You might be better than the Third

"It's that simple?" Obito's eyes widened. He scratched his head, his voice full of curiosity.

The two conditions Uchiha Itachi had proposed seemed ridiculously simple to him. He was the Fourth Hokage's student, and he had also saved Kakashi.

By those standards, he was practically guaranteed to become the Fifth Hokage. Besides, he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Marrying Lin and reaching the pinnacle of his life as a ninja would be well within his grasp.

Of course, he conveniently ignored the fact that he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan when Lin died, and that without Uchiha Madara, he would have long since been crushed flat by that boulder.

"It really isn't that simple. The very first step alone is enough to shut countless people out entirely."

"Aside from the First and Second Hokage being brothers, every Hokage from the Second onward had pitifully few students."

"The Second Hokage had slightly more. Almost all those who survived became indispensable figures in the village."

"The Third Hokage, Elder Danzo, who controls Root, and those two useless seat-warmers, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura."

"And the Third Hokage's three students were the renowned Sannin. But Orochimaru was driven out of the village, and the other two had no interest in becoming Hokage."

"So the position of Fourth Hokage naturally fell to your teacher, the famous Namikaze Minato."

"The Seventh Hokage certainly had outstanding military achievements. No one could erase those. He was incredibly powerful, killing countless Chunin and Genin, and he performed admirably against truly formidable enemies, too."

Then Lin gave Obito's shoulder a firm pat and continued:

"As far as I'm concerned, you could absolutely be Hokage, Obito."

"But when White Fang chose to save his teammates, those fellows the Seventh Hokage had saved, who had since become Elders, chose to turn