"Sensei."
Hanekawa greeted Tsunade and then sat down beside her.
He glanced around and, as expected, the table was filled with high-ranking officials from the Hidden Leaf Village and the leaders of various clans.
There were Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Jiraiya, Sakumo Hatake, Fugaku Uchiha, and Hiashi Hyuga, among others.
How should I put it?
The atmosphere was quite tense.
Especially with the stern expressions of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
But Tsunade and Jiraiya simply ignored them.
Hanekawa had arrived just in time.
Shortly after he sat down, the wedding of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki officially began.
Hanekawa blinked his eyes.
It was a traditional Japanese-style wedding, with the bride and groom dressed in kimono-style attire.
This was Hanekawa's first time attending a Japanese-style wedding.
He couldn't help but take a few extra glances out of curiosity.
Once the wedding ceremony concluded, it was time for the feast.
"Sensei, don't drink too much."
Hanekawa turned to look at Tsunade, who was already slightly tipsy, her cheeks flushed.
"Such a joyous occasion, and such fine wine—I must drink more!"
Tsunade raised her glass and declared.
"Exactly!"
Jiraiya laughed heartily, "Cheers!"
Like Tsunade, he was also fond of drinking.
"Sensei, moderation is key."
Hanekawa said with a headache.
It's fine if you get drunk, but I'll be the one dealing with the aftermath!
"Brat, stop nagging!"
Tsunade glared at him, clearly annoyed.
"..."
Hanekawa shook his head helplessly.
At that moment, Tsunade suddenly wrapped her arm around his shoulders and leaned in close.
A mix of strong alcohol and a faint fragrance wafted over him.
"Don't I have you here?"
Tsunade whispered in his ear before turning back to her drink.
Hanekawa was momentarily stunned but decided not to intervene further.
"Seniors, and Hanekawa."
Minato Namikaze approached and said, "I'd like to propose a toast to all of you."
"Minato."
Tsunade warned, "If you don't treat Kushina well, I won't go easy on you!"
Kushina Uzumaki was an orphan, and in the Hidden Leaf Village, if anyone could be considered her family, it was Tsunade.
"I absolutely will!"
Minato quickly assured her.
"Minato-senpai."
Hanekawa smiled and said, "Congratulations."
"Thank you."
Minato suddenly thought of something and added, "Later, I have something I'd like to ask of you."
Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.
Though puzzled, he nodded in agreement.
Minato made his rounds to each table and eventually sat down beside Hanekawa.
Tsunade was already quite drunk, her face sporting two very noticeable red blushes.
"Minato-senpai, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Hanekawa glanced at Tsunade and then turned to Minato.
"I heard you've taken on two students?"
Minato thought for a moment before asking.
That line sounded familiar.
Hanekawa remembered Mikoto Uchiha using a similar opening.
But he wasn't particularly surprised.
"Are you asking me to take your and Sister Kushina's child as my student?"
Hanekawa cut straight to the point.
"Yes."
Minato smiled sheepishly and asked, "What do you think?"
"No problem."
Hanekawa replied casually, "Given our relationship, there's no need to say much."
"Thank you."
Minato paused and then added, "Actually, this was Kushina's idea."
"I figured as much."
Hanekawa chuckled, "I just didn't expect it to be so soon."
"You have no idea how popular you are right now."
Minato shook his head and said, "If we waited any longer, we'd miss our chance entirely."
"It's not that exaggerated, is it?"
Hanekawa said modestly, "This is my first time being a teacher. I might not do a great job."
"If you announced that you were taking students, the entire Hidden Leaf Village would be in an uproar."
Minato laughed.
At that moment, four lines of text appeared before Hanekawa's eyes.
[D-rank Talent: Destiny's Teacher.]
[Trigger Condition: Become the teacher of Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Hinata Hyuga.]
[Effect: Students' comprehension increases by 30%, and the teacher's authority increases by 10%.]
[Note: Can be upgraded based on the students' growth.]
A flood of information rushed into Hanekawa's mind.
His eyes lit up with interest.
The boost to students' comprehension was self-explanatory, but the increase in the teacher's authority was a new effect.
In simple terms, during future sparring or battles with his students, Hanekawa's strength would increase by 10%.
And this was only at D-rank. If it reached S-rank, his combat power might double.
Hanekawa wouldn't have to worry about being embarrassed in front of his students.
After all, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha were the protagonists of the original story, both with their own unique advantages.
The feast lasted two hours, and by the end, only the drinking ninjas were still going.
"Sensei, I'll take you home."
Hanekawa said, looking at the swaying Tsunade.
"I... I can still drink!"
Tsunade reached for the sake bottle.
Hanekawa quickly grabbed it before she could.
He bent down, wrapped his arm around Tsunade's waist, and helped her up.
"Brat! You're so annoying!"
Tsunade squirmed and shot him a glare.
"We'll take our leave now."
Hanekawa bid farewell to Fugaku Uchiha, Minato Namikaze, and the others before heading out with Tsunade.
"You... you little brat, why aren't you drinking?"
Tsunade stopped and turned to look at Hanekawa.
"I..."
Hanekawa was about to answer when he suddenly froze.
Tsunade fell into his arms, wrapping her hands around him and pressing her face against his chest.
"Sensei, this isn't going to make walking easy."
Hanekawa snapped out of it and said.
"I... I'm tired... I don't want to walk..."
Tsunade took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"...?"
Hanekawa stared at her beautiful face, realizing she had actually fallen asleep.
He shook his head and picked her up.
Hanekawa carried her home and into her room.
As he bent down to lay her on the bed, he felt a tug and ended up falling onto the bed with her.
"Don't move, sleep."
Tsunade still didn't let go, holding him tightly.
Hanekawa's mouth twitched.
How was he supposed to sleep like this?
With their bodies pressed so close together, he could feel Tsunade's curvaceous figure.
Especially with the full weight of her pressing against him.
Hanekawa reached out and gently stroked her head.
After a moment of hesitation, he kissed her forehead.
Hanekawa suppressed the rising emotions in his heart and simply held her quietly.
Tsunade pursed her lips, her heartbeat unconsciously speeding up.
Given her strength, even if she were drunk, she wouldn't lose her sense of awareness.
This brat really has some nerve!
Tsunade thought as she shifted her head to find a more comfortable position.
The night passed without incident.
When Hanekawa opened his eyes again, he was greeted by a pair of fair, delicate feet.
Startled, he instinctively grabbed Tsunade's ankle.
"Why are you kicking me again?"
Hanekawa followed the long, pale leg up to her face.
"Let go."
Tsunade said with a stern expression.
"Then you can't kick me!"
Hanekawa still held onto her ankle.
"I won't kick you."
Tsunade snorted lightly, "I keep my word."
Hearing this, Hanekawa released her.
The next second, he was kicked to the edge of the bed.
"...?"
Hanekawa looked at her with a face full of confusion.
"I'm the Hokage, so I don't have to keep my word."
Tsunade said with a playful smile.
"You'll regret this!"
Hanekawa said angrily.
"Will I?"
Tsunade got out of bed and said, "I'll wait for that day to come."
About ten minutes later, the two of them were seated at the dining table.
"I plan to hold a Jonin meeting next week."
Tsunade picked up her chopsticks and said.
"It's been almost a month. We really can't delay any longer."
Hanekawa nodded in agreement.
"I'm a bit worried about Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado."
Tsunade twirled some noodles with her chopsticks.
"You mean Sakumo Hatake can't keep them in check?"
Hanekawa thought for a moment and asked.
"Exactly."
Tsunade said with some dissatisfaction, "If Jiraiya had agreed to be my Hokage advisor, we wouldn't be in this mess."
Sakumo Hatake was strong, but he didn't have many supporters, unlike Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, who had been in power for years.
With Jiraiya on board, things would be more balanced.
The Legendary Sannin had risen to prominence during the war and had many followers.
But unfortunately, Jiraiya had no interest in being an Hokage advisor.
"What about setting up a Hokage Guard Platoon?"
Hanekawa thought for a moment and suggested.
"Hokage Guard Platoon?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"The Hokage Guard Platoon's primary duty is to protect the Hokage, but its role goes beyond that."
Hanekawa reminded her, "Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura were all once part of the Hokage Guard Platoon."
"You really are more suited to be Hokage than I am."
Tsunade smirked and said.
Hanekawa's idea was indeed a good one.
Using the Hokage Guard Platoon to dilute the authority of the Hokage advisors.
"Who do you have in mind?"
Tsunade decided to let Hanekawa handle the details.
"Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Might Duy, and Shibi Aburame."
Hanekawa pondered before answering.
Might Duy was chosen purely based on his strength.
"No one from the Uchiha or Hyuga clans?"
Tsunade thought for a few seconds and asked.
"They've already received benefits. Giving them more would only lead to unnecessary ambitions."
Hanekawa chuckled and said.
He was referring to the future Hokage student status of Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga.
"Who did you learn all this from, kid?"
Tsunade shot him a look and asked.
"Of course, from you, Sensei."
Hanekawa said seriously, "After all, I am your student."
"What about the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?"
Tsunade ignored his flattery and asked.
"The Ino-Shika-Cho trio has always been a unit. Having Shikaku Nara as an advisor is enough."
Hanekawa replied.
"True."
Tsunade smiled and said, "We'll do as you suggested."
A week passed quickly.
The discussions about Minato and Kushina's wedding were replaced by the upcoming Jonin meeting.
Since this was Tsunade's first Jonin meeting after officially becoming Hokage, it was easy to guess what would be on the agenda.
Some were looking forward to it, while others were worried.
Regardless, the day of the meeting finally arrived.
October 20th, Monday.
The meeting room in the Hokage building was already packed early in the morning.
At 9 o'clock sharp, the doors opened.
Tsunade and Hanekawa walked in.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, seated in the front row, exchanged glances, both sensing the other's unease.
"The Jonin meeting is now in session."
Tsunade took her seat in the center.
She scanned the room. Aside from Orochimaru and Jiraiya, all the important Jonin were present.
Orochimaru, as always, was at home.
And Jiraiya, after Minato and Kushina's wedding, had set off once again in search of the Child of Prophecy.
"The first order of business: the removal of Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane from their positions as Hokage advisors."
Tsunade got straight to the point.
The room fell into complete silence.
While some had anticipated changes to the Hokage advisor positions, no one expected such a bombshell right at the start.
"Tsunade!"
Koharu Utatane shrieked, "You can't do this!"
"Why are we being removed?"
Homura Mitokado's face turned grim, "We haven't done anything wrong!"
"You're old. It's time to step aside."
Tsunade said bluntly.
"That's absurd!"
Koharu Utatane couldn't hold back her anger.
"The purpose of the Hokage advisors is to provide counsel to the Hokage."
Homura Mitokado took a deep breath and said, "Young people are less suited for this role."
"Have you ever offered any good advice?"
Tsunade chuckled, "Don't try to play the seniority card."
"Tsunade!"
Koharu Utatane stood up abruptly, "Everyone knows how much we've contributed to the Hidden Leaf!"
"If that's how you feel, then let's settle this fairly."
Tsunade said calmly, "All in favor, raise your hands."
Koharu Utatane's heart sank.
Homura Mitokado was also taken aback, feeling uneasy.
Tsunade's approach had pitted them against the entire village's Jonin.
And there was no way for them to refuse.
Hanekawa was the first to raise his hand.
Followed by Sakumo Hatake, Hiashi Hyuga, and Fugaku Uchiha.
In an instant, every Jonin in the room had their hand raised.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
Tsunade coldly snorted.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane fell silent, their hearts cold.
"The new Hokage advisor will be Sakumo Hatake."
Tsunade ignored them and announced, "As for the second advisor, we'll decide on a suitable candidate later."
Sakumo Hatake's eyes widened.
Me?
The other ninjas were surprised, but not overly so.
After all, Sakumo Hatake was certainly qualified.
What they were more interested in was the vacant Hokage advisor position.
Especially those Jonin who believed they were qualified felt a surge of ambition.
Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.
Tsunade's move of leaving one advisor position open was indeed a clever tactic.
In three words: dangling a carrot.
"The second order of business: reestablishing the Hokage Guard Platoon."
Tsunade continued without pause, "The members will be Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Might Duy, and Shibi Aburame."
"What?"
Shibi Aburame looked utterly shocked.
"I'm actually part of the Hokage Guard Platoon?"
Kushina Uzumaki was stunned for a moment before excitement and joy took over.
This meant she wouldn't be confined anymore.
Minato Namikaze, realizing this, was also delighted.
As expected of Lady Tsunade, such decisiveness.
"Why aren't any of our clans included?"
Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga both wore complicated expressions.
"The third order of business: appointing Shikaku Nara as Hokage strategist."
Tsunade continued, "His main responsibility will be assisting the Hokage in handling the village's affairs."
"Yes!"
Shikaku Nara quickly stood up and responded.
Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi breathed sighs of relief.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio hadn't been forgotten.
"The fourth order of business: reorganizing the Konoha Military Police Force."
Tsunade looked at Fugaku Uchiha and said, "This will be handled by the Uchiha clan."
"Understood."
Fugaku Uchiha stood up and replied.
Hiashi Hyuga and the others exchanged glances.
"The fifth order of business: discussing the terms for negotiations with the Hidden Cloud Village."
Tsunade gave them no time to react and said, "Let's hear your thoughts."
__
Patreon.com/rashta