No sooner had Senju Mori assumed the position of Hokage than he immediately began exercising his new authority.
He established a new position within the village — "Advisor" — whose appointment and dismissal rested solely with the Hokage himself.
As for the powers of this position…
Advisors could participate in the decision-making of the village, offer counsel to the Hokage, and—when authorized—assist the Hokage in managing the affairs of Konoha's various departments.
Although Konohagakure was, in name, merely a "village," in reality its structure differed little from that of a proper nation.
Its nine core departments were:
the Administrative Department, Anbu (Black Ops), Medical Department, Intelligence Department, Education Department, Strategy Department, Logistics Department, and Military Police.
As their names suggest, the division of responsibilities was straightforward.
Among them, the Military Police was mainly responsible for maintaining internal security and handling civilian disputes.
Due to the policies established by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, this department had effectively become the private domain of the Uchiha clan, to the point that people informally referred to it as the "Uchiha Military Police Force."
Senju Mori, however, did not act rashly against the Uchiha right away.
Instead, he planned to first identify people he could trust and strategically position them within each of Konoha's core institutions.
He appointed four Advisors in total.
The first was the Hyūga clan head, Hyūga Sōgo.
This appointment was a political promise fulfilled — Hyūga Sōgo, despite his old age, had fought tirelessly for Senju Mori during the election, and rewarding him with an advisory role was hardly excessive.
Senju Mori assigned him oversight of the Intelligence Department, a position perfectly suited to the Hyūga clan's strengths — truly a case of making the most of their talents.
In addition, Senju Mori planned to have the Hyūga establish a new Defense Division.
Though it existed only on paper for now, this division would eventually be responsible for the village's surveillance and counterintelligence operations, making full use of the Byakugan's potential.
Its role would not directly overlap with that of the Uchiha Military Police Force.
Of course, even if there was some overlap, it hardly mattered — after all, the Hokage himself could mediate such conflicts.
To that end, Senju Mori also assigned Senju Shin as Deputy Commander of this new Defense Division, working alongside Hyūga Sōgo to lay its foundations.
Shin had been one of Mori's twelve-man core group in earlier days.
Though not as brilliant a strategist as Senju Hane, he was known for his resilience and steady temperament — qualities Mori valued deeply.
The second Advisor position was given to Senju Tōka, an elite jōnin from within the Senju clan.
While the Senju clan was Mori's own, it had contributed a solid thirty-five votes to his election as Hokage — so his decision to appoint a clan member was hardly an act of favoritism.
Senju Tōka had once served beside Senju Hashirama during the Warring States period, making her one of the oldest surviving veterans of the First Hokage's era — a figure of both seniority and immense respect within the clan.
Moreover, with age, Tōka was no longer suited for front-line combat.
Transitioning to the management of internal affairs suited her perfectly.
Senju Mori decided to have her take charge of the Medical Department.
This was a department he intended to greatly develop in the coming years, and he wanted his most reliable people in charge from the start.
In this world, most researchers began their careers as medical-nin.
Anyone wishing to conduct experiments, study or develop forbidden techniques, or innovate new ninjutsu required a foundation in medical ninjutsu, which was indispensable to all such endeavors.
And given the enormous demand for medical-nin during wartime, even from a purely strategic standpoint, Senju Mori was determined to begin cultivating such talent immediately.
By all rights, considering experience, seniority, and prestige, the position of Advisor should have gone to one of the Senju clan's elder council members.
But really, who told those elders to oppose Senju Mori in the first place?
They had been willing to abandon even the interests and unity of their own clan—something Mori utterly despised.
Although, in the final moments of the election, they hadn't dared to openly side against him, Mori still had no desire to employ those decayed, narrow-minded old men.
Keeping them in their positions within the clan was already a gesture of respect; they could forget about meddling in the village's affairs ever again.
Aside from that, Nara Shikajō became the third Advisor, taking charge of the Strategy Department.
Although the two of them had never made any explicit political agreement, Shikajō's timely betrayal of Sarutobi Hiruzen at the last moment had been precise and devastating.
Even if only to "buy the bones of a fine horse" — to reward loyalty as a symbol — Senju Mori had to elevate Shikajō to a high position in the village.
Just having him sit as an Advisor for a single day would serve as a living advertisement to everyone in Konoha, showing exactly how profitable it could be to abandon Sarutobi Hiruzen and side with Senju Mori.
Therefore, Shikajō couldn't just be a decorative Advisor in name only; he had to be given real power and influence.
The Strategy Department itself functioned as the Hokage's brain trust in peacetime, responsible for analysis and planning, while in wartime it oversaw military command and operations.
The head of this department was often regarded as the Hokage's most trusted confidant.
After careful consideration, Senju Mori also arranged for Senju Hane to join the Strategy Department—but unlike before, he didn't specify an exact title, simply instructing him to stay by Nara Shikajō's side to learn and observe.
As for what position he would eventually assume, Mori left that to the newly appointed department head, Nara Shikajō, to decide for himself.
Finally, Senju Mori made a decision that took nearly everyone by surprise—
He promoted Sarutobi Hiruzen as the fourth Advisor, assigning him the role of Deputy Head of the Administrative Department.
The Administrative Department was one of the core organs of the village, arguably its central nervous system, responsible for formulating and implementing key village policies, handling requests from clients, and distributing missions to Konoha's shinobi.
However, everyone clearly understood that this appointment was not the same as the previous three Advisors.
This was a political gesture—a demonstration of magnanimity from the victor and an effort to maintain the illusion of unity within the village.
Every shinobi who came to accept missions would now see the image Senju Mori wanted them to see:
that he had graciously welcomed his former rival, and that even Sarutobi Hiruzen himself had accepted his new fate—to serve under Senju Mori.
That little word "Deputy" before his title also carried a very particular meaning.
In Konoha's system, the balance of authority between a department's head and deputy was delicate.
If the department head was willing to share power, the deputy's authority could be nearly equal to that of the actual head.
But if the head kept a tight grip on control, the deputy became little more than a figurehead—someone who might not even have the authority to give a single order.
In that case, even a squad leader might wield more practical power.
And as for who the head of the Administrative Department was… of course, Senju Mori himself.
As Hokage, Mori personally served as Head of the Administrative Department and Head of the Education Department, as well as Principal of the Ninja Academy.
The mission system was the economic lifeline of the Hidden Village and its greatest source of independence from the daimyō's control.
Education, meanwhile, shaped the ideology of the next generation of Konoha shinobi.
These were areas Mori could never allow out of his own hands.
As Principal of the Ninja Academy, he would personally attend each year's opening ceremony to deliver a speech—
a speech in which he would interpret his own version of the "Will of Fire."
He would also directly oversee the selection of academy instructors, ensuring that no one with ulterior motives could infiltrate the teaching ranks.
Senju Mori understood all too well:
Ninjutsu can only take a life—
but education, and the indomitable power of the Will of Fire, can reshape an entire soul.