Chapter 239: Power and Responsibility
Hokage's Office.
Thud!
A massive stack of documents landed in front of Tonbo Tobitake.
"Because of the attack on Konoha, there is much to be done. You are responsible for processing all of this," Utatane Koharu said.
Mitokado Homura added, "Indeed. This is a difficult time for Konoha, and we are short-handed. Otherwise, we wouldn't have asked you to serve as Acting Hokage."
"..."
Tonbo sighed. Looking at Shikaku Nara beside him, who wore a similarly troubled expression, he had no choice but to start working. So many documents—what a drag. He wasn't exactly a political genius.
"Post-war damage reports..."
"Funds for housing repairs..."
"Border movements: enemies attempting to test Konoha's strength..."
"Spies within Konoha..."
From minor reconstruction details to major incidents affecting international relations, everything passed before Tonbo's eyes.
Troublesome. That was his first thought. Once Tsunade returned, he had to find a way to ditch this title as quickly as possible. Any excuse would do.
However, through these documents, Tonbo gained a clear view of the current global situation. Following Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush" plan, borders across various nations were beginning to stir. They were already covertly increasing troop deployments. If Konoha showed even a hint of weakness, other nations would invade immediately.
The test of a Hokage's ability was how to avoid exposing that weakness. This was Tonbo's primary task. Fortunately, with a figure like Tonbo Tobitake sitting in the Hokage's seat—even temporarily—other nations hesitated to be too arrogant. One could only imagine the pressure Tsunade would face when she officially succeeded.
The Land of Water was fine for now; they were in a period of weakness themselves and didn't dare reveal the fact that they lacked a Mizukage. However, according to Anbu intelligence, the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth were already amassing troops at the borders. Other smaller nations were also waiting for specific intelligence from their spies before taking action.
But Tonbo's immediate priority was to familiarize himself with the identity of the Hokage. He needed to coordinate with Anbu and other departments and gain a thorough understanding of the village's various codes. Every department had its own specific signals as well as general ones, a system established by every Hokage to prevent a spy from taking down the entire village with a single piece of intelligence.
Tonbo glanced at Shikaku and the two elders helping him. This was so tedious. He wanted to use Shadow Clones to process the work, but with the two elders watching, he didn't want to appear too "extravagant." Even the Third hadn't been that flashy; if Danzo or Tsunade found out, it would just lead to more trouble.
That evening.
Tonbo returned home and stretched his sore muscles.
"You're back." Ayame saw him enter and quickly came over to massage his shoulders. "You're the Hokage now. How is it? Is the pressure too much?"
Tonbo smiled. "Haha, just Acting Hokage. The pressure is manageable; it's just that processing all those documents is a pain. I'll get used to it."
Today was just a small appetizer—familiarizing himself with the duties and solving simple problems. For major international issues, he provided the initial suggestions, while Shikaku and the two advisors performed more detailed analysis. The two elders weren't foolish enough to leave everything to a newcomer just yet.
"That's good. But I feel like there hasn't been much of a stir. Shouldn't the appointment of a Hokage be announced to the villagers?" Sensing Tonbo's relaxed attitude, Ayame felt relieved. She felt her husband wasn't really "Hokage material"—he was usually far too laid back, lacking that sense of tension or gravity.
"Ah~ we only notified the ninja ranks. Since it's not official, there's no need for a big fanfare. Otherwise, when the actual Fifth Hokage returns, we'd have to do it all over again, which is a waste of resources. Konoha is going through a tough time right now."
Tonbo preferred it this way. If he made a big scene, it might give Tsunade a reason to decline the post, and then he'd be stuck.
"Dad, you're back!" Tianyu and Maki came out of their room when they heard him.
"Not in bed yet? Don't you have school tomorrow?"
"No, we have something to ask you," the two said.
"What is it?"
"It's like this..." The two explained the situation with Konohamaru. Tonbo fell into deep thought after hearing them out.
"You did the right thing. In a few days, tell him to go to your usual training ground. I will personally train you all and give him a bit of a pep talk."
He couldn't use ninjutsu to fix Neji's obsession, but Konohamaru? He had a way. He felt a scroll at his waist—inside, he had sealed some cells he'd retrieved from the Third's grave. Just a little extra insurance.
"Alright, that's enough for today. Your dad is tired, go back to sleep," Ayame intervened.
"Yes, ma'am." Seeing the look in their mother's eyes, the two kids chickened out and ran back to their rooms.
"Dear..." Ayame said softly.
"I understand." Tonbo didn't spoil the mood; he picked Ayame up and headed for the bedroom.
A few more days passed.
"This application for building repairs? Approved."
"Repelling the giant beast appearing in the Land of Fire's fishing village? Send Team Guy."
"Tell the Land of Lightning and Land of Earth to withdraw their suddenly increased border troops, or else... we fight."
"Notify the Land of Wind to state their position as soon as possible, or else... we fight."
Tonbo quickly drafted the documents.
"Hey! Do you even understand the responsibility of a Hokage?" The two advisors glared at the proposed plans. While the basic internal affairs were handled well, as soon as it came to international relations, his answer was always "fight, fight, fight!" Had they misjudged him?
"Of course. I believe Senior Shikaku agrees with my approach," Tonbo said calmly. "Konoha is currently burdened. We must use lightning-fast, decisive methods to make them wary. That is the only way to dispel their thoughts of starting a war."
Shikaku nodded in agreement. "Lord Hokage is correct. Until they gather concrete intelligence, the Land of Earth and Land of Lightning will not rashly start a war. Therefore, we must show a position of strength in diplomacy while simultaneously stifling any intelligence leaks. That is the priority. As for the 'or else we fight' in the documents—that is merely a posture on paper."
The two advisors weren't stupid. Hearing Shikaku's explanation, they realized it made sense. It was just that the Third's diplomacy had always been soft and reconciliatory, and they had grown accustomed to it.
"From now on, the Barrier Division and Anbu are to monitor all outgoing communications. Every message must contain a special code I've set, or it will be treated as professional negligence," Tonbo ordered.
He wasn't afraid of a real fight, but he preferred to avoid it if possible—once war started, things would become uncontrollable. It wasn't just about Naruto and Sasuke's growth; there was still the threat of Urashiki Otsutsuki, who could appear at any moment.
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