"Even though I'm not sure if I can do it, since Nii-san trusts me so much, I'll definitely work hard!"
Torifu crouched down and patted Minato on the shoulder. "That's my little brother. Take it slow. You're still too young. Just take it one step at a time."
After breakfast, Torifu led Minato to the embroidery shop. When Madam Beni saw Torifu, she immediately came out to greet him. "Torifu-sama, why did you come in person?"
"I figured the cloak was ready, so I came to get it."
Madam Beni said helplessly, "The garment is indeed ready, but you're the Hokage. You shouldn't have come in person. Your disciple should take it. That's what the rules say."
Torifu didn't know there were such rules. No wonder Naori and Kagami were the ones who took Tobirama's cloak back then. It turned out there was a reason for it. But it just so happened that he had a disciple with him.
He then pulled Minato in front of him and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Perfect. This is my disciple, Minato Namikaze. You can just hand the cloak to him."
Madam Beni looked at the young boy in front of her, then smiled. "That's more like it. A disciple should be the one to pick it up."
Madam Beni came out from the inner hall holding a long wooden box and placed it in Minato's hands. "This is the Third Hokage's cloak. You can't open the box until the official succession, but please rest assured, the quality of the cloak is absolutely guaranteed."
Torifu waved his hand. "All the previous Hokages' cloaks were sewn by you, so of course, I'm not worried. But why are there so many rules, and why have I never heard of them?"
Madam Beni was a little surprised to hear this, but she patiently explained it to Torifu. "These are some of the surface rules that all the clans collectively established when Hashirama-sama became Hokage. You weren't born back then, so it's normal that you don't know about them."
Torifu now understood. He hadn't been born at the time, and during the Second Hokage's succession ceremony, he hadn't been paying attention to the ceremony itself. He was just in charge of broadcasting the live footage, so he naturally didn't know about the other customs.
Minato was holding the wooden box, and he didn't feel much weight. It felt light. But he didn't dare to be careless at all. He was afraid of bumping the box and ruining the cloak's appearance. He held it carefully and meticulously the entire time.
Torifu looked at the clock in the shop. It was already past nine. He had woken up later than usual today, and with eating and chatting, time had passed quickly. But there were still more than three hours left until the succession, which was more than enough.
After saying goodbye to Madam Beni, Torifu led Minato straight to the Hokage's Office. Minato followed Torifu all the way to the Hokage's Office. Because he was holding the box, his steps were very steady. After all, inside was the Hokage's cloak, and it wouldn't be good if it got wrinkled and affected its appearance. But Torifu didn't care about these details, and even the villagers wouldn't. Only Minato was afraid that he would ruin his big brother's succession ceremony. This was the succession of the Hokage, which could be considered the most important thing in a person's life.
When they arrived at Tobirama's office, Torifu knocked on the door and went in. "Minato, find a place to put the box down. You don't have to carry it anymore."
Minato put the box in a corner where no one would bump into it, then quickly ran back to Torifu's side and stood ramrod straight. Tobirama was originally expressionless, but when he saw Minato, he couldn't hold back and just let go of his facade.
"Torifu, in a blink of an eye, you're about to become the Third Hokage. Time really doesn't spare anyone."
"Tobirama-sama, do you even hear what you're saying? You look younger than Hiruzen right now."
Tobirama coughed twice when he heard this. "Let's not talk about that anymore. How do you feel? Are you nervous?"
"I'm alright. I don't feel anything special. Even if I become the Hokage, I'm still me. I haven't changed, so there's nothing to be nervous about."
When he heard this, Tobirama also nodded. "My brother and I made the right choice. You'll definitely take Konoha to the next level. This village is in your hands now."
Torifu smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Tobirama-sama. Since I've already decided to become the Third Hokage, protecting Konoha is definitely my number one mission. Besides, my feelings for this village are no less than yours and my master's."
"That's for sure. You're just more reserved and don't like to express your feelings."
While the two were talking, Hiruzen and Danzō knocked on the door from outside and came in. "Hokage-sama, Torifu is here too."
Tobirama nodded, and Torifu greeted both of them. Hiruzen then said, "Ninjas have been sent to clear the streets of Konoha, and the villagers have been very cooperative by not setting up stalls. We've also had traveling merchants rest at the inn for half a day."
Danzō added, "We've already sent Anbu to hide around the streets to rescue any villagers who might get trampled and to constantly watch out for potential enemies."
Tobirama immediately clapped his hands when he heard this. "Good, it's very thorough. It must have been Danzō's plan. Hiruzen isn't that meticulous."
Hiruzen scratched his head. "Sensei knows me so well. I just followed Danzō's plan."
Torifu felt that Hiruzen was particularly excited today, and he didn't know why, but it was normal. The entire village was a little excited. It had been more than ten years since they had seen a Hokage succession ceremony. The six-year-olds from back then had now grown up to be the mainstays of Konoha. Time really didn't spare anyone. Without him even realizing it, Torifu was now twenty-two years old and was about to become the Third Hokage. This was a life trajectory he had never imagined. Every step had deviated from his original plan. He went from being a carefree person to the Third Hokage, one step at a time. Now that he thought about it, it all felt a little unreal.
Not long after, Naori and Kagami also came, followed by Koharu and Homura. They all immediately gave Torifu their most sincere blessings. After the life-and-death battle in the Land of Whirlpools, their bonds had become even stronger. It was not an exaggeration to say that they were unbreakable.
Naori walked to Torifu's side and said in a voice only he could hear, "Congratulations, Torifu. You're the Third Hokage now."
Torifu also replied softly, "Thank you for the congratulations. I'm very happy, Naori."
"I'm glad you're happy. You have an extraordinary demeanor today. Did you get all dressed up for the succession ceremony?"
Torifu shook his head. "I look like this every day. You're just not good at noticing it."
Naori looked at him and smiled. "Yeah, right. You're always talking nonsense. You never wear that thing on your head usually."
"This is a jade crown. My family's elders wore it almost every day, but I think it's too much of a hassle, so I rarely wear it."
"I knew it."