Natsuhiko had no idea that, in Nagato's eyes, he had already become something akin to a god.
He was even less aware that Nagato had started pretending to be confused while secretly playing a dangerous double game with Black Zetsu. With Natsuhiko's existence thrown into the mix, the entire world had become absurdly surreal.
Of course, even if Natsuhiko knew about it, he probably would not care too much. Or rather, he would not care about Nagato's personal thoughts, though he absolutely would pay attention to the changes happening within Nagato himself.
After all, once Nagato fully recovered, just how terrifying would he become?
Natsuhiko understood that better than almost anyone.
The fact that Nagato could wield every fundamental ability of the Rinnegan entirely on his own was already a monstrous transformation in itself.
The Rinnegan was not something ordinary people could even begin to comprehend. Even its so-called "basic abilities" possessed power that bordered on the absurd. To this day, the image of Shinra Tensei flattening Konoha in an instant still lingered vividly in Natsuhiko's mind.
And that had only been done through the Six Paths of Pain bodies.
Those bodies had an inherent disadvantage when it came to chakra transmission. Even with the black receivers formed through Yin–Yang Release, chakra loss during transmission was unavoidable.
Yet despite those limitations, Nagato had still reduced Konoha to ruins.
If his real body had descended onto the battlefield instead, he might have been able to annihilate every last one of Konoha's hundred thousand inhabitants through sheer force alone.
Unlike in the original story, where many ultimately survived.
...
After discussing the progress of the experiments with Orochimaru and chatting for a while longer, Natsuhiko finally left the hidden laboratory.
Naturally, he had not forgotten to properly encourage Kabuto as well.
What surprised him, however, was Kabuto's reaction.
Originally, Natsuhiko had assumed the boy would fear him. At the very least, he expected Kabuto to show some hostility.
After all, Natsuhiko had effectively taken Danzō's place and shattered the peaceful life Kabuto once had.
Yet contrary to all expectations, Kabuto looked at him with the eyes of someone meeting his idol.
The reaction left Natsuhiko both amused and speechless.
Still, as long as Kabuto remained obedient, Natsuhiko was more than happy to accept it.
Kabuto's talent and potential were unquestionably exceptional.
This was someone who, in the original timeline, had faced the Uchiha brothers alone in battle. Someone who had mastered Sage Mode and ultimately inherited Orochimaru's legacy, becoming one of the greatest masterminds lurking behind the shinobi world.
Although this world's future had already diverged too far for Kabuto to reach the exact same heights, Natsuhiko had no intention of wasting such a valuable talent.
If nurtured properly, this kid would undoubtedly become an incredible asset.
...
After concluding his meeting with Orochimaru, Natsuhiko returned to Konoha and peacefully resumed his comfortable shut-in lifestyle.
There was no need for him to concern himself with the Hokage's affairs.
His reputation was already at an all-time high, and on top of that, the newspaper agency remained firmly under his control.
Moreover, Nara Shikaku's complete alignment meant Natsuhiko didn't need to worry about many things. Even without directly ordering the newspaper to cooperate with Shikaku, certain developments had naturally begun unfolding on their own.
Especially since Nara Rokushiro was still working at the newspaper office.
Ever since Natsuhiko dealt with Onoki, he had gradually started entrusting the young man with greater responsibilities.
Although Rokushiro had resisted at first, he eventually accepted the work obediently.
After all, he and Shikaku belonged to the same clan. Information flowed far more smoothly between them, and their cooperation made things significantly more convenient for Natsuhiko.
Of course, that was where the line would be drawn.
Natsuhiko had no intention of granting them even greater authority.
Even after becoming Hokage in the future, he would never allow Rokushiro and Shikaku to establish an overly seamless alliance.
This was the essence of restricting and balancing power.
Naturally, those were matters for the future, but preparing in advance was never a bad thing.
"Still… it's almost time. Let things brew a little longer."
Natsuhiko stretched lazily as his gaze drifted toward the blazing sun outside the window.
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
Although countless matters still needed to be handled after the war, very few of them actually required his direct involvement.
The negotiations between Konoha and Kumogakure had already begun progressing in an orderly manner, though Konoha's side showed absolutely no intention of treating the Kumo with courtesy.
Kumo no longer possessed the confidence to reject Konoha's demands at the negotiation table. In fact, if Konoha chose not to negotiate at all, the people of Kumogakure would only become even more anxious and restless.
Of course, Kumo's decline was an undeniable reality.
They had lost an enormous number of shinobi in a single conflict, and the damage was so severe that even an ordinary person could clearly see how weakened the village had become.
Even so, a weakened Kumogakure was not something just anyone could bully.
About a week after disappearing, Killer B finally returned to the village.
That alone acted like a powerful stabilizing force for Kumogakure. In addition, the village still possessed both Two-Tails and Eight-Tails. With two tailed beasts still under their control, they had little fear of smaller villages attempting to take advantage of their weakened state.
However, if they truly wanted to recover, it would be nearly impossible without at least ten years of rebuilding.
That was why they were so desperate for a peace treaty. Only after negotiating with Konoha could they negotiate with Iwa. Only then could they focus on rebuilding.
"Though it seems they've already started selecting the Fifth Raikage… and the candidate appears to be Killer B?"
As Natsuhiko recalled the intelligence reports submitted by the ANBU, he could not help but chuckle softly.
The Fourth Raikage still had not been found.
Neither his corpse nor any sign of him being alive had surfaced.
After disappearing for such a long time, Natsuhiko felt the odds of the man being dead were significantly higher. Still, dead was dead. He could not care less about the Raikage's fate.
If that man had not possessed ambitions completely disproportionate to his actual abilities, and if Natsuhiko himself had lacked the strength to stop everything, then Konoha might very well have walked down the same disastrous road as in the original timeline.
Very few people capable of becoming a Kage were truly good people.
Aside from Naruto, someone who was purely kind-hearted simply could not become a qualified Kage.
"Still, let them wait a little longer. The thing I want from Kumogakure will require some proper negotiation."
Natsuhiko silently pondered to himself.
He had already planted the seed for Lightning Release, and after personally witnessing the Fourth Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, certain ideas had naturally emerged in his mind.
Truthfully, Natsuhiko understood perfectly well that the so-called Lightning Release Chakra Mode was practically useless to him. It was little more than a dispensable ability he could take or leave.
However, his mentality regarding such things was actually very simple.
It was much like the game library from his previous life. Whenever he saw a game discounted heavily, he could never resist buying it. And whenever there was a free giveaway, he would claim it immediately without caring whether he would ever actually play it.
According to his logic, it did not matter if he never used it.
What mattered was that he had it.
That was exactly how he viewed the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
He could ignore it completely. He could leave it collecting dust in his ninjutsu arsenal forever.
But having no use for something did not mean he was willing to not possess it.
Besides, as one form of Chakra Mode, Lightning Release Chakra Mode was still something worth researching carefully.
At this point, Natsuhiko had already mastered three different Chakra Modes—
Sage Mode, Jogan Chakra Mode, and Tailed Beast Chakra Mode.
Although the effects displayed by each mode were completely different, that only made them even more valuable for study.
After all, nobody could say for certain whether he might discover some deeper pattern through such research, eventually allowing him to develop entirely new Chakra Modes in the future.
"After all, my goal is to fuse every form of chakra together. I can't afford to miss anything…"
...
"Looks like that kid Natsuhiko is truly about to succeed completely."
Within Mount Myoboku, Minato Namikaze leaned lazily against his chair while reading the newspaper in his hands, calmly enjoying the warmth of the sunlight shining down upon him.
Behind him, Kushina was playing with Naruto, and the scene looked so peaceful and harmonious that it almost resembled a dream.
Minato was genuinely enjoying his life now.
Without exaggeration, this kind of peaceful existence was exactly the life he had always longed for the most.
Yet no matter what, he still remembered that he was the Fourth Hokage.
His concern for Konoha had never once faded, even though he himself understood very clearly that he truly had not been a particularly competent Hokage.
Yet in Minato's eyes, even if he had failed to become a truly qualified Hokage, he was still, above all else, a shinobi of Konoha.
And for a shinobi of Konoha to constantly care about the village's condition was only natural, because Konoha was his home.
That was why, even though Minato already understood that his time as Hokage was effectively over, he still had Kakashi keep him informed about everything happening within the village.
Kakashi, meanwhile, was clever about it.
Or perhaps he was simply too busy.
Either way, he chose the simplest possible method.
Every day, he would summon a toad from Mount Myoboku and have it deliver the latest newspaper directly to Minato.
To Minato, newspapers were an entirely novel concept.
He had never seen anything like them before.
Yet after reading one for the very first time, he quickly became fascinated by the idea.
At first, however, he had also been deeply concerned.
Would publicly distributing something like this negatively affect Konoha?
After all, the newspaper contained quite a few matters involving Konoha's internal affairs and secrets.
But once he learned from Kakashi that the entire concept had been created by Natsuhiko himself, those worries gradually disappeared.
After all, Natsuhiko was the head of Konoha's ANBU.
How could someone in that position possibly do something harmful to the village?
Moreover, Minato quickly realized just how terrifying the newspaper's influence over public opinion truly was.
It could shape the thoughts and attitudes of the people within the village with astonishing efficiency.
More importantly, it could even influence external opinion beyond Konoha itself.
Once he understood that, Minato finally relaxed and began quietly reading the newspapers every day.
At the beginning, the contents were fairly ordinary.
Although they involved political struggles and conflicts over authority, hadn't Konoha always functioned that way?
The only difference was that during Minato's tenure as Hokage, he had been completely restrained by Hiruzen Sarutobi, whereas now the ones being pushed into a passive position were the Third Hokage and his faction instead.
Truthfully, Minato was never particularly interested in those political disputes.
Especially when some of the matters discussed were things he already knew about, he found them even less engaging.
What truly concerned him were the village's civilian conditions and the movements of the other hidden villages.
Among them, Kumogakure remained the source of his greatest anxiety.
"Kumogakure never signed a true ceasefire agreement, and from the looks of things, they've clearly been preparing for war this entire time… This is going to become a serious problem."
Minato had always worried about this issue.
Unfortunately, his fears soon became reality.
Kumo had sent representatives under the pretense of signing an agreement, yet those same people secretly infiltrated the Hyuga compound at night and even kidnapped Hinata Hyuga.
Although the intruder was ultimately killed by the Hyuga Clan, the incident still became the fuse that ignited the conflict.
According to the newspaper's reports, Hiruzen Sarutobi had intended to sacrifice the Hyuga Clan in exchange for so-called peace.
When Minato read that, fury surged through him almost uncontrollably.
Since when had Konoha fallen to such a state?
Since when did the village need to betray its own people just to obtain a hollow and fragile peace?
How many hearts would grow cold because of such a decision?
How many people would lose faith in Konoha after such a retreat?
And more importantly, making such concessions completely betrayed the very ideals upon which Konoha had originally been founded.
Minato himself probably never realized it, but the fragmented pieces of information spread throughout the newspaper had already begun subtly influencing the way he viewed things.
When he saw that countless Konoha shinobi had collectively opposed the decision, and that Natsuhiko had personally stepped forward to stop it and ultimately pushed Konoha toward military action instead, Minato finally let out a sigh of relief.
Yet only half of that tension truly disappeared.
Because Minato understood all too clearly that the current Konoha was simply not a match for Kumogakure.
"Damn it… if only I weren't injured…"
At that moment, Minato genuinely wished he could return to Konoha immediately.
Unfortunately, his current condition made it impossible for him to fight.
He hoped his teacher, Jiraiya, would do something, yet he had no way of contacting him and knew nothing about Jiraiya's current situation.
And so, amidst that constant unease, Minato made a decision.
The moment Konoha's situation turned unfavorable, he would return at once.
He knew very well that his reappearance would likely provoke anger from countless people.
He also understood that if he truly entered battle again in his current state, then death would probably not be far behind.
But for the sake of Konoha, he was willing to risk everything.
However, after making that decision, the events that unfolded in the war between Konoha and Kumogakure completely exceeded Minato's imagination.
First, Natsuhiko single-handedly annihilated Kumo's hundred-man surprise attack unit. After that, he personally crushed the thousand-man force led by the Fourth Raikage himself.
During that battle, he even severely injured the Fourth Raikage, forcing his former rival into a prolonged period of recovery.
When Minato saw those reports, he finally managed to relax slightly.
At the very least, Konoha was now suppressing Kumogakure on the battlefield, and no matter how one looked at it, that was unquestionably a good thing.
But Kumogakure's lineup was still terrifying.
After all, they possessed far more than just the Fourth Raikage.
They still had the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.
With those worries weighing heavily on his mind, Minato could only continue waiting in silence.
A month was neither particularly long nor truly short.
And after enduring an entire month of tension and uncertainty, Minato finally saw another detailed report from the frontlines.
This time, however, he was utterly stunned.
Not only him—even Kushina, who had been following the situation alongside him, was completely dumbfounded.
Natsuhiko had actually wiped out Kumogakure's entire main force through his own strength alone.
Even the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki had failed to escape his assault.
The news left both Minato and Kushina shaken for a long time.
And as more detailed reports continued arriving afterward, they gradually learned exactly what Natsuhiko had done.
It was the ultimate Wood Release technique.
The strongest and most terrifying form of Wood Release imaginable.
Using those horrifying Wood Release abilities, Natsuhiko completely destroyed the invading Kumo army in a single stroke, allowing Konoha to once again stand victorious upon the battlefield.
At the same time, the significance of his actions was likely far deeper than simple military victory.
After this battle, there would probably never again be anyone foolish enough to harbor schemes against Konoha.
At this moment, the entire village was overflowing with celebration and joy.
The newspapers continuously reported on the changes occurring within Konoha, along with all kinds of information from the frontlines.
Yet one thing puzzled Minato greatly.
There seemed to be no mention whatsoever regarding a peace treaty between Konoha and Kumogakure.
War never destroyed only a single village or nation.
Countless innocent people were inevitably dragged into the suffering as well.
Because of that, Minato sincerely hoped the war would end as quickly as possible.
Yet at present, the newspapers contained no information suggesting such an outcome.
Aside from that, Minato also keenly noticed something else.
Within the newspapers, the guided criticism aimed at Hiruzen Sarutobi was becoming increasingly obvious, while the praise directed toward Natsuhiko was growing more and more intense.
Furthermore, the concept of selecting a new Hokage had begun appearing openly in public discussion.
The moment Minato realized this, he immediately understood—
Natsuhiko was finally preparing to make his move completely.
"Natsuhiko is really about to succeed?" Kushina asked curiously while teasing Naruto in her arms. "You mean becoming Hokage?"
"Yes… Hokage." Minato nodded lightly. "Right now, his support is overwhelming. Almost everyone believes he should become the next Hokage."
The moment Kushina heard those words, her brows instinctively furrowed.
If everyone believed Natsuhiko should become Hokage, then that meant the brat intended to become the Fifth Hokage.
And with the Fourth Hokage still alive, the implications behind that were impossible to misunderstand.
The news immediately made Kushina deeply unhappy.
Although she understood Natsuhiko's ambitions and fully acknowledged his abilities, her husband had only served as Hokage for such a short time.
Even if Minato truly could no longer fulfill the duties of the position, had his contributions to Konoha ever been insignificant?
Now that Natsuhiko was pushing things forward in such an aggressive manner, how could Kushina possibly feel happy about it?
The moment Minato looked at his wife, he immediately understood what she was thinking.
He could not help but smile and shake his head lightly.
"There's no need to be angry. Even though Natsuhiko's actions have inevitably affected me, he's actually been very restrained."
"And this counts as restrained?" Kushina frowned as she stared at Minato. "I honestly can't see any restraint at all."
Minato merely smiled.
From the surface, it truly did appear as though Natsuhiko was applying pressure against the Third Hokage, but in reality, the pressure was ultimately aimed at Minato himself.
Still, Minato was not stupid.
The newspapers might have made everything sound dramatic and explosive, but he knew very clearly that Natsuhiko probably had not actually done anything excessive yet.
Moreover, Kakashi had remained in Konoha this entire time.
No matter how good Kakashi's relationship with Natsuhiko was, there were still certain matters that, as Minato's student, Kakashi would inevitably report back to him.
And at present, there had been absolutely no direct movement from Konoha itself.
That alone proved one thing—
Natsuhiko was still waiting.
Waiting for the Third Hokage's response.
And also waiting for Minato's decision.
Minato understood perfectly well that if he refused this time, Natsuhiko would never cross the line too far.
At most, he would completely suppress the Third Hokage's faction and firmly seize control of the acting Hokage's authority for himself.
After all, Natsuhiko had always acted under Minato's banner from beginning to end. Because of that, he would not make any excessively radical moves.
However, if things developed that way, then cracks would inevitably begin to appear in the relationship between Minato and Natsuhiko.
Strictly speaking, their relationship had always been more of a cooperative alliance than a true friendship.
One could even say that throughout the entire process, Natsuhiko had been the one silently leading everything from behind the scenes.
Long ago, Minato had already acknowledged that Natsuhiko possessed the qualities necessary to become an excellent Hokage.
In fact, he had even started questioning whether he himself had ever truly been suited for the position in the first place.
Because of that, Minato had absolutely no desire to damage his relationship with Natsuhiko, nor did he intend to allow things to deteriorate to that point.
He had already planned to speak openly with Natsuhiko when the time came and explain his thoughts and decisions directly.
Truthfully, Minato even had a vague feeling that Konoha's continued refusal to negotiate peace with Kumogakure was itself a form of pressure from Natsuhiko.
If the matter of the Hokage was not settled, then there would be no negotiations with Kumogakure.
After all, Konoha currently held every advantage imaginable, and with Natsuhiko standing at its center, there was simply no need to fear such complications.
Of course, this was merely Minato's own speculation.
Still, judging by Natsuhiko's personality, it genuinely did not seem impossible for him to do something like that.
But regardless of whether that assumption was true or not, Minato no longer intended to dwell on it.
The truth was that he genuinely admired Natsuhiko.
And now, he was willing to personally help push Natsuhiko through this final step.
"So that's how it is…"
After hearing Minato explain his deductions, Kushina lowered her gaze slightly before letting out a quiet sigh.
"You've really made up your mind?"
"Yes."
Minato gently lifted Naruto into his arms before smiling softly.
"I decided a long time ago. Because compared to Natsuhiko, I truly don't think I was ever a qualified Hokage."
"But that kid Natsuhiko…"
Kushina wanted to complain that Natsuhiko was far too calculating, but the words ultimately stuck in her throat.
No matter what motives Natsuhiko had, the fact remained that he had saved Minato's life.
Under those circumstances, criticizing him outright did not feel appropriate.
Yet despite that, Kushina still could not fully suppress the emotions in her heart.
Becoming Hokage had been both her dream and Minato's dream.
Now that dream had finally been achieved, only to be abandoned because of circumstances beyond their control.
How could she possibly accept that so easily?
"It's alright, Kushina."
Minato gently rubbed the back of Naruto's head. Watching the little boy reveal a bright and carefree smile, Minato himself could not help but smile as well.
"Actually, this outcome isn't bad at all. Because I can feel it… under Natsuhiko's leadership, Konoha really can become stronger and better than before."
"And besides, that kid has worked harder than anyone else for the position of Hokage. That much is undeniable."
"Since I'm inferior to him, and since the tide of the times is already moving in his favor, then why shouldn't I help fulfill his wish?"
As he spoke, Minato slowly lifted his head and looked toward the sun hanging high in the sky.
The sunlight was not harsh today.
Instead, it felt warm and gentle.
As the soft rays fell upon him, Minato felt an unusual sense of peace and comfort.
A faint smile appeared on Minato's face as he spoke softly.
"Right now, Natsuhiko is like the sun hanging high in the sky. Sooner or later, he is destined to stand above the clouds themselves."
"In truth, he's already standing there now. It's just that, at the moment, he still appears gentle and restrained. But once he truly begins radiating his light and heat, I'm afraid nobody will be able to withstand it."
"I believe in him. I believe he'll become an excellent choice… perhaps even the best possible choice."
"With someone like him around, Konoha will never truly face any serious problems. A person like Natsuhiko simply would never allow the village to collapse. Besides…"
At that point, Minato paused slightly.
His gaze softened as he looked toward Kushina, and only then did he continue with a smile.
"Besides, I have something he doesn't."
"And honestly… I'm already very satisfied with the life I have now."
"You and Naruto are the people I treasure most."
...
Natsuhiko, however, had no idea what Minato was currently thinking.
At that moment, he was sitting inside one of the ANBU offices, holding a meeting with Nara Shikaku and several others.
Ever since the war between Konoha and Kumogakure ended, a great number of Konoha's internal meetings had quietly stopped passing through the Hokage's Office altogether.
Instead, they had gradually become centralized around Natsuhiko.
This situation had driven Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado absolutely furious, yet Hiruzen Sarutobi himself had remained strangely silent, almost as though he had tacitly accepted the arrangement.
By now, Natsuhiko had more or less guessed what Hiruzen was thinking.
The only issue was that the old man still had not fully made up his mind.
After all, Hiruzen's current position was genuinely difficult.
Back then, in order to secure control over Konoha, he had personally fostered a vast network of interconnected interest groups.
Now that he wanted to step down, things were no longer as simple as making a decision and walking away.
The entanglement of political and economic interest groups was always the most troublesome thing imaginable.
And as the central figure binding those factions together, there were times when a person truly had no freedom left to choose.
It was much like a joke Natsuhiko remembered from his previous life.
Imagine transmigrating into another world and leading an army across countless battlefields, saving a dynasty that stood on the brink of collapse.
In the process of rescuing that empire, you would inevitably form ties with countless influential figures while also commanding enormous military power.
But by the time you truly succeeded in stabilizing everything, you would realize something horrifying—
You could no longer step down.
When you held overwhelming authority in your hands, would the dynasty you protected truly feel at ease with you?
And more importantly, would all those factions whose interests had become deeply tied to yours allow you to leave quietly?
Obviously not.
In fact, by the time things reached that stage, your own subordinates would probably be the first to hold a blade to your neck and force that imperial robe onto your shoulders.
To put it simply, it was essentially the legendary "Chenqiao Mutiny" all over again.
Hiruzen's situation was not exactly the same, but the principle behind it was identical.
He was being restrained by the various interest factions surrounding him. If he wanted to make a move now, it would never be an easy thing.
Interest groups could push a person upward.
Naturally, they could also prevent that same person from stepping down.
At present, Hiruzen was probably trying to settle the issues surrounding those factions first.
Otherwise, matters would only become even more troublesome.
Of course, Natsuhiko could not care less about any of that.
Interests could drive people insane and push them into doing even crazier things.
But before those people could truly lose control, Natsuhiko already had countless methods to deal with them.
After all, the ANBU was firmly under his command.
And the Military Police Force stood on his side as well.
Did he really need to fear those people causing trouble?
If they truly dared to make a mess, then Natsuhiko genuinely would not mind learning a thing or two from that emperor who started with nothing but a bowl in hand—
Or from that mustached "kind father" famous for making execution lists.
After all, as long as someone was defined as a traitor, there were endless ways to deal with them.
As for whether such actions would negatively affect Konoha, Natsuhiko honestly was not too worried.
Because Konoha still had him standing at the very top as its ultimate safeguard.
"Commander Natsuhiko, these are the compensation demands we've drafted regarding Kumogakure's defeat. Please review them."
Nara Shikaku respectfully placed a document in front of Natsuhiko before speaking quietly.
The formal peace negotiations between Konoha and Kumogakure still had not officially begun.
Konoha naturally did not mind delaying things further.
But Kumogakure had already reached the point where they could no longer afford to wait.
Kumogakure had already sent over highly important diplomatic representatives, which left Nara Shikaku feeling rather helpless. Because of that, he could only begin preparing everything in advance.
"The proposals aren't bad. The basic compensation requirements are more or less sufficient, however…"
Natsuhiko glanced through the document in his hand before casually setting it aside. Only then did he continue speaking with a faint smile.
"I think Kumogakure should completely withdraw from the Land of Hot Water. Beyond that, we should also demand that they hand over a large number of ninjutsu to us."
"The Land of Hot Water and ninjutsu compensation, huh…"
Shikaku nodded thoughtfully before immediately pulling out a notebook and beginning to record everything carefully.
"That makes sense. The Land of Hot Water has been suffering under Kumogakure's pressure for quite some time now. Helping liberate them would indeed be a good thing."
"Besides the Land of Hot Water, I think we should also guarantee Iwagakure's interests within the Land of Iron."
Watching Shikaku seriously taking notes, Natsuhiko could not help but feel amused.
For some reason, Shikaku was giving him an incredibly familiar feeling.
"Iwagakure's interests in the Land of Iron?"
Hearing that, Shikaku paused briefly before nodding seriously as he continued writing.
"That's true. Iwagakure is geographically much closer to the Land of Iron, and if we consider mineral exports, their share is also much larger."
"This time, they also assisted us in resisting Kumogakure's aggressive war. Protecting their interests is both reasonable and justified from Konoha's standpoint."
After writing that down, Shikaku stopped for a moment, seemingly recalling something before finally lifting his head to ask:
"By the way, Commander Natsuhiko, to what extent do you think Kumogakure should be dealt with?"
"I think this is already more or less enough. Though if we wanted to go even further, that wouldn't be impossible either."
Natsuhiko answered without the slightest hesitation.
At this point, they could not be bothered dealing with Hiruzen Sarutobi's side anymore, and Natsuhiko himself had already naturally begun placing himself in the role of Hokage.
"I think we can appropriately protect Kumogakure's own interests as well…"
"Of course. Kumogakure is still one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Their interests should indeed be protected." Shikaku revealed a curious smile. "But Commander Natsuhiko, how exactly do you propose we do that?"
In truth, Shikaku was also quietly testing Natsuhiko.
Or rather, he wanted to observe how Natsuhiko intended to handle the aftermath of this war.
If Natsuhiko's approach proved inappropriate, then it would become Shikaku's responsibility to help clean things up afterward while also reminding him where the limits should lie.
At the same time, Shikaku wanted to understand Natsuhiko's bottom line.
The external strategy of a future Hokage was an extremely important matter, and understanding it would allow Shikaku to better adjust his own future plans.
"Station troops there."
Natsuhiko immediately gave his answer.
"We can send our security forces directly into the Land of Lightning. That way, we can—"
"Ahem…"
Before Natsuhiko could finish speaking, Shikaku lightly coughed.
"Stationing troops inside the Land of Lightning is indeed an excellent proposal. After suffering such devastating losses, Kumogakure naturally requires assistance from us, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes."
Natsuhiko smiled and nodded.
Originally, he had intended to say "monitor them," but since Shikaku cared so much about appearances and diplomatic wording, Natsuhiko naturally played along.
"Understood."
Only after recording everything did Shikaku continue speaking.
"Then for now, we'll settle Kumogakure's matters this way. Once their representatives arrive, we can negotiate properly with them."
"However, before that…" Shikaku's gaze shifted toward Natsuhiko. "Commander Natsuhiko, when do you think the final action should begin?"
"After all, the Third Hokage's current state isn't exactly suitable for handling negotiations of this scale."
"Obviously before they arrive."
Natsuhiko answered decisively without the slightest hesitation.
Smiling faintly, he took out a letter and placed it on the table.
"The Fourth Hokage has requested a meeting with me. I believe this meeting will produce a very satisfying result."
"And besides…"
At this point, the smile on Natsuhiko's face grew slightly deeper.
"Today, there are some matters that we also need to discuss more thoroughly."
...
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