The next day, early morning.
The rising sun cast a golden glow over Konoha.
Veigar, who had spent the night meditating in his office at Konoha Hospital, dressed himself and headed to the Hokage Residence.
In the Hokage's Office.
Veigar knelt on one knee before Minato, while Hiruzen sat beside Minato.
"Minato, you can't!"
At this moment, Hiruzen's face had lost its usual calm and composure.
Just moments ago, Hiruzen had learned that Minato intended to appoint Veigar as the Anbu Commander.
This was the Anbu Commander!
One of Konoha's most powerful figures.
Once Veigar took office, he would instantly ascend to the highest echelons of Konoha's leadership.
And he would be a Konoha elder who commanded a department with absolute authority.
Hiruzen didn't believe that, with Veigar's strength and intelligence, he would be unable to control the Anbu, even if most of the Anbu ninja currently followed his orders rather than Minato's.
At the same time, the news of Veigar becoming Anbu Commander absolutely couldn't be kept secret.
By then, the various ninja clans in the village...
Hiruzen could already imagine their reactions.
As for Veigar, Hiruzen admitted he couldn't control him, and he also admitted that he had misjudged him in the past.
But within Konoha's power structure, Minato had the right to directly appoint the Anbu Commander.
He couldn't stop any of this.
Nor could he be stopped.
What made Hiruzen even more distressed was that he had agreed to Minato's request last night, consenting to Veigar's re-entry into the Anbu.
But he never expected Minato to appoint Veigar as the Anbu Commander!
Hiruzen felt like spitting blood.
Hiruzen's heart was ashen, though his face didn't fully show it. Still, one could discern his displeasure from his strained expression.
"Lord Third, this isn't a discussion; I'm simply informing you."
"Besides, didn't you already agree yesterday?"
Minato, holding his pen mid-air, turned to Hiruzen and said firmly.
Once his pen descended, the signed appointment letter would immediately take effect.
"Veigar, how can..."
However, Hiruzen's words got stuck in his throat, because Minato's pen had already come down.
Pressing the Hokage's stamp onto the signed appointment letter, Minato ignored Hiruzen beside him, simply picked it up, and said:
"Koshima Veigar, from this moment on, I appoint you as the Anbu Commander."
"Yes, Lord Fourth."
Veigar, kneeling on the ground, responded with strong conviction.
Receiving the appointment letter, Veigar didn't spare a glance at Hiruzen. Instead, he stepped back to his original position and immediately issued an order to the Anbu ninja surrounding the Hokage Residence:
"Order: All Anbu ninja, except those on essential missions, are to gather at the Anbu headquarters in thirty minutes."
Did the Anbu ninja currently performing guard duties in secret around the Hokage Residence not hear Veigar's command?
They heard it!
But they didn't move an inch.
The Anbu Commander's appointment is so casual? They follow the Hokage every day, yet they received no news at all.
From now on, their Anbu, which has been without an Anbu Commander for years, finally has someone appointed?
From now on, they had another superior.
"Holy crap!"
The surrounding Anbu ninja, beneath their masks, revealed expressions of disbelief and exchanged bewildered glances.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Veigar's aura erupted, followed by a sharp command.
"Is it my words as Commander that carry no weight? Or do you not acknowledge the Hokage's appointment?"
From Veigar's body, the killing intent honed on the battlefield burst forth with his immense aura. The surrounding Anbu ninja instantly broke into a cold sweat.
"Gulp..."
Fearful in their hearts, they all collectively swallowed.
Neither Hiruzen nor Minato spoke, merely observing Veigar's erupting aura in silence.
"Yes, Commander!"
The next moment, an Anbu ninja, seeing the situation in the office, immediately made a judgment. After publicly responding, he instantly vanished.
He had made the most suitable choice for the current situation.
Where there's one, there will be two.
After the first Anbu ninja left, the others also departed one after another, heading to notify the other Anbu ninja in the village.
A new official was taking office, and Veigar intended to light his first fire.
Hiruzen watched Veigar's aura recede. He knew that if he allowed Veigar to proceed, the Anbu would quickly slip from his control.
At least, on the surface.
At this moment, Hiruzen had absolutely no idea that the Anbu Commander position would become his most fatal weakness.
"Lord Fourth, Lord Third, I've just taken over the Anbu and will likely have a lot of official duties to handle. Please allow me to take my leave first."
Veigar said to Minato without a hint of a smile.
As for Hiruzen, he was ignored!
Calling out to him was simply a matter of protocol.
"Go on, I'll be relying on you for the Anbu from now on."
Minato showed a long-lost sunny smile, slowly nodding to Veigar.
After Veigar left, Hiruzen, who had been silent and contemplating countermeasures, now looked at Minato and said earnestly:
"Minato, with Veigar's experience, rashly appointing him as Anbu Commander... I'm worried he won't be able to handle it!"
Hiruzen, unwilling to give up, still wanted to try, even though he knew the chances were slim.
But this was merely Hiruzen's test of Minato Namikaze.
"Lord Third, there's no need to discuss this matter further. Since I'm appointing Veigar as Anbu Commander, I have absolute faith in him and believe he has both the capability and the strength to manage the Anbu even better."
Because of Veigar, Minato's words when facing Hiruzen had become much stronger.
Of course, his tone still held no less respect for Hiruzen.
Hiruzen could feel this.
"Hmm, let's observe for a while then."
Under Hiruzen's light smile, he was secretly making other calculations.
Following the familiar path, Veigar quickly entered the Konoha Anbu headquarters. Having been an Anbu ninja before, he was well aware of everything inside.
It was still as gloomy as ever.
"Oh! A newcomer?"
"Hmm! He joined the Anbu too?"
"Is Akuto returning to the Anbu?"
At this moment, as Veigar walked through the Anbu headquarters, he encountered many Anbu ninja. Those who didn't recognize him thought he was new, some recognized his identity, and others even recognized his former Anbu codename.
Soon, the Anbu Logistics Department.
He had arrived!