Konoha—Hokage Tower.
Tsunade sat behind the desk that had once belonged to the Third Hokage, her brows drawn tight as she flipped through documents piled up like a small mountain. The moment she took the Hokage's seat, the sheer weight of the paperwork pressed down on her with a kind of pressure she'd never felt before.
"This can't go on. I'm going to die of exhaustion."
She set the file down and leaned back, muttering to herself. These were all the handover documents she still had to review—and before she'd even finished, Shisui had sent another piece of bad news.
Their discussion from years ago—her and Hyuga Kiyonari—floated vividly back into her mind.
"Looks like we have to reform things."
While everyone was still gathered for the Hokage inauguration and hadn't dispersed yet, Tsunade summoned them straight into a meeting and began pushing her reform plan.
In the conference room, Tsunade swept her gaze across the crowd. "I'll keep it short. Konoha's current administrative structure and operating mechanisms are seriously outdated. I need to split off part of the Hokage's authority and responsibilities. We'll take a page from the Land of Fire's system and establish several 'ministers' to handle specific domains."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. He hadn't expected Tsunade to move this big, this fast, the moment she stepped in. Wasn't this "three fires for a new official" burning a little too hot?
"Tsunade. Reform shouldn't be rushed. You've only just taken office."
His meaning was obvious: right now, the priority was a smooth transfer of power.
"Time doesn't wait," Tsunade said, shaking her head, her tone grave. "I just received intel from Shisui. The Hidden Cloud seems to be making moves."
"What?!" Everyone jolted.
"The border situation is fully delegated to Shisui. No need to panic," Tsunade said, dragging the discussion back on track. "The urgent issue is restructuring Konoha's administration—improving efficiency—so we can respond to a war if it comes."
With war as the looming backdrop, the debate that followed became far more crisp and efficient.
First: one of the Hokage's heaviest burdens—reviewing the endless commissions posted by clients.
Since commissions were the core of shinobi income and the key proof of their "value," vetting them and recommending suitable ninja had always been one of the Hokage's central duties. Only when even the Hokage couldn't name an appropriate team would a commission go to the public board for ninja to self-nominate.
Tsunade split the commission system into two tiers.
The most common D-rank and C-rank jobs would no longer go across the Hokage's desk. Instead, Shizune would lead a new secretariat to process them, submitting only a monthly summary ledger.
But B-rank and above—anything with real likelihood of combat—would still require the Hokage's direct review.
Next: medical administration. Tsunade handed the entire medical system to Nonō, clearly defining her responsibilities: managing medic-nin and organizing hospital training.
After that, she asked Hiruzen to serve as principal of the Ninja Academy, while also overseeing the medical-ninjutsu interest program.
Then she peeled off more secondary burdens—
And finally, to Danzo Shimura's astonished eyes, Tsunade presented him with a "gift."
Root would be separated from Anbu entirely, becoming an independent system, no longer hiding behind the name "Anbu training division."
Root had long since become a de facto "second Konoha." Other than Danzo, no one could truly command Root agents. The title didn't change reality—but it made Danzo believe Tsunade was extending an olive branch.
With war looming, she must need Root's strength.
Maybe… this is my chance to become the Sixth Hokage!
"Heh…"
Tsunade sneered inwardly. The first step in treating an illness is cutting out the lesion and separating it from healthy tissue.
Of course, these reforms would touch people's interests and trigger resentment. For now, the pressure of potential war kept that discontent suppressed.
And since Tsunade chose not to publicly announce Cloud's abnormal activity yet, it was easy to predict the shockwave her orders would cause once they spread.
But it was necessary. The Hokage couldn't be drowned in repetitive, trivial, meaningless busywork.
The moment the meeting ended, Tsunade began drafting a letter to Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage. The contents were simple: a brief warning about Cloud's unusual movements.
But a new problem appeared immediately—who would deliver it?
A courier crossing national borders needed the strength to protect themselves. More importantly, they needed sharp judgment and the ability to negotiate on Konoha's behalf if necessary—and make on-the-spot decisions.
Right now, Tsunade's available manpower was painfully tight. The most capable people were already tied up in newly assigned roles. For a moment, she couldn't find anyone appropriate.
While Tsunade wrestled with it, Shizune entered the office with Hyuga Kiyonari.
"Sensei, what's wrong?"
"You came at the perfect time." Tsunade quickly summarized the border intel.
"Shisui and I both want your input. If we already suspect their intentions, handing the initiative completely to Cloud again isn't wise. How do you think we should respond?"
Kiyonari thought carefully.
In his previous world, the phrase "we won't fire the first shot" carried weight because everyone understood: if you fire first, you may never get a second chance.
But in the ninja world, Konoha clearly didn't have that kind of absolute deterrence. Under that reality—and with Cloud already showing signs of movement—letting Cloud fully control the decision to start a war really was dangerous.
After a brief pause, Kiyonari said, "I think Shisui's decision is correct."
"However, we can work harder on the Iwa side—probe Ōnoki's true stance on war. An alliance with Iwa must be handled with extreme caution. If we act too eager, Ōnoki may misread it as Konoha being afraid of Cloud."
"We need a way to make Iwa bring up alliance first."
Tsunade's eyes lit up. "That's exactly what I was thinking. But—who has the ability to actually pull that off? What about Kakashi?"
Kiyonari looked at Tsunade, then said suddenly, "Let me go."
He wanted a chance to leave the village for a while.
"You?" Tsunade rejected it instinctively. "You're still too young."
"Sensei," Kiyonari said seriously, "in half a year I'll graduate from the Academy. Round it up, and I'm practically a real ninja."
"And it's just delivering a letter. What danger could there be?"
"Besides, I'm the Hokage's student. That title is enough for Ōnoki to overlook my age and believe I'm qualified to represent your intent in talks."
"And I can ask Slug Sage for help—I can stay in long-distance contact with you. Even in the Land of Earth, I can receive Cloud intel immediately and build negotiation leverage."
He paused, eyes flashing with a sly spark. "And anyway—I've got a secret weapon. You remember how strong that thing is, right? If I catch him off guard, even Ōnoki—"
Tsunade stared at him for a long time, weighing the risks again and again.
She had to admit: Kiyonari really was an excellent choice.
But he was still a student—wasn't even a genin yet—and hadn't truly tasted how cruel the ninja world could be.
Was this too risky?
"I understand your concerns," Kiyonari said, his gaze steady. "But please believe me. I won't disappoint you. The village truly doesn't have much spare manpower right now. Instead of letting you keep worrying, let me try."
Shizune spoke up too. "Tsunade-sama, I think we can entrust it to Kiyonari-kun."
"He's young, but we all know what he's capable of. He'll finish the mission. And while it's important, it isn't extremely dangerous—Konoha and Iwa aren't in direct conflict, and Ōnoki won't bully a messenger."
Tsunade fell silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "Fine. It's yours. But remember: safety first. If you run into danger, don't force it. Preserve yourself above all."
"Yes, sensei!"
…
Land of Rain.
"Cloud even sent the Two-Tails jinchūriki to the front?" After hearing the intel Zetsu gathered, Konan felt a headache bloom.
If they were committing a jinchūriki, it meant Cloud wasn't only serious—they were aiming for a fast, decisive finish.
"What's Konoha's reaction?" she asked.
White Zetsu answered, "Seems like… Uchiha Shisui thinks he can handle it. Konoha hasn't made any move."
"They don't know Cloud is using a jinchūriki, do they?"
Black Zetsu replied, "Of course not."
Konan tapped her fingers lightly on the desk. "Suna only has the One-Tail. Iwa lost the Four-Tails and has only the Five-Tails left. The Six-Tails is gone, the Three-Tails hasn't revived yet, and Mist isn't worth worrying about."
"Konoha has the Nine-Tails, but the Fourth Hokage was killed by 'Uchiha Madara'—they're still badly weakened."
"Among the Five Great Nations, only Cloud still has both the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails. Should Akatsuki use this chance to weaken Cloud?"
She wanted to help Konoha.
The masked man cut in, "We can."
White Zetsu followed immediately. "But that big guy protects his little brother airtight. Infiltrating or luring out the Eight-Tails won't be easy."
The masked man didn't hesitate. "Then the Two-Tails. Find a chance to force it out on the battlefield."
Pain rejected it. "Akatsuki would be exposed too early. It would draw the Five Nations' attention."
"I won't act in Akatsuki's name," the masked man said, ending the meeting. His body twisted into a vortex—and vanished.
As everyone dispersed, White Zetsu's muttering slipped into Konan's ears.
"Ah—Hyuga Kiyonari… why hasn't he written a new story in so long?"
"He's going to the Land of Earth, right? Should we find a chance to ask how he's doing?"
"…Can we really show up in front of him?"