With war looming, Kizaru had no intention of launching sweeping reforms immediately after taking office as the Fourth Hokage. For the time being, he planned to focus on streamlining Konoha's existing administrative system.
The Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Culture outlined in Kizaru's reform proposal would not be established until after the war.
The Council of Elders and the Secretariat, however, would be implemented immediately after today's meeting.
"As for the Secretariat, I'll draw up a list of permanent secretaries this afternoon. They'll be responsible for overseeing its operations, while the remaining secretaries will be selected from the Administrative and Logistics Departments."
Neither the two advisors nor Hiruzen and Danzo raised any objections.
In their eyes, the Secretariat's duties were similar to those of the Hokage's personal aides. The position carried little direct authority and primarily reflected the Hokage's trust in those appointed.
Kizaru had deliberately downplayed the Secretariat's true importance in his proposal. He had only mentioned two responsibilities: assisting the Hokage with daily administrative work and cultivating the village's next generation of political talent.
Since it was meant to train newcomers, none of the four veterans intended to shamelessly compete for a position. At most, they were already considering whether they should recommend promising members of their own clans.
Even Hiruzen, who had already reached a private agreement with Kizaru, hoped to nurture the younger generation of the Sarutobi clan and pave the way for their future political careers.
"That settles the arrangements for the Secretariat."
Kizaru paused and glanced around the room.
"Next, let's discuss the main issue on today's agenda—the number of seats on the Council of Elders and who will occupy them."
He deliberately studied the expressions of the four people before him, paying particular attention to Konoha's two advisors.
Just as Kizaru expected, Hiruzen and Danzo remained perfectly composed. Homura and Koharu also appeared calm on the surface, but Kizaru could sense the unease beneath their expressions.
"To prevent deadlocked votes whenever opinions differ within the Council of Elders, I've decided that the council should have an odd number of members."
Kizaru raised three fingers.
"Three seats."
Upon hearing that there would only be three seats, Homura and Koharu managed to remain relatively calm.
Kizaru's proposal clearly stated that anyone appointed to the Council of Elders could not hold a concurrent position in another department or participate directly in administrative affairs. The council members would possess only the authority to offer advice regarding the Hokage's decisions and the village's policies.
According to their assumptions, Kizaru intended to leave Root under Danzo's command while appointing Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu to the three available seats.
A faint smile appeared on Kizaru's face as he glanced at the two advisors. He then turned his attention toward Hiruzen.
"The provisional members of the Council of Elders will be Sarutobi-sensei and Advisor Homura…"
Hearing his name, Homura quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
A guess was still only a guess. Now that his appointment had been confirmed, he could finally put his mind at ease.
Beside him, Koharu fixed her eyes on Kizaru, waiting for him to announce the final name.
"And the Hokage's Assistant, Danzo."
Koharu's eyes widened.
Her expression changed instantly as shock, anger, and unease flashed across her face.
She had never imagined that Kizaru's first move after becoming Hokage would be to remove her from Konoha's central decision-making circle.
"Fourth Hokage, what is the meaning of this?"
Alarmed and furious, Koharu instinctively looked toward Hiruzen, hoping that her old friend would speak on her behalf.
She had turned to Hiruzen instead of Homura, her longtime political ally, because a seed of suspicion had already taken root in her mind.
Why had Kizaru chosen Homura instead of her?
Had the two of them reached some private agreement?
Even if no such agreement existed, now that Kizaru had granted Homura a seat on the council, would he still be willing to oppose the new Hokage for her sake?
It was precisely because of those doubts that Koharu sought Hiruzen's support. As the former Hokage and Kizaru's teacher, Hiruzen still possessed enough influence to make Kizaru reconsider.
"Advisor Koharu, there's no need to be so anxious."
Kizaru looked at her with a mild smile.
"I'm well aware of your abilities and everything you've contributed to the village. I have another important responsibility in mind for you."
His words eased some of Koharu's unease.
Whether Kizaru was merely trying to placate her or genuinely intended to entrust her with another important position, he had at least shown that he planned to compensate her.
"For the time being, Advisor Koharu will retain her position as an advisor to the Hokage. She will also oversee the Administrative and Logistics Departments. Once the war ends, she will be responsible for establishing and managing the Ministry of Culture."
The Ministry of Culture?
Why not the Ministry of Commerce?
Koharu could accept Kizaru's arrangement, but she still found it somewhat disappointing.
If she had been allowed to choose, she would have preferred to oversee the Ministry of Commerce. Once it was established, every commercial project receiving investment from Konoha would fall under its jurisdiction.
That was where the real influence—and profit—would be.
"Understood."
Despite her dissatisfaction, Koharu's rational side prevailed. She suppressed her greed and voiced no objection to Kizaru's decision.
"In addition, considering how close we are to war, Root will remain under Elder Danzo's command for the time being. Once the war is over, someone else will be appointed to take charge."
No one objected to that arrangement.
Both ANBU and Root were covert organizations. Replacing Root's commander on the eve of war could easily create unnecessary confusion.
"All right, I've said everything I wanted to say."
Kizaru leaned back against the sofa, looking completely relaxed.
"Do the elders have anything they'd like to add?"
"Kizaru, what are your thoughts regarding the alliance between Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure?" Hiruzen asked.
Now that the distribution of Konoha's central authority had been settled, he had also relaxed considerably. He lifted his pipe and took a slow puff.
"How do you intend to respond when the three villages attack Konoha?"
"Sensei, are you asking whether we should strike first or wait for them to attack before launching a counteroffensive?"
It was always easier to speak with someone who understood the situation immediately.
Hiruzen nodded, his pipe still between his lips.
"I've already completed the village's internal mobilization. We've reduced the number of accepted mission commissions by ninety percent, and aside from those carrying out essential assignments, every available shinobi has been recalled to Konoha."
"We'll fight this war beyond the borders of the Land of Fire," Kizaru replied. "We cannot allow the Land of Fire to suffer damage from the fighting. That is our bottom line."
Everyone present shared the same opinion.
No matter how the war unfolded, keeping the battlefield outside the Land of Fire was in Konoha's best interests.
"If the eastern and western fronts erupt at the same time, how do you intend to arrange their commanders?" Hiruzen asked. "Or are you planning to lead the forces yourself?"
Kizaru tilted his head slightly.
"Oooh… If I went personally, there wouldn't be much of a war, would there~?"
His tone remained as lazy as ever.
"We could simply send people afterward to take over the Lands of Water, Earth, and Lightning."
"Hahaha!"
Everyone in the room burst into laughter.
None of them knew where the upper limit of Kizaru's strength truly lay. There was one thing they were certain of, however.
Across the entire shinobi world, there was no one capable of defeating him—even if they joined forces against him.
"My plan for this war is to control our casualties while using the fighting to train the village's next generation."
Kizaru's relaxed expression faded slightly as his tone became more serious.
"Shinobi are combatants. They need to experience real battles and see blood. War may be cruel, but it is also an effective catalyst for growth. If we handle this properly, it will give Konoha's younger shinobi the experience they need."
Kizaru's future plans required a large number of capable people.
He could not keep Konoha's shinobi sheltered beneath his protection forever. Doing so would not protect them—it would only cripple their ability to survive without him.
"However, training is still training. We will not throw children who have only just graduated onto the battlefield. That isn't training. It's murder."
Kizaru looked around at everyone.
"For this war, Konoha will employ an elite combat model. Only shinobi who graduated from the Academy more than three years ago and have completed at least ten C-rank missions or one B-rank mission will be permitted to participate."
"Wouldn't that leave us short on manpower?" Homura asked. "Many shinobi clans also train their members privately. How should we evaluate those who never attended the Academy or accepted missions through the village?"
"There's no need to worry about our numbers," Kizaru answered calmly. "My sensory ninjutsu can cover the entire front line. If a dangerous situation arises, I'll intervene before it gets out of control."
He paused before addressing Homura's second question.
"As for the shinobi trained privately by the clans, allow the clans to nominate their own candidates. Make our intentions clear to them."
Kizaru's gaze sharpened.
"This war is meant to temper Konoha's young talent. We want elites, not cannon fodder."
"Understood," Homura replied.
Kizaru's arrangements left no room for objection.
"For the next few days, the Council of Elders will focus on preparing a list of candidates for front-line command, as well as a roster of shinobi qualified to participate in the war."
He then turned toward Koharu.
"Advisor Koharu, you'll be responsible for all logistical preparations. There must be no mistakes."
This was Kizaru's first official administrative order since becoming Hokage.
"Understood!"
The three elders and the remaining advisor answered in unison.
"Good."
Kizaru rose lazily from the sofa.
"Meeting adjourned."
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