After seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi off, the atmosphere in the Hokage Office finally returned to normal.
"Phew."
Shikaku let out a sigh of relief, looking at the large hole in the wall, and said helplessly, "I'll go find a craftsman."
As Shikaku left through the hole, Minato turned his gaze to Ren and said warmly, "Thank you, Ren."
"Don't be like that, Minato-ge," Ren walked over to the window and sat down, spreading his hands.
"This matter has a lot to do with me; it was bound to be dealt with sooner or later, and it's good that it's resolved now."
Ultimately, this matter was mainly because Utatane Koharu and the other Advisor were worried that Uzumaki Meihui, whose identity was unknown, would bring great loss and impact to Konoha.
After all, when Land of Whirlpools was in trouble, Konoha, as its ally, did not care or provide any help, watching Land of Whirlpools be destroyed and the Uzumaki clan exterminated.
And at that time, the Konoha Elder Council, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, was in charge of Konoha's power.
Worried that these fleeing Uzumaki Clan members would harbor resentment towards Konoha and seek retaliation, the two Advisors came to the Hokage Office early, intending to use their status as Elders and Advisors to force Minato to control Uzumaki Meihui and her daughter.
But they overlooked one thing: Konoha's current Hokage was no longer their long-time friend Hiruzen Sarutobi, but the increasingly prestigious Minato Namikaze, and people like Shikaku, who were by his side, had already become their respective clan heads.
Even Sakumo Hatake, who was still serving as the Anbu Captain, had developed a rift due to an incident several years ago, and compared to Utatane Koharu and others, he identified more with the newly appointed Minato.
With Kushina, who was a Jinchuriki, and Ren both standing with Minato, these nominal Hokage Advisors like Utatane Koharu and the other Advisor actually no longer had much power to influence the Hokage's decisions.
Just then, Shikaku returned with a craftsman. He walked closer and looked at Minato, saying somewhat apologetically, "Minato, I need to take two days off."
"Alright," Minato put down the documents in his hand, thought for a moment, then agreed, nodding, "Don't worry about work; things are fine here."
"Thank you," Shikaku nodded, then quickly added, "I'll be back as soon as I'm done with this busy period."
"Mmm."
After seeing Shikaku off, Minato was about to continue when Ren's puzzled voice came from behind him.
"Minato-ge, what's going on? Did something happen with Shikaku?"
"Oh, that…" Minato turned his chair around and said with a helpless expression, "Did you forget? Shikaku's child is due this month."
"Eh?" Ren was startled at first, then realized.
Calculating the time, it was indeed close. How fast! Shikamaru was about to be born, so next month, it would be Naruto, right…
A glint flashed in Ren's eyes, then he turned his gaze to the documents on the table and nodded, "So, you'll also have to take care of Kushina-nee. Can you handle the work during that time?"
"Uh…" Looking at the mountain of documents in front of him, Minato couldn't help but show a bitter smile.
"It's manageable, I guess. I can only push through now."
What Minato was thinking now was to hold on until Shikaku returned. Fortunately, the due dates for their wives were staggered, otherwise, it would have been difficult.
"Do you want me to call Choumei Uncle to come help?" Ren propped his chin with his hand and asked.
After returning from the battlefield, Nara Choumei had settled down in the deer park where the two first met. Although it was still early for him to retire, he lived a leisurely life, clocking in and out on time every day, buying good wine and food, sitting by the lake, and enjoying the company of deer. It was incredibly relaxed.
"No need to trouble him. With the current situation, I can't leave either, so I'll just have Kakashi's side pay more attention."
"Actually, you don't need to worry," Ren thought for a moment, then said, "If it really comes down to it, since Sister Meihui just arrived, let her stay at your place for now. She can also look after Kushina-nee at all times.
You can stay at my place until Shikaku returns."
"Really?" Upon hearing this, Minato's eyes lit up. He stood up, walked over to Ren, patted his shoulder, and smiled, "Then thank you."
"…Eh?" Looking at Minato's smiling face, Ren's brain first stalled, then his mouth twitched twice as he realized what had happened.
Damn it, I fell for it!
"Uh, well." A weak voice sounded. Ren and Minato instinctively turned their heads and saw Hidan standing in the corner, looking at them with a resentful expression.
Hidan had been quiet since entering the room. After numerous Anbu members flooded in, he consciously stood in the corner. Only after everything had calmed down did he dare to speak.
"Uh,Hidan," Ren scratched his head awkwardly, then fumbled out two Soldier Ration Pills from his person and threw them over, chuckling, "Here, have some candy."
He had been too engrossed in the argument earlier and had momentarily forgotten that he had a junior following him.
Hidan rolled his eyes, threw the Soldier Ration Pills into his mouth, and looked at the two, scratching his head, "So, where do I go?"
He already had a place to stay in Konoha, but he was still clueless about what to do next or how to become stronger.
"You…" Ren already had a plan for this. He looked at Minato and said without hesitation, "Minato-ge, arrange this kid into our Team One."
"Hmm?" Minato looked left and right at the two for a moment, then said with some surprise, "You want him in Anbu, and Team One?"
"Don't worry," Before Minato could refuse, Ren spoke first, "Besides his personality, this guy is perfectly suited for Anbu in every other aspect. I know other positions definitely won't suit him."
Ren knew Hidan's situation all too well. Aside from fighting, he was completely clueless about everything else. Putting him in Anbu's Team One, which constantly fought, couldn't be more suitable.
Not just Ren, but even Hidan looked at Minato with anticipation.
For him, becoming one of those guys in black cloaks and masks, like he just saw, was really cool!
"No." The ideal was beautiful, but reality was harsh.
Minato directly refused the request, frowning, "He's too young for Anbu, let alone Team One, which has the highest mission difficulty and is the most dangerous."
"Tsk…" Ren scratched his head, a little frustrated, and realized he had been too hasty.
Currently, the youngest Anbu members were him and Kakashi, both twelve years old. As for Hidan, who was only eight, even though he had gained the ability of immortality, he wasn't invincible.
Although, given the bizarre nature of his abilities, it wasn't impossible for him to join Team One, Minato's words suddenly made Ren decide not to let Hidan join Team One.
He could have a better place to go…