Morning broke over Konoha, the golden light of dawn gently illuminating the bustling village.
The first rays of sunlight slipped through the trees, painting long shadows across the rooftops. At that moment, a silver-haired figure emerged from a quiet room, his movements swift and precise.
With a quick leap, Kakashi landed gracefully on the roof of the Hatake residence. Without a moment's hesitation, he propelled himself forward, vanishing into the vastness of Konoha.
As soon as he left, two figures emerged from the shadows of the house.
Hatake Sakumo and Suzuka watched the direction Kakashi had gone, their eyes filled with understanding.
Suzuka blinked in mild surprise. "This child..."
Sakumo chuckled softly, his gaze warm yet proud. "It seems his heart is finally at ease."
Suzuka studied his expression, then nodded with a small smile. The tension they had carried for so long finally lifted, a weight removed from their hearts.
Kakashi sped through the village, his destination set—the Seventh Training Ground.
As he made his way across the rooftops, he abruptly paused, his gaze locking onto a peculiar sight below.
A familiar figure was walking upside down along the village streets, defying gravity with ease.
Might Guy.
Sensing Kakashi's presence, Guy stopped mid-step, balancing effortlessly on one hand as he looked up. His face broke into a wide, genuine grin.
"Good morning, Kakashi!" he called out.
"Morning," Kakashi replied smoothly.
Guy's grin widened as inspiration struck him. His eyes gleamed with an intense fire, his voice suddenly booming with enthusiasm.
"Alright then! As my daily challenge, I shall run around the village fifty times!"
Then, as if struck by a bolt of energy, he exclaimed, "No! If I fail, I'll do 2,000 one-finger push-ups instead!"
Without another word, he launched himself off the ground, disappearing into the village streets like a blur.
Kakashi stood still for a moment before letting out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. Same as always...
Without wasting any more time, he continued toward the training ground.
As he neared the Seventh Training Ground, an unusual sound caught his attention.
The rustling of leaves. The snap of branches. The distinct clinking of metal.
Kakashi's expression sharpened as he immediately altered his course, moving toward the disturbance.
Swiftly weaving through the trees, he soon arrived at the source.
In the heart of the forest, a boy stood blindfolded, navigating a treacherous field of hidden traps.
Shisui.
Despite his lack of vision, Shisui moved swiftly, relying entirely on his other senses. Yet, his clothing bore signs of near-misses, suggesting that even with his skill, the exercise was proving difficult.
After narrowly dodging another concealed wire trap, Shisui finally came to a stop.
He removed the black cloth from his eyes, glancing in Kakashi's direction with an amused smile.
"You're late."
Kakashi landed smoothly in front of him, folding his arms. "That's quite the unusual training method."
Shisui shrugged. "Well, it's effective."
"Let me guess. Minato-sensei's idea?"
Shisui grinned and nodded.
"But now that you're here," he continued, stretching his arms, "I think I have a better way to train."
Kakashi's gaze sharpened in understanding. He stepped back, his hand reaching for the short sword strapped to his back.
"Don't hold back."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Shisui replied, his tone playful.
Then, in a flash, his eyes turned scarlet. The two tomoe in his Sharingan spun as his gaze locked onto Kakashi.
Kakashi and I were evenly matched before... But now that I've awakened the Double Tomoe Sharingan, I wonder how much stronger I've become?
A smirk played on Kakashi's lips.
"Let's find out."
With a flick of his wrist, his short sword sliced through the air—
A streak of white light flashed between them as the battle began.
Meanwhile, within the Hokage Building, the atmosphere inside the grand conference room was tense.
Dozens of Konoha's most powerful ninjas filled the room, including the legendary Sannin, Hatake Sakumo, and other major figures of the village. The clan heads of Konoha—Uchiha Fugaku, Aburame Shibi, and Hyuga Hiashi—stood among them.
At the head of the room, on an elevated platform, the Third Hokage sat with the three Konoha elders at his side.
Every shinobi present bore a serious expression, their focus locked on the leader of the village.
Finally, the Third Hokage stood, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"I have gathered you all here today to make an important announcement."
A hushed silence fell over the chamber.
"I have decided to step down from my position as Hokage."
Shock rippled through the room. A few, like Hatake Sakumo, remained composed, having already anticipated this. Others, however, struggled to mask their surprise.
On the high platform, Danzo's expression darkened.
But the Third Hokage was not finished.
"And for my successor..."
His gaze shifted toward a blond-haired figure standing at the front.
"I will recommend Namikaze Minato to the Fire Daimyo as the Fourth Hokage!"
The reactions in the room were immediate.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Sakumo exchanged glances, their eyes filled with approval. A proud smile tugged at Jiraiya's lips—his student had finally reached the pinnacle of the village.
For others, the news was unexpected, but not entirely surprising.
Had this been before the Third Great Ninja War, there might have been heated debate over the selection of the next Hokage. The legendary Sannin and White Fang himself were all viable candidates.
But the war changed everything.
The name Konoha's Yellow Flash had echoed across the battlefield, his mere presence instilling terror in enemy forces. Minato's strength and reputation had surpassed even the most elite shinobi of the village.
For some, there was no question—he was the right choice.
At the back of the room, Uchiha Yoruki's gaze flickered with complicated emotions.
Minato... The rival he once regarded as an equal had now risen to a level beyond his reach.
Beside Minato, a young Nawaki turned to him, offering a sincere nod. "Congratulations, Minato."
The Senju boy, who once aspired to be Hokage himself, acknowledged Minato's worth.
"You've earned this."
Minato smiled. "Thank you."
Jiraiya, standing nearby, was practically beaming.
"You look ridiculous," Tsunade muttered, rolling her eyes at him.
"What? My student is becoming Hokage! Let me have this moment!" Jiraiya grinned.
Orochimaru remained silent, his golden eyes unreadable. Despite his pride, he could not deny that Minato's talent was unparalleled.
On the platform, the Third Hokage addressed the assembly once more.
"If there are no objections, I will officially submit Namikaze Minato's succession to the Fire Daimyo."
No one spoke against the decision.
Save for Danzo, whose face twisted in barely concealed frustration.
Yet, even he could not argue against Minato's achievements.
The Third Hokage turned to Minato with a warm smile.
"Fourth Hokage, I leave Konoha in your hands."
Though Minato had not yet taken the official title, no one in the room thought the words were premature.
Because Minato Namikaze had earned this.
A new era for Konoha had begun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Support me at p@treon.com/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~