Outside the Hokage's office.
"Knock, knock, knock," came the sound of knocking.
"Come in," called The Third's voice.
Anya entered, pushing the door open, and said to The Third, "I didn't expect Lord Hokage to still be here so late."
The Third stood up, let out a sigh, opened the window, and pointed at the full moon above, saying, "What a round moon tonight."
Anya looked up but couldn't figure out what he meant, so he remained silent.
"What a pity that so many people can no longer enjoy such moonlight. The last war at the Iwagakure battlefield cost many their homes," The Third lamented.
"Yeah," Anya agreed briefly, then continued, "But it's inevitable. Where there's war, there's death. Once one steps onto the battlefield, he must be prepared to face death anytime."
The Third was momentarily taken aback, suddenly understanding something, and gave a bitter smile as he chuckled, "Haha, this must be what your teacher taught you."
Earlier, The Third had spoken like this mainly as a subtle test toward Anya, trying to see if he had any psychological issues regarding the fallen ninjas on the battlefield or if he might suffer from post-war syndrome. Now it seemed he overthought. Anya understood the cruelty of battle far better than anyone else and possessed an exceptional mindset.
Realizing this, The Third asked, "You must have come here so late because you have something important to discuss."
"Mm," Anya nodded and straightforwardly voiced his thoughts, "Now that the war has temporarily stopped, large-scale conflicts will inevitably break out again sooner or later. My suggestion is to avoid large-scale direct confrontations by decentralizing Konoha ninja forces into smaller squads for mission-level engagements."
"Oh?" A faint smile appeared on The Third's face as he said, "So you also believe the number of Konoha ninja doesn't place us at an advantage."
"Not only that," countered Anya. "I believe our squads are much stronger than those of enemy nations. From the early battles at the Iwagakure battlefield, we can clearly see that Iwagakure village was once forced into desperation by us. If not for the sudden intervention of reinforcements, the outcome of that battle might not have ended this way."
Nodding in agreement, The Third added, "Indeed, your analysis is spot-on. After completing the healthcare reforms, our combat potential has significantly increased. Yet, in large-scale battles, this potential tends to get weakened instead."
Afterward, The Third remarked with some feeling, "Your teacher once told me that you'd eventually surpass him someday. Looking at things now, that day isn't far off."
When The Third mentioned White Fang, Anya's heart still ached slightly, so he replied in a detached tone, "My teacher always had a sharp eye for people."
Seeming to know that Anya still harbored resentment, The Third chose not to delve deeper into this topic. Instead, he pulled out a document and said, "Actually, even if you hadn't come, I was preparing to find you. This is a commission letter; take a look at it."
Anya took it and said, somewhat surprised, "This is..."
Confirming gravely, The Third stated, "Exactly. I've already informed commanders across the major battlefields about your codename 'Night.' When necessary, you'll hold the authority to take over command and even directly lead battlefield ninja operations."
"This is some serious power," Anya thought. If given this authority, she'd be able to control how Konoha's ninjas moved in battle—maybe even change the outcome. For the Third to hand over such power so readily truly surprised her.
The Third continued, "I trust White Fang, and I trust you too. After Shinku Yuhi resigned from her position as head of Anbu, the post has remained vacant. After this Third Battle concludes, I believe you'll be the most suitable candidate."
It was an outright temptation. The Anbu Commander wasn't just a title—it gave you real power, like the ability to deploy forces straight from the Hokage's own command. And if the Hokage was away from the village, the Commander could take his place and oversee the village. In terms of actual power, it ranked second only to the Hokage himself. Danzo had plenty of seniority, yet he was only in charge of Root—a role that couldn't compare at all with the Anbu Commander. If Anya succeeded in becoming Commander, she could even start giving Danzo direct orders. That's the difference in rank between the two positions.
Though she recognized the bait, Anya still willingly swallowed it whole. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I will do all I can to bring this battle to an end and secure our victory together with Konoha's shinobi."
The Third smiled warmly with satisfaction. "Good indeed."
Anya left soon after. Not long afterward, Jiraiya's voice echoed inside the office. Leaning against the window frame, he said, "Old man, are you really planning to groom Anya as your next Hokage assistant?"
Puffing leisurely on his pipe while reclining in his chair, the Third asked, "Why? Do you think I was lying to her?"
"Haha, not at all," Jiraiya chuckled. "It's just... You've already arranged who'll become the next Anbu Commander. So tell me, have you also chosen someone for the next Hokage?"
Turning toward his long-time apprentice, the Third gazed at him and gently reproached, "Actually, my ideal choice was always you."
Jiraiya immediately refused, saying, "Please, old man, you know me—I'm not cut out for that."
"Yeah, yeah, but fortunately, you trained an excellent student." As soon as the Third spoke these words, the identity of the next Hokage became apparent.
Jiraiya showed no surprise whatsoever. With a proud smile on his face, he said, "That's right. He was personally mentored by me, so naturally Minato is a once-in-a-lifetime genius. He's incredibly talented in ninjutsu, sharp-minded, popular among people, and, just like me, extremely handsome."
Ignoring the last part, the Third turned serious and said, "Because of Tsunade's mistake this time, she won't be going to the battlefield for the foreseeable future. I plan to fully entrust you with command over the Iwagakure battlefield. As for Minato, since he's still young, I'll assign some missions to him to gain experience and adjust accordingly."
Jiraiya asked, "What about Kumo then?"
The Third replied quickly, "Publicly, I've assigned Uchiha Fugaku to take command, and Anya will accompany him there."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya wanted to ask what would happen if Anya refused orders and seized command from Uchiha Fugaku, leading to conflict between them—but after thinking it through, he restrained himself from asking.
"Alright, old man, I'm off."
With that, he leapt away through the window.
Anya moved through the night with a calmness like still water. The Third's words today had made his meaning perfectly clear—her highest future position would be commanding the Anbu. As for the Hokage seat, he must have already chosen a successor, just as it was in the canon story.
Anya had no objection to this. After all, Minato's abilities spoke for themselves. The two of them—one in the shadows, one in the light—working together to protect Konoha... that was probably the most ideal scenario imaginable.
Unfortunately, Anya had no interest in going along with that plan. In fact, the longer the war dragged on, the more favorable it became. Once the Organization grew strong enough, it would be time to set her plan in motion...
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