Kushina and the others exchanged looks, all of them stunned.
Yes—
None of them had expected Minato Namikaze to be this serious.
But at the same time, they all knew Minato's temperament.
If he was speaking in such a manner now, it could only mean that what he was about to say was of unimaginable importance.
"I understand," Kushina said solemnly. "I'll listen very carefully."
Kakashi and the others didn't speak, but they nodded.
Their youthful faces hardened into seriousness.
Seeing this, Minato finally gave a weary nod and began.
"Where should I even begin? ... Forget it, let me answer Kushina's question first."
"This time, the reason Hokage-sama didn't pursue responsibility is simple—it's because I, Minato Namikaze, am guaranteed to be the next Fourth Hokage."
"Once this war ends, Hiruzen Sarutobi will step down, and I'll succeed him as Fourth Hokage."
"Though the Jounin council hasn't formally voted yet, I can already confirm it."
"As for why? Kushina, you know the reason."
"Think back to that night—the words you pried from the Nine-Tails."
"Hiruzen doesn't want to clash with me. He even hopes to mend the rift between us. That's why, regarding tonight's incident, he chose not to press the matter."
"In the past, your harsh treatment was because we were weak."
"The village's so-called rules only exist to restrain those at the bottom."
"For the powerful clans and the village's upper echelon, those rules mean nothing."
"That's the reason!"
Minato's words landed with weight.
He wasn't foolish.
In the past, the Will of Fire had seemed too beautiful, and Hiruzen's performance had been convincing, leaving Minato too naïve to think otherwise.
But the truth? He was always clever.
Even in the original story, this was evident.
At the end of the Fourth Great War, before returning to the Pure Land, Naruto had asked his father how true peace could be achieved.
Minato had replied that as long as the shinobi system existed, true peace was impossible.
At the time, he had spoken subtly—perhaps unwilling to crush Naruto's idealism.
He framed it in terms of hatred and grudges, but in truth, perhaps by then Minato already understood everything.
He had been Hokage.
He had endured Hiruzen's endless restrictions.
And thinking of his son's future in Konoha, he hadn't wanted Naruto to know too much.
Better to stay innocent and live happily, even if he lacked the strength to change the world.
Otherwise, he would either suffer endlessly or turn against the entire world—something Naruto would never do.
So yes, Minato was intelligent.
But in this timeline, with Uchiha Kai shattering his worldview early on, it wasn't difficult for Minato to see the truth now.
Yet as his words fell, everyone around him froze.
Yes.
They hadn't expected such a cold answer.
Not justice.
Not principle.
Just power.
The very thing they least wanted to hear.
If these words had come from Uchiha Kai, they might not have been surprised.
But coming from Minato—their Sensei—
It cut deeply.
"Minato, you..." Kushina's voice was bitter. "Why would you say that?"
Because she wasn't a fool.
Though she seemed brash, she was sharp.
She had already heard from the Nine-Tails about Konoha's filth.
Now with Minato's confirmation, how could she not understand?
But why speak it aloud?
Kakashi and Obito were still children!
Minato narrowed his eyes, raising a hand to stop her.
His voice was heavy.
"Everyone, I'm sorry."
"I never intended to speak of these things. But circumstances have changed."
"Because Obito's Mangekyo has been exposed, Hiruzen already has his eyes on him. Just now, he wanted to pull Obito and Kakashi into the Anbu."
"If I'm not mistaken, his plan is to brainwash them."
"In Hiruzen's calculations, he will let me become Fourth Hokage, but only as a puppet."
"Obito, with his Mangekyo, will soon become one of the village's strongest. Hiruzen does not want him tied too closely to me."
"And Kakashi as well.
On the surface, he's just a talented Jounin—nothing the higher-ups should care much about."
"But the problem is Sakumo Hatake."
"The legacy he left behind for Kakashi is far too immense."
"Kakashi might not use it now, but the village leadership has already set their sights on it."
"So, I have no choice."
"The truth is cruel, even harsh."
"But if I don't teach you this now, you'll all fall prey to schemes later."
"Never assume others are as good as they seem. Never trust too easily."
"Take me, for example. I once thought Shikaku, Chōza, Inoichi were all good friends. But now I realize that was an illusion."
"In private, yes, we can get along. But behind them stand their clans."
"For the sake of their clans, even if I sit in the Hokage's seat, they cannot openly support me—they must side with Hiruzen."
"The same goes for all of you.
Friends you trust now—when it comes to real matters, remember to guard yourselves."
"Never let yourselves be used."
Minato spoke steadily, his voice like water wearing down stone.
When he mentioned Shikaku and the others, his lips twisted into a bitter smile.
Yes—
Friends.
But now he saw clearly just how hollow that word could be.
It wasn't their fault.
They simply had different positions.
Perhaps once he truly seized power, they might support him.
But by then, friendship would already have been reduced to mere interest.
Only now did Minato realize—
In the adult world, especially at the top, there is no such thing as true friends.
To read 250+ Advance chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554