*Creak!*
The door to the Hokage's office opened, and Kamizuki Hikari leisurely walked in, taking a seat on his exclusive chair.
At the desk, Shizune, who had been buried in paperwork, looked up at Hikari with a mix of envy and resentment in her eyes. If only she could have some free time too.
Turning her head to glance at Tsunade, who was sitting next to her with her eyes closed, Shizune shook her head helplessly.
The moment they returned, Tsunade had declared she was exhausted and needed rest.
On this, Shizune had nothing to say.
Tsunade had just come back from the hospital after performing surgery on Lee. It wasn't just her chakra that was drained, but also a great deal of mental energy. If she needed to rest, Shizune could not argue against it.
But Hikari?
All he did was assist in one surgery, and now he got to sit there and relax? Such unequal treatment naturally made Shizune envious.
"Hikari, I'm planning to visit the Daimyō's residence tomorrow. You come with me," Tsunade suddenly sat up and said.
Hikari waved his hand dismissively. "Can I refuse?"
"No!"
"Tsunade-sama, you are the Hokage. The Hokage's guard should at least be composed of jonin to match your status. Why not select a few from the jonin or special jonin squads?"
[Please don't pick me!]
[The Daimyō's residence is nowhere near as fun as staying in Konoha. Here, I can slack off while pretending to work. I love it!]
Though she did know what Hikari was thinking, Tsunade had her own plans.
After becoming Hokage, she had minimized the advisory council's power, swiftly drawing important departments under her influence. While Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado hadn't openly objected, they were surely plotting something behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, the Daimyō was causing trouble over military expenses. If this matter wasn't handled properly, Tsunade could face the risk of being removed from office.
For Tsunade, this was unacceptable.
Even though she never had much desire for the Hokage position, now that she had taken it, she refused to be disgracefully ousted. That kind of humiliation was unbearable for anyone.
"No, you must come with me this time. Besides, I plan to have Gai and Kurenai lead the teams, with Kakashi staying behind to guard the Hokage Building and protect Konoha." Tsunade stated her arrangements.
Hikari scratched his head, looking utterly unwilling.
[Going out? What a hassle.]
[But if I refuse, Tsunade won't let it slide. How can I get out of this mess?]
Listening to Hikari's inner struggle, Tsunade's lips twitched.
She knew it. Kamizuki Hikari, this lazy bum, loved nothing more than basking in the sun and flipping over occasionally. Normally, he wouldn't budge unless forced. Making him go to the Daimyō's residence was bound to be a challenge.
Fortunately, she had a plan.
"This time, Gai will lead Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu, while Kurenai will lead Yamashiro Aoba and Shiranui Genma. I'll take you, and Shizune will stay here to handle official duties. How does that sound?" Tsunade smiled slyly at Hikari.
Hikari: ???
[What a ruthless woman.]
[And those... assets of hers aren't just for show. With such impenetrable defenses, it's impossible to see through her schemes.]
[If my brother is going, then I have to go too. Otherwise, if Danzō tries something in the shadows, Gai and Kurenai alone won't be able to stop him.]
Thinking this, Hikari looked at Tsunade's smug face and reluctantly nodded.
"Fine, I agree. I'll go this time."
Under the eaves, one has no choice but to bow their head.
[But seriously, why did this old hag choose me? I'm just a chūnin. Everyone else is at least a tokubetsu jōnin. Won't I just be dead weight?]
Old hag?
Tsunade kept her smiling expression, but inwardly, she was cursing.
Kamizuki Hikari, you bastard, if I didn't already know what you were thinking, you might have actually fooled me.
Daring to call me an old hag in your heart? If I don't mess with you later, you'll forget who the real God of Shinobi is.
"Tsunade-sama, maybe I should come along as well!" Shizune, despite her busy workload, lifted her head to make a request.
Glancing at the idle Hikari, Shizune simply couldn't trust his abilities.
Tsunade naturally understood what Shizune was thinking. She glanced at the indifferent Hikari and knew that if she hadn't arranged for Izumo to go, there was no way Hikari would have agreed.
This time, she wanted to see just how strong Hikari had become. Was he really as confident as he had once claimed, that he could take on ten Jiraiyas at once?
To Tsunade, it didn't even need to be ten. If he could hold his own against just one Jiraiya, it would already be a huge boon for Konoha.
Shinobi like them were strategic assets to the village. Compared to the enigmatic Kakashi and the trump card Maito Gai, who couldn't be easily deployed, if Hikari could reach that level, Tsunade would be over the moon.
"Shizune, besides you, who else in Konoha can I trust with this? Administrative work is just as important. Who else can I hand it over to besides you?"
Tsunade looked at Shizune with a serious expression, making it seem as if she held great expectations for her. Shizune was completely taken in.
"Unless... you want me to leave everything to those two old geezers?"
Shizune was deeply moved.
"Tsunade-sama, I will do my best. I will not let you down!"
Shizune now understood her irreplaceable position in Tsunade's heart. Looking at the stack of documents before her, she felt a newfound sense of motivation.
At that moment, she no longer envied Hikari.
She knew that in Tsunade's heart, she was truly one of a kind. Why else would Tsunade-sama refuse to let anyone else handle these documents? It was because no one else was worthy of her trust.
In Tsunade's heart, she was the only one she could truly rely on.
Shizune firmly believed this.
[Shizune is still so young.]
[Tsunade just said a few words, and she's already so loyal. If anyone says she doesn't understand politics, I'll pee on their head!]
Tsunade was speechless.
This brat, always thinking poorly of her.
Did she really have to be scheming every time? Couldn't she just express genuine feelings for once?
After all, she had raised Shizune for over a decade, pouring money into her upbringing since childhood. That had cost quite a bit, you know.
Of course, they had run into a few minor issues on their travels—like being chased by casino owners, or running from debt collectors—but those were small matters. In Tsunade's mind, all of that had been to train Shizune's reflexes and ability to adapt in critical situations.
Things like not repaying debts or being called the "Legendary Sucker" were all part of the act.
She had been trained by the God of Shinobi herself in the art of gambling. When it came to gambling, she always did the opposite on purpose.
It was all a test for Shizune. That's right. Everything had been deliberate.
As for Hikari's misunderstanding, Tsunade decided to let it slide. She wasn't like ordinary women, petty and narrow-minded.
As the Fifth Hokage, with a broad mind and magnanimous heart, she, Tsunade, would never hold a grudge over such trivial matters.
That's right.
No objections.
*Bang!*
The office doors were kicked open.
"Fifth Hokage, huh? I challenge you!"
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