Second Meeting with the Fourth Hokage

"Second Hokage really..."

Looking at the marks left by the flames all around him, especially the places in the distance where black flames were still burning, Li Ke's eye twitched.

He had asked the Second Hokage for help, sure, but all he'd asked him to do was send him here.

"Lord Second Hokage, you always do love giving me a hard time."

Li Ke muttered, then looked at Rin Nohara and Kakashi, who were still staring in stunned silence.

"Kakashi, Rin, are you all right?"

Only then did Kakashi come to his senses. He looked at Li Ke with a complicated expression and fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"We're fine... Rin was caught in a genjutsu, but I dispelled it. But, Qingtan, what exactly are you...?"

He knew of Murata Qingtan, the boy renowned as Clear Mirror Still Water. Qingtan was exceptionally mature in both thought and will, had remarkable control over his emotions, and was gentle and friendly toward others.

He also got along well with almost everyone. Even someone as rebellious as Asuma had a good relationship with Li Ke.

But Qingtan had never been famous for his strength.

He trained extremely hard and was certainly a genius. At twelve, he was about as strong as a Chunin from a small ninja village—a shinobi who could be entrusted with important missions.

But no one had ever said he possessed such terrifying power.

Kakashi knew what a Tailed Beast was. That was why he was so shocked.

"Ah, I'll explain everything once Lord Minato gets here. Also, Kakashi, an old friend of ours has arrived."

With his Byakugan, Li Ke saw Minato rushing toward them. Within the range of his vision, a rather bewildered White Zetsu was carrying Obito away at high speed. Li Ke raised two fingers in a sword sign.

From Kakashi's perspective, more than a dozen Wood Golems suddenly appeared around Li Ke. The next moment, two of them transformed into Kakashi and Rin.

While Kakashi was still wondering what was going on, the remaining Wood Golems changed into the Mist Shinobi. Then Li Ke raised his head.

"Let's see if this move works."

Li Ke fixed his gaze on Obito, nearly ten kilometers away. Chakra poured out of him like a flood, and in the next instant, a black seal appeared on Obito's body.

It worked!

Without hesitation, Li Ke activated the Flying Raijin Jutsu. The Wood Golems he had created began acting out their own little drama.

Uchiha Obito, being carried away by White Zetsu, stared blankly as the scenery around him suddenly changed. The next moment, an unbelievable sight appeared before his eyes.

Kakashi, Lightning Blade in hand, charged at Rin Nohara!

The blade pierced straight through Rin's unremarkable chest. The one forced to run her through was Kakashi!

"No!!!!"

Uchiha Obito let out a heart-wrenching scream. A moment later, an ice-cold chakra appeared in his brain, trying to alter his eyes and mind so he could produce more ocular power.

At the same time, Kakashi felt a powerful wave of dizziness. The chakra inside him—which was plentiful compared to that of other shinobi—was rapidly being drawn toward his eye.

But at that very moment, the Sharingan in both their eyes began spinning like pinwheels!

Then Li Ke's voice abruptly rang out.

"Okay, Obito. Look over here."

Obito's body turned hazy, and blood tears streamed from his eyes. He looked over instinctively—and saw Rin gazing at Kakashi with concern, without even looking at him!

"Argh! It's all fake! Fake! This world is fake, too!"

Obito howled like a madman. Li Ke glanced at the Wood Clone that had already turned into a log and calmly remarked,

"Don't pretend you can't see the clone over there just so you can vent your pain at not being noticed by your crush."

Li Ke's spot-on words silenced the entire area. Obito's crazed expression froze, and even the Mangekyō in his eyes...

became more vivid.

The next moment, he kicked at Li Ke without hesitation.

"Murata Qingtan, you bastard! How dare you mess with me!"

Li Ke casually dodged Obito's attack, but he noticed that his Byakugan could easily see Obito moving through space. He could even seem to see the Kamui Space Obito was in.

"What other abilities does this eye have?"

Li Ke was puzzled, but that didn't stop him from using the eye. He easily dodged Uchiha Obito's attack, then tossed him aside.

"Did you get stronger, too? That's great. Now, just stay still for a while."

Clearly, that wasn't enough to convince Uchiha Obito. So, the moment he touched Li Ke, Li Ke placed a Sage Art Seal on him with his fingers!

For some reason, using Fuinjutsu felt incredibly easy now. Uchiha Obito was completely immobilized, able only to stare at Li Ke without moving a muscle.

Li Ke looked at the White Zetsu body wrapped around Obito and couldn't help smiling.

When Uchiha Madara had taken Obito away and manipulated him, half of Obito's body had been crushed. That was why he now had a creature called White Zetsu wrapped around him.

White Zetsu was a byproduct of the Infinite Tsukuyomi: a weapon created when people caught by the Infinite Tsukuyomi were captured and transformed by the God Tree, the vessel of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

That was why Li Ke was absolutely opposed to Uchiha Madara's plan.

Once people were trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, there would be no peace. They wouldn't even be human anymore.

But that didn't mean White Zetsu was useless.

The Ninja World was quite casual about organ transplants, but injuries to the chakra pathways weren't easy to heal. Obito had probably even had part of his lungs crushed. Yet White Zetsu had saved him from injuries like that and allowed Uchiha Obito to display considerable combat strength.

Li Ke was genuinely curious about the creature.

Especially since it could earn him the goodwill of a certain scientist from the Ninja World.

For example, Orochimaru. Orochimaru. And Orochimaru.

Orochimaru had played a crucial role in upgrading Impure World Reincarnation from a jutsu that merely summoned cannon fodder into one that could properly restore some of the deceased's combat strength from when they were alive. He could become the Ninja World's future workhorse—or, Li Ke meant, the minister of his Science Department.

The Sage Art Seal coiled tightly around White Zetsu, leaving him, like the Three-Tails, unable to move or carry Obito away. Li Ke took out the Flying Thunder God Kunai he had on him and sensed Minato Namikaze's chakra.

Explaining everything one thing at a time was too much trouble, so he wanted to explain it all in one go.

The instant he sensed Minato Namikaze rushing straight toward him, Li Ke activated his jutsu.

The next moment, Minato appeared before him, looking rather surprised. The first thing he saw was the Three-Tails' face!

"Wha—"

He instinctively went on guard, but Minato, whose reaction speed was extraordinary, quickly spotted the Sharingan in the Three-Tails' eyes, the Adamantine Sealing Chains around its body, the Sage Art Seal, and the Wood Release holding it firmly in place.

After using his chakra to do all that, on top of what Senju Tobirama had already expended, Li Ke felt exhausted.

He had plenty of chakra, but the four Heroic Spirits took up a lot of it. That was the main reason Li Ke had decided to send them back.

"Qingtan, what is this...?"

Minato looked at Uchiha Obito, bound by Fuinjutsu, Rin Nohara, marked with the traces of a seal, and Kakashi, who was in a terrible state. He couldn't help asking.

He'd hurried back after receiving word that the medical team at the front had been attacked. On the way, he'd also encountered an unbelievable assault. His mind was still full of questions; he had no idea what had happened.

He knew what Kakashi could do. Rin was nothing but a medical ninja, and Uchiha Obito was lying on the ground. That left Murata Qingtan as the only one who could explain things.

"I hope none of you are too surprised by what comes next, Lord Minato. That goes for everyone."

Li Ke took a deep breath, formed Hand Seals, and dispelled the genjutsu concealing his eyes. At the same time, he clenched his fist.

The next moment, golden chains shot out from his back. One red eye and one white eye stared at Minato, making him instinctively take a step backward. But when a wooden table and chairs rose from the ground, Minato fell completely silent.

At the sight, Obito still hadn't reacted, and Rin didn't know much about Kekkei Genkai. Only Kakashi and Minato wore expressions as if they'd seen a ghost. Minato even formed the genjutsu-dispelling seals several times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"This is truly... incredible... Qingtan, I can't believe a genius like you exists in this world..."

Minato felt as if his whole understanding of the world had been turned upside down. What had he just seen?

It was one thing for someone to have both the Byakugan and Sharingan. But this person also possessed the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, as well as the Adamantine Chains that only a pure-blooded member of the Uzumaki Clan could use...

Then there was the Flying Raijin Jutsu Li Ke had mastered long ago. For a moment, Minato felt lost.

He couldn't help wondering about his own future.

But Li Ke closed his Sharingan again and turned to Minato.

"Lord Minato, please keep this a secret for me. For now, I'd like to reveal it two years from now."

Minato thought for a moment, then looked at Li Ke and spoke, each word deliberate.

"Qingtan, become Hokage."

Minato was completely serious. Though Li Ke had said they could wait two years, Minato remembered the golden light that had split heaven and earth.

And if he recalled correctly, the Mangekyō Sharingan could wield a jutsu called Susanoo, which possessed terrifying power. The traces of Senjutsu on Li Ke were no fake, either. The chakra Minato had sensed in that golden light had been almost exactly the same.

So just how strong was the boy standing before him?

That meant no one but Li Ke could become Hokage now. Even if Minato forced his way into the position, it would mean nothing in the face of Li Ke's power. It might even spark internal conflict.

But Li Ke shook his head.

"I'll become Hokage, but not now. Lord Minato, I'm only twelve, and everyone in the village is already sick of war. A lot of people here don't even know me, and some of my ideas haven't been tested. Rushing things could lead to unnecessary casualties."

Li Ke refused again, looking exhausted. He knew that when Minato saw his Kekkei Genkai, his first thought had been to give up the Hokage Position, using his own strength to make up for Kushina's, then to keep himself from being sidelined and forced into an internal struggle.

Before Li Ke had appeared, Minato's youth had been an advantage. But after an even younger genius came along, his own youth had suddenly become awkward.

Li Ke didn't intend to let Minato's hopes go unfulfilled, nor to waste the trust people had placed in him. Besides, he would need help in the future, and Minato's support and guidance were crucial.

"Lord Minato, unlike you, I don't yet have any experience managing an organization. And I'm still too young for everyone to trust me, so for now, it's better not to force the issue."

Li Ke was completely sincere. He had no experience managing people, though that was actually quite simple. Still, he had none, and it was worth spending about a year observing how Konoha's power structure worked.

Seeing that Minato was still hesitating, Li Ke held out his fist.

"Come on. If words can't convince you, let's do it this way."

Minato paused, then held out his fist as well.

Their fists met, and their chakra wills clashed. The next moment, Minato understood everything.

"I see... I understand."

Through the link between their chakra, he felt Li Ke's sincerity and understood what he wanted.

Li Ke wanted to try a few things while Minato was Hokage. All Minato had to do was help him.

Until Li Ke had fully matured, he would stand firmly by Minato's side, helping him root out some of the village's stubborn old forces. Once Li Ke had accomplished enough to make it impossible for anyone to question his right to become Hokage, Minato's task would be complete.

Minato felt rather helpless. He truly wanted to accomplish something, but becoming a "former Hokage" so soon left him with mixed feelings. Still, he couldn't help saying what he truly felt.

"Qingtan, you really are an impeccable genius."

According to Li Ke's plan, Minato could remain Hokage for at least five years, and he wouldn't leave office without accomplishments. He would have plenty of honors to his name, and Li Ke would inherit a relatively clean political environment.

If twelve-year-old Li Ke became Hokage, most people would likely reject him for being too young. But a sixteen-year-old Hokage wouldn't seem quite so out of place.

Minato was somewhat reluctant, but given the Kekkei Genkai and strength Li Ke had revealed, things would become very troublesome if he didn't become Hokage.

On the other hand, if he did, many problems would resolve themselves. He was willing to make that sacrifice for the village.

But Li Ke refused.

"No. It'd be better if I became Hokage before I'm twenty-five. Until then, I want to try being a team leader and learn about this world's people's livelihoods, economy, and all sorts of other things. After all, true knowledge comes from practice."

Li Ke smiled.

He actually had one crucial goal he hadn't mentioned. If he wanted to make the Ninja World truly safe and secure, then—

he had to prepare to face the Otsutsuki!

This chapter might be rewritten, because it isn't funny enough.