Chapter 41: 41 Abdication
Within the Hokage Building, Konoha's highest-ranking officials were gathered in the main conference room. Today was the regular weekly meeting to discuss village affairs and policies, and all senior members were expected to attend. The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, sat at the head of the table, while the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat to the side, listening quietly with a pipe in his hand.
"Strange, why has Danzō not yet arrived?" Koharu Utatane asked, gesturing to the empty seat beside her.
Homura Mitokado pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps he is delayed by his own business. Shall we wait?"
Minato smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed. At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's calm voice cut through the silence. "There is no need to wait for him. This is merely a regular meeting, not a council for making any momentous decisions." He exhaled a puff of smoke, nodded toward Minato, and reminded him in a low voice, "Remember, Minato, you are the Hokage. Do not let us old fossils intimidate you."
Minato was too kind by nature, or perhaps simply too young. Even as the Hokage, he found it difficult to act disrespectfully toward his elders. But with Hiruzen's encouragement, he felt a renewed sense of authority. He stood and announced, "Then… the meeting will now begin."
"Wait!"
The door to the conference room swung open, and Danzō Shimura entered, leaning heavily on a cane, his presence immediately casting a pall over the room. "You begin the meeting without me? Do not forget, I am a senior advisor to this village." With that, Danzō made his way to his seat and sat down without another word.
Not wanting to waste time arguing, Minato proceeded to start the meeting. But before he could speak, Danzō's aggressive voice cut him off.
"Minato, in front of all these esteemed shinobi, I ask you: do you still remember the promise you made to us half a year ago?"
Hearing this, Minato's heart tightened. He knew what was coming. Ignoring Minato's grim expression, Danzō continued his assault. "You signed a military order. You swore that if the missing Uchiha clan could not be found, you would willingly step down as Hokage and hand over this great responsibility to someone more capable. You said that… did you not?"
Minato Namikaze gritted his teeth and replied, his voice heavy with resignation, "I did."
"Very good," Danzō sneered. "Minato, I have watched you grow up. On a personal level, I have no desire to put this pressure on you. I have given you half a year to find any trace of the Uchiha. But for the sake of the village's future, I must ask you today: half a year has passed. Have you found them?"
Minato shook his head and answered honestly, "Not yet."
"Hmph!" Danzō slammed his hand on the table, his voice rising in anger. "Minato! As the Fourth Hokage, it is one thing to allow the village to lose the fighting strength of an entire clan, but to spend half a year and still find nothing? I sincerely doubt whether you are qualified for this position! During your reign, the village has suffered an immeasurable loss. Do you admit this?"
"I admit it," Minato replied, knowing he was at a disadvantage and not wanting to argue the point.
"Then… I hope you have the self-awareness to fulfill your promise." Having gotten the answer he wanted, Danzō leaned back, a flicker of triumph in his eye. As long as Minato honored his word, he would most likely become the Fifth Hokage. He wasn't certain of Hiruzen's intentions, but he knew Koharu and Homura would support him.
"Sigh…" Seeing all eyes upon him, Minato let out a long, weary sigh. To be honest, he no longer wanted to be Hokage. When he was younger, he had believed that being Hokage meant protecting the village, allowing the next generation to thrive, and ensuring peace. But after these few years, he realized it was a role mired in political intrigue. This was not the path he had envisioned for himself. It would be better to return to being a simple ninja, serving the village silently, without the crushing weight of this office.
During this time, Minato had visited Hiruzen more than once, urging him to return to the position of Hokage, but the old man had politely declined each time. Now, the time had come to unload this burden in front of everyone. The pressure was simply too great. And it was a military order he had signed himself. It was, by all accounts, his own failure. Minato had no complaints. However, even if he were to step down, he would not allow Danzō to take his place. That old man was too sinister. If he became Hokage, the village would be doomed.
After a moment of quiet contemplation, Minato voiced the decision he had made long ago. "Half a year ago, the Uchiha clan vanished from this village. I bear an unshirkable responsibility for that failure. I know this well."
"In my years as Hokage, I have come to feel that I am not decisive enough. I believed that people could come to understand one another, but in the end, I have found that my decisions have caused great loss to the village."
"Perhaps… I am too naive."
"A naive person is not fit to be the head of a village. But I still believe… there will come a day when people can truly understand each other. This is what my sensei, Jiraiya, taught me, and it is my ninja way!"
"Therefore, I have decided to resign as Hokage and entrust this heavy responsibility to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi."
When these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked.
"How could this be?" Danzō had never expected Minato to make such a move.
Homura and Koharu did not voice their opinions. In their hearts, they had always preferred Hiruzen. They had only supported Danzō out of a certain fear of him. As long as the power was in Hiruzen's hands, they believed Danzō would not dare to move against them.
"Well…" Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head, opened his eyes, and sighed deeply. "Minato, you think too highly of these old bones."
"But since it has come to this, I can say nothing more."
"How about this, Minato: I will return to the position of Hokage for the time being. During this period, you will remain by my side and learn. When you feel you are fully competent, I will return the position to you."
"Everyone… what are your thoughts?"