The Criteria for Becoming Hokage

Today, as usual, Sarutobi Hiruzen dismissed the Anbu ninja and held a high-level meeting in the Hokage's office with his three old friends.

It was a meeting like any other, but Mitokado Homura couldn't help feeling awkward after the rumors about him and Utatane Koharu had spread. It was as if someone had left nails on his chair.

No one spoke. Half of Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was hidden in shadow as he looked at the Hokage's desk, which had been there since the First's time. He couldn't help drifting off. The desk was old, just like he was.

After a long while, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed and broke the silence. "The rumors from a while ago finally died down, but the villagers' resentment toward us will probably keep growing in secret."

"Why should we care about a bunch of powerless civilians?" Shimura Danzo said. As far as he was concerned, they could kill a few troublemakers, and the rest of the villagers would naturally fall in line.

"Danzo, you're still as hard-nosed as ever. But now we're all old, and the younger generation in the village is gradually coming into its own."

"You're thinking of stepping down, Hiruzen?" Danzo's eyes lit up. He was very sensitive to this sort of thing.

"Really, Hiruzen? But everything's going fine, isn't it? Why are you thinking about stepping down?" Koharu and Homura were also taken aback.

One Hokage, one generation of elders. They'd spent all these years using their status as Konoha elders to rake in who knew how many benefits. They weren't eager to leave.

Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "All right, I've made up my mind. I'm finding it harder to handle everything these days. And who knows when the next Shinobi World War might break out.

"It's easy to imagine that this one will be even more intense than the Second Shinobi World War. The Five Great Shinobi Villages might all get involved. When that happens, am I supposed to go to the battlefield? Or are you?"

Once they realized Sarutobi Hiruzen had made up his mind and couldn't be stopped, the others began wondering who the Fourth Hokage would be.

Mitokado Homura asked, "Then, Hiruzen, who are you planning to pass the Hokage Position on to? Jiraiya?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. "Jiraiya is an excellent ninja, but he's spent the last two years running around because of Mount Myoboku. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving Konoha in his hands."

Utatane Koharu said, "Then what about Tsunade? She was the teacher's clanswoman, and she has a great reputation among both ninja and villagers."

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head again. "Ever since her lover, Dan Katō, died, Tsunade has been depressed. I'm afraid she has no interest in the Hokage Position."

At that, Shimura Danzo was delighted. "Then it's Orochimaru. He's powerful and exceptionally clever. Plenty of Konoha ninja look up to him."

Danzo planned to support Orochimaru's bid for Hokage first, then slip Konoha villagers into his human experiments. He could use that as leverage to expand his own power, step by step. In the end, becoming the Fifth Hokage wouldn't be out of the question.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head again. "Root is still too dark. I'm always worried that child Orochimaru will go astray. Maybe I shouldn't have let him get involved with Root in the first place."

Danzo's expression darkened. "If Orochimaru doesn't satisfy you, it can't possibly be Hatake Sakumo, can it? He isn't one of us."

Utatane Koharu said, "How could we hand the Hokage Position to an outsider? I think Hiruzen has his eye on the younger generation of ninja. Chiba Genichi or Minato Namikaze?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen finally nodded. "Young people have more energy. We should give them a chance."

The answer wasn't what he'd hoped for, and Danzo was already losing patience. "Who is it?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't answer directly. "I think we need a steadfast heir to the Will of Fire as the Fourth Hokage. He should have a gentle disposition and no interest in power. He should be strong, but willing to listen carefully to his elders' guidance. His views shouldn't be too extreme, and he should preferably leave the village's major affairs to people who specialize in handling them."

Thinking back on the two candidates, Chiba Genichi had made a name for himself on the battlefield at a young age. Now he had mastered the Kekkei Genkai Magnet Release and signed a contract with Ryūchi Cave. His overall strength had probably reached the level of a Kage long ago. He might even stand among the stronger Kage of the various villages, and he was still young.

Although Minato Namikaze had always been a step behind Chiba Genichi since childhood, he had mastered the Second's signature Flying Thunder God Technique. He'd been carrying out missions lately and had become a jonin. He'd also signed a contract with Mount Myoboku, and his potential in Space-Time Ninjutsu was far from exhausted.

Both men came from civilian backgrounds. They worked hard at training and focused on getting stronger. They probably weren't very interested in politics or power, were they?

Mitokado Homura said, "It should be Chiba Genichi. Don't forget his relationship with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

"And don't forget his relationship with the Uchiha Clan!" Shimura Danzo thought of how that brat had hinted during the last meeting that he should take the blame. "Have you forgotten the teacher's teachings? The Uchiha Clan are born evil..."

"That's enough, Danzo. The Uchiha Clan are members of the village too." Hiruzen cut Danzo off. "Once Chiba Genichi becomes Hokage, he'll be able to ease tensions between the village and the Uchiha Clan. Do you really want to see the day the Uchiha Clan rebels against the village?"

At that, Homura and Koharu nodded in agreement.

There was only so much of the village's pie to go around. They'd suppressed the Uchiha in accordance with their teacher's wishes, and the extra share had gone to the inner circle to divide up. It wasn't as if they really wanted to fight the Uchiha.

"I'm only considering stepping down. I'm not stepping down today. Anyway, just keep it in mind," Sarutobi Hiruzen added.

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this."

Danzo didn't care whether the Fourth Hokage was Chiba Genichi or Minato Namikaze. His power came from Root. With the cursed seals and brainwashing at his disposal, he would always remain Root's leader.

It was still the Hokage's office. Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned Chiba Genichi and Minato Namikaze.

"Lord Hokage." ×2

"Genichi, Minato, you're here." Sarutobi Hiruzen beamed.

"Time really flies. Just a few years ago, you were little kids at the Ninja Academy. In the blink of an eye, you're both capable of standing on your own.

"Wherever Konoha's leaves dance, its fire burns ever brighter. Every time I see the children in the village grow up, I feel that all these years of effort haven't been in vain."

"You flatter me, Lord Hokage." Minato scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.

Ever since he was a child, becoming Hokage had been Minato's dream. The Third Hokage had enjoyed a good reputation in the village back then, and Minato had always deeply respected him.

Genichi said, "Lord Third, just get to the point. I have plans tonight."

For the unspoken wish in his heart, Genichi had recently decided to build a large hot spring in his courtyard. He wanted a machine to heat the water and circulate it automatically to maintain the temperature, along with a one-way sealing barrier around the outside. From inside, he'd be able to see the sky, while no one outside could see in.

The Third Hokage wasn't offended. He had no idea that Chiba Genichi had secretly spread the rumors that had been making him miserable lately. In his eyes, Genichi was the best candidate for the next Hokage. "Heh, don't rush, Genichi. I won't keep you long.

"Just as I took the Sannin on as students back then, and Jiraiya later trained Minato while Orochimaru trained you, Genichi, you're now outstanding jonin in the village. It's time for you to train the next generation of ninja.

"The list of students graduating early from the Ninja Academy is ready. I've picked the two most promising teams for you. I hope you'll serve as their jonin instructors."

As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen handed them several student files.

Sarutobi Asuma wasn't among them. Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted his youngest son to grow closer to Genichi and Minato, but with war approaching, the two teams would be sent on the most dangerous missions. Asuma was too young for that. It would be better to let him gain experience somewhere safe first.

Minato Namikaze: Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara

Chiba Genichi: Might Guy, Shizune Katō, Kurenai Yuhi

Sarutobi Hiruzen explained, "I remember that Might Guy is Genichi's student. Kakashi went on missions with you, Minato, when he first became a Chunin, right? I built these two teams around the two of them. Go on, they should already be waiting in the classroom for their jonin instructors."

Only six people remained in the Ninja Academy classroom.

Obito said, "Why is that stuck-up Kakashi here? Didn't he become a Chunin last year?"

"Idiot." Kakashi couldn't be bothered to engage with the hotheaded fool.

His voice was quiet, but Obito still heard him. "You!"

Just as Obito was about to lose his temper—and he wouldn't stand a chance against Kakashi if they fought—Rin hurried to intervene. "Maybe they didn't have enough people. Teams usually have three members, and we're one short. Besides, Kakashi's actually in our year."

When Rin spoke, Obito calmed down and grinned sheepishly. "So that's it, Rin. You're so smart."

"998, 999, 1,000. Done." Might Guy got to his feet after doing push-ups in the corner of the classroom, gave Kakashi a thumbs-up, and said with a grin, "Kakashi, our jonin instructor hasn't arrived yet. How about we have a manly duel while we wait?"

"I refuse." Kakashi remained expressionless.

Shizune said, "Speaking of jonin instructors, I have inside information. Our six-person group might be assigned to Chiba Genichi and Minato Namikaze."

"Chiba Genichi? Could it be the White-Clad Death God?" Kurenai Yuhi was surprised too. Her classmates had already been assigned to other classes, leaving her surrounded by students a year below her. She'd been feeling nervous, and hadn't expected she might get a chance to join Chiba Genichi's team.

"I heard from my father that Chiba is the strongest ninja of the younger generation. Even he admits he isn't a match for him."

"If Chiba-senpai were my jonin instructor, I'd awaken my Sharingan in no time with his help." As he spoke, Obito drifted off into a fantasy.

A flash of golden light, and Minato was already behind Obito. He patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "You're Obito, right? Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm your jonin instructor."

Kurenai Yuhi was startled when she saw who had arrived, and blurted out, "It's Body Flicker Minato!"

Genichi, who entered the classroom right behind him, heard that and felt speechless. *All right, after Kushina took Minato's nickname, the Yellow Flash, he's gone and stolen Shisui's Body Flicker title too.

I wonder what Shisui will be called in the future. The Water of the Uchiha Massacre? No, that's way too ominous.

"Isn't he Minato Namikaze? How did he become Body Flicker Minato?" Obito asked, looking puzzled after being startled.

Kakashi said, "Idiot. How can a ninja let his guard down? Didn't you see that Body Flicker Technique, as fast as the Yellow Flash?"

Shizune said, "I heard people originally called Jonin Namikaze the Yellow Flash too, but there was already a jonin with that title in the village. In the end, everyone started calling Jonin Namikaze Body Flicker Minato."

Chiba Genichi said, "All right, the three people I call should get ready to come with me. Might Guy, Shizune Katō, Kurenai Yuhi.

"And it's been a long time, Obito, Kakashi, and Rin."

Kakashi nodded gratefully. He hadn't expected things to work out this way, but now neither the villagers nor his father dwelled on the failure of their last mission.

"This is great! I can't believe Genichi-sensei is our jonin instructor. This is so youthful!" Might Guy jumped up, tears streaming down his face as he lost himself in his own world once more.

Minato said, "Looks like there's nothing more I need to explain. Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara, I'm Minato Namikaze, your future jonin instructor."

"Come to think of it, Minato, we're training students from the same batch. Want to have them compete?" Genichi suggested.

"Ah, isn't that a little unfair?" The honest Minato looked at Kakashi, who was already a Chunin, and felt he'd have too much of an advantage.

Genichi explained, "Not right now, of course. I mean we can have them compete sometime in the future. Having peers to aim for will help them improve faster."

"Sure, that works."

Genichi said, "Well, we'll take our leave."

Genichi said, "I already know some of you, but since our team was officially formed today, let's start with introductions and get to know one another.

"My name is Chiba Genichi. I'm a jonin from the village. I know a bit of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. I don't particularly dislike anything, and I suppose I like soaking in hot springs. I'm getting ready to build a big one at home. My dream is to live a happy life someday."

Guy raised his right hand, gave a thumbs-up, and shouted, "A happy life? That's so youthful! My name is Might Guy. I like training in taijutsu, and taijutsu is what I'm good at. I hate ghosts and monsters. Right now, my dream is to defeat the genius Kakashi through hard work and prove that effort can overcome the gap created by talent."

Shizune said, "I'm Shizune. I'm good at Medical Ninjutsu, and I hope to become a great medical ninja like Lady Tsunade someday. I like eating brown rice. I dislike eating pork and gambling, I suppose. Hehe."

Kurenai Yuhi said, "Hello, I'm Kurenai Yuhi. I'm good at genjutsu. I like... secretly drinking the sake my father collects. I dislike sweets like cake, except for dango. My dream is to become a genjutsu ninja who surpasses my father someday.

"Also, does this mean our team is officially formed, Chiba-senpai? Don't you need to test us again?"

At that, Genichi smiled slightly. "Kurenai, do you want to play the bell test? There's no need. I've already read your files and know a little about each of you.

"As for teamwork, we'll have plenty of chances to work on it later. Besides, you're not in the same year as the others, are you? You're that confident about working together for the first time?"

Kurenai was a little embarrassed. "I was just wondering why there wasn't a test. It's not like I wanted to play the bell test."

"All right, to celebrate our team's first day together, I'm treating everyone to the Akimichi Clan's specialty barbecue," Genichi announced generously. "Guy, head out first. Run around Konoha to warm up, eat plenty later, and go reserve a private room at the barbecue restaurant."

"Not only is Chiba-sensei our jonin instructor, but he's treating us to barbecue on the first day too. This is youth! I'm off!" Guy was fired up as ever.