Chapter 125 (Patreon)

Roy had originally considered Kakashi for the position of Deputy Hokage.

Kakashi might have been only fifteen or sixteen, but in the shinobi world, age and even strength were not always the deciding factors. One’s standing and background often mattered far more.

Kakashi’s credentials were beyond reproach. He had studied directly under both the Fourth and Fifth Hokage, and he was also the son of Sakumo Hatake—the legendary White Fang of the Leaf.

When Danzō defected, Kushina had already used the opportunity to clear Sakumo’s name. Everyone in Konoha now knew the truth: the White Fang had been driven to take his own life after falling victim to one of Danzō’s schemes, all for the sake of preserving his honor.

With that stain removed, neither Kakashi’s status nor his lineage would pose any problem if he were appointed Deputy Hokage.

As for his age, he would not be expected to shoulder the village’s administrative work in the first place. Shikaku and Fugaku would continue handling the day-to-day affairs. Kakashi merely needed to occupy the position and oversee Konoha in Kushina’s absence.

They could have appointed the older and more experienced Shikaku instead, but Roy was concerned that some people might refuse to acknowledge his authority. Unlike Kakashi, Shikaku lacked the background needed to silence every objection.

As for asking the Third Hokage to return, Roy had never even considered it.

They had gone to considerable lengths to persuade the previous generation to step down. Bringing Hiruzen back into the Hokage’s Office would only invite more trouble. Besides, even if they asked him to serve as deputy for a time, he would probably refuse.

Konoha’s Civilian Research Institute was currently overflowing with new projects intended to improve daily life, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had become completely absorbed in adapting ninjutsu for civilian use.

By now, he had either personally modified or supervised the development of hundreds of techniques covering nearly every part of ordinary life.

Each successful project produced immediate, visible results. Compared with the constant frustration he had endured throughout his years as Hokage, that sense of accomplishment was far too satisfying. There was no chance he would willingly return to the Hokage’s Office.

Unfortunately, Kushina rejected Roy’s proposed candidate without even consulting her two advisors.

Kakashi’s background might have been impeccable, and the position might not have required him to do anything more than report to the office each day, but his age was still a serious concern.

Roy had considered how the people within Konoha would react, but what about the other villages?

If Ōnoki or the Fourth Raikage, A, learned that Konoha’s Hokage was away and an underage deputy had been left in charge, there was no telling what ambitions they might begin to entertain.

“Shikaku-san, Fugaku-san.” Kushina looked at the two men buried beneath their work. “I’m going to Mount Myōboku to train for a while. I’ll leave the village’s affairs in your hands. If the workload becomes too much, call Hizashi in and make him help. We can’t let him collect his allowance without doing anything for it.”

Konoha’s shinobi were now divided into two broad groups.

The first lived as shinobi always had, earning their income by completing missions. The second consisted of those assigned to Konoha’s various internal departments. Since their duties generally prevented them from leaving the village to accept missions, Konoha paid them a fixed monthly salary—and that income was exempt from tax.

“This is rather sudden,” Shikaku said.

He exchanged a glance with Fugaku. Kushina had shown no sign that she intended to take an extended leave, so the announcement had caught both men completely unprepared.

“It can’t be helped,” Kushina replied. “The shinobi world may be relatively peaceful right now, but wars between villages aren’t the only danger we face. There are still people plotting from the shadows. Don’t forget—the one responsible for the Nine-Tails Incident is still out there. I need to become stronger as soon as possible, or I may not be ready for whatever comes next.”

Neither man could argue with that.

They had no way of knowing that, in the shinobi world’s future, anyone without a colossal chakra avatar or a bloodline connected to beings from beyond this world would be reduced to little more than roadside fodder. Even by the standards of the current era, however, Kushina’s strength as Hokage could not yet be considered among the very best.

It was true that she had captured two jinchūriki on the battlefield, but she had succeeded because her enemies had underestimated her and possessed no information about her abilities. In a direct confrontation, even escaping safely would have been uncertain, much less capturing two of the three.

As far as Shikaku and Fugaku knew, Kushina had only just crossed the threshold into the Kage level.

They were aware that she was also a jinchūriki, of course, but Kushina had never used the Nine-Tails’ power in front of outsiders. Consequently, they still viewed the beast much as people had in the past: an awe-inspiring weapon that offered Konoha little practical value.

In their minds, it was a power that could be unleashed only when the village stood on the brink of destruction and had no choice but to fight to the bitter end.

Whenever the subject of Tailed Beasts and jinchūriki arose, both men found themselves envying Kumogakure and Iwagakure. Each of those villages possessed two jinchūriki who could be deployed in battle.

Even Sunagakure’s One-Tail had appeared on the battlefield before.

Konoha’s Nine-Tails, on the other hand, had never once aided the village in war since being sealed within a jinchūriki. Instead, the only confirmed record of its power being unleashed was its attack on Konoha itself.

From their perspective, Kushina’s desire to train and grow stronger was entirely reasonable.

Roy, however, knew Kushina better than anyone.

Among the Five Kage, the only opponent who might give her trouble was the Fourth Raikage. She should be able to handle the other three without too much difficulty, including Ōnoki, despite the Tsuchikage’s ability to fly.

That did not mean A was stronger than Kushina. His speed simply made him extremely difficult for her to hit.

By the same token, A would have just as much trouble getting close to her.

Still, if one treated the Kage level as the ultimate destination, one’s horizons would remain far too narrow.

Shikaku and Fugaku agreed that Kushina needed to train, but they could not allow her to leave Konoha without making proper arrangements. Someone capable of genuinely exercising the Hokage’s authority had to remain in command.

If a diplomatic matter arose—or if the daimyō arrived to inspect the village—the two advisors alone would not possess the authority required to handle it.

“What if we ask Jiraiya-sama to return?” Fugaku suggested.

At the mention of Jiraiya, Kushina released a long, weary sigh. If there had been any reliable way to keep him in Konoha, she would have used it long ago.

Roy knew that the Child of Prophecy Jiraiya had been searching for was little Naruto.

The problem was that they had no proof. Without any evidence, why would Jiraiya believe them?

Jiraiya had once believed Nagato—the boy who possessed the same Rinnegan as the Sage of Six Paths—was the Child of Prophecy, only to later hear that Nagato and his two companions had died in the war. After that, he had placed his hopes in the exceptionally gifted Minato, only for Minato to lose his life during the Nine-Tails Incident.

Compared with those two, little Naruto hardly looked like a child destined to transform the shinobi world. He was not even two and a half years old and had only recently been weaned.

Even in the original course of events, Jiraiya had spent years at Naruto’s side before finally realizing, shortly before his own death, that Naruto was the Child of Prophecy foretold by the Great Toad Sage.

Trying to use Naruto to keep Jiraiya in Konoha now was simply impossible.

“I’ll ask Tsunade-nee to return and help me,” Kushina declared.

“Tsunade-sama?” Shikaku considered the idea for a moment. “If Hokage-sama goes to invite her personally, then perhaps she really will return.”

Fugaku remained doubtful. “Can you truly persuade Tsunade-sama to come back? You sent her several letters before, but none of them worked.”

Kushina said nothing. She merely met his gaze with quiet confidence.

At that moment, an ANBU shinobi appeared inside the office and knelt before her.

“Hokage-sama, three representatives of Kirigakure’s Terumī clan have arrived and are requesting an audience.”

“The Terumī clan?” Kushina’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Did Kirigakure send any diplomatic notice informing us of their visit?”

Shikaku and Fugaku looked at each other, then shook their heads.

Kushina noticed the surprise on Roy’s face and fell into thought for a moment before turning back to the ANBU.

“Bring them here. I’d like to know why they’ve come.”

Before long, the ANBU returned to the office with three visitors following behind him.