Before anyone quite realized it, Uchiha Yi had begun winning over those around him through sheer strength. He had a voice in the Uchiha Clan, the Hyuga Clan, and even the disbanded Senju Clan. Minato Namikaze, meanwhile, represented the civilian-born ninja.
Given how much Uchiha Yi had helped Minato, it would be hard for Minato to justify competing with him for the position of Hokage in the future.
Uchiha Yi and Minato were not master and student, but Yi had taught Minato many things over the years.
In a sense, the moment Yi began teaching him, Minato had lost the standing to compete with him for Hokage.
Unless, of course, something happened to Yi that made him unfit for the position.
From Konoha's perspective, or Hiruzen Sarutobi's, it was most important for someone like Orochimaru or Minato to become Hokage. Konoha had long been working to reduce the clans' influence. Even Hiruzen, who secretly supported the clans, had been cultivating civilian-born ninja.
You could call him a bad man or say he cared too much about power, but he genuinely poured resources into talented civilian-born ninja he could bring to his side.
Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and now Minato had all risen with Hiruzen's support.
Without power or connections of their own, they could only rely on the Hokage Lineage. Once they were accustomed to working with Hiruzen's people, bringing members of the Sarutobi Clan into their ranks later would come more naturally.
Just as Yi was about to continue guiding the others through their training, an Anbu operative who had been stationed outside the Senju Clan Grounds rushed in and signaled to him.
Yi nodded slightly, then told the others, "I'm going to the Hokage Office. Wait here."
With that, he vanished. He reappeared outside the Hokage Building and went straight