The inauguration ceremony for the new Hokage was so simple and efficient that it would put those officials on Earth, who make a mountain out of a molehill, to shame.
"From this day forward, I shall be the Fourth Hokage of Konoha Village. I look forward to your guidance!"
Standing on the rooftop of the Hokage Building, Minato, already clad in his white Hokage robe, uttered just this one sentence, and a wave of jubilation swept across the entire area below.
With the death or departure of White Fang Sannin, Konoha could no longer find anyone of his generation who could rival Minato. He became the common target of support for the villagers and clans of Konoha. Indeed, Minato's path to Hokage was incredibly smooth from the start. Even the First Hokage probably did not have such a high level of support.
The cheers right now are proof of that. Even the Uchiha Clan, who have always been at odds with the Senju Clan, breathed a sigh of relief the moment they saw Minato take office.
With someone like this as Hokage, the dark cloud that has been hanging over them for so long has finally dissipated.
For others, their thoughts were simpler. Whether it was the death of White Fang or the disintegration of the Sannin, a growing sense of pessimism began to spread Konoha Village. Even though the village promoted super rookies like Ki, Kakashi, Obito, that only represented the future, and the future is unpredictable. To stabilize morale, the present is always more important than the future.
Minato's appointment as Hokage was a Hokage in the arm for the villagers and other Konoha Ninja. The name of the Yellow Flash was now no less than that of the White Fang of the Leaf or the Sannin. The previously unstable morale of the village would naturally be stabilized as a result.
No matter how awful or glamorous the Hokage position may seem, but how exhausting it is behind the scenes, it is undeniable that the person who holds this position has the right to plan and decide on the future of the village. The villagers and various ninja clans all trust Minato, and now that Minato has become Hokage, it would be impossible for him to remain in office.
"It has finally begun, the era of the Fourth Hokage..."
Standing in the crowd, Qi looked at the cheering crowd around him and couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
Having read the original story, he understood better than anyone what it meant for Minato to become the Fourth Hokage...
"What Konoha will be like in the next ten years or so depends on these next two years!"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"I have two years left. Two years, Uchiha Madara —let's just call you that for now—even if I can't beat you, your Nine-Tails won't be able to cause any trouble!"
The Fourth Hokage could not die. This was his only judgment on the reasons for the later upheaval in Konoha. If the Fourth Hokage had not died, the Cloud Ninja might not have launched a full-scale invasion as in the original story, and the tragedy of the Uchiha would not have occurred, which would have caused Konoha to suffer further damage and fall into the tragic situation of prioritizing peace in everything, as in the original story.
It's not that he really has much affection for Konoha, it's just that he's now clearly going to work in Konoha long-term, and he doesn't want to have the ability but not make a change, ultimately making himself feel incredibly frustrated.
"Qi Jun."
A member of the Anbu suddenly appeared beside him, interrupting his thoughts.
" The Lord Hokage requests your presence."
"Oh?"
Qi looked up in surprise. On the platform, Minato was waving his hands down frequently, seemingly unaware of what was happening here.
"Alright, please lead the way."
He turned around and followed the Anbu away from the crowd, into the alley.
The Hokage Building was already completely surrounded, so the normal route was impossible to enter. The Anbu walked to the depths of the alley, opened a hidden door, and gestured for Qi to enter.
"..."
Qi glanced at the other person, paused only slightly, and then walked inside.
Before long, he had walked through the entire secret passage. When he came out, he was already inside the Hokage Building. As soon as he stepped out of the passage, several Anbu appeared around him. They only glanced at Qi to confirm his identity before retreating one by one.
Only one of them remained, and not only that, he also removed his mask.
"Haven't seen you for a long time."
Qi smiled slightly, extended her hand, and lightly tapped her fist against the other person's.
"What's it like Anbu Captain, clocking in and out?"
"Just laugh all you want now."
The newcomer, Kakashi, even managed a rare smile.
"Now both Konoha and Daimyo's Residence are waiting for you to establish your clan. With your temperament, let's see if you'll still be smiling then."
These words were quite powerful; Qi's smile immediately became much drier...
What about the fourth generation?
"He's in his office. Come with me, I've been waiting for you."
Kakashi turned and left, putting his mask back on. It didn't really make much difference; he was now the only one in the Anbu whose identity was completely hidden—after all, he'd been used as a propaganda tool...
"You've been waiting for me for a long time? What do you mean?"
Qi didn't quite understand that statement.
"Whether it's the Fourth Hokage or the Third Hokage, all the clones on stage are now waiting for you in the office. Do you understand now?"
After walking a few steps, Kakashi stopped. To his left was a large door with two ninjas standing at the entrance. Kakashi gestured to them, and the two left immediately.
"I'm not going in; I'll stay at the door."
Kakashi placed his hand on the door, then suddenly turned around and looked at Qi with a complicated expression.
"Qi, establishing a clan, especially a medium to large ninja clan like yours, is not an easy task. You must be careful."
He spoke seriously and in a low voice, leaning closer to Qi and whispering a word of advice.
"Remember, on this issue, don't completely trust anyone!"