Chapter 278: Preparing to Search for Orochimaru
At the beginning of October, Haneda implemented a new civil servant system, inspired by the imperial examination system, introducing a civil service examination.
From now on, all officials must pass this examination. Additionally, reforms were made to the traditional appointment and dismissal process in the Daimyo's government.
Haneda referenced the Western concept of the separation of powers, but since he held absolute authority, he only delegated judicial power, assigning it to the courts.
Furthermore, he established a cabinet, akin to a parliamentary structure, to handle state affairs.
After extensive discussions with Shikaku and several seasoned politicians, a general framework was finalized.
What Haneda cared about most was the source of an official's authority.
He believed that power should only be accountable to its source. Thus, all members of the cabinet were elected by the people.
No matter how they entered the cabinet, they were required to fulfill part of the political promises they made during their campaigns.
If they failed to do so, they would face being ousted.
This was the people's way of holding them accountable.
Of course, since Haneda spent most of his time training, he had little time to handle administrative matters.
For efficiency, he delegated authority to the cabinet, allowing it to manage domestic and foreign affairs. In the end, all records were filed by Konoha's Anbu.
If issues were discovered, they would be addressed based on the archived records.
To ensure oversight, Haneda positioned Konoha as an entity independent from the nation, serving as an additional check on the cabinet.
After all, no official could withstand kunai and shuriken.
This dual-layered system ensured that progress could continue while corruption and inefficiency were kept in check.
During this time, as Haneda spent more time in his office, Kakashi and Asuma often dropped by.
Though they couldn't fully understand Haneda and Shikaku's discussions, they were deeply impressed.
Kakashi quietly shelved his own thoughts of trying to assist Haneda.
In matters like this, his intervention would only make things worse.
Killing enemies was far simpler.
Still, Kakashi couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment.
As the leader of both the Anbu and the Root, and Haneda's right-hand man, all he could do was watch.
...
After five and a half days, Haneda arrived at the Third Training Ground.
Kakashi, who was practicing his Lightning Release techniques, stopped mid-swing upon hearing the commotion.
Recognizing Haneda's arrival, he asked with a smile, "Done already? Back to dumping everything on Shikaku again, aren't you?"
Haneda nodded, unabashed. "More or less. This time, I've just added a cabinet."
"Aren't elders and the cabinet supposed to handle administrative matters?"
"No one can manage everything flawlessly."
"That's why we rely on collective wisdom and individual leadership."
Kakashi couldn't help but twitch his lips at Haneda's blunt reasoning.
But recalling his own similar tendencies, a smile formed beneath his black mask.
"How are Shisui and Itachi these days? Especially Shisui—his ocular powers were already severely drained a month ago."
As Kakashi relaxed, Haneda brought up Shisui and Itachi.
Recently, he had been too occupied with discussing governance strategies with Shikaku and the others to keep up with their situations.
Haneda recalled Shisui mentioning that the vision in his left eye had grown blurry due to excessive use of his ocular powers.
As for Itachi, following the original timeline, he suffered from a bloodline-related illness, likely linked to the Sharingan.
While Itachi's condition could be treated with Tsunade's exceptional medical ninjutsu, Shisui's could only be resolved through advanced measures—namely, transplanting the First Hokage's cells.
Moreover, Fugaku and Itachi would also face eventual blindness due to the same issue. Addressing the problem sooner rather than later was preferable.
And in the ninja world, the person with the most expertise in Hashirama's cells was one of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.
Haneda wanted to try and bring Orochimaru back to Konoha.
The first five-year plan Haneda had drafted also required Orochimaru's scientific expertise.
Kakashi thought for a moment before responding, "I sent Shisui to suppress an internal rebellion, and Itachi has been taking care of Sasuke in the village."
"Haneda, Shisui volunteered for the mission. According to his teammates, he's been overusing his ocular powers to change people's misconceptions about you, which might…"
Kakashi trailed off.
Shisui had made tremendous sacrifices to defend Haneda, the Hokage.
Whether it was external wars for Konoha or dispelling domestic criticisms of Haneda as a tyrant, Shisui had done his utmost.
"He's as stubborn as ever. I've told him before not to try to forcefully change others' minds. Just let things run their course."
Haneda sighed. Knowing Shisui's sense of responsibility, he figured it wouldn't be long before Shisui approached blindness.
Shisui and Sasuke were alike in their reckless use of their ocular powers.
One was doing it for him, the Hokage, while the other was driven by vengeance against Konoha for his brother.
Kakashi noticed that, despite Haneda's sigh, he didn't seem overly worried.
With their long-standing relationship, Kakashi immediately realized something.
"Haneda, you must have a solution, don't you?"
Haneda nodded. "Yes, and there's something else I need your help with. This just happens to be related."
"For the first five-year plan, I aim to eliminate hunger. The key lies in agriculture."
"I've read some research books that mention hybridization—the idea of selecting and refining superior genes to create high-yield, resilient crops."
"And right now, the person with the most extensive scientific expertise, covering a wide range of fields, is Orochimaru. With his abilities, he should be able to tackle this issue."
"Not only that, but Shisui, Itachi, and even the Uchiha clan's inherent flaws—Orochimaru might have solutions for those as well."
Kakashi didn't ask about the Uchiha clan's flaws or why Haneda was so certain Orochimaru could resolve them.
He had always trusted Haneda's judgment, so he said, "I'll arrange for Anbu and Root members to search for Orochimaru."
"When it comes to negotiating with him, take me along, Haneda."
"If that doesn't work, we can both go and drag Orochimaru back to Konoha."
Hearing this, Haneda chuckled.
He could tell Kakashi was happy to receive this assignment.
Had this been two weeks earlier, Kakashi would have simply complained about Haneda shirking his duties as Hokage.
Of course, Haneda understood the underlying reason.
Lately, Haneda hadn't needed Kakashi's help, leaving him idle for half a month, which clearly left him feeling a bit down.
Haneda had noticed this.
That's why he entrusted the task of bringing back Orochimaru to Kakashi.
Otherwise, with his connections to Ryuchi Cave, Haneda could have reached out to Orochimaru himself.
Haneda smiled. "When the time comes, we'll go together to find Orochimaru, Kakashi."
Kakashi felt he could handle leading the team alone and quietly reminded Haneda, "If you leave Konoha so casually, Shikaku might blow a fuse."
"Don't worry. It's official business. He'll be relieved."
"Haneda, leaving Naruto at home by himself isn't ideal. He has school, yes, but being alone can get lonely—you should know that feeling."
Kakashi brought up Naruto, as one of them usually stayed behind to look after him.
He knew how deeply Naruto had been affected by loneliness and didn't want him to go through it again.
"Kakashi, with Sasuke and the others around, there's nothing to worry about. If it comes down to it, we can leave Naruto in Fugaku's care."
At this thought, Haneda chuckled to himself.
This perfect solution would undoubtedly make Naruto very happy!
Kakashi hesitated briefly before remembering Naruto and Sasuke's unique bond and finally agreed.