Hokage Office.
Today marked the seventh day since Kaede became the Hokage.
Normally, he only left a shadow clone in the office, since most matters were handled by Nara Shikaku. Kaede himself would only review the more important cases. As for minor issues, he usually just glanced over them and signed off without much concern.
But today, his real body was in the Hokage Office.
Not because the number "seven" held any special meaning, but simply because there were matters he needed to personally handle, specifically, issues concerning Kirigakure
"So they want the six remaining ninja swords returned, and then they'll sign a treaty with us?"
Kaede sat behind the Hokage's desk, hands folded on the table, listening to Shikaku's report.
Speaking of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist, they really were something. Kaede had originally given one of them, the long sword Nuibari, to Rin. But one day, it suddenly vanished.
It turned out the sword had been summoned back to the Mist Village.
The remaining six hadn't been retrieved only because they were sealed within scrolls, which prevented summoning.
Kaede had examined the swords before. Their summoning mechanism was spatial in nature, similar to the Flying Thunder God technique, it was essentially a mark embedded during their forging, inseparable from the swords themselves. Only Six Paths-level power could erase such marks.
As for using his time-reversal ability to remove the summoning marks, that wasn't feasible either. The summoning mark was forged into the blades from the very beginning. In essence, the swords were the marks.
"Reply to them: Have them return the one sword they already summoned, and send over the summoning contract scroll that links to the seven swords. Then we'll sign the treaty," Kaede said, waving his hand dismissively.
Shikaku nodded and left without hesitation.
As the chief advisor to the finance department and the overall coordinator of Konoha, he'd grown familiar with Kaede's leadership style over time, decisive, and extremely assertive.
Kaede wasn't the type to tolerate even the slightest loss. If a ninja team encountered trouble during a mission, he would immediately dispatch reinforcements to eliminate the problem entirely.
In the past, such an aggressive approach would have triggered backlash, with other villages using the situation to stir conflict. That kind of power play could easily spiral out of control.
But things are different now.
None of the major hidden villages, be it Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, or Sunagakure, had any intention of going to war with Konoha. Though formal peace talks hadn't taken place, they were clearly not looking for trouble either. That allowed most of Konoha's combat forces to remain free and uncommitted.
As a result,
Any dissenting voice was swiftly and thoroughly crushed.
Kaede didn't particularly care whether the other villages were willing to negotiate peace. It didn't matter. Sooner or later, he intended to unify and consolidate the entire ninja world under his control.
On the desk in front of Kaede sat a stack of white papers. The top sheet had a title written across it in large characters:
Hokage Guard Development Plan
He had disbanded the Anbu, but a similar organization still needed to be rebuilt. Not for the purpose of controlling Konoha, that wasn't the point, but rather to serve as a versatile unit capable of reconnaissance, assault, support, and other key operations.
"We'll model it after the Thirteen Court Guard Squads… The First Division Headquarters can go to Kakashi. But for now, the Captain position will remain vacant. He'll serve as Acting Vice-Captain," Kaede muttered, jotting down notes as he thought.
Kakashi's strength was still lacking.
Even with the additional years of training in Kaede's Time Domain, Kakashi was already the equivalent of a fourteen-year-old, but he was only at the level of an elite Jonin. That wasn't enough to serve as a division captain. He needed further training.
For the Second Division, the Penal Force, Kaede wrote down "Kaguya Kimimaro," but circled the name, leaving it undecided for now.
Third Division, Support Unit: Uchiha Shisui.
Shisui had already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan. Though he hadn't reached the Mangekyo level yet, he was still an elite Jonin. A prodigy of the Uchiha Clan, and now directly under Kaede's command since the clan had pledged loyalty.
Like Kakashi, Shisui would temporarily hold the position of Vice-Captain, until his strength matured enough to take full command.
Fourth Division, Medical Unit: Nohara Rin.
Rin was strong enough for the position, but lacked sufficient seniority. So she'd also be Acting Vice-Captain. In truth, Kaede would have preferred Tsunade for this role, but given the unit's direct subordination to him, it might feel awkward, and Tsunade probably wouldn't agree anyway.
Fifth Division, Rescue Unit: Uchiha Itachi.
This one Kaede left vacant for now, but in reality, it was reserved for Itachi. Once he matured, there was no question he would take over the role. There simply wouldn't be anyone else suitable.
Sixth Division, Fox Handling Unit: Hyuga Hinata?
Yes,
A special unit tasked with working alongside Kurama to apprehend intruders or criminals detected by Kurama's sensory abilities. A relatively simple task, perfect for giving the Hyuga Clan a role.
Why Hinata instead of Neji or Hanabi? Well… if Kaede had to give a reason, it was probably because newborn Hinata had just spent a peaceful month in his arms without crying once. That left a good impression. Though… with Hinata's personality, she might end up getting bullied by Kurama?
Seventh Division, Inner Court Guard: Uchiha Sasuke?
Sasuke's path in life was destined to change. As the reincarnation of Indra, once he matured, he'd be a natural fit to lead this unit. The only issue was that this now made three Uchiha captains already…
But what could he do? The Uchiha Clan just produced too many geniuses.
Compared to political balance, Kaede cared more about using the right people for the job.
Eighth Division, Intelligence Unit: Yamanaka Inoichi?
For the intelligence division, someone from the Yamanaka Clan was the most suitable. Whether for gathering or transmitting information, their unique abilities were indispensable. Combat ability wasn't a key concern here.
Ninth Division, Combat Unit: Might Guy.
This one required no debate.
As a direct division under the Hokage, these nine units were more than enough. Each would have around twenty members, a smaller scale than the previous Anbu.
As for other departments like Scientific Research, they were all removed from the Hokage Guard system. Those weren't suited to be direct Hokage units.
With everything arranged,
Kaede had more or less finalized his vision for future talent cultivation and deployment.
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"Hokage-sama."
Just as he set down his pen, a voice came from the doorway. Yuhi Kurenai stepped inside, carrying a tray of tea and snacks.
Kaede watched her walk in and stroked his chin thoughtfully. Maybe he could create a Tenth Division, responsible for the Hokage's personal care, daily life, and meals?
…That sounded a bit too corrupt.
Maybe another time.
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