All Four Kage Have High Hopes for Minato Namikaze~~

With the contest for the Hokage position over, the Third Shinobi World War gradually drew to a close.

Every village was facing a full-blown financial crisis.

Only the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning could keep fighting.

Did A really think Kumogakure would fight Konoha one-on-one? He wasn't stupid, but he was furious. That bastard Orochimaru had tricked him!

What happened to the Byakugan? What happened to the Hyuga Clan sending it to me?

How many times had our Kumogakure helped you hammer Jiraiya?!

If we hadn't helped drive Jiraiya away, he'd have swallowed up your foothold in Kumogakure with his people by now.

Just you wait.

Why had Ōnoki put away his fists and called for a ceasefire?

Because he wanted to see Konoha's troubles unfold.

He knew a little about how Orochimaru had become Hokage.

Orochimaru had seized the Hokage position with an edict from the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire while Minato was away with his supporters. That meant his hold on power was bound to be shaky.

And there was more: he had no respect for his elders.

He hadn't even managed to maintain a relationship with the previous Hokage. The two sides had fallen out badly, and Orochimaru had even driven Hiruzen Sarutobi's family out of Konoha.

Based on the information Iwagakure's Anbu had gathered about Minato, Ōnoki judged him to be a truly good person. He wouldn't turn against Orochimaru during the war, but once the fighting stopped...

Heh, then all bets were off.

He hoped Minato would return with the Loyalist Army and take on Orochimaru in Konoha.

Everyone in the Shinobi World wanted to take Konoha for a ride.

War was merely the continuation of politics.

If continuing the war brought them nothing, they had no choice but to stop fighting and look for another way forward.

The Third Mizukage was nearly being cursed to death by the village's higher-ups.

Why don't you just die?

We fought in the Shinobi World War, and you didn't lead us to victory.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen? Four dead, two defected, and the last one, Suikazan Fuguki, kept going on about how much that punch hurt. He said the Seventh Gate was inhuman, and he was sick of war down to his bones.

And now you've even lost the Three-Tails.

Tell me, aren't you a spy Konoha planted here?

Under enormous pressure, the Third Mizukage died of oppression. He was Kirigakure's sinner, and he alone was to blame.

Then a man named Karatachi Yagura, with a baby face, took over as Mizukage.

The first thing he did after taking office was demand that Orochimaru return the Three-Tails. If he didn't, Kirigakure would fight Konoha to the death, and the war would continue without end.

They thought Orochimaru's hold on power was shaky, so he'd be eager to compromise.

But... he didn't...

Orochimaru personally led the charge, and a single Manda falling from the sky crushed countless Mist Ninja.

After Karatachi Yagura calculated their casualty ratio against Konoha's, he hurriedly changed tactics.

Konoha was a land of outstanding people, where a genius would emerge every so often to steal the spotlight.

The previous generation had the Konoha Sannin.

This generation had Minato Namikaze.

Come on!

Let's see how the new era's Minato challenges the remnants of the old one.

As the Third Shinobi World War neared its end, some newspapers wanted to interview the Kage from each village about their thoughts on the war's aftermath.

Ōnoki was the first to publicly say, during an interview with reporters, that the person he had the highest hopes for in Konoha was the Yellow Flash. He regretted that the Yellow Flash hadn't become Hokage.

"I don't know whether there was any foul play in Konoha's Hokage election."

"Anyway... I wish Orochimaru all the best. He may not measure up to Minato, but he's still a fine young man."

He sighed with a hint of regret in front of the reporters.

The other Kage followed suit.

Kazekage Rasa: "I've met Minato in person. He was spirited and treated people warmly. Oh, and we even had a meal together in private."

"Orochimaru? I don't know him. We're not very close, haha. Maybe I'll get the chance to meet him."

"Peace with Konoha? For Minato's sake, I'm willing to keep our alliance with Konoha going."

Raikage A: "I fought Orochimaru once. He seemed a little afraid of me and Bee, maybe."

"But I'd really like to test myself against Minato someday. I don't know which of us is faster."

Mizukage Karatachi Yagura: "Minato put a lot of pressure on us. Orochimaru became Hokage while Minato was away? I don't think that was fair to Minato."

"We feel sorry for Minato. He's a very honorable opponent."

Newspapers all over the nations were filled with the Kage's praise for Minato. You couldn't find a single disparaging word.

Snakes held grudges. Give one a kick, and it could remember you for the rest of its life.

In the Hokage Office, Orochimaru committed each of those names to memory.

Rasa! You're something else!

At the Kirigakure front.

Zhengyi was handling the aftermath. The Shinobi World War would probably be over for good in just a few days.

With him there, and with the teacher having personally led the charge last time, Minato and his supporters had kept themselves in check. They hadn't gathered together.

Seeing Orochimaru wearing the Fourth Hokage Haori made many people seethe! It should have belonged to Minato.

And now Zhengyi was lording it over them, too!

They should have been the ones commanding the Kirigakure front!

They should have been the ones returning to the village to enjoy the villagers' praise and honors!

"Zhengyi! Why are you the commander at the Kirigakure front?" Obito, whose left side was white and whose missing eye was covered by an eyepatch, came in to report on his mission, only to find that Zhengyi was his direct superior.

Rin hadn't died, so Obito had never awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

On top of that, he'd snagged a White Zetsu from Madara and gotten some Hashirama Cells.

He hadn't told anyone about Madara.

He wasn't stupid.

The old man clearly wanted to retire in peace. There was no way Obito would let Konoha Ninja disturb him.

Maybe he was lonely.

Before Obito left, Madara had said, "You'll definitely come back."

Heh, what an awkward old man. Didn't he just want me to come back and keep him company?

Zhengyi didn't dare look Obito in the eye. He... sighed...

"What's wrong?" Obito thought Zhengyi should have been happy to see him. He was still alive, after all!

Back then, he'd nearly been crushed to death by a rock. Zhengyi's actions had moved him, so he'd forgiven him.

But why did Zhengyi look so guilty?

Kakashi had told him that he and Zhengyi had kept their promise to him perfectly, and had protected Rin very well.

Fine. This great guy would give you a fair chance to pursue Rin.

"You?" Obito stepped closer, frowning as he studied Zhengyi's face with his one eye.

"W-what? What's wrong with me?" Zhengyi felt Obito's breath against his face. His guilt made him keep backing away.

"Why haven't you replaced your eye with my Three-Tomoe Sharingan?"

So that was why Zhengyi looked so guilty. He was afraid Obito would ask for his Sharingan back.

Sigh...

Did Obito really seem like that kind of miser?

Once he gave something to you, it was yours. Obito wasn't the kind of person who'd be petty enough to take it back.