A Bond Between Master and Student

Orochimaru looked at Minato, a trace of pity in his eyes.

"I knew you'd say that, but hearing you say it aloud still gets to me."

"You really are a lot like Jiraiya. You talk about doing what's best for the village, but when it's time to act, you always hesitate."

"Minato, I don't think you were a capable Hokage. Sarutobi Hiruzen must have known that too. If you'd been willing to make hard decisions, he never would have chosen you."

Once again, Minato had no answer.

He had at least some self-awareness.

When he was Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Elder Council had all but stripped him of power. They offered every excuse: he was young, he didn't understand politics, and they were merely helping to ease his burden.

What mattered most to a leader?

Before you could make your mark, you had to be allowed into the game.

Konoha was a large, established village. One or two mistakes from Minato would hardly have been a problem. As long as they caused no serious harm, he might even have learned from them.

But what had Sarutobi Hiruzen done? He had given Minato almost no chance to wield power. Under those circumstances, Minato could have sat in the Hokage's chair for a hundred years without changing a thing.

Seeing Minato sink into thought again, Orochimaru suddenly lost interest in lecturing him.

After all, he was a dead man. Once he had seen his child, he could go back to lying quietly in his coffin.

Besides, apart from his lack of lechery, Minato's personality was practically identical to Jiraiya's.

Whenever he encountered something he didn't understand, he gave an awkward smile and refused to budge.

Talking to someone like that made Orochimaru feel as though the folds of his brain were