Naruto created a Shadow Clone to go find Shikaku.
Nara Shikaku's temporary office.
Shikaku was buried under a mountain of scrolls, the veins on his forehead throbbing faintly.
His left hand rapidly flipped through the asset and debt details of the Grass Ninja Village, while his right hand simultaneously calculated the budget needed to maintain local security and distribute basic rations.
The Grass Ninja Village was a small place with very little to offer; even Jonin were scarce.
It was only natural for a small nation to lack resources and powerful Legacies.
Some of the Jonin here would barely pass as a Chunin if brought to Konoha.
Furthermore, the internal affairs of the Grass Ninja Village were a complete mess!
Deficits, debts, demoralized people, hidden remnants of resistance, and the integration of systems with the Land of Fire...
There were a thousand loose ends, and every single one required him, the 'brain,' to sort through, make decisions, and assign tasks.
He had been working continuously for a long time.
Just then, with a soft 'poof,' Naruto's Shadow Clone appeared directly in front of his desk.
"Uncle Shikaku!"
Shikaku's hand jerked in surprise.
He looked up at the Naruto before him, a premonition of misfortune rising in his heart.
The Shadow Clone didn't waste any time and clearly repeated Naruto's orders.
After listening, Shikaku felt his vision go dark, and his head began to buzz.
Write a Declaration of War today and launch a blitzkrieg on the Land of Earth tomorrow?
And simultaneously split forces to take the Land of Rivers and pressure the Land of Wind?
I'm still working myself to death dealing with this mess in the Grass Ninja Village; I don't even have time to sleep.
Shikaku almost coughed up a mouthful of blood.
He knew Naruto was proactive, but this was taking it way too far, wasn't it?
However, his years of Ninja training and sense of responsibility allowed him to quickly suppress the urge to complain.
He knew that since Naruto had issued such an order, he must have full confidence and a comprehensive plan, as windows of opportunity in war are fleeting.
Naruto coming to him with these matters meant he had seized the right moment; this kind of rapid warfare could not afford delays.
It looked like he would have to write to the Village to request more people.
Fortunately...
A flash of inspiration struck Shikaku's mind.
Among the first group to arrive in the Land of Grass was his son, Shikamaru.
Raise a son for a thousand days, use him for a moment.
Now was exactly the time for Shikamaru to be put to use!
Shikaku took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and said quickly to Naruto's Shadow Clone:
"Seizing the timing is key. Please rest assured, Hokage-sama, I will start on the Declaration of War immediately."
Once Naruto's Shadow Clone dispersed, Shikaku exhaled a long breath of turbid air, as if trying to expel the stifling feeling caused by the high-intensity work and the sudden addition of strategic tasks.
He stood up, his figure looking somewhat weary in the slightly cluttered office, but he still stretched vigorously, making his stiff spine let out a faint 'crack' sound.
"Can't stop now..."
He muttered to himself, rubbing his throbbing temples as his eyes refocused.
He knew that the next few hours would be crucial in determining the rhythm of the subsequent war.
He had to adjust his state immediately, set aside the administrative affairs of the Land of Grass for now, and prioritize the urgent strategic instructions issued by the Hokage.
Shikaku did not delay; he pushed open the office door and walked out.
The corridor was as busy as ever, with Konoha's administrative and logistics personnel walking in a hurry, and occasionally, former Grass Ninja whose Chakra had been sealed were seen carrying supplies under the supervision of Konoha Ninja.
His goal was clear: find his son, Nara Shikamaru.
Shikaku was the previous Commander of the Jonin Squad; the current Commander was Kakashi.
At a slightly muddy alley entrance, he saw two familiar figures.
Nara Shikamaru and Hyuga Neji, two of Konoha's young Chunin, were currently each carrying a bulging sack of rice, walking unsteadily on the uneven, potholed road.
Shikamaru had shed his usual lazy expression, his brow slightly furrowed.
Neji maintained his usual cool demeanor, his movements steady and efficient, with his Byakugan activated, seemingly keeping watch on the surroundings at the same time.
They were preparing to deliver the rice bags to the doors of several households in the alley said to have elderly people living alone or families in difficulty.
"Shikamaru!"
Shikaku called out and walked over quickly.
Shikamaru and Neji stopped at the sound and turned around. Seeing it was Shikaku, both nodded slightly in greeting.
"Dad? What's wrong? We haven't finished delivering here yet..."
Shikamaru asked, adjusting the position of the rice bag on his shoulder.
Shikaku didn't answer directly. Instead, he first looked at Neji, then at the rice bags on their shoulders, his brow furrowing with a hint of confusion:
"Wait... stop the deliveries for now."
He raised a hand to signal them, then asked, "You two are both Chunin, why were you assigned to do this kind of menial labor like delivering rice?"
Chunin were already the backbone of the Village, especially in the newly occupied and unstable Land of Grass; Chunin should be deployed for patrols, guard duty, intelligence gathering, or assisting in managing more important matters.
Distributing relief grain was certainly important, but it could be done by recruited local temporary personnel.
Shikamaru sighed helplessly, placing the rice bag temporarily on a relatively clean stone block nearby and stretching his shoulder:
"Well, it can't be helped, we're really short on manpower."
He explained, "You should know that the first group that came with Naruto... the Hokage-sama, was mainly combat troops and a small amount of core logistics.
The subsequent administrative and support main force is still on the way.
Right now, basically only Jonin and Chunin are available to be deployed.
Besides, the people of the Grass Ninja Village don't trust us enough yet; no one is willing to take on work from Konoha."
He pointed to himself and Neji: "The two of us just finished the mission assigned by the Hokage the day before yesterday, rested for a day yesterday, and just happened to finish a round of patrol handover with no urgent tasks for the moment, so we were conscripted by the Logistics Squad.
They said this batch of food was a special instruction from the Hokage-sama to be distributed as quickly as possible to the people who need it most to prevent civil unrest, so it must be handled by reliable people.
They couldn't find any locals willing to do it, and we can't force them.
So this 'important' menial task naturally fell on us 'idle' Chunin."
Shikamaru's tone carried a hint of resigned helplessness.
Neji nodded slightly from the side, indicating that this was indeed the case.
His Byakugan swept through the depths of the alley, and after confirming there were no anomalies, he added: "Lord Shikaku, the occupied area has just been initially settled, and stabilizing the people's hearts is one of the primary tasks.
Food distribution may seem trivial, but it directly relates to stability at the grassroots level.
Moreover, by doing it ourselves, we can more accurately observe the reactions of the civilians and collect potential information."
This was also a problem; he had been sitting in the office for the past two days and hadn't kept up with the situation on the ground.
But now, there was a more important task that required Shikamaru.
"I understand the situation.
Neji, for the remaining rice bags, please find other reliable people to continue the distribution.
Shikamaru, come with me, there's an urgent task."
Shikaku said quickly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
Shikamaru was stunned for a moment: "Urgent task?"
More urgent than stabilizing the people's hearts?
"It concerns the next move of the war."
Shikaku was brief and concise; if it weren't for Neji being confirmed as the successor of the Hyuga, Shikaku wouldn't have explained further.
Upon hearing this, both Shikamaru and Neji's expressions turned solemn.
Neji nodded immediately: "Understood. Leave things here to me; Shikamaru, you go ahead."
He picked up the rice bags that he and Shikamaru had put down, indicating he would handle the rest.
Shikamaru didn't waste any more words; he said "Thanks for the hard work" to Neji and immediately followed his father, who had already turned to head back.