"This mission involves patrolling the waters of Whirlpool Country, so you might encounter ninja from Kumogakure and Kirigakure."
Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "The mission is tentatively rated as A-Rank. It shouldn't be too stressful for you. Think of it as a vacation—the coastal scenery in Whirlpool Country is quite beautiful."
"Can I bring Kushina with me?" Minato asked.
"Well—given your strength, bringing her along won't pose any issues."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. Based on Minato's combat record, even the Hokage would likely be no match for him. He was already the village's strongest fighter.
With Kushina by Minato's side, the chances of her encountering danger were minimal. Even if problems arose, Minato would handle them.
But if he were to be rigid and insist on leaving Kushina behind, and she were to face danger during the mission, that would be a true disaster.
Minato was a good child—gentle and polite to everyone, neither arrogant nor servile, and unfazed by praise or criticism.
Yet when he killed, his demeanor remained largely the same.
That was what made him so terrifying.
What if the higher-ups were to blame him for inadequate protection and take their anger out on him? How would he handle that?
So, Sarutobi Hiruzen simply passed the problem to Minato.
"From now on, you'll be responsible for Kushina's safety. After all, your relationship with her..."
Sarutobi chuckled. "Youth is a wonderful thing. But what about the Uchiha? As far as I know, while they don't oppose women marrying outside the clan, Mikoto has plenty of suitors within the clan."
"Anyone with objections can come straight to me," Minato replied, his voice calm yet unyielding.
With the Uchiha, all you need to do is prove your strength, and everything else falls into place.
Let alone two partners, even two hundred wouldn't faze them. The Uchiha would simply say that power comes with privilege and might even praise his impressive vitality.
Seeing Minato's attitude, Sarutobi's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of admiration crossing his gaze.
This was the first time he had sensed such Haki in Minato—an indispensable quality for a leader.
If only it wasn't because of a woman...
With this thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen could no longer suppress his curiosity and asked, "Minato, do you want to become Hokage?"
"Hokage?" Minato pondered for a moment. "I'm not particularly interested. I'd be willing to take the position, but if I do, I'd only want to be the Fourth Generation."
"—"
Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his temples. He's being picky?
"Why the Fourth Generation specifically?" he asked, puzzled.
"It just sounds good," Minato replied seriously.
If it's not Nagato, I won't do it.
Besides, in the original story, he was the Fourth Generation, and the name "Nagato" felt more familiar to him.
"Sounds good—"
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, torn between exasperation and relief.
He was exasperated by Minato's flimsy reason, but relieved that he'd asked. If he'd assumed Minato was too young and tried to appoint a transitional Fourth Generation, he might have missed out on this perfect successor.
"Very well!"
After a moment's thought, he made up his mind. "I'll make you the primary candidate for the Hokage position. But remember, as Hokage, you'll be responsible for the entire village. You can't act solely on personal preference."
After speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Minato with a tense expression, fearing he would refuse. He braced himself for Minato to say, "Then I won't take the position."
Even the most patient person would have been angered by such a response.
Fortunately, Minato wasn't arrogant enough to react that way. He simply nodded calmly.
He still understood the difference between protecting Konoha and protecting his Konoha.
Seeing Minato agree, Sarutobi Hiruzen was overjoyed.
Although Minato's aloof personality worried him, he had no other choice.
If Minato refused to become Hokage, the next successor would need either comparable strength or the ability to command Minato's obedience.
Otherwise, a top-tier expert so powerful that they could ignore the Hokage's orders could easily marginalize the position. Not to mention that Minato's girlfriend was the next Nine-Tailed Jinchūriki.
Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's relieved gaze, Minato left the Hokage Building.
After receiving his Jonin vest, Minato tried it on and found it fit perfectly, as if it had been specially tailored to his smaller frame.
"Ah, Lord Minato looks so handsome in this," the young female ninja who issued the vest praised.
Her compliment carried no flattery, only genuine admiration.
At that moment, Minato was wearing a black undershirt, a military-green vest over it, and his usual high-collared haori.
His lower half consisted of black straight-leg pants and black ninja boots, differing only slightly from Nagato's original attire in the inner layer's color and the haori's length.
Compared to blue, Minato now favored black, even opting for the long, black forehead protector tie seen on Naruto in Shippuden.
Overall, he exuded a gentle yet dashing aura.
"Thank you," Minato said with a cheerful smile, returning home in his vest.
"I'm back."
"Minato, you're back!"
Kushina rushed to the entrance at the sound of his voice, immediately noticing the vest beneath his haori.
"Is that—a Chūnin vest? Did you get promoted to Chūnin, Minato?"
Kushina covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes shining with delight.
"What?!"
With a bang, Nawaki burst out of the bedroom, his gaze landing on Minato's vest. He stared at him in shock. "But the Chunin Exams haven't even happened yet—a special promotion?"
"Yes," Minato nodded. "I've been promoted to Jonin."
"N-Nani?!"
Nawaki's eyes widened to their full extent.
"I'm now a squad-leading Jonin!" Minato clapped his hands cheerfully. "Alright, you two, get ready. We're going on an A-Rank Mission."
"I'm coming too?"
Before Minato could finish celebrating his promotion, Kushina pointed to herself, her heart fluttering with anticipation and a fear that he might have spoken in error. "You're including me too?"
"That's right," Minato nodded. "I've already spoken with the Third Hokage. You won't have to stay alone in the village anymore."
"Ah—that's wonderful!" Kushina cheered, throwing her arms around him.
Minato gently spun her around before setting her down. "Get ready quickly. I'll go notify Mikoto-nee. We'll meet at the village gate later."
"Okay—~"
While Kushina and Nawaki prepared, Minato headed to the Uchiha Clan Compound. This wasn't his first time here. Before the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Incident, the Uchiha still occupied prime real estate in the village.
Compared to other districts, the architecture here was more traditional, with cobblestone streets and an overall atmosphere much like what was depicted in the series.
The moment he entered the compound, Minato's brow furrowed slightly. He could feel numerous eyes watching him from the shadows—curiosity, admiration, jealousy, disdain...
He had only visited with Kushina yesterday, but back then, he had only sensed curiosity, not this complex mix of emotions.
After a moment's thought, he realized his only connection to this clan was through Mikoto.
Could it be because of her?
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