Chapter 29: A Brand-New Map of Power
No sooner had Senju Morin taken office than he immediately began exercising his authority as Hokage.
His first decree was the creation of a new position within the village: Advisor, appointed directly by the Hokage himself.
As for the scope of an advisor's authority—
In addition to participating in village-level decision-making and offering counsel to the Hokage, advisors could, with the Hokage's authorization, assist in the direct management of Konoha's various departments.
Though Konoha was nominally referred to as a "village," its internal structure was scarcely different from that of a sovereign state.
There were nine core departments in total:
Administration
ANBU
Medical
Intelligence
Education
Strategic Planning
Logistics
Security
Police
As their names implied, each department's responsibilities were clearly delineated.
Among them, the Police Department was chiefly responsible for maintaining public order and resolving civilian disputes within the village.
Due to policies instituted by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, this department had effectively become the exclusive domain of the Uchiha clan. Within Konoha, it was even informally referred to as the Uchiha Police Force.
Senju Morin had no intention of moving against the Uchiha immediately.
Instead, his first priority was to identify those he trusted and gradually embed them throughout the village's core departments.
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In total, Senju Morin appointed four advisors.
The first was Hyūga Sōgo, head of the Hyūga clan.
This appointment fulfilled an earlier political commitment. Old as he was, Hyūga Sōgo had exerted himself tirelessly on Morin's behalf during the election. Granting him an advisory position was more than justified.
Senju Morin assigned him oversight of the Intelligence Department—a placement that truly allowed the Hyūga clan to make full use of its strengths.
Beyond that, Morin also planned to establish an entirely new department under Hyūga leadership: the Defense Division.
Though still little more than a framework for now, this division would eventually take full responsibility for village-wide surveillance, early warning, and counterintelligence operations.
It would maximize the strategic value of the Byakugan without directly overlapping with the Uchiha Police Force's duties.
Even if some overlap did occur, it was of little consequence—after all, resolving jurisdictional disputes was precisely the Hokage's prerogative.
To support this initiative, Senju Morin dispatched Senju Shin as deputy head of the Defense Division, working alongside Hyūga Sōgo to establish the department.
Shin had been one of the original twelve members of Morin's inner circle. He was already a jōnin; while not as sharp-minded as Senju Yu, he compensated with steadfastness, discipline, and a calm, reliable temperament.
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The second advisory post went to Senju Tōka, one of the Senju clan's elite jōnin.
Although the Senju were Morin's own clan, they had delivered a full thirty-five votes in support of his ascension. This appointment could hardly be dismissed as favoritism.
Senju Tōka had followed Senju Hashirama since the Warring States era and belonged to the first generation of Konoha's founding shinobi.
Within the Senju clan, aside from a few surviving elders, she possessed unparalleled seniority, reputation, and moral authority.
Her elevation to advisor was not merely appropriate—it was inevitable.
Moreover, as she grew older, Senju Tōka was gradually becoming less suited for the dangers of frontline combat. Assigning her to handle the village's internal administration was far more appropriate.
Senju Morin therefore decided to place her in charge of the Medical Department.
This was a department he intended to expand aggressively in the future—naturally, it had to be entrusted to the most reliable of his own people.
In this world, the majority of researchers began their careers as medical ninja. Whether one wished to conduct experiments, develop or study forbidden techniques, or refine advanced ninjutsu, medical ninjutsu was always an indispensable foundation.
Coupled with the enormous demand for medical ninja during wartime, even a purely pragmatic assessment made one thing clear: talent in this field had to be cultivated as early as possible.
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Strictly speaking, in terms of experience, seniority, and prestige, the clan elders would have been the most suitable candidates for an advisory role.
Unfortunately for them, they had insisted on opposing Senju Morin earlier.
To Senju Morin, the willingness to sacrifice the clan's unity and interests was utterly unforgivable.
Though they had not dared openly oppose him at the final moment of voting, he had no desire to entrust village affairs to a group of ossified old men.
Preserving their status within the clan was already a generous concession to appearances. As for meddling in village governance—that was out of the question.
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Beyond this, Nara Shikatsune became the third advisor, placed in charge of the Strategic Planning Department.
Although no explicit political agreement had ever been reached between them, Nara Shikatsune's last-minute betrayal of Sarutobi Hiruzen had been both precise and devastating.
Even if only to "buy the bones of a thousand-mile horse," Senju Morin had to elevate Nara Shikatsune to a high position.
As long as Nara Shikatsune occupied that advisory seat, he was like a gleaming signboard hanging in plain sight—broadcasting to the entire village exactly what one could gain by abandoning Sarutobi Hiruzen and backing Senju Morin instead.
For that reason, Nara Shikatsune could not be a ceremonial advisor in name only.
He had to be a true advisor with real authority.
The Strategic Planning Department served as the Hokage's think tank in peacetime and took command of military operations in war. Its director was traditionally regarded as the Hokage's closest confidant.
After some thought, Senju Morin also assigned Senju Yu to the Strategic Planning Department. However, unlike before, he deliberately refrained from granting him a specific title, instructing him only to remain at Nara Shikatsune's side and learn.
As for what position Yu would eventually hold—Senju Morin left that entirely to Nara Shikatsune's discretion.
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Finally, Senju Morin made a decision that shocked nearly everyone.
He promoted Sarutobi Hiruzen to become the fourth advisor, appointing him as Deputy Minister of the Administrative Department.
The Administrative Department was one of the village's core organs—its operational heart—responsible for policy formulation and execution, as well as receiving commissions from clients and assigning missions to ninja.
Yet everyone understood that Sarutobi Hiruzen's advisory role was fundamentally different from the other three.
This was Senju Morin's display of magnanimity as the victor, a calculated political performance meant to preserve village unity.
Every ninja who came to accept missions could see it clearly: Senju Morin had graciously accepted his former rival, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had accepted his fate of working under Senju Morin.
Moreover, the word "Deputy" carried its own subtle implications.
Within Konoha's system, the balance of power between a minister and a deputy was a delicate matter.
If the minister chose to delegate authority, the deputy might wield power nearly equivalent to that of a full minister.
But if the minister retained tight control, the deputy became nothing more than an ornament—perhaps unable to command even a single subordinate, less useful than a mere squad leader.
As for the Minister of the Administrative Department—
That position was, naturally, held by Senju Morin himself.
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As Hokage, Senju Morin personally assumed leadership of both the Administrative Department and the Education Department, while also serving as Principal of the Ninja Academy.
The mission system was the village's economic lifeline and Konoha's greatest leverage for escaping the daimyō's control.
Education, meanwhile, shaped the minds of the next generation of Konoha's ninja.
These were domains he had to control personally.
As principal of the Ninja Academy, Senju Morin resolved to personally address the students at the opening of every academic year, instilling in them his interpretation of the Will of Fire.
He would also personally vet the academy's teaching staff, ensuring that no one with ulterior motives could slip into the system.
Senju Morin understood this deeply:
Ninjutsu can only take a person's life.
But education—and the overwhelming force of the Will of Fire—can reshape a soul.