"Damn it—what the hell is wrong with this mountain?!"
Hyuga Kiyonari had a dream. In it, he became a character from a manga he'd once read and enjoyed the exact same "entrance treatment" as that character.
Oh, right.
The author of that manga was Gosho Aoyama—but the first time Kiyonari opened the series, it wasn't because of Detective Conan. It was because he'd been stunned by this detective's dramatic entrance.
Question: How does a person climb an angled wall with no tools at all?
Answer: Press both hands against the two walls forming the angle and use friction to inch your body upward.
Kiyonari woke up almost suffocating. Groggy, he opened his eyes—his view completely blocked, his head barely able to move.
At this moment, he was tightly trapped in Tsunade's arms like a stuffed doll. Her warmth seeped through thin sleepwear, carrying the unique fragrance of a mature woman… and also a very literal sense of being smothered.
How is her sleeping posture this awful?!
That was the first thought that surfaced—then he belatedly realized something else.
He didn't feel even a shred of longing or tenderness. His heart was full of pure resentment at Tsunade for ruining his sleep.
Being young really had its perks—his body didn't react at all. No wonder only men could truly understand what Momonosuke was doing.
Kiyonari tried to wriggle free, but Tsunade's arms clamped him like iron. He couldn't budge. Left with no choice, he stretched his hand over his head and shoved Tsunade's cheek as hard as he could.
"Mmm…"
Tsunade muttered vaguely, rolled over, and kept sleeping.
Catching that half-awake moment, Kiyonari finally escaped. He gulped several breaths of fresh air, feeling like he'd come back to life, then glanced to the side—Shizune was sleeping on her side, her posture much more proper.
After dressing and stepping out of the tent, a cool chill hit his face. He instinctively started loosening up his body.
"Kiyonari-kun, morning." A voice came from behind.
Kiyonari turned and saw Shisui standing not far away. He'd clearly already done morning training—fine sweat still beaded across his forehead.
"Morning, Shisui-senpai." Kiyonari nodded politely.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Shisui asked.
"It was… fine." Kiyonari looked a little awkward. He couldn't exactly say he'd nearly been smothered.
Shisui seemed to see through something and smiled faintly. "I heard you used to sleep alone, so you're not quite used to it, right?"
"A little."
"Can't be helped. This is the border, after all—conditions are limited. Everyone has to squeeze in." Shisui's tone shifted. "By the way, the mess hall is serving food. Want to go together?"
"Sure."
They headed to the mess hall together. Along the way, many shinobi greeted Shisui proactively. For an Uchiha to be able to achieve that much—it showed how outstanding Shisui was.
The mess hall didn't allow dine-in. You took food and left, so you wouldn't affect others. The two had just gotten their meals and stepped outside when they ran into Tsunade and Shizune head-on.
"Yo—perfect timing," Tsunade called. "Wait for me. Let's go to the command room and eat while we talk."
Shizune went into the mess hall to get food. Tsunade stretched, walked up to Kiyonari, and patted his head lightly.
"Kiyonari, after breakfast have Shizune take you to the infirmary camp."
If it weren't for her hemophobia, she would've brought him herself. A doctor who couldn't stand the sight of blood—how pathetic.
"Yes, Sensei," Kiyonari replied.
Before long, the four of them returned to the command room, and Tsunade immediately resumed the topic from last night.
"If I hand all the administrative work to Shisui first and only do part of it myself… wouldn't I end up too idle?"
Because you all think like that, the Seventh Hokage in the future ends up so exhausted even his shadow clones collapse.
Kiyonari obviously couldn't say that. After thinking a moment, he explained like this:
"I once read a novel about two countries with similar strength. One day, Country A suddenly raised an army to punish Country B. B was caught completely off guard, and soon A's army pushed all the way to B's capital. The final battle was about to begin."
"The daimyō of Country A was extremely capable. He personally planned the entire decisive battle, assigning every detail to every general—down to each unit, even each person's task. Meanwhile, Country B's ruler first convened a council and said to his ministers: 'Oh no, Country A's army is coming—what should we do?'"
"Now, Sensei, Shizune, Shisui-senpai—who do you think won?"
Tsunade considered. "Country A."
Shizune nodded as well. "Country A advanced like a raging wave straight to the capital. Their momentum would be unstoppable."
Shisui added, "I also think Country A. Even if the nations are equal, A's daimyō is like the Hokage—meticulous and calculating. B's daimyō can only panic and rely on everyone to come up with ideas."
But Kiyonari smiled. "The final battle was actually won by Country B."
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Hulao Pass.
Back then, Yuan Shao acted as coalition leader for the eighteen warlords, personally telling each lord what to do. In the end, when things went wrong, not a single person stepped forward.
Because you arranged everything—who are we supposed to ask?
On Dong Zhuo's side, they calmly held a small meeting: "The eighteen warlords are coming—what should we do?" And the whole room of generals scrambled to volunteer.
You think Dong Zhuo sat in that position without ability?
Of course he had ability—he just had to hold back.
Modern management theory says it too: the stronger the boss, the weaker the team. The weaker the boss, the stronger the team.
Look at Xiang Yu and Liu Bang—one strong, one weak. Xiang Yu was better than Liu Bang in nearly everything, yet people flocked to Liu Bang.
Why?
Because if I follow Xiang Yu, I never get a chance to shine.
The moment you have an idea, everyone below shuts up. Only if you truly listen will people dare to speak.
That's why the first point in Memorial on Sending Out the Troops is "it is fitting to broaden your hearing."
Tsunade nodded thoughtfully. "So if what you say is true… then the old man actually wasn't wrong?"
"There's still a difference." Kiyonari sighed. "Broadening counsel is a method of being Hokage, but it's not the responsibility of being Hokage. Besides… today's shinobi don't support the Hokage doing it that way."
Shisui froze and couldn't help asking, "Why?"
He'd been desperately trying to ease the rift between the Uchiha and Konoha, only to watch it deepen day by day.
Clearly, he didn't have the ability. And hearing Kiyonari say this made Shisui feel a sting—as if he was fated to fail.
Kiyonari understood Shisui's feelings, but he still had to say it. "In history, shinobi as a whole are quite similar to the Hyuga clan."
"Shinobi treat obedience as their duty. Whether the order is reasonable or not, they think: as long as I obey, I'm fine. Over time, most shinobi give up their right to think. They become like the Hyuga branch family—while thinking itself becomes the privilege of a few, like the Hyuga main family."
"Shisui-senpai is truly impressive—earning the name 'Shisui of the Body Flicker.' But that doesn't mean you're a political genius too."
"So the Third Hokage should act like Daimyō A—because he has no subordinates who can solve the Uchiha problem. And Sensei should act like Daimyō B—because Shisui-senpai has the ability to handle border matters."
Tsunade, as if enlightened, asked again, "Then what you called 'the responsibility of being Hokage'… what is it?"
Kiyonari stood and pointed out the window. "This."
Tsunade, Shizune, and Shisui all rose and looked.
Outside, the camp was orderly. Shinobi moved back and forth, each doing their part. Patrol squads returning were reporting in, laughing now and then with comrades, faces relaxed—
Watching this, Kiyonari's voice drifted from behind them:
"A Hokage—or any leader—has one most basic job: bring everyone's hearts together. Find a direction so people willingly follow you."
"Here on the border, the direction Sensei pointed out is 'resist Kumogakure.'"
"Whether we're truly resisting Kumogakure, whether Kumogakure truly needs to be resisted, whether resisting will succeed—none of that matters. If this goal gathers everyone here and makes them willing to work, then it's a successful direction."
Konoha—no, Sarutobi Hiruzen—was just like Yuan Shao.
He had food, land, people, and a treasury full of money. Life was too comfortable, so he didn't know what to do.
So when he held meetings, everyone spoke from self-interest. But self-interest can never be fully untangled.
In that situation, Konoha had no direction, so Hiruzen couldn't choose what to sacrifice and what to keep.
Danzo sounded reasonable. Shisui and Itachi sounded reasonable. He didn't know who to listen to. So what did he do?
He stalled.
And in the end, Danzo thought: if you're like this, I can't let "the Will of the Root" down.
So he conspired with Itachi, acted first and reported later, and wiped out the Uchiha.
It wasn't Hiruzen's intent, but you tell me—was the problem "solved" or not?
Tsunade's eyes brightened. She murmured softly, "I understand."
In Konoha, because the old man couldn't point out a direction, everyone acted according to their own thinking, their strength pulling in different directions, and splits and infighting only grew worse.
"Then what do you think… I should do?"
The moment she said it, Shizune and Shisui both jolted and exchanged looks.
Tsunade-sama is really intending to… become Hokage?
Kiyonari put his hands on his hips. "That's easy. Just shout a slogan."
"What slogan?"
"Make Konoha Great Again!"
~~~
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