About two days later, Hoshiyomi returned to Konoha full of energy.
The first thing he did upon returning was head straight to the Hokage's office to report his safe return to Tsunade… only to be rewarded with a round of her "loving iron-fist combo."
His sudden disappearance over the past two days had left Tsunade extremely worried. Even though she believed there was no one left in the shinobi world who could truly threaten Hoshiyomi, his vanishing without a word still made her uneasy.
When Tsunade asked where he'd been, Hoshiyomi of course didn't honestly say, "Oh, I went to have a one-on-one death match with Madara."
Instead, he claimed he'd gone to White Wolf Ridge to check up on Lobo's situation — and managed to get away with that excuse.
Still, Tsunade pinched his ear and lectured him thoroughly until Hoshiyomi raised his hands to the heavens, swearing that from now on he'd report everything to her in advance. Only then did Tsunade finally calm down.
After the "marital discipline" session, Tsunade leaned against Hoshiyomi's chest and said softly:
"You know… let's have Minato succeed as the Fifth Hokage in a few days. I've been sitting in this chair for long enough. Honestly, I'm getting tired of it."
She wasn't wrong. Compared to the original story, Tsunade had held the Hokage position far longer. In the original timeline, she was Hokage for barely five or six years — but now, since Danzo's death, it had already been seven or eight.
For someone like Tsunade, who valued freedom and hated paperwork, sitting behind the Hokage's desk for nearly a decade was no small torture.
Thinking that, Hoshiyomi couldn't help feeling a bit of pity for his wife. Gently brushing his fingers through her golden hair, he whispered in her ear:
"Then let's send out the announcement. Give it a week for preparations, and next week Minato can officially take over as the Fifth Hokage."
As he said that, Hoshiyomi suddenly remembered something — the matchmaking plans he'd once mentioned: Jiraiya and Nonō, and Dan and Pakura.
He brought it up to Tsunade, and sure enough, the moment she heard about it, she perked up with excitement:
"Perfect! Once I officially step down, we'll get started on that. The Hokage transition is a big enough event to bring Jiraiya back to the village anyway — we might as well finalize everything while he's here."
Then Tsunade turned toward the door and shouted:
"Shizune!"
No sooner had her voice echoed than the office door flew open and a black-haired girl dashed in like the wind. She gave a quick bow and said respectfully:
"Lady Tsunade, Lord Hoshiyomi — what are your orders?"
Hoshiyomi looked at the girl with mild curiosity. Shizune was about fourteen or fifteen at this point — around the same age as Kakashi and Obito. Her looks and personality already resembled the mature, composed woman from the original story — calm, capable, and gentle.
But Tsunade's next words made Shizune freeze on the spot.
"Prepare to issue an announcement. Starting today, we'll begin the election for the new Hokage. The Daimyō has already approved the succession. The candidates will be Minato Namikaze and Nawaki Senju. The campaign can begin over the next two days.
We'll aim to hold the handover ceremony next week."
"Huh?"
The diligent Shizune, who'd been nodding dutifully until now, suddenly stood frozen in confusion.
What? My internship isn't even finished yet — and we're already changing Hokages?!
———
After leaving the Hokage's office, Hoshiyomi went to inform Minato about the decision.
Truthfully, Minato's appointment as Hokage had been a done deal for a long time. There were only two suitable candidates of the right age — Minato and Nawaki.
Nawaki, as he grew older, had long since lost any interest in the Hokage position. Just managing the Senju clan as its head was already giving him gray hairs — there was no way he'd want even more responsibility.
With Nawaki stepping aside, the popular, powerful, and handsome Minato was naturally the number one choice to become the next Hokage.
Minato had long since prepared himself for this day, so he showed no sign of nervousness at all.
After notifying Minato, Hoshiyomi went on to inform Jiraiya. That part wasn't difficult — the guy had a special communication toad stationed in the village for exactly that purpose.
When Hoshiyomi arrived at Jiraiya's house to tell him about Minato's succession and, incidentally, his arranged blind date, the communication toad gave a "poof!" and vanished back to Mount Myōboku.
Through the summoning contract, the toad would quickly deliver the message. Jiraiya definitely wouldn't miss Minato's inauguration ceremony.
———
In the days that followed, Tsunade — perhaps due to the excitement of her impending retirement — became very enthusiastic every night, leaving Hoshiyomi holding his sore back each morning, sighing in disbelief.
He had to admit, having a wife with the Strength of a Hundred Seal wasn't necessarily a good thing for a man's physical well-being. He was starting to understand why middle-aged Sasuke was rarely ever home.
He even began to think that he and future Sasuke could co-author a book about it — he'd already come up with the title:
"My Wife, the Human Juicer: A Husband's Survival Guide."
Yeah… with a title like that, it was bound to be a bestseller.
Time passed day by day, and the whole village grew noticeably livelier. Everyone was talking excitedly about the Hokage succession.
Yet, there was no trace of anxiety among the villagers. In their eyes, every Hokage Konoha had ever had was strong and dependable. Under such leadership, the village's future could only grow brighter.
Finally, after seven days, the results were announced before the expectant crowd. As everyone anticipated, Minato won by an overwhelming margin, becoming Konoha's Fifth Hokage.
Under the gaze of the entire village, Minato donned the white-and-red ceremonial cloak emblazoned with the words "Fifth Hokage" on the back, and solemnly accepted the Hokage hat bearing the character "火" ("Fire") from Tsunade's hands.
Placing the hat on his head, the handsome and radiant Minato officially completed his inauguration, while Kushina watched him with the dazzled eyes of a devoted fangirl.
And thus, the Fifth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, made his official debut — ushering Konoha into a brand-new era.
In the audience, Hoshiyomi and Tsunade exchanged a glance. Their eyes held both relief and satisfaction. It was finally time for them to focus on their next major "project"… their make-a-baby plan.
———
After Minato's inauguration came the traditional post-ceremony banquet — practically a Konoha custom at this point.
This time, Hoshiyomi made a point to remind Jiraiya and Dan to dress sharply, and he didn't forget to invite Pakura and Nonō to the gathering.
It was, after all, the perfect opportunity to kick off his matchmaking plan. The guests were mostly Hoshiyomi's close friends, most of whom had brought along their spouses and children — a cozy, family-style atmosphere.
Under such conditions, the remaining four singles naturally ended up grouped together at the same table.
Throughout the banquet, Hoshiyomi and Tsunade kept sneaking glances in their direction. Seeing the four chatting and laughing so comfortably, they shared a quiet smile.
The first step of the matchmaking mission was a complete success.
———
This chapter's a bit more on the slice-of-life side. Next time, I might try writing Jiraiya and Nonō's "date battle," or maybe jump straight into the new story arc — depends on how well it flows. If it's too tricky to write, I'll probably skip straight to the next plotline.
...
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