Tsunade and Natsuhane, having just finished the meeting, were walking shoulder to shoulder towards the Hokage office.
Natsuhane had intended to return to the clan territory to find Shizune and soothe his "wounds," but Tsunade wouldn't let him go.
"Natsuhane, today marks my first significant achievement since becoming Hokage. With things going so smoothly, aren't you going to reward me a little?" Tsunade teased.
"Uh..." Natsuhane hesitated. "Isn't this timing a bit off?"
"What's there to be afraid of? I'm the Hokage. I decide when to work," Tsunade said with a mischievous grin. "I've already had my subordinates install curtains in the office. Don't worry, no one will know."
Natsuhane shrank back slightly, glancing around to ensure no one was nearby before cautiously removing his black scarf. He tilted his head, pointing to his neck.
"Please, Tsunade, spare me during the day. My neck is already covered in bite marks and hickeys. I need to heal them quickly, or someone might see."
Tsunade stuck out her tongue playfully and gently rubbed Natsuhane's neck. "Hehe, I promise I'll be more careful this time. I'll never 'attack' your neck again. Just stay with me for thirty more minutes, okay? Just thirty minutes..."
Tsunade clasped her hands together and gave Natsuhane a pleading look.
Natsuhane knew better than to be fooled by Tsunade's "pitiful" act. He was well aware that once the curtains were drawn, her demeanor would change completely, becoming overwhelmingly dominant.
"Sigh..."
As Natsuhane pondered an excuse to refuse Tsunade, Nara Shikaku suddenly approached.
"Tsunade-sama, Advisor Natsuhane, I have some matters and suggestions to discuss with you."
A savior had arrived!
Natsuhane felt a surge of relief.
Tsunade, a bit reluctant, replied, "Shikaku, can't you see I'm busy with work? Why didn't you bring this up during the meeting?"
Shikaku scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh... I wanted to, but before I could speak, you adjourned the meeting."
Natsuhane quickly intervened, "Tsunade, since Shikaku-san has something important to say, it's surely for the benefit of the village. Let's hear him out. We can delay the other tasks for now. If necessary, I'll stay with you and work overtime tonight."
Nara Shikaku was recognized as the village's strategist, and his opinions were often highly effective.
Tsunade understood the importance of such matters. Despite her reluctance, she knew she had to listen. "Alright... But remember, you promised to stay with me tonight."
"Yes, yes..."
The three of them then entered the office together.
As they stepped inside, Shikaku immediately noticed something different. "Hmm? When did these curtains appear? And they're double-layered..."
Tsunade coughed lightly in embarrassment. "Well, as a woman, I need to avoid too much sunlight. It can darken my complexion."
"Oh, I see..." Shikaku nodded absentmindedly.
Natsuhane sat on the sofa. "What is it you wanted to discuss, Shikaku-san?"
Shikaku pulled out the new map of Konoha and pointed to specific areas. "Hokage-sama, please look here. These are the territories of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans."
Tsunade glanced over. "I see them. What's the issue?"
Shikaku continued, "These areas are nearly deserted. After Danzo's death, some high-ranking members of the Shimura clan vanished, likely because they knew about the conflicts between Danzo and the Third Hokage. It's possible the Third Hokage had them killed to keep them quiet."
"After these disappearances, many of the remaining Shimura clan members also left. Similarly, after the Third Hokage's fall, Asuma Sarutobi led most of the Sarutobi clan members in secretly fleeing the village. His son and daughter-in-law, both ANBU captains, convinced a few ANBU Sarutobi clan members to join them in their escape."
Tsunade nodded. "Yes, I'm aware of these events. I plan to classify these individuals as rogue ninja and assign appropriate ranks based on their abilities."
Shikaku looked at Tsunade thoughtfully. "So, Hokage-sama, you have no intention of ever accepting them back?"
"Of course not. These two clans have caused enough chaos in Konoha. They even took over many Senju and Uchiha properties. Now that they've betrayed the village, I won't consider taking them back!"
Shikaku smiled. "Good to hear. My suggestion is to officially remove the Sarutobi and Shimura clans from Konoha's records and redistribute their territories since the village is planning a major expansion."
Tsunade and Natsuhane exchanged surprised glances and nodded in agreement.
Shikaku's suggestion was spot on and resonated with both Tsunade and Natsuhane.
"My only concern now is who should receive these territories..." Tsunade pondered.
Konoha was home to many clans, but each clan's territory was not contiguous, with streets separating them. This arrangement, established by Tobirama Senju, was designed to prevent clans from colluding too closely.
Distributing the Sarutobi and Shimura territories would undoubtedly spark interest among the clans, but the land's value would diminish if the territories were not connected.
Tsunade frowned slightly. "Yes, who should we allocate these lands to...?"
After a long contemplation, Shikaku proposed, "If there's no clear candidate, perhaps we can turn these areas into commercial zones. These territories are centrally located, making them ideal for business."
Tsunade thought for a moment and agreed. "Alright, let's do that. Anything else? If not, please leave. Natsuhane and I still have work to do."
"Wait, I have a better idea..."
Natsuhane, who had been silently sitting on the sofa, suddenly spoke up.
"Let's hold off on redistributing these territories for now. Instead, we can reserve them for future potential clans."
Tsunade and Shikaku were both taken aback. "Future clans?"
Natsuhane stood up, walked to the desk, and drew a circle around the Sarutobi and Shimura territories on the map. Inside the circle, he wrote two large characters.
"Uzumaki?"
"Tsunade, the Uzumaki clan was once an ally of Konoha. Their contribution was crucial in allowing Konoha to host the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki for so long. Although the Uzumaki clan was destroyed, I believe there are still a few survivors scattered around the world..."
"I plan to go on a mission soon to find these Uzumaki clan members. Since the world rejects them, Konoha should take them in and give them a home."
"I believe your grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, would approve of this idea..."
PS (Translator): I'll add an extra chapter for every 25 power stones or new Patreon member. Additionally, I've written up to Chapter 150 on patreon.com/Betek if you're interested.