He Wasn't the Right Choice

A week later, in Konohagakure.

The village, scarred by war, had yet to regain its former bustle. A faint smell of scorching still lingered in the air.

Several Kirigakure envoys passed through the streets and entered the Hokage Building under the gazes of Konoha ninjas and villagers.

Inside the Hokage's conference room.

"Lord Hokage, our demand is simple." The leader of the Kirigakure envoys raised his chin slightly, his tone unyielding. "As long as your village returns the Three-Tails to Kirigakure, both sides can immediately sign a formal peace agreement and end this meaningless conflict."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind a broad table, his wrinkled face flickering in the glow of his pipe's embers.

He sank into a long silence, deep in thought.

As the leader of Konoha's moderate faction, he wanted the war to end more than anyone. But as Hokage, he also understood the Three-Tails' value as a strategic weapon.

The atmosphere in the conference room grew heavy, poised to erupt, while the mid- and high-ranking Konoha officials attending murmured among themselves.

Just then, Minato Namikaze, who had been standing beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, suddenly stepped forward.

His golden hair shone brilliantly in the sunlight, but there was no warmth in his eyes as he stared coldly at the Kirigakure envoys.

"You seem to have misunderstood something." Minato's voice was calm and firm, echoing through the room.

The lead envoy frowned. "What are you trying to say, 'Yellow Flash'?"

"Kirigakure started this war with Konoha, and we have yet to hold Kirigakure accountable." Minato slowly advanced, his presence growing heavier with every step. "Now that Konoha has captured the Three-Tails, ownership naturally belongs to Konoha."

In an instant, terrifying killing intent exploded through the room.

Every Kirigakure envoy felt as though an icy kunai were pointed at their heart. Cold sweat streamed down their temples, and their legs began trembling despite themselves.

Everyone in Kirigakure knew that the "Yellow Flash" meant death.

"Yellow Flash! Don't threaten us!" the Kirigakure leader shouted, forcing himself to stand his ground. "If you don't return the Three-Tails, Kirigakure will never stop fighting! Do you want to face endless retaliation from the entire Land of Water?"

"Is that so?"

Minato's voice remained calm as a Flying Thunder God Kunai appeared in his hand.

"If you decide to continue this meaningless war, then starting tomorrow, I will personally infiltrate Kirigakure. I will kill one of your senior officials every day until you agree to a ceasefire."

A deathly silence fell over the room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand paused slightly around his pipe. He wanted to speak but held back, looking at his normally gentle subordinate with a complicated expression.

In the observers' seats, the two elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, turned livid.

The other young and middle-aged ninjas attending, however, listened to that declaration with a gleam of satisfied agreement in their eyes.

Kirigakure had started the war. How could they be allowed to end it without paying a price?

This firm stance, protecting comrades and defending Konoha's interests, was exactly what they believed a Hokage should embody.

Standing at the door, Shikaku Nara stopped letting his mind wander and looked up at the leading figure of his generation, his eyes glinting thoughtfully.

"Enough."

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally took over the conversation. He tapped his pipe, his voice carrying unquestionable authority. "Envoys of Kirigakure, give us your answer by tomorrow morning. Whether you sign the 'peace agreement' or face Konoha's wrath is entirely your choice."

"This meeting is adjourned. Please leave."

Under the mocking gazes of the Konoha ninjas, the Kirigakure envoys fled the Hokage Building in a panic.

The Hokage's office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat quietly behind his desk, his expression obscured by curling smoke.

Across from him, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had stayed behind. Their faces were thunderous.

"Hiruzen, did you see how Minato Namikaze behaved today?"

Mitokado Homura finally lost his temper and slammed a hand onto the desk. "Utterly outrageous! How dare a Jonin threaten a great nation without the Hokage's authorization? Does he care at all about the peace agreement? Does he have any respect for us?"

Utatane Koharu said nothing beside him, but her tightly knitted brows and icy gaze made her agreement unmistakable.

More than they feared war, they resented Minato's "dictatorial" conduct in bypassing the council of elders entirely and acting on his own.

In their eyes, it was a challenge to Konoha's administrative system.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe, his expression calm instead.

"Homura, Koharu, don't get so worked up." He slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, speaking at an unhurried pace.

"Hiruzen, you..."

"We're old." Hiruzen Sarutobi cut them off, looking toward Hokage Rock outside the window. "Our era is slipping away, little by little. Sooner or later, these young people will have to take this burden from our hands. If we don't give them room to spread their wings, how is Konoha supposed to secure its future?"

He turned back to his two old friends, who were still bristling with indignation, and his tone grew serious.

"Besides, you should understand the state of this war better than anyone. Without Minato, do you think we would still be sitting here discussing a 'peace agreement'?"

He tapped his pipe gently against the desk, each tap seeming to strike at their hearts. "You could say that without Minato, we would not have won this war."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance. Though still resentful, they could only swallow their anger in silence before the facts.

"What's more, doesn't seeing these children become capable of standing on their own prove that Konoha's 'Will of Fire' has successors? Isn't that what Master Hashirama hoped for?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shifted his tone and chuckled, the wrinkles on his face relaxing.

He slowly rose from his chair and walked to the window. Looking down at the bustling village, his gaze filled with wistful emotion.

"Homura, your grandson is due to be born soon, isn't he? And Koharu, I heard that boy of yours plans to start preparing for his wedding as soon as the war ends?"

At the mention of their families, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu froze for a moment. Then the anger in their faces involuntarily softened.

"Yes, that boy really does make me worry. He insists on waiting until the ceasefire treaty is signed before holding the wedding." Koharu sighed softly, though she could not hide the anticipation in her voice.

"My eldest son has been talking about getting married lately, too." Hiruzen smiled, the relaxed smile of someone chatting with old friends. "When you think about it, compared to the Warring States Period, when no one knew whether they would survive another day, we old folks have been blessed to live this long and see our families grow around us. You could say ours is a generation favored by heaven."

At that point, his voice grew a little heavier, and he turned around.

"Now that we've enjoyed those blessings, it's time to let go of certain things."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were shaken by his words. They exchanged a glance, each seeing shock in the other's eyes.

"Hiruzen, do you mean to..." Mitokado Homura's voice trembled slightly.

"That's right." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded firmly. "I'm old. Staying in this position any longer will only hold Konoha back. Konoha needs fresh blood. It needs a leader like Minato, someone with both the strength to deter foreign enemies and the heart to protect his comrades."

He picked up his pipe again, his tone firm and leaving no room for argument.

"Minato Namikaze... he's the best choice."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu stood in silence for a long time.

"Then... Orochimaru..." Mitokado Homura asked uncertainly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a long sigh. "He... isn't the right choice..."

The air seemed to freeze at that moment, the weight of the years pressing tangibly upon their shoulders.

At last, the two of them also let out long sighs.

"You're right, Hiruzen... we really are old."

They slowly rose and left the Hokage's office with slightly unsteady steps, their retreating figures looking forlorn beneath the hallway lights.

Watching his old friends leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief. A gentle smile touched his lips as he returned to his chair.

This was the last measure of dignity he could preserve for their decades-long friendship. They had once fought back-to-back on the battlefield, and he did not want their later years to end in a bitter falling-out that would tarnish their reputations.

However, that peaceful atmosphere lasted less than three minutes.