Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

A significant problem that had not yet erupted was resolved, and Tsunade was full of energy every day.

The only downside was her habit of bringing work-related matters home to discuss with Shinki, who felt utterly speechless at the unfairness of it all.

Are you, Tsunade, the Hokage, or is it me, Hyuga Shinki?

Speechless or not, since he had been the one to push her into the position of Hokage, what else could he do? Just help her solve the problems—as long as she didn't dump the entire workload on him.

Shinki delegated the management of the Anbu to others, letting them handle the official duties assigned by the Hokage. Taking on all the work himself would be the death of him.

At the battlefield camp in the Land of Grass...

The Third Hokage flipped through the reports sent from the village. When he read about Tsunade's unconventional strategies, he felt thoroughly exasperated.

Why didn't I think of using this method from the start?

During the war between Konoha and the Sand Village, villagers had heavily complained and protested due to the hardships they endured, leaving the Third Hokage upset and repeatedly stepping in to appease them. He had no other way to handle the situation than to keep pacifying the villagers.

However, after Tsunade became Hokage, she didn't rely on appeasement. Instead, she investigated, collected data, and published comparisons that allowed villagers to reflect on their circumstances and feel more balanced.

And just like that, the issue was resolved.

The complaints shifted elsewhere. Not only did the villagers stop protesting against Konoha's leadership, but they also began praising Tsunade enthusiastically.

Why didn't they praise me when I repeatedly stepped in to appease them and kept the cost of living low? Instead, they had nothing but complaints.

This is a double standard!

The Third Hokage was so frustrated that he stopped smoking his pipe, staring blankly at the scroll in his hand.

It was painful.

Am I truly not as capable as Tsunade?

No, that's definitely not the case. The problem lies with the people around me, not with me.

There was no doubt about the Third Hokage's abilities. Apart from his selfish tendencies and a strong desire for power, he was undoubtedly top-notch in governance. Compared to him, Tsunade, who had just stepped into the role of Hokage, was a rookie.

So, he refused to admit that Tsunade was more capable than him and instead blamed the people around him.

Think about it. In the past, whenever I faced difficult problems, it was either people arguing or me silently pondering the solutions. What about Tsunade?

Whenever she had doubts, she went straight to Shinki.

Is Shinki exceptionally capable?

On the contrary, among the senior officials, Shinki was one of the most irresponsible. He disliked dealing with official business or engaging in troublesome matters. He preferred strolling around, enjoying good food, chatting with women, and indulging in hobbies.

In terms of dedication, everyone else was more committed than Shinki—Mitokado Homura, Nara Shikashin, Shimura Danzo, and even the boastful Utatane Koharu.

So, where was the problem?

The Third Hokage frowned in thought. Then it dawned on him—despite his shortcomings, Shinki always excelled in addressing critical issues.

In short, don't bother Shinki with trivial matters or minor concerns; he's useless in such cases. But when it comes to major crises, he consistently offered solutions—or at least valuable advice.

Recalling Shinki's past recommendations, the Third Hokage's expression darkened further.

Let's not talk about old matters. Take a recent example:

Shinki had advised against forming an alliance with the Cloud Village. He suggested the Rock Village as the ideal ally, given their economic dependence on Konoha, which would allow Konoha to maintain the upper hand.

But under the lobbying of Utatane Koharu and Shimura Danzo, the Third Hokage chose to ally with the Cloud Village. Not long after, war broke out, dragging Konoha into unnecessary conflict.

At the time, even Mitokado Homura had instinctively leaned toward Shinki's advice, despite being unable to provide a strong argument against the alliance with the Cloud Village. This demonstrated that, on major issues, even Homura acknowledged Shinki's judgment.

"..."

Do you regret it?

Absolutely, but it was pointless now.

"Hiruzen, this is...?" Mitokado Homura entered the headquarters with a pile of documents, only to see the Third Hokage looking dejected. He stopped mid-sentence.

"Ah... Just read it yourself."

The Third Hokage handed him the intelligence scroll, unwilling to elaborate.

Mitokado Homura set down the documents and took the scroll. After reading it, he understood the Third Hokage's mood.

If only we had known earlier...

Sighing, Mitokado Homura tried to console him. "Hiruzen, some things can't be undone. It's over now. The village's potential troubles have been resolved, which is a good thing. Don't dwell on it. What we need to do is focus on the war!"

Winning the war, making contributions, and atoning for their mistakes were now top priorities. Otherwise, they and their families would face dire consequences.

The priority wasn't necessarily to win but to fight well enough to avoid losing. Whether Iwagakure or Kumogakure emerged victorious was secondary for Konoha—as long as they didn't lose outright.

The rules were simple.

"You're right. We all need to stay strong. Tsunade, my disciple, has resolved the village's potential troubles. I should be happy for her."

The Third Hokage pulled himself together, pushing aside his negative thoughts.

"Is the situation in Iwagakure still the same?"

"Yes, nothing has changed," Mitokado Homura replied. "Kitsuchi has no intention of launching a large-scale attack. He's focused on fortifying his position with military barriers."

In the land battlefront, Iwagakure had fully leveraged the advantages of their Earth Release Corps.