Mifune knew that the Land of Iron owed its current status entirely to Torifu. Without Torifu, not only would they have failed to become the fifth great nation, but they might have been destroyed by the war long ago.
Therefore, Mifune never dared to forget this favor and had also taught this to his disciples.
Samurai were generally people who valued loyalty and righteousness, and Torifu trusted their character.
Mifune came accompanied by his disciple, Kaito. Over the past few years, Kaito had also grown into an excellent Samurai.
He was still using the sword Torifu had gifted him back then.
Mifune hadn't been to Konoha for many years; the development of his country always kept him too busy to leave.
This time, he pushed aside all commitments specifically to attend.
Seeing his old friend again, Torifu was filled with emotion. Mifune wasn't much older than him, yet his face was already covered in wrinkles.
He recalled meeting Mifune when they were both young; now, decades had passed.
"Please go on inside. The ceremony will start in another two hours. We can chat about other things after it's over."
Once all the important guests had entered the village, Torifu and Naori also turned and headed for the Hokage Office.
Following the seal on Minato's arm, Torifu and Naori instantly teleported right next to him.
This gave Minato quite a scare.
"Oh, you've already put on the Hokage cloak. How does it feel?"
Minato nodded. "Madam Beni's work is naturally perfect. I really like this cloak."
[T/N: This woman is an immortal fr.]
Minato stood up and turned around stylishly, pointing his thumb at the large characters for 'Fourth Hokage' on his back.
"How's that, Big Brother? Is it handsome enough?"
Torifu smiled and nodded. "Very handsome. Of course, it's handsome."
As he watched him, Torifu thought back to when he had first picked up Minato—he was just a six-year-old kid.
Although he had told Tobirama that he intended to train him to be the Fourth Hokage, it had been more of a casual remark at the time.
Yet, unexpectedly, all this time, Minato had always strictly demanded excellence from himself. Whether it was practicing Jutsu or executing missions, Minato completed everything perfectly.
His record was spotless, making him a rare pillar of support for Konoha.
Ultimately, becoming the Hokage was not Torifu's decision alone; it was the joint decision of all Konoha's Elders, as well as Hashirama and Tobirama.
Minato had earned the recognition of everyone in Konoha and successfully became the Fourth Hokage of Konoha.
That feeling of being recognized was extremely wonderful. When Torifu stood on the rooftop of Konoha back then, he was initially a bit nervous.
But when he saw the expectant eyes of the villagers and heard their cheers, his heart became resolute: since he was the Hokage, he had to do a good job.
He had to develop Konoha and not let those eyes down.
And the facts proved that Torifu had indeed succeeded. Konoha's current pinnacle was now very difficult to surpass.
The entire Shinobi world looked to Konoha as its leader; Torifu had raised Konoha too high.
This made it difficult for the subsequent Kage to act; they could only strive to maintain the status quo.
As long as they didn't regress, that was progress.
Watching Minato showing off, Naori stepped forward and smoothed down the corner of his cloak.
"Your Big Brother will bring Kushina over later so she can witness the most important moment of your life."
"Great, thank you, Big Brother."
Torifu waved his hand. "We're family, there's no need for thanks."
The group exchanged smiles.
Inside the office, the shouts of the villagers outside could be clearly heard.
The villagers were loudly chanting Minato's name and 'Fourth Hokage,' all believing that Minato could lead Konoha to continue its development in an even better direction.
However, the villagers still undoubtedly respected Torifu more. Konoha's transformation over the years had been visible to the naked eye.
But they couldn't change Torifu's decision to retire and could only accept the brand new tomorrow.
Time passed minute by minute, but the enthusiasm of the villagers outside didn't fade at all.
They incessantly called out Torifu's name.
Finally, the time for the succession ceremony arrived. Torifu went home and brought both Amado and Kushina over.
Obito and Rin immediately helped Kushina up, ensuring she wouldn't get too tired.
Kushina gave Minato a thumbs-up. "Go for it, Minato. I'll be watching you from the side."
Minato returned a thumbs-up in response. "Our child is watching me too."
Kushina paused, then softly touched her belly. "That's right, our baby is also watching his father become Hokage."
Watching him become one of the four Kage who dominate the entire Shinobi world.
"Alright, it's time for us to go."
Everyone went together to the rooftop. Kushina sat in a wheelchair, standing with Naori and the three little ones behind them.
Torifu and Minato, amidst the loud cheers of the villagers, arrived at the edge of the rooftop.
When the two of them appeared, the shouts of Konoha's villagers were simply deafening!
Countless people cheered happily.
The two Fourth Kage who came to observe the ceremony were completely stunned; their own villagers hadn't cheered like this when they became Kage.
The scene was truly too overwhelming.
Torifu snapped his fingers, and countless crystal screens unfolded in mid-air, broadcasting the scene on the rooftop.
He then cleared his throat twice, and the noisy sounds instantly vanished; the entire village suddenly fell silent.
"People of Konoha, hello everyone. Today is a special day."
"I can't recall how many years I've been the Hokage, only that on that day, Tobirama-sama was by my side and said that from then on, Kumotsuru Torifu would be the Third Hokage of Konoha."
"You were as enthusiastic then as you are today, cheering loudly."
Torifu smiled as he spoke of his memories, feeling as though these moments had happened not long ago, so clear were they.
"Over these years, I believe I have managed the village quite well, and I have lived up to your expectations from back then."
Torifu then laughed heartily. "But, as you all know, I'm someone who likes to slack off, and this habit has become even more pronounced as I've gotten older."
Hearing Torifu's words, the somewhat sentimental atmosphere among the villagers immediately became cheerful.
Many couldn't stop themselves from laughing.
"Konoha's development is quite good now, and with many talents emerging, I think it's time for me to let go."
"The successor I trained is also ready to take charge, bearing the responsibility of protecting the entire Land of Fire, Konoha, and even the Shinobi world."