Konoha.
In front of the Hokage Building.
Yakushi Nono took a deep breath. There was a trace of unease in her heart, but even more so, anticipation.
She had already returned to Konoha for three days…
Yet everything that had happened, everything she had seen, still left even a top-tier spy like her deeply shaken.
She had spent over two years undercover in Iwagakure.
Coming back to Konoha now, it felt like the village had completely transformed!
Not only had its area expanded significantly, its internal commerce was exceptionally prosperous, but the village had also rolled out all kinds of subsidy policies—and even its upper-level governance system had been reformed.
As for how Yakushi Nono knew all this…
This intelligence expert, this wandering Miko, hadn't even made any effort to inquire.
Because under Sarutobi Hiruzen's directive, the Administrative Department and the Police Force had taken the lead, bringing along a group of shinobi to set up multiple public notice boards in prominent locations. These displayed things like pensions, subsidies for orphans and the elderly, improved ninjutsu, the Konoha Committee system, and other reforms carried out by the village.
The purpose was to allow villagers and shinobi to understand the village's policies more intuitively, preventing situations where people met the requirements but didn't know to apply—thus avoiding unnecessary fiscal waste.
There were even historical stories included—about the achievements of the First and Second Hokage…
Yakushi Nono made a full circle around Konoha's inner district, becoming more and more engrossed the more she looked.
This was the Konoha she had always imagined!
In the ninja world, she could be considered someone with a rather unusual personality.
The darkness of Root had not corrupted her—if anything, it had instead nurtured in her a longing for hope and peace…
And so, she resolutely withdrew from Root and opened a modest orphanage within the Land of Fire. It had nothing to do with profit—only with seeking a sense of inner peace.
But because of this, Danzō had marked her as unreliable.
That was how the old-guard leadership of the hidden villages operated…
No matter what achievements you once had, the moment you stopped obeying, you became a dangerous asset to be dealt with—unless you possessed overwhelming combat strength that made you valuable for political leverage.
For example, that was precisely the dynamic between Rōshi and Ōnoki.
"Even now, it still feels a bit surreal…" Nono murmured inwardly.
"The village actually approved my withdrawal request from Iwagakure. I thought Danzō would keep me stationed there forever—just waiting for the enemy to discover my identity and eliminate me for him."
"They even sent people to escort me back, and the entire journey was smooth…"
"Judging from the changes in the village, along with the praise from both civilians and shinobi, it must be the Third Hokage who carried out these sweeping reforms…"
Although there were no records of Sarutobi Hiruzen's deeds on the notice boards—that had been his own request—
People simply couldn't help but talk about it enthusiastically, spreading the word on their own…
What a humble and pragmatic Hokage!
Reputation was something that accumulated slowly—and then suddenly surged.
Nono steadied herself, stepped into the Hokage Building, reported her purpose to the Anbu, and was then escorted into a meeting room.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was currently listening to Uchiha Isshin's report.
"Hokage-sama, this is what our Police Force is proposing…"
"We'll retain one-third of the current staffing, and the rest of the shinobi will be reassigned to the standard operational structure…"
Isshin repeated Senju Tobirama's plan word for word, while subtly observing Hiruzen's expression.
This was the Uchiha clan's first step in testing the Hokage's sincerity…
"Nono is here? Go ahead and take a seat." Hiruzen gestured, then turned to Isshin: "Very good idea. This follows the concept of patrol units—building a three-dimensional security system that integrates scent-tracking, biological detection, and dōjutsu."
"The Uchiha clan has diligently served the village in this role for so many years. It's about time they got some fresh air."
Hiruzen smiled warmly at Isshin.
He naturally knew that most of the Uchiha's current decisions were being made by Senju Tobirama.
So he only needed to give it a general review—if there were no major issues, he could just stamp his approval.
'If Tobirama-sensei hadn't been revived, just figuring out the Uchiha's intentions would have been exhausting…'
'The chain of suspicion in politics is impossible to verify. Even if both sides cut open their stomachs to show exactly how many bowls of noodles they've eaten, the other side would still wonder if there's a substitute hiding somewhere…'
'But when the other side's leader is one of your own, everything changes…
In the 'game' of handling the Uchiha clan, Hiruzen and his sensei had essentially activated cheat mode—coordinating from both inside and outside.
Isshin froze slightly.
The Hokage… was this easygoing? Not even a hint of doubt?
"Y-You… shouldn't we hold a meeting to discuss this? Maybe consult the advisors as well…" Isshin blurted out.
It had gone too smoothly—so smoothly it felt unreal.
Had he misunderstood the Hokage all this time?
Maybe Hiruzen had never had any issue with the Uchiha in the first place…
Perhaps he had simply assumed the Uchiha were content in the Police Force, so there was no need to reassign them.
Isshin couldn't help but think: 'No wonder Hokage-sama always says he inherits the First Hokage's will!'
He even felt a trace of guilt in his heart.
"If everything requires a full meeting, the village's efficiency will suffer…" Hiruzen said with a smile.
"As for the Police Force restructuring, the lead committee members will be you and Fugaku. And the success of the patrol units already shows that other shinobi are interested in similar work."
"Our Konoha Committee system operates like this: major decisions are discussed between me and the relevant committee members. Once approved, they're publicly announced to the entire village."
"If real issues arise during implementation, other committee members can immediately request a meeting to revise and adjust the decision."
After all, Konoha was fundamentally a military organization.
Hiruzen had no intention of drowning in endless meetings—efficiency was always the top priority.
With proper oversight mechanisms to catch mistakes, and committee members unafraid to raise issues…
In the ninja world, that was already far ahead of the curve.
"Isshin, you also need to study the system more. Isn't your Police Force responsible for public communication? You shouldn't be the one saying something like that!"
Hiruzen lightly reprimanded him.
"Hokage-sama, that was my mistake! I'll study harder when I get back—and I'll bring Fugaku along with me!"
He had been scolded.
But inside, Isshin was delighted.
Because it meant Hiruzen didn't see him as a mere figurehead.
He truly regarded him as part of the village leadership—a Konoha Committee member who could genuinely participate in governance.
"As for Danzō, the area he's responsible for has nothing to do with the Uchiha. He doesn't get a say here."
"If the Uchiha have reasonable demands, just bring them forward. Of course, I can't guarantee everything will be approved…" Hiruzen joked.
"After all, I'm still the Hokage."
Isshin laughed as well. "Of course not, Hokage-sama… the Uchiha would never cause trouble for the village."
"I support the restructuring of the Police Force."
"But pay attention to maintaining a proper balance of combat strength among personnel. For any decline in real combat ability due to job duties, there must be systematic training rotations, along with proper leave schedules."
"For new members, the veteran Uchiha should take responsibility for mentoring them—helping them quickly adapt to the work."
Hiruzen continued calmly: "Selection standards and internal salaries within the Police Force should also be clearly defined and publicly disclosed. Coordinate this with the Administrative Department—I'll have Orochimaru follow up on it."
Isshin scribbled down Hiruzen's instructions rapidly.
When he heard Orochimaru's name, something stirred in his mind.
Was this also a form of "mentorship"?
It seemed like Hiruzen was letting Orochimaru familiarize himself with Hokage-level administrative work…
Logically speaking, Orochimaru was in charge of research—this wasn't his domain.
But if the Hokage said so, then it became his domain.
Hiruzen caught every micro-expression on Isshin's face.
Isshin had guessed half of it right…
As long as Hiruzen remained in office, Orochimaru wouldn't be in a hurry to become Hokage.
But he was very eager to gain power similar to that of a Hokage advisor.
Orochimaru had long been dissatisfied with Danzō—who used to boss him around and now constantly scrutinized his research funding…
He had been itching to make a move against Danzō for a long time!
Actively participating in village affairs and building his own network was a key step.
And Hiruzen was more than happy to see that happen.
A certain degree of internal friction could function as mutual oversight—as long as its intensity was controlled.
It was impossible to make everyone completely united.
"As for the Uchiha rejoining the mission system, you need to handle their transition properly. Since they've chosen to leave the Police Force, they should team up more with other shinobi…"
"This will help change some of the stereotypes other ninja have about the Uchiha clan."
"But be mindful—most Uchiha haven't taken missions in a long time. Even though the Land of Fire's nobles are currently flooding the village with mission requests, we still need to ensure both quality and quantity."
This was one of the advantages of expanding the overall "cake."
With the explosive success of Sage Region Pills, nobles and clients were lining up to commission missions in Konoha.
In the past, simply freeing the Uchiha from Police Force duties…
Would have meant cutting into other shinobi's mission allocations—a problem that would have been difficult to resolve.
"Rest assured, the Uchiha will strictly abide by the shinobi code!" Isshin declared confidently.
"If we can't even complete missions, then the Uchiha clan's honor might as well be thrown into the sewer…"
A faint, almost imperceptible frown crossed Hiruzen's brow.
He disliked the shinobi code.
Not just because of his past life—but because it was a hidden danger to the Will of Fire.
In theory, the shinobi code was an excellent tool for governance: its strong inertia and enforceability allowed for low-cost control over ninja.
But Konoha upheld the Will of Fire.
After enjoying the benefits of the Will of Fire—motivating shinobi and unleashing their potential—
It also had to bear the risk of conflict between the two.
If the two clashed, Hiruzen had to resolve it properly. Otherwise, the damage caused by the Will of Fire turning into empty propaganda would be worse than having no belief system at all.
"Very good, Isshin…"
"I look forward to the Uchiha bringing Konoha an even better reputation."
Hiruzen didn't address the issue directly.
Such deeply ingrained inertia couldn't be changed with mere words—it would only cause misunderstanding.
Isshin's pledge itself showed that he recognized the shinobi code.
Without a concrete incident to make everyone realize the problem, no one would feel the need to change.
If he brought it up now, conservative shinobi would fail to see it as protection—and instead view it as self-sabotage.
Only by making the conflict tangible could he, as Hokage, step in and unify everyone's understanding.
Still, Hiruzen felt a slight regret.
This kind of opportunity was rare—it might take a long time to come.
The Hokage hoped for a conflict—so he could use it to further temper and strengthen the Will of Fire.
"I won't disappoint you, Hokage-sama!" Isshin declared loudly.
"Let me introduce you—this is Yakushi Nono. She'll be the head of the orphanage under the village. As for the funding the Uchiha will provide to the orphanage, the two of you can discuss it together…"
Hiruzen smiled amiably as he spoke.
Isshin blinked.
"Hokage-sama, just name a number! You transferred Kirigakure's treasured relic to the Uchiha, and the clan all thinks I absolutely can't make the offer too shabby—otherwise it'd be disrespectful…"
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.
Isshin was a sensible man. He knew how to pick up the thread of his words.
He made it clear that the funding came from the Hokage, not from the Uchiha.
Yakushi Nono was both surprised and delighted.
She hadn't even had the chance to properly speak with Hokage-sama yet, and additional funding for the orphanage had already been arranged?
And it had been exchanged from a national treasure sent by Kirigakure, traded to the Uchiha by Hokage-sama!
This was really too embarrassing…
And way too wonderful!
"As long as it's enough, that's fine. Help get the orphanage's framework established first. Next year, the village's Sage Region Pills project will be expanded further, and at that point, there will be dedicated funding allocated specifically to the orphanage."
With a sweep of his hand, Hiruzen said: "Even if the Uchiha are a great clan, they're not exactly flush with resources… You only realize how expensive things are once you're the one footing the bills."
Isshin nodded deeply in agreement. "Thank you for your understanding, Hokage-sama!"
When he had asked the clan how much should be paid to the village for Tōenmaru…
Obito had directly shouted, "One billion!"—so loudly that Isshin's vision had gone black on the spot.
Did he think money blew in on the wind, or that dōjutsu could just conjure it out of thin air?
But because of that, Isshin had also come to realize that the village's financial power had already reached the point where it utterly crushed the great clans…
Three billion in subsidies—released just like that, without the slightest hesitation.
"Nono, I already know your circumstances."
"You once served in Root and made major contributions to the village, but because you disagreed with Danzō, you withdrew from Root and opened an orphanage within the Land of Fire. Later, under coercion from Danzō through funding pressure, you infiltrated Iwagakure on the village's behalf…"
Hiruzen took out a small booklet.
Inside was the framework and outline of Earth Release: Weighted Rock Technique that Nono had compiled in Iwagakure through various channels.
Though it was one of the five elemental releases, its practicality and strategic significance were immense—no weaker than an ordinary Kekkei Genkai.
It was a secret transmission of Iwagakure's Tsuchikage line.
"Yes, Hokage-sama…" Nono lowered her head, her confidence obviously lacking.
"Please punish me!"
Back then, when she left Root, Danzō had never approved it, so the relationship between them had soured badly.
That was also why Danzō had murderous intent toward her.
If Nono hadn't truly been so exceptionally capable at her work, Danzō might have made his move long ago.
"Root has already been dissolved and merged into the Anbu…"
"As for the problems caused by Danzō's personal conduct in the past, I will find a way to handle them."
"The Anbu now has clear procedures for entry and withdrawal. There are rules and systems to govern everything."
Hiruzen soothed the slightly panicked Yakushi Nono.
"The darkness that once existed in Root truly was intolerable. Although you violated the advisor's orders, from the perspective of the Will of Fire, Danzō was the one in the wrong."
"And I, as Hokage, also failed in my oversight. You've worked hard, Nono."
"I'm sorry."
Nono stared blankly at Hiruzen. With the seasoned mindset of the Wandering Miko, her eyes unexpectedly turned slightly moist in that moment.
The Hokage… was apologizing to her?
"N-No, Hokage-sama, I'm the one at fault…" Nono hurriedly wiped the corners of her eyes and said: "I failed to show the endurance a shinobi ought to have."
Isshin glanced at Nono and let out a cold snort.
Although Isshin loathed Danzō and hated his underhanded methods and his malice toward the Uchiha—as an old shinobi from the Warring States era, what Isshin hated even more was the emotion Nono was showing.
Once you had accepted an order from the higher-ups, then there should no longer be any resistance in your heart. As a shinobi, whatever mission you received had to be carried out at all costs.
To the point that Isshin even wanted to open his mouth and advise Hiruzen…
Except, instinctively, Isshin overlooked the fact that the Uchiha's own demands were themselves a kind of inability to endure their circumstances—and an attempt to seek change.
People were always hypocrites.
Watching the tears glimmer in Nono's eyes, Hiruzen felt a slight sense of reflection in his heart.
Shinobi were, in truth, a very easy group to govern.
The suffering they had endured, the hardships they had swallowed, were simply too many and too varied…
And long-term instrumental thinking had suppressed their emotions for so long.
So much so that even a little human warmth and concern could easily win their hearts.
"Nono, from now on, your orphanage will be directly under the village's authority. It has to become tightly integrated with the village as a whole."
"I've heard that you're highly skilled in medical ninjutsu? And especially good at teaching medical techniques…"
Nono quickly replied: "I wouldn't say I'm truly highly skilled, but when it comes to helping others learn in that area, I do have a bit of experience."
Hiruzen laughed.
Whether it was the expanded production of Sage Region Pills, or the later mass production once the research on medical scrolls succeeded… both would require more shinobi proficient in medical ninjutsu to serve as specialized industrial workers.
And although Hiruzen would instruct Orochimaru and Hiruko to break the assembly process into confidentialized steps to preserve secrecy around Konoha's core technologies…
At the very highest level of secrecy, the best safeguard was still people who themselves could be trusted.
Orphans, as a group, were naturally the most suitable.
They had no clan ties, no preexisting creed or identity. They were blank sheets of loyal white paper onto which the Hokage's colors could be freely painted. They would become fanatically devoted to Hiruzen and to Konoha.
In a certain sense, they would be even more suitable than the clan members selected from Ino-Shika-Chō.
"Nono, the village's future requires a large number of capable people, as well as shinobi who've mastered medical ninjutsu."
"I need you to run this orphanage well. While ensuring the orphans grow up safely and happily, do your utmost to help some of the gifted ones master medical ninjutsu."
"For those without talent in medical ninjutsu, the capable ones can still be added to Konoha's shinobi ranks. And for those of only average talent, I'll speak with the daimyō's side and find them work so they can make a living."
Nono's eyes instantly lit up.
Was this the Hokage's power?
With just a slight move, he had solved a problem she had racked her brain over without finding any way to handle it…
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Nono bowed deeply at once.
"No, don't thank me just yet."
Hiruzen's tone turned serious.
"The village's resources are meant for pitiful children whose hearts are with Konoha and the Land of Fire—not for letting the wrong people in."
"You must understand that deeply. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, it'll be difficult for me to speak on your behalf."
"Don't let compassion wear away your sense of boundaries and dull your instincts."
Nono took a deep breath and responded in a heavy voice: "Please rest assured, Hokage-sama!"
"I was once called the Wandering Miko. My eyes can spot spies from any hidden village. I absolutely will not allow outside forces to come in and undermine the village!"
"I will constantly teach the children to be grateful for your benevolence, to remember that Konoha is their only home, to remember their origins, and to firmly instill in them the belief that their hearts must belong to the village."
"If there is any problem in that regard, Nono is willing to suffer the harshest punishment!"
Isshin looked at Nono in astonishment.
Was this woman sick in the head or what?
Just a moment ago she had still felt wronged over carrying out missions, and now all of a sudden she was this resolute?
Hiruzen smiled and nodded. "Very good, Nono…"
"You may apply to the Administrative Department for some of the Academy's teaching materials, so the orphanage can connect with Konoha in advance."
"If you need additional funding, draw up a list of needs and itemized details and bring it directly to me. I'll approve it."
This was a smart person who understood what was being said.
"This is your document of appointment as a Konoha alternate committee member."
Hiruzen handed a page of appointment paperwork to Nono. "Do your job well. I think highly of you… The committee member you'll be assisting is Tsunade, so go coordinate with her."
In addition to the twenty Konoha committee members, Hiruzen had also established ten alternates.
Their function was to fill in gaps—to prevent the system from stalling if a Konoha committee member's position became vacant because of an accident.
They also existed to assist the committee members in their work and attend sessions to offer advice.
For the heads of the major ninja clans who served as committee members, alternates weren't needed, since those positions were, in essence, representative seats of the clans themselves.
Besides Yakushi Nono, the alternates also included Minato and Kushina.
As well as four members from ninja clans and three civilian shinobi.
"Alternate Nono, your alternate uniform." An Anbu handed her a set of clothing.
It looked very similar to the Konoha committee members' uniform, except that on the shoulder and sleeve there was only a single flame-shaped God Robe pattern.
Nono took it and bowed once again. "Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
"Isshin, next you two should discuss the orphanage's initial construction…"
"Make sure both sides are satisfied," Hiruzen instructed as he stood up.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Although Isshin's impression of Nono was complicated, for Hiruzen's sake, he had no intention of haggling too hard.
If the money was to be given, it still had to be given properly.
Hiruzen turned and returned to the Hokage's office, pondering Earth Release: Weighted Rock Technique.
Although Nono had only brought back a framework, and the details inside were still incomplete,
for the "Professor of Ninjutsu," this was not particularly difficult.
Hiruzen even intended to try using Earth Release: Weighted Rock Technique to reverse-engineer Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique.
But that part would be comparatively harder.
On the surface, they seemed like forward and reverse relationships, but they might also be independent branches of technique altogether.
'The shape transformation of Boil Release, Weighted Rock Technique… I'll thoroughly master these two first before talking about anything else…'
Hiruzen could feel it—his body's limit in terms of physical strength seemed to be loosening little by little.
It was waiting for him to cash in on that talent.
Simply using Lightning Release Chakra Mode for stimulation was no longer that efficient.
If he could master Earth Release: Weighted Rock Technique, Hiruzen planned to use it to form a domain-like gravity field.
It would stimulate the strength of his muscles, bones, fascia, and even internal organs from every direction.
Compared to external weights, a gravity field would be a uniform, all-angle form of enhancement with no blind spots.
And Hiruzen also had a bit of a selfish motive of his own.
If he could train this move to the point of instant activation, it would have an extraordinary effect against users of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
A gravity field was invisible and covered an entire area. Even if a Flying Thunder God user teleported in, they wouldn't be able to evade it, and it would drastically raise the cost of close-quarters combat mind games for them…
Hiruzen wasn't deliberately targeting Flying Thunder God Technique users.
It was just that he felt that, as Hokage, not being able to master Flying Thunder God because of aptitude was one thing.
But if he couldn't even develop a countermeasure against it, that would make him feel a little too insecure.
Even though Senju Tobirama and Namikaze Minato were both firmly standing on the same side as him.
From that angle, the strong sense of crisis among Konoha Academy students was, to some extent, something Hiruzen himself had set crooked at the root—forming a strangely cautious atmosphere from top to bottom.
'No harm in practicing it. Sensei is most likely about to make a move against Danzō…'
'Even if he wouldn't use that move on me, what if he suddenly asks to spar? Or requests instruction from the Hokage under the guise of being a youth? One way or another, he's going to regain mastery of Flying Thunder God Technique…'
'If the Hokage can't comprehensively suppress even a teenager, no matter what kind of jutsu he possesses, that would be way too embarrassing,' Hiruzen thought to himself.
As the orthodox inheritor of Tobirama's will, just like how Flying Thunder God had been used as an opening kill against Izuna…
Hiruzen knew very well:
Keeping a card hidden would never steer you wrong!
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