The Third Hokage's Decision

After making that threat, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu turned and walked out of the Hokage's office.

As they left, the murderous looks they shot Qin Yu made it seem as though they wanted to devour him alive.

"All right, Minato, close the door." The Third Hokage hadn't taken their words to heart.

As Hokage of Konoha, the Third Hokage still commanded considerable respect.

If he let Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu intimidate him so easily, how could he accomplish anything important?

"Lord Hokage, handling things this way might drive the two advisors into Danzo's camp," Qin Yu said first.

Minato Namikaze had just closed the door, and already he felt a headache coming on.

He'd long expected that Qin Yu's unruly nature would make things more complicated.

He simply hadn't expected Qin Yu to start a direct confrontation with Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura the moment he entered the Hokage's office.

What Minato Namikaze hadn't expected even more was that the Mangekyō Sharingan's hypnotic ability would be so powerful.

Even Konoha's two senior advisors had fallen under its influence when caught off guard.

"Uchiha Qin Yu, you really have been hiding your abilities. Given your insight and courage, I truly don't know how to describe you," the Third Hokage said with a smile and a shake of his head.

"To possess such strength, yet keep your edge hidden for more than a decade... I could call your mind demonic."

Qin Yu merely smiled at the assessment and said nothing.

After all, he couldn't very well tell the Third Hokage, I'm a transmigrator who just happened to take over this short-lived guy's body, then used cheats to become powerful in an instant.

Besides, the Third Hokage was already making up excuses for him. Why wouldn't Qin Yu let him?

Seeing Qin Yu smile silently, the Third Hokage furrowed his brows and changed his approach.

"Qin Yu, I want to know why you did this. And after hiding your abilities for so long, why did you suddenly act? Was it because you didn't want to see the pass fall, or because you didn't want to see others die?"

"Or is there someone you care about whom you didn't want to see die?"

At that, Minato Namikaze couldn't help looking toward Qin Yu as well.

He also quietly approved of the Third Hokage's blunt questioning.

At least during the time he'd spent with Qin Yu, Minato had come to understand his personality quite well.

"Qin Yu, remember: your answer will determine whether you can remain in Konoha Hidden Leaf Village. Of course, I'd much rather see you become a powerful new force for our village, just like Minato," the Third Hokage added.

Looking at the grave expression on the Third Hokage's face, Qin Yu gave him a warm smile.

"I have no interest in the Hokage position, and I feel no particular allegiance to any of your factions."

"But I don't like people sneaking around behind my back. If you don't like me, come at me openly. If you're not afraid to die, I don't mind killing them one by one—or two at a time."

Qin Yu's smile grew brighter. After a brief pause, he added, "I just want to enjoy being a salted fish."

A salted fish?

Minato Namikaze and the Third Hokage stared at him in surprise.

The expression was so unfamiliar that they couldn't begin to figure out what he meant.

"Qin Yu, what's a salted fish?" Minato Namikaze couldn't help asking.

At the question, even the Anbu hidden in the shadows showed a hint of eager curiosity.

After all, based on what Qin Yu had just said, his attitude could affect Konoha's security.

"A salted fish is someone who has time to lie in the sun—first on one side, then on the other," Qin Yu explained, rubbing the tip of his nose.

In his previous life, this kind of life had been the mark of a successful person.

Just imagine: while everyone else was at work,

you were lying beneath the sun on a beach,

while a beautiful woman in a skimpy outfit occasionally helped you turn over and put on some sunscreen.

Wasn't that the life of a salted fish?

Minato Namikaze was dumbfounded!

No!

Even the Third Hokage and the Anbu hidden in the shadows looked stunned.

This idea of a salted-fish life was just too ridiculous.

"Qin Yu, is that really all you want?" The Third Hokage couldn't hold back any longer.

"If you're willing, I can promote you to Elite Jonin and make your record public, giving you the same authority as Minato."

Even the Anbu were startled by the tempting offer the Third Hokage had made.

Minato Namikaze had long been considered the next Hokage, and his status and position were utterly unique.

Now the Third Hokage had made such an offer right away.

It seemed to imply that Qin Yu was qualified to compete for the Hokage position.

"There's no need. Being Hokage is far too much trouble. I don't want to grow old before my time, lose my hair, or go gray. And if I'm unlucky, I might even have to give my life for the village. That kind of selfless spirit can be left to Minato," Qin Yu said indifferently.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back and get some rest."

Leaving those words behind, Qin Yu turned and walked out on his own.

Seeing this, Minato Namikaze's expression froze. He was about to urge Qin Yu to reconsider when he saw the Third Hokage shake his head to stop him.

After the office door closed once more, the Third Hokage fell silent for a moment, then said, "Minato, what do you think? Was that salted-fish theory Qin Yu mentioned real?"

The Third Hokage still felt a headache coming on when he thought about Qin Yu's salted-fish theory.

It was just too far-fetched.

"Lord Hokage, I believe Qin Yu can be trusted," Minato Namikaze said after a moment's thought. "From the very beginning, he understood the Uchiha Clan's situation."

"He didn't hold a grudge against us. And when the Cloud Ninja launched their attack, he faced more than a hundred Cloud Ninja and the AB Duo. He even gave up a secret he'd kept hidden for more than a decade to step in and save us. That proves his heart is still with Konoha."

"After driving off the Cloud Ninja, he knew full well that Danzo would blame him for what happened with Yamanaka Fu and Torune."

"But he didn't run. He even repelled the Mist Ninja's surprise attack, and now he's come back to Konoha with me. Given the strength he just showed, who could have stopped him if he'd slipped away along the way?"

At that, Minato Namikaze looked toward the Third Hokage.

He knew that no matter how much he said, the one who could truly make the decision was the Third Hokage.

"Minato, I understand what you mean." After a moment of thought, the Third Hokage said, "I'll leave everything concerning Uchiha Qin Yu to you."

"I hope you can make him a sharp spear in Konoha's hands, one that shines just as brightly as you do. The departure of the Legendary Sannin was, in fact, one of the major sparks that ignited the Third Shinobi World War."