Everything ultimately came down to one's own strength.
The environment in the ninja world had never been stable or peaceful. In this world where enemies were never in short supply, if Shihouin Naraku wanted to take his safety into his own hands, he needed to improve his strength to its absolute limit.
However, his current targets were no longer limited to threats within the ninja world itself. His focus had shifted to those Ōtsutsuki clan members who had not yet appeared, as well as Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, who remained sealed away but would eventually return.
"Black Zetsu's ability to gather intelligence is remarkably strong, regardless of his other questionable qualities," Naraku observed as he stood high in the sky, confirming that Black Zetsu had completely disappeared from his sensory range. "Perhaps I should allow him to investigate and discover information about Ōtsutsuki Isshiki."
"Though it's difficult to say whether someone named Ōtsutsuki Isshiki even exists in this reality."
Naraku had understood for quite some time that this was a genuine, living world, not merely a story unfolding according to predetermined events. Even with the original plot serving as his reference point, Naraku could never guarantee that the events he remembered would definitely occur in this ninja world exactly as he expected them to.
Therefore, while Naraku remained somewhat cautious about Ōtsutsuki Isshiki as a potentially massive enemy hidden somewhere within the ninja world, he didn't allow this concern to consume too much of his attention or energy.
If this particular enemy didn't exist in this reality, that would actually be fortunate for everyone involved. However, if Ōtsutsuki Isshiki truly did exist and was parasitically inhabiting a monk just as depicted in the original storyline, then Naraku still felt confident about his chances.
According to his time calculations, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's injuries from his ancient battle with Kaguya had not yet fully healed at this point in time. At the very least, he wouldn't possess the overwhelming strength he would demonstrate in the distant future.
Otherwise, given the typical Ōtsutsuki personality and their natural arrogance, Isshiki would have emerged from hiding long ago to cause chaos and assert his dominance over this world.
Logically speaking, this current period represented an excellent opportunity to locate and eliminate this potential threat before he could fully recover his power.
But first, Naraku would need to actually find his target. A monk who had successfully remained hidden for thousands of years would not be easily discovered, even with all of Naraku's considerable resources and abilities.
This particular task would necessarily fall to Black Zetsu and his network. Only Black Zetsu and White Zetsu possessed the specialized abilities and extensive surveillance network necessary to potentially locate Ōtsutsuki Isshiki throughout the ninja world.
Of course, Naraku still had plenty of time available, so there was no immediate need to expend excessive energy searching for this enemy right now. The threat could wait while he focused on more pressing matters.
Setting aside thoughts of the Ōtsutsuki clan for the moment, Naraku glanced toward the Naruto Bridge in the distance before turning around and returning to Konohagakure.
This brief excursion hadn't consumed much time, so upon returning to the village, Naraku discovered that the business negotiations between Konoha and Kirigakure had not yet reached their conclusion.
The two delegations were still engaged in intense verbal sparring, with each side utilizing every diplomatic skill and negotiation tactic available to secure greater advantages for their respective villages.
The subordinates handling the detailed negotiations were extremely meticulous about every clause and condition, but this meant that Tsunade and Terumi Mei currently found themselves with considerable free time.
Neither Kage would step forward to negotiate personally until the very last moment, when their subordinates had exhausted all possible avenues of discussion. The presence of subordinates handling initial negotiations provided crucial room for maneuvering and compromise.
If the two village leaders were to engage in direct negotiations from the beginning, there would be virtually no flexibility left in the process. Every statement would carry the full weight of their authority, making it nearly impossible to back down from any position without losing face.
Therefore, it was much more practical to allow their subordinates to argue extensively first. After they had debated every possible point for an appropriate length of time, perhaps they would finally reach some form of acceptable agreement.
Naraku had no need to involve himself in these tedious diplomatic proceedings. Given his current level of strength and prestige throughout the ninja world, it was already a tremendous honor that he had personally escorted the Fourth Mizukage Terumi Mei to Konoha.
Naturally, he didn't need to concern himself with trivial matters such as trade negotiations and diplomatic protocols.
"Here is your official letter of appointment," Tsunade announced formally as she extended the document toward him.
"From this moment forward, you are the Minister of Konoha's Education Department," she continued with appropriate ceremony.
"This department may appear unimportant to some, but it bears responsibility for the talent development and training of our entire village. There absolutely cannot be any problems or failures in this area."
Tsunade handed the letter of appointment to Shihouin Naraku, officially making him the new Minister of Education for Konohagakure.
[System Alert! Host has become the Minister of Education of Konohagakure!]
[Congratulations to Host for qualifying for four additional draws! Current available draws: four!]
[Friendly reminder: Drawing ten times consecutively significantly increases the probability of obtaining rare and magical items!]
Excellent! This brought him significantly closer to achieving his next ten-draw milestone.
Naraku casually tossed the letter of appointment in his hand, feeling quite satisfied with this latest position change and the opportunities it would provide.
News of the appointment spread rapidly throughout Konoha, though people were no longer as surprised as they had been initially about Naraku's frequent position changes. The villagers had grown accustomed to seeing him move between different departments and roles.
However, some individuals who considered themselves particularly clever believed they had finally discerned the true reasoning behind these seemingly random transfers.
"Hey, do you have any idea why Lord Naraku's position seems to change every few months?" one ninja asked his companion as they shared drinks at a local establishment.
"How should I know the reasoning behind such decisions?" his friend replied thoughtfully. "If you asked for my personal opinion, I would say that Lord Naraku seemed much more suited to remaining in the medical department. The development and success of Konoha Hospital has been absolutely remarkable, and everyone knows that's entirely thanks to Lord Naraku's leadership and innovations."
"Tsk, you really don't understand the bigger picture at all," the first ninja said dismissively.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" his companion asked, genuinely curious about this apparent insight.
"Let me explain something important to you. Hokage-sama is using Lord Naraku as her perfectly sharpened blade to systematically consolidate power throughout the village hierarchy."
"I still don't understand what you're suggesting."
"You're being deliberately dense. Think about it carefully - Anbu, the barrier squad, frontline command positions, village garrison duties, strategic planning staff, and now the education department. These are all organizations where Lord Naraku has served in high-ranking positions. Haven't you noticed any consistent patterns?"
"Wait... now that you mention it..." the second ninja paused, his eyes widening with sudden realization. "It does seem like every time he arrives at a new institution, Lord Naraku inevitably adjusts the personnel structure. Many older shinobi who have occupied key positions for years get reassigned or dismissed, while younger ninjas like ourselves begin advancing to more important roles!"
"Finally! It seems you're not completely hopeless after all. Now you're beginning to understand the real strategy!"
"I see it now! The pattern is absolutely clear!"
"Hehehe... I genuinely hope Lord Naraku continues this approach and eventually visits every single institution throughout Konoha. That way, people like us who lack powerful connections and political influence might actually have genuine opportunities for promotion and advancement."
"Absolutely! That would change everything for our generation!"
"Drink up, my friend. To new opportunities!"
Although outsiders remained unaware that the real reason behind Shihouin Naraku's frequent position changes was primarily to obtain additional lottery qualifications from his system, they had independently developed their own perfectly logical explanations for his behavior patterns.
For example, they had theorized about why Tsunade would frequently transfer her student to different positions, and why someone with Shihouin Naraku's tremendous prestige and overwhelming strength would willingly agree to such constant reassignments.
Obviously, the fundamental purpose behind this entire series of calculated moves was to systematically remove the old guard from positions of influence while accelerating the process of promoting newcomers to take their places - preferably those younger ninjas whom Tsunade trusted more completely.
Initially, this had been merely speculation and rumors circulating through the village. However, as time passed and the pattern continued, everyone gradually came to accept this theory as established fact.
Although the older generation of shinobi felt considerable indignation about being systematically displaced, they had to acknowledge that Tsunade's actions were completely above board and represented a perfectly executed political strategy carried out in plain sight.
If it had been anyone else attempting such a comprehensive power restructuring, they would have been suppressed immediately by the established older generation using various traditional means of resistance and political pressure.
But Shihouin Naraku was fundamentally different from any ordinary ninja. Whether considering his raw strength, his extensive connections throughout the ninja world, his unparalleled prestige, or his remarkable achievements in service to Konoha, he stood absolutely unique among everyone in the entire village.
When Tsunade announced her intention to promote her student to work in any particular institution, no one could realistically voice any legitimate objections or complaints about the decision.
There was simply no reasonable way to oppose such appointments. From every conceivable perspective, the question was no longer whether Shihouin Naraku possessed sufficient qualifications to serve as a department supervisor or minister.
Instead, he had already been universally recognized as the designated successor to become the next Hokage - the Sixth Hokage of Konohagakure!
How could anyone possibly attempt to stop or oppose someone who had already been acknowledged as the future leader of their village? There was absolutely no precedent or mechanism for such resistance.
Furthermore, the current Hokage Tsunade also happened to be Naraku's teacher and mentor. When considering this additional factor alongside all other aspects of the situation, even if the older generation remained unwilling to surrender their traditional positions of power and attempted to find someone suitable to compete against Naraku's influence, they would find themselves completely unable to identify any viable candidate.
Who could possibly be more qualified, more respected, or more capable than Naraku? The answer was simply nobody.
Even Hatake Kakashi, despite his considerable reputation and abilities, couldn't realistically compete with Naraku's comprehensive qualifications. Moreover, Kakashi was currently completely focused on his personal mission to track down and confront Uchiha Obito, leaving him with no time or interest in political maneuvering.
Therefore, those older generation shinobi who remained reluctant to relinquish their traditional positions of power could only watch helplessly as Naraku systematically entered their domains, assumed control of their authority, promoted promising newcomers to key positions, and gradually but inexorably squeezed them out of the center of village power and influence.
The changing of the guard had begun, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.
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