Chapter 242: Estrangement
"It seems there's no problem with Tonbo serving as Hokage."
Shikaku Nara continued to help Tonbo Tobitake process the documents, going through them one by one. He felt that Tonbo's talent in this area was actually quite decent. While there weren't many flashy or groundbreaking maneuvers, he was exceptionally steady. It was as if his goal was very clear: to stabilize the current situation.
In this regard, Shikaku was quite willing to have Tonbo lead. However, compared to seniority and reputation, Lady Tsunade was obviously more suitable. Still, Shikaku felt relieved; at the very least, Tonbo wouldn't perform poorly. He was a good fit for the stability Konoha currently required.
The two elders, who were secretly monitoring Tonbo's movements, were also quite satisfied. Aside from being somewhat firm about his request to view the Scroll of Seals, they felt that in some aspects, Tonbo was actually quite fit for the role.
Indeed, Tonbo's access to the Scroll of Seals required an application to the three elders of Konoha. Since Danzo was no longer meddling in official affairs and the other two wanted to keep Tonbo's mindset stable, they approved his request. To be honest, they were left speechless by his "if I don't get it, I'll slack off" attitude. To keep the village stable, they had to concede.
In their eyes, even if Tonbo had the Third's foundation in ninjutsu, he wouldn't be able to learn more than a couple of forbidden techniques in such a short time. Once Jiraiya brought Tsunade back, they could simply revoke his access.
"Lord Hokage, intelligence regarding the Hidden Sound Village in the Land of Rice Fields has been gathered by our spies. How should we proceed?"
While Shikaku was helping review the files, a particular document appeared. After seeing the information inside, he addressed Tonbo. Since the Hidden Sound was one of the primary forces behind the attack on Konoha, they naturally had to address it. Shikaku had some basic ideas, but he still reported them to the Acting Hokage.
Tonbo took the file, looked it over, and said, "Hmph. As the resource provider for the Sound Village, the Land of Rice Fields cannot be let off the hook. This is also a way to pressure the Land of Wind and search for Orochimaru's whereabouts. Issue a warning to the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields: demand they dissolve the Sound Village and issue an order allowing Konoha ninjas to pass through their territory to hunt for Orochimaru."
The Land of Rice Fields was a small nation, and for that, Tonbo could only say "sorry." To be behind is to be bullied. Who told them to be fooled by Orochimaru? At the same time, Tonbo mused about Nagato's obsession with war; it was no wonder it was so deep. Most ninjas who had lived through war probably thought exactly like him.
"Mhm. Due to their lack of strength and the fact that they were at fault first, they likely won't dare offer any stiff resistance. However, they will probably try to stall for time. Who should we send?" Shikaku agreed with Tonbo's logic. The Land of Rice Fields was the perfect target to "kill the chicken to scare the monkey," ensuring the Land of Wind didn't feel too relaxed.
"Let Senior Shibi Aburame lead the team. For the environment of that country and the skills required, his abilities are second to none." Tonbo had already memorized the current mission status of all squads; Shibi was currently unassigned. With his strength, he was perfectly suited to handle the Land of Rice Fields. Even if they encountered Orochimaru while dealing with the Sound, Shibi had the power to hold his own.
The Aburame clan is just too cool, Tonbo thought.
"Are there any other urgent matters?" Tonbo asked.
Being Hokage was like this: besides the power, there was far more responsibility. That was Tonbo's current realization. Every mission issued involved the lives of his Konoha comrades. Therefore, he had to deliberate again and again. Compared to the Hokage's seat, he felt that being the head of the Cryptanalysis Division or occasionally teaching juniors was much more relaxing. Less responsibility meant less guilt when people died.
Now, every command he gave might lead to countless deaths. It made him feel uneasy. It wasn't that he was overly compassionate; he had been on the battlefields of the Third Great Ninja War. His heart was as hard as steel. He could watch the original plot unfold and see people die without changing it because he wasn't the cause. But in this seat, those countless lives were his responsibility.
The sense of burden was different. So, while experiencing the power of the Hokage, he was secretly praying for Tsunade to hurry back! Then he could just look after his division and focus on his family. That was the kind of person he was.
A ninja's life... This Hokage business, I'd rather not do it! He hadn't wanted it originally, and now he wanted it even less.
"That's all. Aside from the Land of Rice Fields, everything else is minor," Shikaku said. "However, the spies within Konoha are stirring again, attempting to send intelligence out. The Anbu needs to pay special attention."
Spies were an inevitable part of any village. Even with layers of screening, they always managed to infiltrate. Now that Konoha was perceived as empty, they were desperate to get word out.
"Understood. I'll send someone to investigate," Tonbo nodded.
After finishing his tasks, Tonbo walked down the street. From time to time, insights from his Shadow Clones flooded his mind. However, having processed the memories of countless enemies, there was no way he would be overwhelmed; he wasn't even shaken. It was just a bit of extra knowledge.
At the same time, he marveled at how great it was to have the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu and a massive amount of chakra. Now, no matter what ninjutsu he researched, he still had time to live his own life.
He looked at the houses being rebuilt and the hardworking residents. It would still take some time before Konoha was fully restored.
"Seiji will definitely become a powerful ninja in the future."
"I think being as great as his father is already enough."
"Really? But I still hope he becomes as great as Lord Hokage!"
Tonbo looked toward the voices and saw Shimon chatting with his wife, who was holding an infant only a few months old.
"Shimon, long time no see! The kid is already this big!" Tonbo went up to greet him.
"Captain Ton... Lord Hokage!" Shimon almost used his old nickname but quickly corrected himself, remembering the current situation. His tone was noticeably more respectful.
An air of estrangement had appeared. To an ordinary ninja, the Acting Hokage was as high as the heavens. It felt different from his previous superior.
"Haha, this is my child, Seiji. He wants to be someone as great as Lord Hokage in the future," Shimon introduced the baby to his wife. It was clear he was very happy.
"Mhm, he definitely will. And don't be so formal; I'm just the Acting Hokage. I'm still far from it!" Tonbo said.
Looking at the chubby baby, he marveled at how fast time flew. His former teammate already had a child. He felt a wave of pity for Guy and Kakashi—those poor single dogs.
"No, no, it's still the Hokage. To receive a blessing from Lord Hokage is his honor," Shimon said respectfully.
"..."
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