"Ah—Commander."
Hatake Sakumo looked up at Senju Osamu.
He had sensed Senju Osamu's approach as he neared the office door.
After all, Senju Osamu didn't try to hide his movements.
Being aware of one's surroundings is something even a Genin can do, let alone someone like Hatake Sakumo, who had earned his Red Red reputation in battle.
"Is there a mission for me, sir?"
Setting down the document in his hands, a hint of fatigue flashed in Hatake Sakumo's eyes.
He had only taken the position of deputy commander of Anbu after the war ended, and it was after stepping into this role that he realized how difficult it was.
Managing Anbu's finances, administration, personnel, missions, and intelligence all required Hatake Sakumo's personal attention.
It was indeed a high-ranking position, second only to a few in Anbu, and Anbu was an extremely important department within Konohagakure.
However, Hatake Sakumo felt that he had been happier as a team leader.
Unlike now, where every morning he had to serve over a hundred people.
He even felt that his body was getting a bit stiff.
But finding time to train amid all these busy tasks was nearly impossible.
In short, Hatake Sakumo was barely getting enough sleep.
Right now, if Anbu faced any complicated missions, he, as the deputy commander, would also have to lead people on them.
"There's no mission; I just want to talk to you about something."
Hearing this, Senju Osamu raised an eyebrow and instinctively pressed his lips together, feeling a bit awkward about what he was going to say next.
After all, during this time, Senju Osamu has seen Sakumo's efforts clearly.
Just saying this one sentence to make Hatake Sakumo leave Anbu really makes Senju Osamu feel a bit guilty.
But there's nothing he can do; Uchiha Raijin has given too much.
So, I'm sorry, Hatake-san.
"Ah, please go ahead."
Hearing this, Hatake Sakumo let out a sigh of relief and looked at Senju Osamu.
If he had to go out on a mission, it would take at least half a month, and when he returned, the accumulated paperwork would bury him.
"Have you heard of Senjutsu?"
Senju Osamu sat at the desk in front of Hatake Sakumo, organized his thoughts, and asked.
"Senjutsu?"
Hatake Sakumo was taken aback and looked at Senju Osamu in surprise.
Jiraiya, Raijin, and Tsunade had all achieved great feats on the battlefield thanks to a technique called Senjutsu.
Sakumo had heard a bit about it.
So, what does this have to do with me?
I'm just an Anbu vice-captain.
"Hmm, after the war, Uchiha Raijin and Tsunade worked together to develop a permanent Senjutsu. As of now, it has already started to spread."
Senju Osamu explained to Hatake Sakumo.
"Hmm... and then?"
Hatake Sakumo blinked and continued to ask Senju Osamu.
No matter how he looked at it, this seemed to have little to do with him.
Even though Hatake Sakumo was indeed quite interested in Senjutsu.
After all, for the current Hatake Sakumo, improving his strength was a very difficult task.
So he had some thoughts about Senjutsu.
But the truth is, even as Anbu's vice-captain, he couldn't access it.
Until the Third Hokage announced the conditions for obtaining Senjutsu, Hatake Sakumo had no way to gain it.
After all, Hatake Sakumo didn't know Raijin well at all.
Even during the war, when bonds were easier to form, Hatake Sakumo and Raijin had been on different battlefields.
"I think you're a good fit for Senjutsu. Your skills are impressive. To reach this level without a Kekkei Genkai is not easy at all.
But right now, it's probably hard for you to take another step forward, isn't it?"
Senju Osamu said to Hatake Sakumo.
If he directly said for Hatake Sakumo to leave, that would be too cruel. So, Senju Osamu decided to change his approach.
This way, he could leave a good impression on Hatake Sakumo.
After all, in Senju Osamu's eyes, mastering permanent Senjutsu could truly benefit the whole clan.
"What do you mean?"
Hatake Sakumo's pupils narrowed as he looked at Senju Osamu in disbelief.
"You know my relationship with the Third Hokage and Uchiha Raijin," Senju Osamu said, lifting his chin toward Hatake Sakumo, hinting at something.
"Right now, the Third Hokage is preparing the Hokage Guard. According to my inside information, the captain of the guard will be Uchiha Raijin. The idea of the Hokage Guard is to bring together all the elites of Konohagakure and focus entirely on training."
Senju Osamu spoke slowly, observing Hatake Sakumo, who appeared to be deep in thought. He then added,
"But think about it. Since they are elites, how hard will it be to improve their strength even further? So, some resources will definitely be made available."
"Are you saying I should join the Hokage Guard?"
Hatake Sakumo processed this information and asked Senju Osamu.
Did he want to go? Of course he did.
As a ninja, how could he not want to become stronger? In this world, power will always be secondary to strength.
Just like Danzo in the original timeline, no matter how much he wanted to be Hokage, he never missed an opportunity to improve his strength.
For a ninja, gaining strength is clearly more appealing than power.
"I do have that thought. You're a genius, already a developed genius. I believe that being a member of the Hokage Guard would suit you better than being the vice captain of the Anbu. Of course, the choice is still yours," Senju Osamu said to Hatake Sakumo.
"Is that so?"
Hatake Sakumo nodded and, after a moment, looked up at Senju Osamu and said,
"I'm willing to join the Hokage Guard."
Faced with the possibility of gaining Senjutsu, Hatake Sakumo couldn't refuse.
"Okay, I'll take care of it. I'll talk to Uchiha Raijin about this shortly."
Hearing the answer he wanted, Senju Osamu felt overjoyed inside but maintained a calm expression.
After thinking for a moment, Senju Osamu leaned in closer to Hatake Sakumo's ear.
"As someone leaving the Anbu, there are a few things I need to tell you."
Hatake Sakumo was slightly taken aback and waited for Senju Osamu to continue.
"The ninja world isn't as stable as it seems. The ones who destroyed the Uchiha trading company in the Land of Moon have yet to be found."
After saying this, Senju Osamu patted Hatake Sakumo on the shoulder and turned to leave Sakumo's office.
So...
The establishment of the Hokage Guard was mainly for...
As Hatake Sakumo watched Senju Osamu walk away, he couldn't help but think about it.
But that wasn't important.
Joining the Hokage Guard could lead to the chance of inheriting Senjutsu.
As for the future...
Ninjas are all about killing, so who they kill doesn't really matter. Hatake Sakumo had a clear understanding of his position; someone like him likely wouldn't have many missions in normal times.
But once there was a mission, it usually involved bloodshed.
It was either the enemy's blood or his own.
As for how strong the enemies he would face in the future might be, Hatake Sakumo didn't know.
However, what he did know was that his companions in the Hokage Guard would be very strong.
Even he might not be in one of the top positions.
But that was okay; Hatake Sakumo believed that as long as he got in, he could quickly catch up to those ahead of him.
As Konohagakure's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo was confident.
...
After settling things with Anbu, Raijin was in a pretty good mood, even though he had made a promise.
But so what? Helping others master Senjutsu was indeed a tiring task.
However, what he gained was a real expert.
The Second Shinobi World War was over.
But Raijin didn't think everything was finished.
Although Kirigakure and Kumogakure had been heavily damaged, it merely indicated that the era of ninja villages was coming to an end, while Uchiha Madara was still out there.
So, the Third Shinobi World War was bound to happen.
This was because Raijin and Uchiha Madara had nearly irreconcilable conflicts.
Raijin also didn't think he had the ability to persuade Uchiha Madara to give up on the Moon Eye Plan.
After all, that was something Naruto couldn't even achieve.
So, from the start, Raijin didn't think in that direction.
And when Konohagakure went to war with Black Zetsu in the future, no one could guarantee that Sunagakure and Iwagakure would stay peaceful and quiet.
Therefore, the chance of Konohagakure being surrounded by major hidden villages again was basically nonexistent.
Don't mention that the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure has gone missing; even if his body were found in the Land of Fire, Sunagakure wouldn't dare say anything to Konohagakure.
Because right now, Konohagakure really has the power to wipe out Sunagakure.
At the end of the Second War, Konohagakure could do it, and now, after years of rapid growth, Konohagakure can do it even more easily.
However, if Konohagakure faces a strong enough enemy, Sunagakure and Iwagakure won't just stand by and watch.
Even if they have deep conflicts with Black Zetsu.
Even if they cannot support the Moon Eye Plan.
As long as Black Zetsu is an enemy of Konohagakure, in a way, he becomes their natural ally.
Sunagakure and Iwagakure will absolutely not give up any chance to bring Konohagakure down to their level.
So, whether or not to eliminate these two unstable factors, Sunagakure and Iwagakure, before facing Black Zetsu is something Raijin needs to think about.
But for now, it's a bit early; they can wait until Sunagakure and Iwagakure pay the reparations they owe to Konohagakure.
Such reparations would be very tough for big hidden villages like Sunagakure and Iwagakure.
It's easy to imagine that life is not good for the ninjas of Sunagakure or Iwagakure, or even for the civilians of the Land of Wind and Land of Earth.
But what does that have to do with Konohagakure?
Konohagakure just wants to receive what it is owed.
With his hands behind his back, Raijin leisurely walked toward Danzo's house.
Having dealt with the Anbu commander, Senju Osamu, the issue with Hatake Sakumo was basically resolved.
Next, to deal with Might Duy and Kurama Kumo, the first thing to tackle is Shimura Danzo.
"Hmm? Might Duy and Kurama Kumo? Are you looking down on Hyuga Yang?"
In the Shimura family, looking at Raijin sitting across from him, Shimura Danzo frowned slightly.
Putting aside whether he is willing to let his disciples join the Hokage's guard, the people Raijin wants are making Shimura Danzo somewhat unhappy.
Out of his three disciples, two have caught Raijin's attention, leaving only Hyuga Hiashi, which raises questions for him.
After all, Hiashi was a ninja who made significant contributions during the war.
"Hmm… I don't like subordinates who can't decide their own fate."
Raijin didn't push the matter onto Tsunade.
Instead, he spoke directly to Shimura Danzo.
Raijin could tire himself out a bit and train a group of elites to fight against Black Zetsu.
But he would never tire himself out just to raise a loyal dog for another ninja clan.
The Hyuga's abilities are useful to Raijin, but not much.
He knew about Hyuga Yang, but that was about it.
As for helping Hyuga Yang break free from his cage, Raijin had no interest at all.
"If you can free him from his cage, you will gain the support of the branch family of the Hyuga clan," Danzo said after a moment of thought.
That's right; Raijin was correct. Danzo didn't like Hyuga Yang's inability to control his own fate either.
However, Yang was still his student, a ninja who obeyed his commands and fought bravely on the battlefield.
If possible, Danzo still hoped to give Yang a chance to break free from his cage.
In Danzo's view, the only thing that could sway Raijin might be the support of the branch family of the Hyuga clan.
After all, the strength of the Hyuga branch family was quite powerful, much stronger than the main house.
"You know, the Uchiha look down on the Hyuga."
Raijin shrugged in response and said to Danzo.
Even though he didn't know who put the Byakugan, Sharingan, and Rinnegan on the same level,
that didn't stop the Uchiha from looking down on the Hyuga.
Because, in the Uchiha's eyes, the only way to prevent their eyes from being taken by outsiders was to become stronger,
thus cutting off any enemy's desire.
Instead of relying on enslaving their own family to protect a few people.
In this regard, Raijin believed he was Uchiha.
(End of this chapter)
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