Upon hearing this, Minato fell silent, just like in the original work where the Third Hokage was forced to abdicate after the war ended due to the extreme brutality of the Third Shinobi World War.
Minato and Kushina, who survived, must also bear the responsibility for their negligence in guarding the Nine-Tails, which led to its breaking free and causing massive casualties.
Even if it wasn't their fault, as Hokage and Jinchuriki, they were still responsible for the Tailed Beast breaking free of their seals.
In the original work, no one held them accountable because Minato sealed the Nine-Tails with his life, and the original Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina, also died in battle.
All the malice and accusations were directed at Naruto of the Nine-Tails.
But now that Minato and Kushina have both survived, they must pay the price for their dereliction of duty.
Minato pondered for a moment, his expression turning serious. He said earnestly to Iori, "I will take responsibility. It was my fault that the Masked Man was able to exploit the opening and allow the Nine-Tails to break free."
"I will resign from my position as Hokage to specifically guard the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Iori- kun, the future of Konoha is in your hands!"
Minato thought to himself that after the Nine-Tails' seal was broken, Kushina's Jinchuriki would inevitably be questioned. A Jinchuriki who couldn't control Tailed Beast was no different from a bomb.
Only by taking the initiative to step forward and assume responsibility can Kushina be extricated from her predicament, and can the focus be shifted to the Hokage's dereliction of duty rather than the Jinchuriki's.
On the other hand, after regaining his lover, he also realized his true feelings. He did love Konoha and the village, but he also loved his family.
If Iori hadn't existed, Konoha would have been facing a talent shortage, and Minato might not have chosen to resign and become Anbu Jinchuriki.
However, Iori's performance over the past year had already earned his recognition and trust, and Minato felt very at ease with Iori taking over Hokage.
Looking at Minato's resolute face, Iori nodded slightly without any feigned refusal. He had been planning for a long time, all to become Hokage as the savior of Konoha.
"By the way, you need to be careful. The man who attacked Konoha this time claims to be Madara Uchiha, but I don't think he's the real Madara Uchiha. His actions are too different from Konoha's records."
"Strength can be faked, and one's style of doing things can change over time, but a decline in combat experience is highly suspicious."
"He does indeed possess a Mangekyō Sharingan, along with powerful Space-Time Ninjutsu. He also has a contract with the Nine-Tails and can control Nine-Tails battle. Although he is not Madara Uchiha, he should be closely related to Madara Uchiha."
Minato, recalling his previous battle with the mysterious man, quickly reminded Iori that although the enemy lacked combat experience and his approach was relatively immature, that Space-Time Ninjutsu was simply too overpowered.
If Minato hadn't also been proficient in Space-Time Ninjutsu, that man would have been virtually invincible in a one-on-one fight.
Although Iori was aware of Obito's identity and abilities, it would be too suspicious to say it directly now. He planned to remind everyone at an appropriate time, a month or two later.
Soon after, Tsunade and Shisui arrived. Their clothes were slightly torn, and their faces were covered in dust, clearly indicating that they had just come from a battle.
"Are you all alright? What about Nine-Tails? How is Kushina?" Tsunade asked anxiously as soon as she stopped. "If she's still alive, she can still be saved from death if we seal Nine-Tails back into her body!"
After the Nine-Tails was unsealed, Tsunade was constantly worried about Kushina's safety. The unsealing of Tailed Beast is often accompanied by the death of its Jinchuriki. However, out of a sense of responsibility, Tsunade chose to confront Kakuzu first.
Now that she sees that Nine-Tails has disappeared, she worries that Nine-Tails has been killed or sealed into someone else's body. If Nine-Tails is lost, even if Kushina is still alive, she probably won't live much longer.
Kushina, who was sitting behind Minato, stood up somewhat awkwardly and gave Tsunade a reassuring smile, " Tsunade, Minato and Iori have sealed the Nine-Tails back into place for me. I'm safe now."
Tsunade that Kushina was safe and sound, Tsunade finally felt relieved. Kushina was one of her closest people, and her safety was of utmost importance to Tsunade.
Shisui stepped forward, his face serious. " Fourth Hokage, what exactly happened? Why did the Nine-Tails break the seal?"
When faced with Shisui's question, Minato's eyes revealed a hint of heaviness. "An enemy claiming to be Madara Uchiha has invaded. I will explain this in detail to everyone at the Jonin meeting later."
"Let's go back then. The Third should be waiting for us too," Iori suggested, extending her hand as she looked at the group.
"Alright, let's go back first. They should still be waiting for our message." The group agreed to Iori's suggestion. Tsunade and Shisui took Iori's outstretched hand, while Minato hugged his wife and child.
Two beams of light flashed, and the two simultaneously activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, returning to Konoha.
Upon seeing their safe return, the Third Hokage rushed forward and anxiously inquired, "Are you all alright? How is the Nine-Tails? Was it killed, or was it resealed?"
The Tailed Beast Balance Strategy was established by the First and implemented by subsequent Hokage. If Konoha loses the Nine-Tails, Konoha's reputation will be severely damaged.
Minato stepped forward and explained the events in detail to the Third Hokage, requesting that he summon the Jonin, as he had something to announce.
Although the Third Hokage was filled with doubts, he knew that the Jonin were also anxiously awaiting the truth of the matter, so he agreed to Minato's request.
While waiting for the Jonin to arrive, Iori and Tsunade wasted no time and quickly began treating the seriously wounded.
Thanks to Tsunade's Sage Medical Ninjutsu and Iori's Noble Phantasm healing, the seriously injured were quickly out of danger and only needed further rest to recover their health.
As time went by, the Jonin arrived at the meeting place one after another. The disappearance of the Nine-Tails had greatly reduced the tension in the village, allowing them to attend the meeting.
Minato looked at the Jonin who had been summoned and said to them, "I bear a great deal of responsibility for the Nine-Tails' unsealing incident. First, we chose to produce the Nine-Tails outside of Konoha, which resulted in insufficient defenses."
"Secondly, we were blocked by the enemy. We couldn't stop the Nine-Tails, nor could we organize a defense. If it weren't for the Third Hokage organizing the manpower, the casualties would probably be far more severe now."
"Therefore, I have decided to resign and step down from my position as the Fourth Hokage to become the guardian of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
Minato bowed to everyone present to express his apology.