Meanwhile, at Namikaze Minato's home.
After the jōnin meeting at the Hokage Tower ended, Minato had returned straight home, planning to spend some quiet time with Uzumaki Kushina, whom he had only just managed to cheer up again.
However, not long after he arrived—
Shinobi from various Konoha clans and village departments began arriving at his doorstep with gifts.
Even representatives from the major clans had come personally:
Uchiha Fugaku, head of the Uchiha clan;
Hyūga Hiashi, head of the Hyūga clan;
And even families connected to Konoha's senior leadership—such as those of Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzō—had sent representatives.
Before long, Minato's modest house was packed with people.
And this was only the first wave.
For the foreseeable future, it seemed unlikely that Minato's home would lack visitors.
"Everyone, my house is quite humble. Please forgive any shortcomings in my hospitality."
After taking some time to prepare tea for everyone, Minato offered a slightly embarrassed smile as he apologized.
"Hahaha! Minato, you're too polite. We were the ones who came unannounced."
An elder from the Mitokado clan laughed heartily, easing the somewhat awkward atmosphere in the room.
Most of the people present had come for the same reason:
They wanted to establish a good relationship with Minato as early as possible, ensuring favorable conditions for their clans in the future.
After all, everyone in Konoha understood the current situation.
Since Hiruzen Sarutobi had already openly expressed his support, Minato becoming the Fourth Hokage was almost certain.
From many perspectives, Minato was indeed the most suitable candidate in the village aside from the Legendary Sannin.
As for the Sannin themselves—
Tsunade had already left the village.Jiraiya had clearly stated he had no interest in becoming Hokage.Orochimaru was cold and distant, showing no desire for the position—and currently couldn't even be found.
From that perspective, Minato had virtually no competitors.
Which meant his appointment as the Fourth Hokage seemed inevitable.
That was why these people had rushed over immediately.
Unfortunately, everyone had the same idea about being the first to build a relationship with him, which resulted in them all arriving at the same time—creating the current awkward situation.
Seeing this, Minato's expression turned serious.
"I understand why all of you have come."
"I'm grateful for the trust you've placed in me, and I promise I will not disappoint your expectations."
"We are all comrades of the same village."
"I will treat every clan and every villager equally."
"I will never deliberately favor or suppress anyone."
Minato's words were flawless—like water flowing without obstruction.
At the same time, they served as a promise to everyone present.
"Excellent! Minato, no wonder the Third Hokage values you so highly. Your broad-mindedness is truly admirable!"
"That's right. In this old man's opinion, you are unquestionably the best candidate for the Fourth Hokage."
"Jiraiya truly is fortunate to have such an outstanding student!"
…
The people in the room praised him enthusiastically, feeling extremely satisfied.
Minato's statement might not seem like preferential treatment at first glance.
But in reality, guaranteeing fairness was already a huge advantage for them.
After all, clan shinobi and civilian shinobi did not start from the same position.
Under equal conditions, clan shinobi would naturally possess far greater advantages.
And the same principle applied between major clans and minor clans.
"However…"
At that moment, Minato's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression.
The atmosphere in the room tightened.
"However what?" someone asked.
Minato slowly scanned the room before speaking firmly.
"All of this must be based on one premise."
"That premise is that the village's interests must never be harmed."
"The village must always come first."
"And you must not think only of yourselves. You must also consider the village and your fellow shinobi."
"Under no circumstances should anyone persecute comrades of the same village."
Everyone forced polite smiles, but inwardly they were confused.
Minato's words weren't wrong.
But saying them now felt strangely pointed.
Before anyone could ask, Minato continued.
"That brings me to something I must address with Clan Head Fugaku and Clan Head Hiashi."
The room went silent.
All eyes turned toward Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hiashi, who looked equally stunned.
Fugaku frowned and spoke first.
"Minato… what exactly are you implying?"
Minato answered calmly.
"Please don't misunderstand, Fugaku-sama. I'm not targeting you personally."
"But everyone here is aware of the recent turmoil in the village."
"We are comrades. Things should not have developed this way."
Fugaku suppressed his anger and asked coldly,
"So you believe the Uchiha clan is in the wrong?"
"That's not what I mean," Minato replied, shaking his head.
"In my opinion, the conflict between the Uchiha and the villagers stems from the Konoha Military Police Force's daily law enforcement practices."
"The Uchiha generally enforce the law fairly."
"But in many situations, law must be balanced with human considerations."
"We are all comrades. There's no need to be so rigid."
"Frankly speaking… the Uchiha temperament may not be suitable for managing the Military Police Force."
"So I hope the Uchiha clan will accept reforms to the Police Force in the future."
Fugaku's expression darkened.
"You're asking the Uchiha to give up control of the Konoha Military Police Force?"
Minato did not answer.
His silence was answer enough.
The room fell into complete silence.
Everyone's gaze toward Minato subtly changed.
The idea is good…
The solution isn't bad…
But the execution is incredibly naive.
That was the unanimous conclusion in everyone's mind.
After a long moment, Hyūga Hiashi finally broke the silence.
"The Hyūga clan holds some positions in the village, yes, but we rarely interact directly with civilians."
"So what exactly has the Hyūga clan done wrong?"
Minato answered seriously.
"The Hyūga clan's problem lies not outside the clan—but within it."
"The system of the Main House and Branch House is outdated and unjust."
"Both the Main House and Branch House are members of Konoha."
"The Main House should not control the life and death of the Branch House."
"And the Branch House should not exist as servants of the Main House."
The room instantly fell silent again.
Everyone stared at Minato in shock.
This kid really is reckless.
How can someone say something like that so casually?
Even the First, Second, and Third Hokage had never interfered with the Hyūga clan's internal structure.
After all, it was considered a clan's private matter.
Even a Hokage interfering in such matters would be crossing a dangerous line.
"Hmph!"
Hiashi's expression darkened.
"This is an internal matter of the Hyūga clan. Your concern is unnecessary."
"Good day."
With that, he turned and left immediately.
Fugaku didn't even bother saying goodbye before walking out as well.
After a moment of hesitation, the others also stood up and took their leave.
Although they remained polite, their earlier enthusiasm had vanished.
Minato had not even become Hokage yet—
And he had already offended the two most powerful clans in the village.
That alone introduced new uncertainty.
Many of them now had to reconsider whether placing all their bets on Minato was truly wise.
However, what they didn't know was that once everyone had left—
Minato's expression suddenly changed.
A relieved smile appeared on his face.
"Acting really is exhausting…"
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