Nara Shikaku returned to the Hokage Building and saw Uchiha Ran sitting calmly inside. Unlike before, Ran no longer carried a stern expression. Instead, there was a faint smile on his face.
"Hokage-sama," Shikaku said respectfully, "your planning was truly meticulous. I admire it."
Ran paused, teacup still in hand, and looked at Shikaku with a strange expression.
"Have you lost your mind?" he asked flatly. "What are you talking about?"
Shikaku laughed lightly. "Hokage-sama, don't play dumb with me. We both know what this is about."
"Stop—hold on," Ran interrupted, frowning. Shikaku's tone made him instinctively uncomfortable. "Just say what you mean."
"Then I will," Shikaku said, pouring himself a cup of tea. After taking a sip, he calmly explained everything he had just pieced together—Ran's intentions regarding the Three-Tails, the sealing problem, and the possibility of relying on Namikaze Minato's sealing knowledge through Naruto.
When he finished, Ran fell silent.
He was genuinely stunned.
Why hadn't he thought of Minato earlier?
He had been worrying about what kind of sealing technique could be used to restrain a returned Tailed Beast without causing chaos in Konoha. Yet Shikaku had already connected all the pieces.
Since his subordinate believed he had already seen through everything, Ran naturally couldn't back down.
He set the teacup aside and sighed.
"You really can't hide anything from me, Shikaku. You're right. That's exactly what I was thinking."
Then he added calmly, "In fact, your talent surpasses mine."
Shikaku's expression changed instantly. He dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.
"Hokage-sama!" he said hurriedly. "Governing Konoha doesn't rely on intelligence alone—it also requires overwhelming strength. You defeated three villages and Orochimaru. That's something I could never do."
"This plan was conceived and executed by you. I only understood it afterward."
"Please don't joke like that again. The position of Hokage belongs to you alone."
Cold sweat soaked his back. No ruler liked subordinates who could see too much. He had overstepped.
Ran watched him quietly for a moment, then smiled and stepped forward. He reached down and helped Shikaku to his feet, brushing the dust from his knees.
"You're overthinking it," Ran said. "I'm simply acknowledging your ability. Nothing more."
That simple gesture struck Shikaku deeply.
He hadn't expected Ran not only to spare him, but to personally help him up.
Shikaku was about to kneel again when Ran stopped him.
"We're comrades. Why kneel?"
He took Shikaku by the arm and led him outside.
From that moment on, Shikaku's loyalty completely changed. What had once been pragmatic calculation turned into genuine conviction. Ran's vision, decisiveness, and foresight made him willing to follow without reservation.
That evening, the two walked through the lively streets of Konoha together, watching villagers laugh and go about their lives.
"If only this peace could last forever," Shikaku said softly. "In five years… maybe ten… the entire shinobi world will fall into chaos again."
"When that happens, civilians will suffer. Children will be sent to war. Villages will drain their wealth to support the front lines, and ordinary people will tighten their belts just to survive."
Ran looked ahead and smiled faintly.
"That day will come," he said. "But when it does, no one will have to live in fear anymore."
"Every face will be filled with smiles. Our strength and knowledge will exist only to protect the village and its people."
Shikaku froze.
He stared at Ran in disbelief.
Such an ideal sounded impossible in a world built on selfishness and endless conflict. A world where shinobi harmed others for personal gain.
Yet Ran spoke of it without hesitation.
At that moment, Shikaku understood—this man was fundamentally different.
"Hokage-sama," he said solemnly, "if you truly wish to create such a world… then please allow me to follow you."
"I, Nara Shikaku, am willing to devote everything I have—for the arrival of this new era."
Ran looked at him and smiled.
"With you at my side, Shikaku, everything feels effortless. It's truly my fortune."
"Hokage-sama…" Shikaku's eyes reddened. He felt grateful from the bottom of his heart for encountering such a leader.
A light cough came from nearby.
"Ahem," Hyūga Hiashi said. "If you're talking about a new era, the Hyūga Clan cannot be absent."
"Hokage-sama, if this era is to be realized, the Hyūga will stand with you."
Ran laughed. "Of course, Hiashi. With the Hyūga Clan's support, it's like adding wings to a tiger."
He placed an arm around Hiashi's shoulder. Hiashi didn't say much, but a faint smile appeared on his face.
Then another voice spoke up.
"Although the Hatake Clan has declined," Hatake Kakashi said calmly, "I am willing to dedicate myself to you, Hokage-sama."
"From your words, I can tell—you're not someone content with mediocrity."
"I don't seek fame. I only want to contribute to Konoha's stability and the villagers' peace."
Though his face was hidden behind a mask, the curve of Kakashi's eyes revealed his excitement.
For the first time in years, he felt a clear path ahead.
And he was willing to walk it—for Konoha, and for Hokage-sama.
------
Guys there are already upto 40 advance chapters on my patreon (Upto Chapter 158) for now and there will be more soon. So you can go check it out.
👉 patreon.com/TheLazy_sage