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Tsunade - Ch 55
🕑 Added 2025-04-17 16:01:07 +0000 UTCChapter 55: A New Arrangement
The investigation of Root shinobi was naturally led by the Yamanaka Clan, with cooperation from the Torture and Interrogation Force. Once Tsunade saw things proceeding smoothly, she left Yamanaka Inoichi in charge and left with the remaining clan heads.
The group made their way to the Hokage Tower, calling in the head of the finance department along the way.
"Hikari, bring out the military funds we received from the daimyo." Tsunade instructed calmly. Of course, she couldn't just say that Kamizuki Hikari kept the funds himself because he was worried she might blow it all at the casino.
As long as she didn’t mention it, no one would ever suspect such a thing.
When the clan heads saw Kamizuki Hikari produce a scroll containing the sealed funds, their expressions shifted slightly.
"Hokage-sama, here are the documents that need approval. Shizune has already processed a batch of them, but there are still some that require your final decision." a subordinate reported.
Tsunade glanced at the mountain of paperwork stacked nearly a meter high on her desk and almost rolled her eyes into the back of her head.
[What the hell? How can a village as small as Konoha have this much paperwork?!]
[Does every single document in Konoha require the Hokage’s personal approval? If that’s the case, the Hokage is going to work themselves to death.]
[Honestly, what are the department heads even doing? Shouldn’t they filter these documents first, handle the routine ones themselves, and only bring the complicated issues to the Hokage? Speaking of which, the Hokage’s advisory council is still necessary—just needs a different approach.]
[Hmm... why not call it the General Staff Department?]
That make sense!
If someone could handle most of the minor issues for her, she’d have a lot more free time. Of course, Tsunade was well aware that this would mean decentralizing power.
Previous Hokages had micromanaged everything to maintain control, but that only drained their energy.
Take the Fourth Raikage, for example—he wasn’t the type to deal with administrative tasks all day. Tsunade could take inspiration from Kumogakure’s system and reform Konoha’s structure.
Having traveled through the Land of Lightning before, she had a rough understanding of how things worked there.
"Shikaku, I’m thinking of forming a new department—modeled after the Raikage’s think tank—to help the Hokage shoulder responsibilities. What do you think?"
Everyone in the room froze at her words.
Was the sun rising in the west today?
The Hokage... was voluntarily giving up power?
Nara Shikaku studied Tsunade carefully, unsure whether she was being sincere or testing them.
Power was a delicate matter. For those obsessed with control, even the slightest concession was unthinkable.
Since he couldn’t discern Tsunade’s true intentions, Shikaku decided to play it safe and decline—just to gauge her reaction.
"Hokage-sama, this is a bold move. In my opinion, it would be best for the Hokage to retain full control over these matters."
...
Tsunade didn’t know how to respond to that.
Was she supposed to say that she just wanted to slack off and avoid getting dragged into everything? If she said that, they’d all think she was an irresponsible Hokage.
Now what?
This was harder than expected!
[Nara Shikaku is such a sly fox. He can’t read Tsunade's motives clearly and is worried she might retaliate later. This delay tactic is his way of probing her real intentions.]
[The question is, will Tsunade catch on to Shikaku’s maneuvering—and how will she respond?]
[Then again, women with big... assets usually aren’t the sharpest. Given Tsunade’s size, her brain must be lacking.]
Tsunade: 'I’m proud of my assets. Got a problem with that? Try growing a pair this big.'
"That’s enough for today. You all go back and think about this. If everything continues to fall solely on the Hokage’s shoulders, and the Hokage happens to be incompetent, the consequences for the village would be dire."
"I’ll say this plainly—Konoha’s current system has been in place for decades."
"When the village was first established, every clan had its own private interests. But now, after sixty years, the clans and the village are inseparable. I hope we can all work together to make Konoha a true home for everyone."
Tsunade had lived a privileged life from a young age, so she wasn’t particularly skilled at scheming.
But when it came to political rhetoric, having grown up around the Second and Third Hokage, she had absorbed enough to speak convincingly.
"In that case, I’ll take some time to consider it carefully." Shikaku responded.
Now that Shikaku understood Tsunade’s willingness to delegate power, he felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on him.
Meanwhile, the clan heads behind him—Akimichi Chōza, Hyūga Hiashi, and Inuzuka Tsume—were practically burning holes into his back with their intense gazes.
Power.
This was real, tangible power.
Until now, it had been monopolized by the Third Hokage and his aides. Clan heads like them only got scraps. Now that Danzo was dead, it was finally their time to rise.
As they departed, Tsunade patted Shizune on the shoulder.
"You’ve worked hard."
Shizune nearly teared up.
'Tsunade-sama is finally showing some consideration... I’m so touched, so happy!'
"Shizune, finish the urgent documents in that pile first. Leave the rest for later. Hikari, come with me."
Kamizuki Hikari was about to refuse when he met Tsunade’s unyielding stare and immediately swallowed his words.
The two of them walked in silence until they reached the top of the Hokage Rock.
[Huh? Why here? Does the view from up high make her feel better or something?]
Hikari glanced at the village below, then looked away.
[Eh... not that impressive, honestly. Nothing special.]
Tsunade wasn’t going to give him a chance to escape the question. She went straight in.
"Hikari, how do you think Konoha should change moving forward?"
"I think..."
He hadn’t even finished before Tsunade cut him off.
"You’d better give me a proper answer. The Hokage’s authority must remain intact, and the village’s stability cannot be compromised."
["Tsunade, why must you make things so hard for a handsome guy like me?"]
Hikari gave her a resentful look. He felt like he’d just walked into a trap.
He wasn't even familiar with this kind of thing—why was the burden falling on him?
[Well, good thing I know history. Whether it's the Three Departments and Six Ministries, or a cabinet system, I’ve at least heard of them. All I need to do is adapt it a little.]
Konoha was a military organization. The Hokage only needed to control the core military power and possess unquestionable strength. As long as those conditions were met, no one would dare challenge the position.
"The Intelligence Division, ANBU, Jonin Squad, Finance Department, Medical Division, and Mission Department should remain as they are. In addition, we should establish a Civil Affairs Department to handle the village’s civilian matters."
"Of these departments, the most complex are the Civil Affairs and the Mission Departments. Civil affairs concern Konoha’s foundation, while missions affect shinobi income. The Civil Affairs head doesn’t need exceptional combat skills—just a solid understanding of governance and integrity."
"The Mission Department deals directly with shinobi, so I suggest the Hokage oversee it personally."
Tsunade frowned, clearly displeased with the last part.
"If that’s the case, I’ll still be swamped with work."
