When he arrived at the Hokage building, he wasn't led to the office—instead, the ANBU brought him to the room where Sarutobi Hiruzen usually took his breaks.
Pushing open the door, he saw Minato kneeling on one knee in front of Sarutobi. The old man sat calmly, and when he saw the newcomer, he smiled.
"Come in, Kiyosuke."
"Oh."
Kiyosuke also knelt on one knee. This felt like an official announcement.
Sarutobi cleared his throat.
"I've gathered you both here for one reason: to decide who will succeed as the Fourth Hokage."
In order to quickly bring the war to an end and ease the burden on both the Land of Fire and Konoha, Sarutobi had been forced to sign treaties with Sunagakure and the Land of Earth. War reparations from the Land of Wind were reduced, and hostilities with the Land of Earth were officially over.
To give the village an answer—and under pressure from the higher-ups—he had no choice but to step down.
The candidates had been narrowed down to Orochimaru, Minato, and Kiyosuke.
But Sarutobi had immediately ruled out Orochimaru due to his personality. He knew this student of his too well—he wasn't suited to be Hokage.
That left Minato and Kiyosuke, both excellent choices.
In terms of strength and accomplishments, both were heroes who had brought the war to an end. One was the Yellow Flash, the other was Arsonist. Their strength was recognized across the shinobi world.
But being Hokage was no joke.
The position required not just incredible strength but also outstanding leadership. The Hokage carried the responsibility of protecting the entire village and represented peace and stability. It wasn't a title that could be handed out lightly.
"I'll respect whatever the village decides," Minato said quietly.
Kiyosuke replied, "I'm not interested in being Hokage. Sitting in an office pushing papers doesn't appeal to me at all."
Sarutobi: "..."
So you think all I do all day is sip tea and stamp documents?
Isn't that exactly what you do?
Kiyosuke's answer caught him off guard. Stroking his beard, Sarutobi said,
"If that's how it is, then Minato, the position of Hokage will go to you. I hope you'll shoulder this responsibility well."
"Yes, sir!"
Minato bowed his head, though his heart wasn't exactly thrilled. It felt like the title had been passed to him by default.
Sarutobi turned to Kiyosuke.
"If you don't want to be Hokage, then take this as a consolation."
He stood up, opened a cabinet, and pulled out a robe embroidered with the kanji for "fire."
"This Arsonist Robe symbolizes an honor no less than that of the Hokage."
It looked similar to the Hokage cloak Minato would eventually wear, but it was a vivid red with a large "fire" character across the back.
Honestly, he didn't really want it...
Still, he accepted it and asked, "Can I redesign it to look cooler? I don't care about honor—looking good lasts a lifetime."
Minato: "..."
Sarutobi: "..."
Why does this kid think like that?
Sarutobi coughed.
"You can redesign it however you like. But that 'fire' symbol must stay."
"Oh."
He slipped it on and realized it was too big. He'd need to grow at least fifteen more centimeters before it would fit. Right now, he was only 165 cm tall.
His expression darkened. He suspected it was made for Minato.
...
"In the coming days, Minato, you'll need to prepare yourself. Being Hokage carries heavy responsibilities."
"Yes."
Minato lowered his head again. After giving a few more instructions, Sarutobi left the Hokage building with Kiyosuke.
On the way out, Minato asked, "Kiyosuke, why don't you want to be Hokage?"
"Why should I?" Kiyosuke shot back. "I never dreamed of becoming Hokage. And the village right now? It's a mess. You've got your work cut out for you, Minato-san."
Minato gave a bitter smile. He knew just how much of a mess the post-war village was. But if he was going to be the Fourth Hokage, it was now his responsibility.
"This village is too complicated. It's just supposed to be a village, but it feels like a political drama. The Hokage seat is more trouble than it's worth. You be careful, Minato."
"I will. Want to come over for dinner? Kushina should be cooking."
"Sounds good. I'm still hungry. Let me go home and change first."
"Sure. You know where I live. Just knock."
"Got it."
...
After changing into casual clothes, Kiyosuke hung the Flame Robe in his room. He'd wear it after getting it altered—and only for important occasions.
It looked way too tacky as-is.
Leaving home, he spotted a familiar white-haired figure lurking around the fence of the hot springs, clearly planning to sneak in.
"Jiraiya-sama," he called.
Jiraiya turned and sighed. "Oh, it's just you, brat. What do you want?"
"Nothing. Just saying hi. I'm going over to Minato's place for dinner. Want to come?"
"Not interested."
Jiraiya looked totally unmotivated.
Kiyosuke leaned in and whispered,
"Minato's been chosen as the next Hokage. You sure you don't want to come?"
"That fast?" Jiraiya blinked. "How do you know?"
He hadn't even heard about it yet.
"Oh, I was nominated too. But I withdrew."
"You what?! You brat!" Jiraiya exclaimed.
He knew how many merits Kiyosuke had racked up in the war. The kid was definitely qualified to be nominated. The Hokage title held a powerful allure for young shinobi—who would just walk away from that?
"Of course. It's meaningless."
Kiyosuke looked indifferent.
Once you reached a certain level of strength, no one dared to mess with you. So what difference did it make if you were Hokage or not?
Why go looking for more headaches?
"You're a lot like me in that way," Jiraiya chuckled. "Alright, let's go. We're heading to Minato's place."
He clapped Kiyosuke on the shoulder, laughing loudly. His student was becoming Hokage—what could make a teacher prouder?
...
They arrived at Minato's home and knocked.
Minato came to the door. "Jiraiya-sensei? What are you doing here?"
"Came to see you, of course! You became Hokage and didn't even tell me. If I hadn't run into this brat, I'd still be in the dark." Jiraiya handed over the gift he'd picked up on the way.
Minato accepted it with a smile.
"I just found out myself, really. And honestly, if Kiyosuke hadn't stepped down, I might not have been chosen at all."
After all, in terms of strength, achievements, and status, Kiyosuke was on par with him. Aside from age and seniority, there wasn't a single area where he was lacking.
Even their looks were pretty evenly matched...
He really was a formidable rival.