The head of the Intelligence Department often dreamed of consolidating all the village's intelligence systems under his authority. It was an ambitious and idealistic vision, but reality had proven to be far less cooperative.
In particular, the ANBU was a thorn in his side.
"Who do you think you are, trying to take control of our information?"
Now, however, the ANBU had begun offloading a deluge of messy, irrelevant information onto the Intelligence Department. Sorting through the chaos made the department head feel like a fool.
This wasn't anything to celebrate.
The critical intelligence was still firmly controlled by ANBU, who merely allowed the Intelligence Department to process less sensitive information. Yet, even after the department sorted it out, ANBU would swoop in to reclaim the files without so much as a word of thanks.
"What is this?" the department head fumed.
"You dump your problems on us, have us clean them up, and then take all the credit. This is absurd!"
Unable to contain his frustration, he marched straight to the Hokage's office to lodge a formal complaint.
The Third Hokage listened to the grievances with a tired expression. Though he sympathized with the Intelligence Department's plight, he couldn't help but feel the irony.
"You've been pushing to get access to ANBU's intelligence system for years, and now you're complaining when they finally give you a piece of the pie?
"Yes, it's just the messy leftovers," the Hokage admitted to himself, "but still..."
After soothing the department head and sending him off, the Hokage summoned Shinki, the current leader of ANBU, to discuss the matter.
Standing before the Hokage's office, Shinki knocked on the door, then stepped inside when beckoned.
"Do you need something from me, Lord Hokage?" he asked.
The Third Hokage put aside the document he'd been reviewing and gestured for Shinki to sit.
"Shinki, the head of the Intelligence Department came to complain. Apparently, your ANBU has been dumping all its messy intelligence onto them for processing. Is this true?"
"Yes, that's correct," Shinki replied matter-of-factly, showing no signs of guilt. He then offered a perfectly logical explanation.
"When I returned from the Land of Iron, I found that ANBU had accumulated a mountain of unsorted intelligence. With our current manpower, it was impossible to handle the workload. Since the Intelligence Department is tasked with managing intelligence, isn't it only natural for them to process these documents?"
The Hokage's eyelids twitched. Shinki's ability to deliver such shameless arguments with a straight face was truly remarkable.
"Shinki, ANBU has its own intelligence system," the Hokage reminded him.
"Of course," Shinki agreed smoothly. "But ANBU is short on personnel, so it's only logical to rely on the Intelligence Department for support. They're all working for the benefit of the village, after all."
The Hokage sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. The Intelligence Department didn't have an abundance of manpower either, but arguing with Shinki was clearly a losing battle.
"Fine," the Hokage conceded at last. "I'll assign additional personnel to the Intelligence Department. In exchange, ANBU will hand over some of its less critical intelligence to them for processing. Does that sound fair?"
Shinki blinked in surprise. This level of compromise was unexpected.
"That's more than fair, Lord Hokage. I'm very satisfied."
With the Hokage's decision, ANBU's administrative burdens would lighten, leaving Shinki with more free time—a win in his book.
As the conversation wound down, the Hokage's tone grew more serious.
"Shinki, I'd like to have a candid discussion with you."
Shinki's casual demeanor shifted as he sat upright in his chair.
"What do you wish to discuss, Lord Hokage?"
"Let's talk about Danzo Shimura."
At the mention of Danzo's name, Shinki's expression darkened. He sat in silence, waiting for the Hokage to elaborate.
Danzo's imprisonment had left the Third Hokage in a bind. Releasing him carried its own risks, but keeping him locked up indefinitely risked stirring unrest within the village.
"Danzo has... leverage over me," the Hokage admitted, his voice heavy with regret. "In the past, I made some questionable decisions. Danzo knows about them and has threatened to expose the truth unless I comply with his demands."
This confession took Shinki by surprise. For the Hokage to admit such a thing meant he was desperate.
"What are you willing to offer to resolve this, Lord Hokage?" Shinki asked calmly.
"What do you want in exchange?"
The Hokage's willingness to negotiate showed just how serious the situation was. Shinki leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.
"Danzo Shimura is a dangerous man," Shinki said finally. "In the past, I would have advocated for keeping him locked away indefinitely. However, if he's released, I can handle him. He's no longer a threat to me or the village."
The Hokage nodded slowly. Shinki's confidence was reassuring, but the Hokage knew this was far from a simple matter.
"So, what do you need, Shinki? What will it take for you to support this decision?"
Shinki's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Let's see if you can come up with something worthwhile, Lord Hokage."
>>>>>
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A/N: Hey Guys,
I was going over the discount code and saw that it wasn't toggled on for all the tiers. I fixed it now, sorry about that. ;)