Exile the Sarutobi Clan, Who Will Be the Hokage?
With Kaito's support, White Fang was no longer afraid. He walked directly to Sarutobi Hiruzen and asked coldly:
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, do you have any last words?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head, unable to speak. The weight of his past actions had come crashing down on him. All the wrongs he'd done were exposed, and now even the shame of abandoning his wife and son was public knowledge. There was no face left to save, no excuse left to offer.
"If that's the case, then you're on your way," White Fang said, his tone final.
Without further hesitation, White Fang drew his blade and severed Sarutobi Hiruzen's head. The action was swift, a testament to his skill and resolve. As the Hokage's lifeless body slumped to the ground, White Fang turned his attention to the rest of the Sarutobi clan. His eyes fell on Hiruzen's wife and their son, Sarutobi Asuma.
They, too, were swiftly executed.
Witnessing the brutal execution, several members of the Sarutobi clan who had sworn loyalty to Hiruzen began to panic. They feared White Fang would come after them next, but White Fang was too focused on the task at hand. He wasn't interested in dealing with the fallout just yet. After eliminating the Sarutobi clan, he ordered the remaining members of their faction to leave Konoha and be exiled from the village.
Once the bloodshed was over, a new question arose: with the Third Hokage dead, who would take his place?
White Fang scratched his head and looked around. His eyes landed on Kaito, and he asked tentatively, "Why don't you take over as Hokage? You'd be great at it!"
Kaito's eyes widened slightly, and he gave White Fang a look of disbelief. "Hokage? That's a tedious and thankless job! Who wants to spend their days in an office, signing papers, and handling all the drama that comes with it?"
White Fang blinked, clearly not expecting such a blunt refusal. "But… the village needs a leader, doesn't it? What about you? You're strong, and you've got the experience."
Kaito leaned back, his expression unfazed. "Trust me, the Hokage position is not something I'd want to take on. I've seen the toll it takes on people. You're better off picking someone else."
White Fang thought for a moment, clearly perplexed. "Well, maybe your son could do it? What about Minato, huh? He was the Fourth Hokage; he's got experience!"
Kaito chuckled at the suggestion. "Minato was indeed the Fourth Hokage, but you know as well as I do that the position of Hokage is a weighty responsibility, and Minato's life was taken too early. What Konoha needs now is someone who can unite the village and bring stability."
White Fang nodded, his face lighting up. "You're right! How could I forget about Minato! He was a brilliant Hokage, and even though he's gone, his legacy could help guide the village!"
Without wasting another moment, White Fang dashed off to find Minato's former allies, hoping to gain their support for the next Hokage.
Kakashi, having overheard their conversation, glanced at Kaito. "My father can be... impatient sometimes. I apologize for him running off like that."
Kaito smiled. "It's fine. I'm not bothered by it. In fact, I think I should leave as well."
With a small flicker, Kaito activated his Space-Time Ninjustu and disappeared, leaving Kakashi in the middle of the conversation. Kakashi's eyes widened as he watched Kaito vanish into thin air. He had assumed Kaito's sudden arrival was due to some kind of high-speed technique, but now, seeing him leave just as quickly, Kakashi realized it wasn't just Body Flicker—it was something much more advanced: Space-Time Ninjutsu.
Meanwhile, White Fang, now more certain of his course, arrived at Minato's house.
"Minato, with the Third Hokage dead, Konoha needs a leader," White Fang began. "Why not step up and take the mantle of Hokage once more? Your experience could guide us through these trying times."
Having said this, White Fang paused, thinking Minato should understand his point by now.
However, what he didn't expect was Minato's smile. He grinned and said:
"If Senior White Fang would agree to become the Fifth Hokage, I'd fully support it!"
Minato gave White Fang a thumbs up, his gaze lingering on him for a moment. Inside, he thought:
Seriously? Are you acting dense or are you really this oblivious? I'm the one asking you to take the Hokage position, not the other way around!
White Fang took a moment to process the situation, deciding Minato couldn't possibly be that clueless. He must've misunderstood him. So, White Fang spoke again, a bit more carefully:
"Ah... Minato, what I mean is, how about you return to the Hokage seat? You're far more experienced."
Hearing White Fang's words, Minato blinked, surprised. He pointed at his own chest and asked:
"Senior White Fang wants me to become Hokage again?"
"Yes, after all, you've already been Hokage before, so you must have a lot of experience leading the village," White Fang explained.
Minato rolled his eyes, a mix of exasperation and disbelief. He had expected this conversation to go a bit differently, but White Fang clearly didn't understand that Minato was done with Hokage duties. He was burnt out, especially after Sarutobi Hiruzen had manipulated him into the position for so long.
"No, I don't want to be Hokage anymore," Minato said firmly, shaking his head. "You should look for someone else. In fact, with your reputation, you would be a great Hokage!"
White Fang's eyes widened in shock. Minato refused to take up the Hokage mantle again and instead tried to push the role onto him. White Fang stammered, quickly trying to backtrack:
"No, no, Minato! I don't have the experience to manage a village, and I don't have the right candidate. I still think you are the most suitable person for Hokage!"
Minato's refusal to even entertain the thought of becoming Hokage made White Fang nervous, but Minato insisted with a carefree wave:
"Managing the village is simple enough. If you don't know how, I could teach you a few things. You'd get the hang of it quickly."
White Fang's mouth twitched. It was clear now that Minato was determined not to take the Hokage position. This was going to be a real struggle.
Scratching his head, White Fang suddenly remembered something Kaito had told him earlier. That conversation clicked in his mind.
"Cough... actually, it's not just me saying this. The administrator told me to come to you as well."
Minato blinked, pausing for a second. He looked at White Fang, suspicion flickering in his eyes. If the administrator had actually mentioned this, then he couldn't just dismiss it out of hand.
"Wait, the administrator told you to come to me?" Minato asked. "Are you sure you're not messing with me?"
"No, no, I swear. The administrator said I should talk to you," White Fang assured him, feeling a little guilty. He knew Kaito had never said Minato should be Hokage, but he didn't want to get into that detail now.
Minato stared at White Fang for a long moment before finally saying:
"Alright, I'll ask the administrator directly. If they really want me to become Hokage again, I guess I won't have much of a choice."
White Fang felt a vein in his forehead twitch. Wait a minute, why is he so quick to accept this now? He thought to himself, gritting his teeth. Why didn't he show this urgency when he was Hokage before?
White Fang started to suspect that Minato had been pretending to be oblivious the whole time. Maybe he just didn't want to take up the Hokage role again and had been pretending not to understand White Fang's suggestion in the first place.
"Cough... Minato, the administrator is very busy. It's probably better if we don't disturb him, right?"
White Fang internally groaned, realizing he had to stop Minato from contacting the administrator. He hoped the administrator wouldn't hold this little misunderstanding against him. If Minato did ask for the answer directly, White Fang was sure Minato would still refuse to take the Hokage position, even if the administrator said otherwise.