Hokage Tower.
The Hokage's Office.
"'Crimson Sun'… it seems nicknames are rarely mistaken."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood before the crystal ball, eyes heavy with thought.
"His Fire Release has reached a frightening level. Every movement burns like the sun itself. Even the temperature across that entire sector rose."
He had watched everything.
From the opening exchange—
To the final strike that tore through space.
There was no denial left in him.
At his current age—
He could not defeat Uchiha Jin.
He lacked the mobility of Minato Namikaze. Against Jin's overwhelming Fire Release, he would have to respond in kind.
But age was merciless.
In a contest of raw power—
He would lose.
Especially that final slash.
That blade… even he had no confidence in blocking it.
Hiruzen shifted his gaze to Minato, who sat across from him, visibly drained.
"Minato," he asked slowly, "if you cast aside all restraint… if you fought without worrying about the village… could you defeat him?"
He had noticed.
Minato's defeat in that spar had not been purely a matter of strength.
He had fought with hesitation.
He had abandoned his preferred hit-and-run assassination style.
If Minato had fought freely—
The outcome might have been different.
Minato gave a weary smile.
"Hokage-sama… Flying Thunder God relies on surprise. Jin knows my abilities too well. Against him, the element of surprise doesn't exist."
"Second… once he activates that Fire Release chakra mode of his, his speed isn't much lower than the Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode."
"And he can partially 'elementalize' to avoid damage, similar in principle to the Hōzuki clan's Hydrification Technique."
"With all that in play… even without holding back, I can guarantee I won't lose."
"But I also can't guarantee I'll win."
Hiruzen frowned.
"Even with Sage Mode?"
Minato shook his head.
"My Sage Mode isn't stable. I need preparation time, and I can't maintain it long. A few senjutsu techniques and my natural energy runs dry."
"To sustain it properly, I'd need assistance from the two sages of Mount Myōboku."
"Summoning them consumes a massive amount of chakra. Even Jiraiya-sensei requires time to prepare."
"If I attempted that mid-battle, I might collapse on the spot."
"In short… the cost is too high."
Hiruzen exhaled quietly.
Chakra.
That was the root of it.
Minato's reserves weren't small—
But Flying Thunder God consumed an enormous amount. The larger the object transported, the greater the cost.
There were ways to improve technique.
But innate chakra capacity?
That was talent.
And talent was difficult to alter.
…Or was it?
A thought surfaced.
Kushina Uzumaki.
Jinchūriki.
Becoming one carried grave risk—
But it also granted access to a living reservoir of chakra.
A tailed beast was, in essence, a self-sustaining source of power.
Minato's own reserves might not be extraordinary—
But he was proficient in sealing techniques.
In theory, he could manage it.
If Minato became a jinchūriki—
His strength would increase dramatically.
Hiruzen's mind turned further.
He was not considering Kushina's Nine-Tails.
The Nine-Tails was Konoha's ultimate deterrent. It could not be tampered with lightly.
But—
At this moment—
Killer B, the Eight-Tails jinchūriki of Kumogakure, was imprisoned in Konoha.
If Konoha chose to seize the Eight-Tails—
It could be done.
But the retaliation from Kumogakure would be merciless.
The balance of power would shatter.
The consequences required careful thought.
Hiruzen set the idea aside for now.
"Did the Uchiha agree to the terms?" he asked.
Minato nodded.
"Jin has agreed to fully support my candidacy for Fourth Hokage."
"He's also willing to relinquish part of the Military Police's authority."
"However…"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
"However?"
"He says your offer is too low."
"And he intends to invite the clans to participate in drafting revisions to village law. How much influence each gains… depends on what they're willing to pay."
Hiruzen gave a short, cold laugh.
"So. He means to auction influence."
"Greedy."
Yet inwardly—
He felt relief.
Greed was manageable.
Greed could be negotiated.
What frightened him was ideological purity.
If Jin had been acting solely out of conviction—
He would be far harder to control.
"I'll speak with him personally," Hiruzen said. "You needn't involve yourself further."
He paused.
"The next Jōnin Assembly is only days away. I intend to depart tomorrow for the Daimyō's court to deliver my report… and put in a favorable word for you."
Minato blinked in surprise.
"Hokage-sama… shouldn't the village finalize its candidate first before recommending one to the Daimyō?"
"Danzo and I haven't even begun formal proceedings."
"Isn't that premature?"
Formally, the Hokage was appointed by the Daimyō of the Land of Fire.
If Hiruzen recommended Minato before internal selection—
It would effectively preempt the vote.
A breach of convention.
Hiruzen shook his head.
"I've spoken with the Hyūga."
"They've fully committed to Danzo."
"Don't worry. I'll simply build momentum. Nothing improper."
He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
That unseen currents were moving beneath the surface.
Unable to pinpoint it—
He aimed his suspicion at Danzo Shimura and resolved to prepare more thoroughly.
What he did not notice—
Was the faint flicker in Minato's eyes.
A flicker that did not belong to surprise.
But to calculation.
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