"Your idea is good and highly feasible."
"With Konoha's current solidified system of wealthy families, there is no better method than yours without bloodshed or civil war."
Minato was very excited and happy to hear Kai's praise.
There is nothing more exciting than having someone who shares your ideas and plans.
But soon Kai began to pour cold water on him.
"But you overlooked two issues."
"Please teach me, sir."
"First, you will die young. You would have died last night. Then all the reforms and ideas you led will collapse. More than a decade later, Konoha's ninja schools still won't teach any advanced ninjutsu. All secret and advanced ninjutsu are still firmly controlled by the various ninja clans and are only passed down from family members."
"This..."
Minato was stunned again. This was so...!
But he knew that Kai was right.
If it weren't for Kai and Hashirama, he would have died together with Kushina last night.
The reforms he led naturally ended with the death of the leader.
But Minato soon cheered up again, because he was not dead now, so everything could still be changed! There was still the future!
"Thank you again, sir, for saving my life!"
"But since I am alive, this road..."
Kai continued:
"Second, even if you were alive, you wouldn't have the time or the ability to wait until the day when Konoha could be peacefully revived."
"Why?"
Minato couldn't help but ask.
"Because Uchiha Madara is indeed still alive!"
Minato: "!!!"
Kushina: "!!!"
"How, how could that be? Sir, didn't you say that the masked man was Obito?"
"The masked man is Obito. Is there any contradiction with Uchiha Madara being alive?"
"This... didn't he die decades ago?"
"Can't you fake your death and get away with it?"
...
Minato shook his head, still unable to fully accept it.
"Why do you think Obito's strength increased so much? Why did his personality change so much? And why did he know the weakness of the Jinchūriki during childbirth? He even learned how to unlock the Eight Trigrams Seal..."
"Unless..."
Minato's mind raced, and suddenly, he understood.
"Unless there is someone behind him guiding him, bewitching him, and using him!"
Yes, no wonder Obito had changed so drastically. If the legendary Uchiha Madara was truly manipulating him from the shadows, then it was entirely possible!
This also explained why Minato had initially mistaken Obito for Uchiha Madara.
"But, even if Uchiha Madara is still alive, why would he hinder my reform plan?"
Minato asked again.
"Because he has been trying to collect all the tailed beasts and destroy the entire ninja world!"
Kai's words were chilling.
"Including Rin's attack on Konoha with the tailed beasts, and her final forced suicide at the hands of Kakashi, which was also planned by him."
Minato was shocked again, almost numb to the cascade of horrifying truths.
"Rin's death... he was the one who caused this too?"
"By the way, I'll tell you another piece of news for free. He has already obtained the Rinnegan and possesses some power comparable to that of a god. With his single-minded promotion and plotting, how long do you think the peace between the Ninja World and Konoha will last?"
"How much time do you have to slowly reform and develop?"
Kai deliberately omitted the fact that Madara was already dead in this world.
Because in Kai's view, even if Madara died, there are still Obito, Nagato, Black Zetsu, and the Akatsuki. Konoha's peace will not last long.
But for Minato, the name Uchiha Madara undoubtedly carried an unparalleled weight of intensity and threat. He couldn't afford to be careless.
As Kai predicted, Minato was really scared.
An unprecedented sense of oppression and crisis settled deep within his heart, and he was almost knocked unconscious by the sheer volume of shocking news.
He had witnessed the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju's power firsthand just last night, controlling the Nine-Tails with effortless ease. If Madara was his equal, or even superior with the Rinnegan, he would be terrifying!
Such a monstrous threat, constantly plotting the world's destruction... what chance did Konoha have of a peaceful rise? Under this looming shadow, all his carefully laid plans and gentle reforms would be rendered utterly worthless.
"Is everything you said true, sir?"
Minato's voice was barely a whisper.
"Do I have to lie to you? You can check for yourself whether it is true or not."
Minato believed him.
A colossal weight settled upon him, his expression more solemn than it had ever been, far heavier than when he faced the Nine-Tails just hours before.
"Don't worry, Minato. No matter what happens, Naruto and I will always be with you!"
Kushina gently held Minato's face, offering comfort.
"Me too, I will never leave you!"
Minato muttered, his eyes closed, making a profound decision in his mind.
No matter what, he would not allow the enemy to harm his wife and child, or his village!
If everything Kai had revealed was true, if an almost invincible Uchiha Madara truly lurked, covetously waiting, then he had no choice but to overturn all his previous plans and formulate a new, urgent strategy.
This was his responsibility to his family, and his unwavering responsibility to the village as Hokage.
"Sir, can I defeat Uchiha Madara?"
Minato asked, seizing the opportunity to consult the "answering machine" before him.
Repaying Kai could wait; saving his life was a debt that could never truly be repaid anyway.
"Fourth Hokage, do you think you can defeat Hashirama Senju?"
Minato fell silent.
He wouldn't dwell on that. If he couldn't beat him now, he couldn't beat him. There was no shame in that. He would simply continue to develop himself, research new ninjutsu, and enhance his own strength.
The future belonged to those who were good at creation.
"So what should I do next?"
"I only offer suggestions, not instructions. It's up to you to decide how to choose and what to do."
"Thank you, sir."
"I suggest you tear down those corrupt guys of Danzo as soon as possible and integrate the power of the entire village as soon as possible."
Kai advised.
"At least, next time we encounter an enemy village or a tailed beast attack, there won't be another tragedy like what happened last night."
Minato nodded.
If he could achieve that, it would be ideal. The Hidden Cloud Village possessed the strongest overall combat power precisely because of its unity, where the Raikage's will could be easily implemented. If Konoha could achieve such cohesion, no other hidden village would stand a chance.
"Sir, do you have any plan for peace?"
Minato asked again, his brow furrowed in thought.
"If possible, I really don't want to take action against those people..."
He struggled to conceive of a peaceful way to seize power.
Given the personalities of Danzo and his gang, taking their power is almost more difficult than taking their lives!
It is impossible to achieve victory without bloodshed.
Minato can only ask Kai for help, and wants to ask if Kai has a better plan?
"It's not that hard to take down Konoha's F4. All it takes is a little strategy and a few special tactics."
"Of course, it's impossible to do it without any sacrifice at all."
"But we can minimize casualties."
"It can be divided into three main steps."
"The first step: pull one group and beat another group!"
You know, not all the powerful ninja clans in Konoha Village have had a good life in the past few decades.
Are you asking whether the Uchiha clan wants to take over?
Does the Hyuga clan want to take power?
miss you!
They think about it in their dreams and even when they shit!
Especially the Uchiha clan, if they don't think about it, the lives of the entire clan may be in danger!
The combination of these two major clans, plus Minato himself, is enough to overshadow the factional power of Sarutobi and his three companions.
What's more, there are still many other forces that can be won over.
Of course, winning over these big families is not for the purpose of directly launching a civil war.
The purpose was to overthrow Konoha's F4 so that power could be transferred in the most peaceful...