Naori, who was nearby, gently tapped Torifu's head. "You're always slacking off. If this keeps up, you might as well hand the Hokage position over to Anka."
Naori had meant to tease Torifu, but to her surprise, Torifu's eyes widened. "How did you know I had that thought?"
Naori paused. "I didn't know?"
Torifu shook his head, a hint of regret in his voice. "Anka is diligent in her work, and she handles all sorts of affairs with ease. It's just that her strength is too weak; she can't properly protect Konoha Village."
"Otherwise, I really would have intended for her to be Hokage," Torifu said earnestly.
Naori sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "You're truly hopeless. Anka has no Hokage background. Just that alone makes it impossible for her to become Hokage. I think you should stop fantasizing."
Historically, the Hokage position was inherited by the previous Hokage's disciple or a blood relative. Firstly, it allowed the elder Hokage to judge the character and strength of the next Hokage. Secondly, they felt more at ease entrusting the village to someone they had personally trained, ensuring the village's future wouldn't be too dire.
Anka had merely been hired as Torifu's secretary; this certainly didn't count as a proper Hokage background.
Torifu chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "There's no such rule. The Hokage position isn't a kingship; there's no stipulation that it must be inherited by a Hokage's disciple or son."
"It's a job, and anyone can compete for it. It's just that Hokage's disciples are often stronger and have higher ideological awareness, making it easier for them to stand out in the competition."
Then Torifu added, "Besides, it was just a fleeting thought. Anka is only a Jonin in terms of strength; she has no way to protect the village."
Naori nodded in agreement. The Hokage was a position that required someone perfect in all aspects.
Torifu was undoubtedly such a person. In dealing with villagers, managing government affairs, defending against external enemies, and establishing diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, Torifu was, without a doubt, unrivaled.
It was precisely because Torifu was so comprehensive that Naori had never been able to find someone who could truly replace him as Hokage.
Although Torifu kept saying he wanted Minato to become Hokage, Naori still felt that Minato might not be able to do better than Torifu.
But Torifu trusted Minato deeply and was also very eager to retire.
Naori could only go along with his wishes, as only Torifu had the authority to choose the next Hokage.
Even Naori, Hashirama, and Tobirama only had the right to offer suggestions and could not directly interfere with Torifu's decision.
Torifu felt that the topic he had brought up hadn't been particularly good, as it had made the atmosphere a bit stagnant.
He quickly found another topic to break the silence: "Anka just mentioned Dan. He's been the Anbu Captain for several years now, and there haven't been any mistakes. Shouldn't I reward him with something?"
Hearing Torifu's words, Naori also began to ponder. "He should indeed be rewarded, but what should we give him?"
Kato Dan had grown up with Torifu, and in Torifu's heart, Dan was no different from Amado or Minato.
Throughout these years, as Torifu's right-hand man, he had helped handle many sensitive matters that were difficult to deal with openly.
And he had never made a single mistake.
Moreover, he was married to Tsunade, which made them even closer relatives.
So Torifu had many options when it came to what reward to give Dan.
The first choice was a Life Fruit.
This was, of course, extremely precious, given only to those Torifu trusted most.
Only his Master, Mistress, Tobirama, Naori's father, and Ashina had received one.
Dan, without a doubt, was someone Torifu trusted implicitly.
However, Dan was still very young, so giving him this fruit now wouldn't have much effect.
He simply didn't lack longevity.
So that option was naturally ruled out.
"A Life Fruit isn't suitable. Are there any other options, like herbs or something?" Naori analyzed seriously.
Then she continued, "Dan's secret jutsu allows his soul to leave his body. How about giving him some herbs that enhance spiritual power? That should be very helpful to him."
Torifu pondered for a moment. "...Herbs? Those aren't particularly valuable to me; they could be considered a bonus gift."
Naori didn't think Torifu was exaggerating. After so many years together, she and her husband knew that Torifu had a vast collection of herbs, and she and Akihara had consumed countless of them themselves.
"If you put it that way, then indeed..."
But Naori also didn't know what to give, so she simply stayed silent, waiting to hear Torifu's ideas.
"Hey! How about a Bloodline Fruit?" Torifu said with a hint of delight, finally coming up with something worthwhile.
Naori remembered that the Bloodline Fruit was a precious item that could grant a person a random Kekkei Genkai.
However, only Yahiko in their household was suitable for it; the others either already had a Kekkei Genkai or a secret jutsu, or they weren't cultivators.
Therefore, only one of the five fruits had been used.
And due to its rarity, it couldn't be given to outsiders or sold, only to trusted individuals.
Dan certainly fit the criteria, but whether he would accept it was another matter entirely.
"I have no objections. If you think it's suitable, then why not discuss it with him?"
In Naori's opinion, while a Bloodline Fruit was very precious, the Spirit Transformation Technique that Dan had developed might not be weaker than a Kekkei Genkai.
So whether Dan would be willing to develop an unknown Kekkei Genkai was also a question.
"You're right. I'll call Dan later and ask him."
Torifu felt that while the Spirit Transformation Technique was powerful, its weaknesses were also very obvious. If Dan acquired a powerful Kekkei Genkai, he would have a double safeguard.
As for whether to accept this Kekkei Genkai, he would let Dan decide for himself.
However, he would still need to explain the drawbacks of the Bloodline Fruit clearly. The Kekkei Genkai it provided was quite random and might not necessarily be a particularly powerful one.
Nevertheless, they had finally discussed something usable; otherwise, Torifu would have only been able to give Dan a large handful of herbs to enhance his spiritual power.
As they chatted, the tea grew cold. Naori felt a bit chilly outside, so she went back into the house.
Akihara, meanwhile, was still running all over the courtyard, strolling through Minato's room for a while, then wandering into Yahiko's room.
There was no place in the entire Kumotsuru Clan that he couldn't go.
However, Akihara was still very polite. Before entering anywhere, he would always knock first, only going in once the person inside gave permission.
Yesterday afternoon, Akihara had suddenly disappeared, which had terribly worried Naori, who searched the entire courtyard for him.
She searched every room and eventually found Akihara talking to Aokumo and Ryūfū in the crane's nest.
When Naori dragged him out, he was covered in crane feathers.
That truly infuriated Naori.