Chapter 53 – The Old Man Isn't Happy. Hey, Assistant, Are You Busy?
Kotetsu smirked. "Heh, Izumo, the Fifth Hokage hasn't even been in office that long, and already your heart's leaning toward him?"
Izumo Kamizuki's face turned red. "Bullshit! I'm just worried about being held accountable later, you don't understand!"
The two gatekeepers fell silent for a while, then leaned back together, whispering conspiratorially. Their voices rose with excitement as the topic grew juicier, grins spreading across their faces.
Passing villagers glanced at them curiously. A few even shot them looks of disgust, quickening their pace to avoid the "perverted" gatekeepers.
Meanwhile, in the shadows beyond the wall, a team of ANBU moved silently through the trees, trailing after Kurenai Yūhi, Gekkō Hayate, and Uzuki Yugao. Their mission was to follow discreetly, like ghosts in the night.
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In the Hokage's Office, Uchiha Fugaku stood by the window, eyes narrowed at the blue horizon.
"Elder Setsuna is personally leading the squad. There shouldn't be any mistakes… right?" he murmured.
But Fugaku's thoughts drifted. He hadn't forgotten one lingering loose end from the Sarutobi clan—Asuma Sarutobi.
Now that he had stabilized his rule, it was time to remove this last hidden danger. Once Kurenai appeared in the Fire Capital, Asuma would surely surface. That would be his death.
Of course, the mission wasn't just about baiting Asuma. The Fire Daimyō's family had still not sent over Konoha's funding. Sending Kurenai's squad was also meant as a warning to those royals.
In truth, Fugaku wanted to simply erase the Fire Country's royal family. They held no real power, yet they had dared to meddle in the Hokage succession? Who gave them the courage?
But eliminating them outright would sour public opinion and harm his reputation. For now, he would hold back. He wasn't in a rush. Meals had to be eaten one bite at a time, roads walked one step at a time. Once the village was fully under Uchiha control, the royal family would be dealt with.
"They won't sprout legs and run away," Fugaku thought coldly.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in," he said without turning.
An Uchiha clansman entered, bowing. "Hokage-sama, Maruboshi Kosuke still refuses to accept the Jōnin appointment. He said he swore an oath to the Second Hokage to remain a Genin forever."
Fugaku scoffed. Trying to use Tobirama's name against me? Of all people, the Uchiha despise Senju Tobirama most of all.
"And… he also said…" The clansman hesitated.
Fugaku raised an eyebrow. "Speak."
"He said he no longer wishes to be a shinobi. He wants to live the rest of his life as an ordinary villager."
The clansman respectfully placed a resignation letter on Fugaku's desk.
Fugaku glanced at it. The handwriting was elegant, firm, vigorous—befitting an old veteran. But the content was disappointing: he was old, he was tired, he wished to retire peacefully.
Fugaku sighed. Maruboshi Kosuke was troublesome.
This unassuming old man carried too much history. A mere Genin, yet he had lived through the reigns of the Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage. Tobirama had trusted him. Hiruzen had wanted to promote him. Minato had once bandaged his wounds with his own hands. Kosuke embodied the Will of Fire more than anyone alive.
Winning him over would have swayed many of the village's elders. But forcing him was impossible.
"Ungrateful old fossil," Fugaku muttered, tucking the letter into his drawer. "You want to resign? You want to retire? Too bad. I won't approve it. Let's see what you can do."
He chuckled darkly. "You're clever—you know my intentions, but you won't bend. Fine. If you won't submit, I'll just keep dragging it out. Not only that, I'll give you work."
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Fugaku rose and walked into the next office: the Hokage Assistant's.
Unlike his own, Nara Shikaku's door was wide open. Everyone knew why—the man was perpetually busy, darting in and out with endless responsibilities.
"Yo, Assistant. Busy?" Fugaku asked, rubbing his nose with a hint of guilt.
Of course he felt guilty. He spent his days slacking off in his office, while poor Shikaku worked himself to the bone.
Shikaku, exhausted and irritable, stood when the Hokage entered. "Hokage-sama, what brings you here?" His expression was half-respectful, half-resentful—like a tired wife scolding a neglectful husband.
Come to think of it, wasn't this the first time Fugaku had stepped into his office? Truly absurd.
"Nothing serious. Just came to see you working hard," Fugaku said, awkwardly producing a chocolate bar from his pocket and setting it on the desk.
It was originally meant for himself—snacks for long hours of paperwork. But since he rarely worked at all, it had gone untouched.
Shikaku tore open the wrapper without hesitation, popping it into his mouth with a look of mild disdain.
"Hokage-sama, if you have something to say, then say it. I'm swamped," he said gruffly.
"Ahem." Fugaku straightened his back, pretending to be serious. "It's about that mission—the troublesome one. No one's taken it yet, right?"
Shikaku froze, then remembered immediately. He sighed. "Yes, it's still stuck with me."
For days, it had given him a headache. Two minor shinobi clans loyal to Konoha were fighting over irrigation rights for their farmland. Arguments had escalated into violence, and now both sides demanded Konoha mediate.
Because both clans had Chūnin among their ranks, the mission was classified as B-rank. It required someone competent to settle it. But the mission was undesirable: too far away, and the payment was low. Naturally, no strong shinobi had touched it.
And so, the matter remained unresolved.
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