"Though what you said does make some sense, I can't help feeling you just want to save money..."
"Not only would you save on the ceremony, you'd only have to give one cash gift, too."
After silently grumbling to himself, Obito nodded and said,
"I have no objections. Let's do as Third-sama suggested."
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction and said nothing more.
Beside him, Minato smiled and picked up the conversation.
"All right, that's everything. Hurry home and get some rest."
"If this weren't so important, and you weren't so hard to track down..."
"Third-sama and I wouldn't have had to drag you straight here. Haha."
Obito chuckled along with him, then stood up.
"Will do. See you both later."
After watching Obito leave the office,
Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe and couldn't help praising him.
"They say heroes emerge young. When I was his age, I hadn't accomplished a thing."
(He was still using his crystal ball to ogle pretty girls.)
"Minato, you've truly raised an excellent student. Even I feel proud to share in the honor."
Minato quickly waved his hands and replied modestly,
"You're too kind, Third-sama."
"When you think about it, all of us in the younger generation grew up under your care."
After this round of mutual flattery, the smiles on both their faces grew wider.
Hiruzen said with a genial smile,
"Once Obito succeeds as Hokage, our ties with the Mist and Akatsuki villages will grow even closer."
"Not only that, perhaps we can make the Night Hidden Village an asset to Konoha's development as well."
As the conversation turned to business, Minato's smile faded.
"Exactly. And with this great victory,
Konoha can really spread its wings and find ways to claim a greater 'share' of the shinobi world."
Meanwhile.
Outside the Hokage