Minato Namikaze and Kushina Visit

Konoha.

Minamoto Takuya walked through the village, looking at the smiles on the villagers' faces and listening to Minato Namikaze's name being mentioned from time to time.

Just as expected, the Third Hokage had already begun preparing to pass the position on to Minato Namikaze.

Otherwise, while the Third Hokage was still alive, openly discussing Minato Namikaze like this would not be a good thing.

Given enough time, Shimura Danzō would definitely find a way to turn Minato Namikaze into a second White Fang of Konoha. But Minato Namikaze's personality was completely different from Hatake Sakumo's. He probably would not commit suicide.

With things moving in this direction, Shimura Danzō likely would not be given time to prepare. That man was probably hopping mad right now.

A smile curled across Minamoto Takuya's lips. Shimura Danzō had done so much, even smearing Orochimaru's reputation in the village beforehand. Looking deeper, it was hard to say whether Orochimaru's experiments being exposed later had nothing to do with that.

At first, it was merely hearsay. Perhaps they had not dared investigate too deeply because of Orochimaru's status.

But once they investigated the disappearances of people in the village and nearby villages, they would eventually trace them back there. Then, combined with all that hearsay...

As for Orochimaru's thoughts on Minato Namikaze becoming the Fourth Hokage, he was probably deeply unwilling to accept it. Yet he knew himself that, with his reputation in the village, it would be difficult for him to compete with Minato Namikaze.

He was probably immersing himself in his experiments right now, numbing himself.

"Orochimaru..." Minamoto Takuya pondered. He needed the man's experimental records, which meant he had to make him defect. That would not be difficult.

Honestly, Minamoto Takuya felt that Orochimaru had been screwed over by Shimura Danzō as well.

In the beginning, although Orochimaru's personality had been rather dark, he still considered the village's interests and would not use people from the village for experiments. Most of his test subjects should have come from the war.

But after Shimura Danzō approached Orochimaru and began cooperating with him, things changed. The test subjects Shimura Danzō provided were not only people from nearby villages; there were even ninja from Konoha among them.

After that, it was as if Orochimaru had cast off all his reservations and begun targeting ninja from the village.

At that point, Orochimaru had completely embarked upon a path of no return.

If he had merely used the corpses of enemies from other villages during the war for experiments, Minamoto Takuya did not think it was unforgivable. Minato Namikaze probably was not so rigid and narrow-minded either.

If it had been the Third Hokage, he might have punished him, but likely not with death. After all, Orochimaru was a Disciple he had personally taught. Even in the Original Work, the Third Hokage had not been able to bring himself to kill him.

But once the test subjects involved people from their own village, the nature of the matter changed completely.

Once it was exposed, no Hokage could go against the will of the entire village and protect him.

After defecting, Orochimaru's experiments only became more unrestrained.

So, once he was ready, all he had to do was hand the evidence of Orochimaru using people from the village for experiments to Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage.

But he needed an identity. As someone obsessed with researching Sealing Jutsu, it would not do for him to go against his established persona and expose Orochimaru.

More importantly, after exposing him, how was he supposed to obtain what he wanted from Orochimaru? The experimental records Orochimaru left behind would most likely be records of ongoing experiments, while the completed records were probably... in his stomach.

"Looks like I still have to intercept him and make a deal." Minamoto Takuya sighed at the trouble.

Lost in thought, he finished turning in his mission. The Third Hokage was probably busy with the succession, so he did not chat with him for a while as usual.

Back at his home, Minamoto Takuya looked at the shabby room for the first time in a long while and felt somewhat sentimental.

Not long ago, he had been forcibly taking the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path right in front of a pair of Rinnegan and one of the Masterminds behind the Hokage. Now, he had suddenly returned to a peaceful life. It felt a little strange.

With that thought, he did not waste any time. He created two Shadow Clones and had them continue researching Sealing Jutsu.

Then he took the meteorite from a scroll, placed it on his lap, and began cultivating.

Although intercepting Orochimaru did not require defeating him, he still needed a certain foundation of strength. He had no time to waste.

Time passed quickly.

The news that Minato Namikaze would become the Fourth Hokage was no longer a rumor in the village. It was something every Konoha villager knew.

They all cheered for it.

Minato Namikaze's deeds on the battlefield, where he had struck terror into enemy forces while saving countless families, had become known to every household. Even those who had not known before now understood the matter better than the man himself under the overwhelming publicity.

It was during these days that

Minato Namikaze brought Kushina Uzumaki to visit Minamoto Takuya.

Minamoto Takuya looked at the two standing before his door, somewhat surprised. For them to come here at such a time...

"Welcome, Minato, Kushina."

After the two took their seats, Minamoto Takuya began making tea. After thinking for a while, he decided not to use the cheapest tea leaves as he had before.

"You came at the right time. During this mission, I bought some local specialty tea leaves," Minamoto Takuya said.

"Then we'll look forward to trying them," Minato Namikaze said with a smile. He still remembered how the other man had served him the cheapest tea leaves during his last visit.

It was not as though he held a grudge, but it had left quite an impression.

As he spoke, he looked around and said, "Senior, your home is still as simple as ever. Don't you plan to buy a new house?"

"I have no plans for that at the moment. I spend most of my time outside on missions and rarely stay at home, so buying a new house would be a waste," Minamoto Takuya said after pausing at the form of address.

He had not expected that Minato Namikaze, who was about to become the Fourth Hokage, would still address him respectfully. It truly made him feel warmly toward him.

"I see." Minato Namikaze nodded.

Beside him, Kushina Uzumaki carefully studied Minamoto Takuya. She was still curious about what that initial feeling had been, but now that she looked at him again, she no longer felt what she had felt before.

Soon, Minamoto Takuya finished brewing the tea and sat in front of them. As he poured the tea, he said,

"It seems I haven't congratulated Minato on becoming the Fourth Hokage yet." After thinking for a moment, Minamoto Takuya spoke a little more formally.

"Congratulations, Minato. From now on, I'll have to call you Hokage Lord."

Minato Namikaze immediately scratched his head and said with a smile, "Senior, you can just call me Minato from now on. Besides, the Third Hokage is not yet at an age where he must step down. He simply thinks too highly of me."

"Don't be modest. The fact that several ninja villages have reached a consensus that they can abandon their missions and flee if they encounter you already proves you have the strength to succeed the Hokage. Not to mention how many companions you saved on the battlefield, and how many families you preserved. Even in terms of reputation, you becoming Hokage is what everyone wants."