After discussing business, Shuji decided to walk Itachi partway. The reasoning was simple—Danzo's attempted interception warranted caution.
They had not gone far when, at a street corner, they spotted a figure leaning against a lamp post.
Seeing Shuji and Itachi, the figure straightened and smiled.
"Shuji, Itachi." Uchiha Shisui greeted them.
"Shisui."
Though Shisui was also present, since Shuji had decided to accompany them, there was no harm in walking further. He was in no rush to leave.
"Truthfully, we owe you greatly today, Shisui."
Without Shisui's timely arrival, even if Itachi could handle Danzo, he would have remained in a passive position.
Shisui shook his head and smiled. "We are both Uchiha, and Itachi is like my younger brother. Compared to what we have done, everything Shuji has done for the Uchiha clan is what truly deserves gratitude."
"Without you and Itachi, I fear we would still be wandering uncertainly on the wrong path."
As one of the few who simultaneously earned both the village's and the clan's trust, he understood deeply how precious this current situation was.
"The road ahead remains long and will not be easy," Shuji said slowly. "Much will inevitably require your strength, Shisui."
Hearing this, Shisui's expression grew serious. Without the slightest hesitation, he responded solemnly, "Please give me your orders. For the village and the clan to walk toward a better future, I will exert all my strength, Shuji."
Shuji said, "You can call me by name directly, Shisui."
Shisui paused briefly, then his smile became brighter. "Understood, Shuji."
Itachi watched quietly from the side, feeling a sense of calm settle in his chest. With Shisui and his senior walking this path together, success seemed assured.
After walking together for some distance, they stopped when the silhouette of the Uchiha compound became visible.
Shuji bade farewell to Shisui and Itachi.
After sending them off, he did not return directly to the western outskirts residence. Instead, he turned his steps toward the Hokage Tower.
At this hour, Tsunade was likely still handling administrative duties.
Upon arrival, he found her in a small adjoining room rather than the main office. When frustrated with the old man or in poor spirits, she retreated to this private space.
Judging by today's circumstances, she had encountered some troublesome report and was now waiting alone.
After receiving permission to enter, Shuji pushed open the door. Tsunade was not working. Rather, she reclined in her chair, idly turning an empty sake cup in her hands. A faint aroma of alcohol hung in the air.
"What do you want to complain about now?" Though she asked this, Tsunade gestured toward the chair across from her.
For Shuji to come seeking her at the Hokage Tower meant this was no trivial matter.
Shuji briefly explained the problem with Uchiha Fugaku's submitted list.
Tsunade grabbed her hair in frustration. "How old is he? Still making others worry about these matters. How is Fugaku managing as clan head? Does he truly not understand the significance of this list, or is he merely pretending?"
"Fine, I understand. I will have him resubmit a new list tomorrow, expanding the scope. At minimum, he needs to submit twenty names for screening and evaluation."
Shuji then addressed another matter. "Regarding Advisor Shimura."
He informed Tsunade of Danzo's interception of Itachi, his attempts at coercion and seduction, and Shisui's timely intervention.
Before he could finish, Tsunade's brow furrowed sharply. She slammed her fist on the desk.
"That cursed Danzo again. The Root has mountains of unaccounted-for funds. Every time we question him, he says nothing, and the old man turns a blind eye."
The Senju princess was particularly displeased. "I'm the one with all these messy accounts? The Root's funds are where the truly large sums vanish without explanation."
"Uncle didn't need a Root at all. They have always done what should have been ANBU's responsibility."
"The old man grows more muddled with age. More and more..."
She grumbled for a moment, her chest heaving. After a long while, she finally forced her anger down.
"However, now is not the time to move against him. The old man still protects him."
"Besides, some matters remain unclear. I will need to formally assume the Hokage position before I can act."
She drained the remaining alcohol in her cup with a bitter expression, and her eyes began to show signs of intoxication.
She tossed the empty cup onto the desk and pointed at the stack of obviously unreviewed documents. "I'm tired. I will rest for a while. These... since you are here with nothing to do anyway, look them over for me. At least verify the data."
Before Shuji could respond, she added in slurred tones, as though speaking in a dream, "Don't you dare slip away... I still have matters to discuss when I wake..."
Her voice trailed off, and she was already collapsed on the simple sofa beside her, falling into deep sleep almost instantly. Her breathing became heavy and even.
I haven't finished my leave yet.
I don't want to process documents either.
But...
Upon entering and seeing Tsunade's condition, Shuji had expected her to vent at him. So he had not said much.
Yet he never expected Tsunade would not blame him at all. In fact, thinking about it, she had only truly complained and vented her frustrations upon him once—that time at the western outskirts residence. Never since then.
Gazing at Tsunade's exhausted sleeping face, Shuji still walked to sit behind the desk and picked up the topmost document.
His eyes swept across the paper, and he quickly grasped the source of Tsunade's frustration.
Though the war had ended, the aftermath remained unresolved even now. Compensation for fallen shinobi and family resettlement, welfare provisions for the injured and retired, personnel transfer requests at all ranks, and post-war mission system restructuring.
Last year's high-level mission backlog had been cleared, but this year's low-level mission quota had developed a significant shortfall.
To honor the alliance conditions with Sunagakure and Hidden Cloud, portions of the mission quota from the Land of Rivers and Land of Hot Springs had been ceded.
Neighboring small nations had their own shinobi villages, so available missions were limited. Yet this year's graduating batch of academy students represented significant demand for low-level missions.
Low-level missions involved more than just money. They directly affected the development of new personnel and squad stability.
Shuji picked up a pen and began methodically reviewing each page. He naturally could not exceed his authority by making decisions on Tsunade's behalf, but assisting in data verification, organizing information, and noting areas of concern was work he could handle. Once absorbed in the task, his efficiency proved quite good.
Roughly half an hour later, movement came from the sofa.
Tsunade rubbed her eyes and sat up. The alcohol had substantially worn off after this rest. She gazed drowsily forward.
Seeing Shuji still seated at the desk, pen in hand, carefully cross-referencing figures in the scrolls, she was visibly startled. Then her mouth curved into an expression of satisfaction.
"Tsk, don't write random things. I still need to revise everything after..." she muttered, standing and working the stiffness from her neck.
"How does it feel, experiencing the handling of village affairs?" she asked.
Not good at all, Shuji thought.
No wonder Tsunade fled the moment Kakashi was capable, and Kakashi immediately withdrew once Naruto could take over.
In a world where power derives from oneself, being Kage was pure labor of love.
Safety concerns were secondary. What truly vexed one were the endless, complicated village administrative matters that never ceased.
Moreover, it was evident that as the village's scale expanded and affairs grew more complex, a Kage's burden would only increase, never lighten.
After all, being Kage required one to remain powerful. Administrative duties did not excuse neglecting one's combat abilities.
So Shuji's assessment was simple: that position belonged to whoever wanted it.
"Extremely difficult," he replied.
"Ha. Good to know," Tsunade said, walking to the desk. Seeing the empty sake cup, she frowned slightly dissatisfied, but still addressed the main topic. "These are only internal troubles. The real challenge this year lies externally."
"The village has decided to expand the scale of this year's Chūnin Selection Exams, formally inviting other shinobi villages to participate. And they must be major villages with considerable standing."
Shuji looked up, waiting for her to continue.
"What is the point of Konoha conducting promotion exams behind closed doors?" Tsunade explained, arms crossed. "Without comparison, how can we demonstrate the strength of Konoha's newest generation?"
"Especially this year, that brat Uchiha Itachi will also participate. This is the perfect opportunity to show the world that despite successive major wars, Konoha's foundation remains intact. The new generation continues to grow, and the future remains promising."
"Of course, most importantly, without witnessing direct competition with other shinobi villages, without visual comparison and pressure, daimyo and merchants alike will not readily accept the upcoming redistribution scheme for annual mission quotas, particularly low-level assignments."
"We need substantial additional quota increases this year. Without them, stability will be difficult to maintain."
"Iwagakure refused when the office sent inquiries. They made their position clear."
"Kirigakure remains as mysterious as ever, declining participation."
"Those two matter little anyway. Join or not, it makes no difference."
"The crucial ones are Sunagakure and Hidden Cloud. For Cloud, I am considering having Shizune lead a delegation to deliver the invitation and conduct negotiations. As for Sunagakure..."
Tsunade's gaze fell upon Shuji. "You previously dealt with them. Both Chiyo and Rasa know you. This time, you handle it. Make absolutely certain they send a respectable team."
Shuji met her gaze silently for a moment.
"Esteemed Lady Tsunade, I just completed a delivery mission. Could we possibly reassign this?"
"Perfect, you know the route," Tsunade dismissed him with a wave. Then, as though recalling something, she added, "Oh right, Hidden Rain Village confirmed their participation quite early."
"As for Grass Village, we have not yet received a definitive answer. After finishing at Sunagakure, since you are passing nearby anyway, visit Grass Village as well and gauge their intentions."
"Have you not looked at a map in some time?" Grass Village and Sunagakure were hardly en route.
"Close enough anyway. It is settled then. I will arrange personnel for you tomorrow."
With that, Tsunade stood and grabbed Shuji's collar, dragging him toward the door. "Go now. I still have administrative work to handle."
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild