Hearing Might Duy's words, Wen Lan fell silent for a moment.
But soon he snapped back to reality.
Wait… are we even talking about the same thing?
With that level of intelligence, you still want grandchildren?
Why are you acting all profound?
No wonder, in the future, Guy would still be a lifelong bachelor.
It wasn't because Guy lost a leg—
it was because he was missing a screw in his head.
Wen Lan rolled his eyes and couldn't help laughing.
He raised a hand and patted Might Duy on the shoulder.
"Alright, I just came by for a bit. I'll head back now. Make sure you get plenty of rest."
"Okay."
After Wen Lan left, Might Duy remained standing in place, gazing up at the bright sky—
as if he could see the future hope of Konoha shining there.
When Wen Lan arrived at the Hokage building, he gently pushed open the office door.
Minato was bent over a stack of documents. Hearing the sound, he looked up.
Those dark circles under his eyes had practically become his trademark.
Wen Lan smiled inwardly.
Being Hokage really was exhausting.
"You finally showed up. I'm going to catch some sleep," Minato said.
Without hesitation, he stood up, lay down on the sofa, pulled his Hokage hat over his face—
and immediately began snoring.
Wen Lan stared at him, speechless.
Sometimes he genuinely couldn't tell who the Hokage actually was—him or Minato.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi had treated Danzo the way Minato treated him,
Danzo would have been completely loyal long ago.
But in Hiruzen's political power games, that kind of pure trust had no place.
Wen Lan sat down in the Hokage's chair and began reviewing the documents on the desk.
Most of them were routine matters:
Border patrol reports
Supply logistics
Ninja mission assignments
Village construction budgets
Medical funding
Civil infrastructure plans
Some were detailed down to the repair budget for individual streets.
These tasks could easily have been delegated, but Minato always worried others might mishandle them—so he insisted on reviewing everything personally.
Yet because of that diligence, Konoha's operations had never faltered.
Every allocation was used exactly where it was needed.
Every coin was spent for the people.
That careful attention—and trust—was the very foundation of the village's stability.
While Wen Lan was reviewing paperwork, Shikaku quietly pushed open the door.
He made almost no noise.
After all, for more than half of every month, whenever he entered this office, he would see the same scene:
Wen Lan working.
Minato sleeping.
Shikaku walked lightly to Wen Lan's side, sat down, opened his own documents, and began working with him.
Outside, a gentle breeze drifted past the window, lifting the corners of the papers.
The atmosphere felt calm and comfortable.
At noon, Kushina arrived carrying lunch boxes.
She saw Minato sleeping like a pig and immediately rolled her eyes.
She placed three lunch boxes on the desk, handed two to Wen Lan and Shikaku, and said softly:
"Eat while it's hot. Thank you for your hard work."
Wen Lan smiled and thanked her.
Shikaku nodded politely.
Kushina didn't wake Minato.
She simply turned and left quietly.
As Minato's wife, she saw his exhaustion every day and felt it deeply.
But she also possessed the composure of a Hokage's partner.
She knew everything he did was for the village—
for the people to live better lives.
So she chose to support him silently.
After finishing lunch, Wen Lan and Shikaku returned to work.
Sunlight slanted into the office. Dust floated slowly in the beams of light.
Peaceful. Quiet.
Minato continued sleeping, his hat rising and falling gently with each breath.
Only when the sun began to set did he finally wake.
The hat slid off to the side as he rubbed his eyes, like a man emerging from a deep dream.
Seeing Wen Lan and Shikaku still working, he smiled softly.
"Sorry. Looks like I made you carry the load again."
Wen Lan rolled his eyes and tapped the cold lunch box Kushina had brought.
"Hurry up and eat. It's already cold."
Minato scratched his head awkwardly and began devouring the meal.
Shikaku closed his file and said calmly:
"The border is stable today. Supply deployment has also been completed."
Minato nodded while chewing, a trace of relaxation appearing in his tired eyes.
For Wen Lan and Shikaku, Minato's trust was absolute.
They were his strongest support— the pillars that kept Konoha running smoothly.
"Oh right," Wen Lan said, handing Minato a document.
"In one month it'll be the New Year festival. How much funding are you planning to allocate this time?"
The cover read:
New Year Festival Budget Proposal
"Same as previous years," Minato replied after a quick glance.
"It's a day for families to reunite."
Wen Lan nodded.
"Then the ninja welfare funds should be issued as usual too.
Giving only supplies means they can only eat them. But for some genin, life is tight—
cash lets them buy what they actually need. What do you think?"
"I think we should give both money and supplies this year," Minato said while cleaning up the lunch boxes.
"This year, the village has fully recovered to its peak strength.
And the new generation of ninjas is becoming the backbone of our forces.
Our finances are stronger than before. Increasing benefits slightly will boost morale.
Let's give everyone a generous New Year.
We still want to surpass the past—but we need to move step by step.
What do you think?"
Shikaku didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at Wen Lan.
Among the three of them, Shikaku had the highest intelligence.
His role was to act as the safety net—
calculating every advantage and risk after hearing their proposals.
But leadership decisions still belonged to Wen Lan and Minato.
He provided the numbers behind them.
Wen Lan thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I agree.
You eat rice one bite at a time.
You walk the road one step at a time.
If you take too big a step—
you'll pull a muscle."
Minato and Shikaku stared at him, speechless.
This guy always started serious and ended ridiculous.
Finally, they both looked at Shikaku.
Shikaku nodded.
"I agree as well.
We should also allocate slightly more funding to the clans.
Even clan-affiliated ninjas should receive both money and supplies.
A clan is a clan.
A ninja is a ninja.
That way, those clan members will feel gratitude toward the Hokage—
and become reliable support."
With unanimous approval, the three began discussing specific amounts and distribution plans.
Half an hour later—
Wen Lan suddenly froze.
Wait.
Wasn't I supposed to train Sasuke these past couple days?
He shot to his feet.
"Crap! I forgot something. You two handle the rest—I'm leaving!"
Before they could respond, he rushed out the door.
Minato and Shikaku exchanged confused looks.
"Where did he go?" Minato asked blankly.
Shikaku's eyes widened.
"My dear Hokage—you're the Hokage!
Shouldn't you know more than I do? How would I know?"
Minato scratched his head.
"I don't know either."
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