"What is Lord Haseo contemplating?"
When Haseo fell into thought, it could mean he was seriously contemplating something, lost in fantasy—or most likely, just zoning out.
"I'm thinking about how to raise the Hokage's salary a bit. I just reviewed the Third's compensation... Although it's already high enough, it can still go higher."
Without turning his head, Haseo said this to Uzumaki Shikou, who had come over to report something.
As for what exactly she was reporting, naturally he only half-listened.
Right now, Haseo was sitting on a chair, his back to his desk facing the window while appreciating the scenery outside... although there wasn't much to see besides neatly lined buildings and, further away, the Hokage Cliffs.
This was Haseo's office—the new "Third Hokage's Office." The Inauguration Ritual was yesterday.
Though Haseo's status had changed, Shikou still addressed him as "Lord Haseo," rather than calling him "The Fourth" or "Lord Hokage." This had nothing to do with Haseo's preferences—it was entirely her choice. The meaning behind this... well, better left unspoken.
"If there's no way to get me additional special funding, what if we reallocate some of the ninja salaries instead..."
Then Haseo proposed another idea that would surely require him to apologize to the entire nation, guarantee backlash from the Elders, and provoke rebellion among the ninja.
"Lord Haseo, you don't have any particular material needs... Perhaps you should ask Tsunade-sama to change her bad habits."
By now, Tsunade's reputation as a notorious gambler had spread throughout Konoha. Some elders even said she was "just like her grandfather—in his worst days." Of course, nobody dared speak these words openly. Everyone pretended not to know.
"There's no need for that. That's merely one of her hobbies. It's just part of daily life—an extra spice, so to speak... Just like some people enjoy chess while others prefer clubbing."
Inside, Haseo was quietly crumbling, having reached the point where "Crying doesn't make you weak," but at times like this, he still needed to maintain appearances.
"Don't worry, I was only kidding...
I will absolutely never take a single coin from our ninja; Konoha can fall, but it will never be corrupted from within.
That said... If possible, it'd be best if this village could grow into a listed company before it collapses."
"...Why are you putting on this act here?" Shikou mused inwardly.
"Lord Haseo, if possible, please try your best to keep Konoha from collapsing."
"I understand."
Haseo replied casually.
The newly appointed Hokage appeared somewhat unreliable.
"Also, regarding what I just reported earlier, Lord Haseo?"
"You can handle routine matters yourself going forward—just report the results to me periodically... Follow the procedures set by Kagenami's system."
And... he became even less dependable.
Even after becoming Hokage, the position of Master of Kagenami still remained directly under Lord Haseo's authority. It was simply not yet time for her to step down from that role.
Yet managing a small organization like Kagenami, composed of just several dozen members, was entirely different from overseeing Konoha, a massive village with over ten thousand shinobi and a total population exceeding two hundred thousand. The issue wasn't about Uzumaki Shikou's abilities per se, but rather her identity and the implications of holding such a position.
"Lord Haseo, wouldn't this possibly lead to some problems?"
"What kind of problem could there be? If her character, abilities, and my trust in her are all solid, then no one will question her role."
Although Haseo's delegation of power seemed somewhat exaggerated, Shikou was undeniably trustworthy. In many aspects, she actually handled things better than he did... And Haseo hadn't completely withdrawn from his duties either—he would still make decisions regarding major wartime matters as the Fourth Hokage.
"I understand your concerns. Don't worry—you'll have the proper title to support your authority."
Within Kagenami, Uzumaki Shikou had only been the "secretary," but even that role was enough for her to manage the entire organization.
However, in Konoha itself, such an arrangement simply wouldn't work. In theory, the Hokage's secretary was no different from a personal aide; there were many affairs she simply wouldn't have the authority to interfere in.
"Now that I'm Hokage, one of the first things I need to do is increase the number of Elders. You from Kagenami, along with Sakumo Hatake and the three disciples of The Third, will all receive these titles..."
While being an Elder carried a degree of prestige, without an official appointment, the actual scope of their authority was quite vague.
"Therefore, once you obtain this title along with my formal appointment, you'll then have legitimate justification to assist me with numerous duties."
Haseo had indeed thought things through rather thoroughly... Well, at least he was doing it for the sake of convenience.
At this moment, the Fourth Hokage looked like some German noble who had randomly become king of England—throwing away his Hokage power like it was smelly dog crap.
"Won't this affect the current two Elders' interests? At this stage, Lord Haseo should still maintain the support of the Elders."
"Their authority won't actually be affected—it's not like they'll lose any real power. The two Elders will continue handling their original responsibilities. The only difference is that they won't be the sole Elders anymore—their status will merely be shared.
But I can guarantee they'll support my decision wholeheartedly... especially once they realize that the reason I'm increasing the Elder ranks is precisely to dilute my own power.
Compared to what little they'll actually lose, those two will definitely see the danger of me using Hokage powers however I want as much greater."
Although Haseo had only delegated routine administrative tasks to Shikou—this wasn't true decentralization by any means, since she followed his orders without question—still... compared to himself, Uzumaki Shikou did seem more reliable.
"...Lord Haseo, since you clearly understand all of this, why don't you properly fulfill the role of Hokage yourself? You clearly have the ability to do it well." Shikou finally said. This was actually quite a tactful form of persuasion.
And Haseo's response was refreshingly concise and straightforward:
"Because I'm lazy."
"This clearly shows he has no interest in managing the village or fulfilling the Hokage role.
If someone really wanted to be Hokage and had plans for the village, they'd start by figuring out what's wrong, push some reforms, maybe even try shaking up the system once they got the job. But Haseo didn't seem to care about any of that.
He thought Konoha was doing just fine already, so he figured he'd just keep things running as they were. Funny thing though—if he tried changing anything, the two Elders would hate him. But if he changed *nothing*, they'd still get mad anyway.
The Hokage's position was incredibly significant—how could this person simply not value it?
"Alright, let's stop here... Time's about right; we need to head out now."
Haseo stopped Uzumaki Shikou from continuing. Then he stood up and prepared to leave his office.
After becoming The Fourth, the very first crucial thing he needed to do... surprisingly was to preside over the Third Hokage's funeral.
Because his identity was the most formal, solemn, and appropriate.
Therefore, both Haseo and Uzumaki Shikou were dressed entirely in black today.
As for Tsunade, she had already arrived at the site earlier and should now be with Sarutobi's clan members—the three apprentices, besides family, were probably the closest people to the Third Hokage. One could even say the Sannin were like his family too.
However, only Tsunade was permitted to appear at the funeral.
Whether it was due to Haseo's previous suggestion taking effect, the Sarutobi clan ultimately decided upon cremation for the Third's remains.
The ceremony was set just outside Memorial Park, and everything was already fully prepared when Haseo arrived.
The Third's body was extremely well-preserved, showing absolutely no sign of having perished long ago... indeed, he looked peacefully asleep.
Except instead of lying on a bed now, he rested atop specially treated firewood.
Haseo stepped forward and confirmed it was truly the Third's remains without mistake.
Many people were immersed in grief; needless to say, there was absolutely no need to chatter pointlessly at such an occasion—everyone silently followed the procedure.
"Farewell, the Third. May you journey well."
Just as Haseo was silently offering his final—and genuinely heartfelt—blessing in his heart, Kohei Sarutobi approached and handed him a burning torch.
"Eh…?"
What the heck does this mean?
First the Second, then the Third—so what am I, some kind of official flame guy? Burner for life or something?
Who the hell came up with this bad taste joke?
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