inappropriate, they haven't committed crimes worthy of death!"

Minato hurriedly tried to dissuade him, terrified that Natsu Yuu might use some kind of Sage Art to slaughter the 'Konoha F4' right then and there.

Even if the Third Hokage wasn't perfect, Minato had never once thought about killing him.

After all, he was Jiraiya's teacher!

Moreover, the Third Hokage was mostly a good man, aside from being a little greedy for power and a little indulgent toward Danzo...

As for the other three besides Danzo, they also didn't deserve to die!

Besides, if they were really all killed, it would inevitably trigger fierce resistance from the Sarutobi Clan, the Shimura Clan, and other major families, potentially erupting into a civil war throughout Konohagakure.

It couldn't be done, it simply couldn't be done!

"Tsk! Fourth Generation, you are still too kind-hearted."

Natsu Yuu sighed; he hadn't actually expected Minato to commit master-slaying. The distinction between a human and a beast is, after all, quite clear.

"Since you don't want to kill them, then find another way to get rid of them."

"Just find a way to pull them down from the core High Council and strip them of their positions and power."

Whether it is for the sake of [Unifying the Ninja World] or achieving [No division within twenty years] after unification, Natsu Yuu needs to clear out these 'Konoha F4' who are holding things back!

As long as they remain in the core High Council, they will inevitably stir up all sorts of trouble in Konoha.

It is better to have Minato bring them down sooner rather than later.

It will save him from having to worry about it in the future.

"This... I'm afraid that won't be easy!"

Minato had actually entertained this thought before, but considering the resistance and difficulty of taking practical action, he had been forced to give up on it.

"They remain in those positions only to become obstacles to Konoha's progress. You, as the Fourth Generation, should be very clear about that, right?"

"I know."

"But the price to pay for stripping them of their power might far outweigh the benefits, and the risks are uncontrollable!"

He knew better than anyone just how greedy those old geezers were for power.

Minato's ability to handle administrative affairs was not something the future Naruto could compare to.

At any rate, when he served as Hokage, he wouldn't be absent from home every day, nor would he look perpetually exhausted.

"Why are you so certain the cost would outweigh the benefits?"

"How can you be sure just how much of an impact the foolish things they are doing now will actually have?"

Natsu Yuu continued to press him.

Minato's expression dimmed slightly, yet he remained stubborn:

"I am sorry. Everything you say is correct."

"But the village truly cannot withstand another major reshuffle!"

As Hokage, Minato always had his own considerations.

The Third Shinobi World War had indeed been too tragic. Konoha, having just ended the war, really could not endure another period of turmoil.

Furthermore, there was another reason Minato did not voice.

Governance was never a one-man job.

No matter how strong Minato was, even if he could cut his way through the entire shinobi world, he could not govern the village all by himself.

He couldn't very well go out every day to issue missions, calculate income and expenditures, and maintain public order...

A ninja's energy was limited, and no matter how useful Shadow Clones were, they still accumulated fatigue.

Even if he could take down Danzo and the others, Minato would still have to rely on other Konoha ninja clans to manage the village and maintain the balance between the various ninja families.

He could not guarantee that the newly appointed high-ranking officials would necessarily be better than Danzo and his cohorts.

Unless he had enough time to unearth or cultivate a new batch of talent.

"Minato, you are playing a game of chess."

"You have your own plan, a more gentle and steady plan, right?"

Natsu Yuu stared at Minato, piercing through the latter's thoughts with a single sentence.

Minato was startled; he gritted his teeth and nodded.

Ever since he succeeded to the position of Fourth Hokage, Minato had felt himself being held back.

He came from a civilian ninja background, lacked the support of the major ninja clans, and the Third Hokage had never truly relinquished power to him.

Wanting to change the village, wanting to develop the village.

It was truly difficult, incredibly difficult!

But after weighing his options repeatedly, Minato did not choose the path of seizing power by force; that would have caused too much damage to the village.

Instead, he chose to temporarily "willingly" act as a puppet, silently developing and accumulating strength.

He reached an agreement with the village's High Council and the ninja clan groups led by the Hyuga, taking over the Education Department.

He gradually introduced more civilian ninjas into the academy, cultivating them with great care.

This was to gradually lead the entire Konoha away from the era where major clans dominated, and under the balance of multiple parties, move toward a future of widespread growth.

New ninjutsu were developed, new Release Techniques were brought to prominence, and new ninja philosophies began to clash.

He held the first Academy Ninjutsu Tournament;

He held the first Academy Ninjutsu Exhibition;

New things and new people were constantly emerging...

The fact that Namiashi Raidō and the other two could, under his tutelage, come into contact with and learn the S-Rank Forbidden Jutsu, Flying Thunder God Technique, was in itself already incredible.

His "weakness" was merely another way of developing by "hiding a tree in a forest."

The Theory of Ninja Love he proposed further pushed Konoha to reflect on and correct its Chakra-centric theory.

Beneath this facade of "weakness."

Even though he had carved a path through the entire ninja world under the name of the Yellow Flash, no one within Konoha or the High Council thought Minato was a major threat, and no one believed Minato had ambition.

He only needed to hide his edge for a while longer, to develop for a while longer.

Wait until more civilian ninjas and ordinary ninjas were cultivated.

Thereby breaking the deeply rooted Ninja Clan System and Secret Jutsu System within Konoha...

At that time.

Everything would fall into place, and the great tree of Konoha would naturally be able to break free from its decay and regain its vitality!

This was the path Minato had chosen as Hokage.

He had never told anyone about this, nor did he want Kushina to worry; but he hadn't expected Natsu Yuu to see through it.

One could only say, is this what it means to be a Sage?