As Gato worked toward seizing control of Nami no Kuni, similar crime syndicates began to emerge across other nations, taking advantage of the chaos caused by ongoing wars to grow their empires.
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Kushina strode toward her workplace, dressed in what her devoted followers had dubbed her "elegant work outfit."
Her form-fitting attire included a long-sleeved white blouse beneath an unbuttoned black blazer, a knee-length pencil skirt, and sheer black stockings.
Though modest, the sleek outfit accentuated her figure while leaving everything covered.
A week had passed since her wardrobe transformation, yet she still recalled the stares she received that first day—from the streets leading to the Hokage Tower all the way to her office.
At first, it had been amusing. But she hadn't expected to draw constant attention from nearly every man around her—and even a few kunoichi.
The shy or awkward ones were the most entertaining; if they struggled to talk to her before, now they could barely get a word out.
Even Hiruzen had praised her new look, along with several others in the office.
Over the past week, she had spent most of her time integrating with various departments in the Hokage Tower, especially those handling paperwork.
Unbeknownst to her, the performance of those departments fluctuated noticeably—depending on who was asked.
What Kushina did notice was that her requests were suddenly being prioritized, though she chalked it up to her position rather than her appearance.
Just as Mikoto had predicted, merchants had started replicating her style.
Only yesterday, she had spotted mannequins in shop windows wearing versions of her outfit in different colors.
Even hair salons had begun offering the "Kushina Boss Lady" hairstyle.
Without her realizing it, her "Boss Office Lady" image had become a trend among shinobi. Women in the red-light district reported that many clients were now asking them to dress like her.
As a result, several risqué versions of her outfit had appeared and become extremely popular in those circles.
Kushina's thoughts returned to the present as she arrived at her destination—the Archives Department.
As its name implied, the department managed all official records maintained by the Hokage Tower.
It was divided into several branches, including Mission Archives, Research Archives, Accounts Archives, and more.
To Kushina, there were simply too many to keep track of. Today, her focus was on the Accounts Archives, where she would review the village's budget and expenditures from the past four years.
When she had asked the Sandaime Hokage why such a personal review was necessary, he had given a single-word answer: "War."
The weight of that word hit her hard. While Konoha remained peaceful on the surface, maintaining that peace came at a cost—the steady deployment of forces across the Fire Nation and its borders.
Though Konoha wasn't engaged in an open war anymore, the situation was just as draining—particularly from an economic perspective.
Long-term deployment of forces came with a heavy price tag. From mission rewards to maintaining basic supplies, every little thing required funding.
On top of that, Konoha had to uphold several treaties with smaller neighboring nations that served as buffer zones between the great powers.
Many of those agreements included financial contributions from Konoha to keep relations smooth and beneficial.
The Sandaime had personally tasked Kushina with assessing the full cost of this ongoing "war" over the past four years.
When she asked if the data wasn't already compiled, his response had been simple: "I do have the numbers, Kushina. But sometimes, you need to calculate it yourself to truly grasp the reality."
He had granted her permission to enlist anyone she needed to gather the necessary data.
And so, for the past two days, she had been poring over countless reports, trying to piece together the real financial toll of these operations. What shocked her most was how expensive even the most basic needs were for shinobi stationed in the field.
A single meal that might cost 100 ryo within the village jumped to 350 ryo when transport, packaging, and logistics were included.
It had been a sobering realization. The less said about the funds poured into leisure and recreation centers for the troops, the better.
Then there were the immense costs of maintaining supply chains and storage facilities—expenses that added up faster than anyone realized.
Her focus was broken when a chunin entered the room, carrying a thick stack of papers.
"Kushina-sama, I've finished compiling the month-by-month cost reports from the Hot Springs Country for the past four years, as requested," he said, setting the file before her.
"Thank you, Ryoichi-san. You and your team have been a big help," she replied warmly.
Ryoichi, a sturdy young man about Kakashi's age, had been assigned to assist her, along with three somewhat seasoned genin.
Over the last couple of days, he had shared bits of his story—how he, like many others in the Archives Department, had ended up there after failing the survival test following the genin exams.
His academy sensei had recommended the archives as an alternative, and rather than risk an uncertain future in the reserves, he had taken the offer.
Kushina could understand. Becoming an active shinobi wasn't easy, and being rejected by a potential sensei made the path even steeper.
Records showed that more than half of those who failed the survival test left the corps altogether, while those who stayed were often relegated to second- or third-tier positions.
They rarely got access to higher-ranked missions, and without clan backing, it was almost impossible to advance their skills. For most, progress was slow and discouraging.
Many such shinobi eventually sought stability in administrative or support divisions within the village's military structure.
Kushina silently resolved to address the issue once she held more authority. If she could provide these underused forces with better training opportunities, they could rotate with front-line troops and significantly strengthen Konoha's defenses.
Lost in thought as she skimmed through Ryoichi's latest report, Kushina barely noticed the young chunin stealing discreet glances at her.
With her blazer draped over her chair and the top button of her blouse undone, Ryoichi couldn't help but be distracted by the view.