Konoha Notes

Chapter 210 Enrollment Arrangements
Itachi Uchiha is getting a promotion and will soon become one of the four squad leaders of the Anbu.

This is good news, if one is unaware of another matter: that Hiashi Hyuga will be appointed as the deputy captain of the police force.

This is the most crucial step in the village's reform of the police force. The Uchiha retains control over the police department, and the village opens up many departments, including the Anbu, to the Uchiha.

Fugaku Uchiha knelt in the Japanese-style room, eyes closed in deep thought. He held no particular feelings towards the Hyuga clan. The Byakugan's abilities were indeed practical, making them excellent for battlefield reconnaissance, and their techniques were also well-developed. Their strength was decent, but that was all. It was far from being comparable to the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan.

If Fugaku truly cared about Hyuga, he wouldn't have believed in the original story that controlling the upper echelons would allow him to achieve a bloodless revolution.

Therefore, what lingered in his mind about Hiashi becoming his deputy was not fear of the Hyuga's strength or ambition, but rather a consideration of the morale within the clan: Was this concession too much? Had it caused the Uchiha clan too much embarrassment?
“Father.” Itachi sat opposite Fugaku in the same standard posture, his head slightly lowered. “Senpai has finished his vacation and is currently handling official business in the Hokage’s office.”

Fugaku's eyelids twitched, and he slowly opened them.

"...Is that so?" He was silent for a moment before saying, "I understand."

So you're back. Therefore, the rest will still be handled by Itachi's senior, and Fugaku will still remember the first time he met Shuji three years ago.

That person was very polite back then.

That's it.

The swaying scales in Fugaku's heart were quietly stabilized by this news.

The deputy captain of the police force may have a prestigious title, but ultimately he is merely a subordinate, under one's control. In contrast, the power of the undercover squad leader is very real. And the next step up is the position of the undercover squad's chief.

Considering all these factors, this concession is not unacceptable.

The slight loss of face is nothing compared to the real power Itachi gained in the Anbu and the broader future prospects of the clan.

Just as Fugaku was making his decision, the sliding door to the room was suddenly flung open with a "whoosh," and a small figure rushed in with the wind.

Sasuke Uchiha's face was filled with undisguised excitement as he rushed to Itachi's side.

"Brother, listen to me!" Sasuke grabbed Itachi's sleeve, his voice brimming with excitement. "I can go to the Ninja Academy this year, and I can become an excellent ninja like you, brother."

Itachi's gaze softened instantly, and he said, "There are still two months left, right, Sasuke?"

"Yes! There's also the entrance exam," Sasuke nodded vigorously, looking expectantly at his father, then turning to his brother, "Father said he'll go with me, and brother can come too, is that okay?"

Itachi hesitated for a moment, but looking into Sasuke's eyes, he finally smiled and agreed.

"Okay. I will ask the Hokage for leave."
-
Hokage's office.

"Naruto is going to enroll in school."

"Yes, the old man spent more time with him this year."

Preparing the nutrient solution didn't take Tsunade too much time.

Despite complaining about the trouble, preliminary results were achieved in just a few days. The branch is currently soaking in a specially prepared light green solution and is placed in a temperature-controlled incubator in the corner of the office, weakly absorbing life.

The next step is a long period of nurturing, until its vitality recovers to the point where it can be replanted, at which point Xiu Si will proceed to the next step.

To ensure the smooth progress of Naruto's training, he would inevitably need Tsunade's help. Therefore, he planned to stay in the Hokage's office temporarily, using official business to pay for this "technical service." "As for Naruto's teacher, the old man prefers Iruka," Tsunade said.

Shuji felt there was no problem. Since the original trajectory proved that this path was feasible, there was no need to force a change.

It's not a problem that Iruka hasn't passed the Ninja Academy's formal recruitment review yet. As a Chunin, his abilities are well-rounded; while he doesn't have any particularly outstanding strengths, there are no obvious weaknesses either.

While their practical experience was lacking, this wasn't the primary issue when facing a group of children at the ninja academy.

“Since you plan to continue burying yourself in your research this year and show little interest in going on missions,” Tsunade changed the subject, lightly tapping the table with her fingertips, “why don’t you go to the Ninja Academy for a while?”

"Ninja Academy?"

"Yes, you know Naruto's situation. Someone is watching him, just in case."

"Sure." Going to see how the young crown prince causes trouble would be a nice diversion from the monotonous research. "In what capacity will you go?"

The teachers at the Ninja Academy are quite capable. The homeroom teacher basically handles all the lessons for a class and doesn't specifically teach by subject. Since it was decided that Iruka Umino would be in charge of Naruto's class, there's no question of him becoming a teacher as well.

"Didn't you mention before that the training of ninjas should appropriately shift its focus, strengthening teamwork and tactical thinking?" Tsunade tapped her chin, pondering for a moment, "In that case... I'll go and take a look as a teaching reform researcher. Not by directly teaching, but by observing the advantages and disadvantages of the current teaching model."

She slammed her fist together and made her decision.

"That's settled then. Don't think this is just a nominal, easy job. Remember to submit a detailed observation report when it's over."

Shuji raised his hand and rubbed his temples.

Come to life again.

The problems were all created by my own careless words, and now I have to fill them in myself.

"Just a few more years and things will be fine," he thought. Now that Naruto has enrolled in school, roughly speaking, the day he can become a savior isn't far off.

If my research fails to achieve a breakthrough anytime soon and I ultimately have to rely on the "Asura reincarnation" as a safety net, then my long-awaited retirement day is indeed not too far away.

He was silently looking to the future, while Tsunade, behind her desk, rested her chin on her hand, her eyes revealing a similar expectation: "The Uchiha matter is progressing smoothly. In another two years, the situation will be completely stable, and I might be able to retire."

"Kakashi hasn't accumulated enough experience yet," Shuuji kindly reminded him.

At this stage, there is no more suitable candidate than Kakashi to be the next Hokage.

Therefore, he remains the de facto first in line to succeed him.

However, regardless of Kakashi's mission experience, in the original work, even Naruto did not become the Seventh Hokage in his early twenties.

Theoretically speaking, Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, will probably have to stay in this position for a few more years.

"Who cares about all that?" Princess Senju waved her hand dismissively. "If all else fails, we'll just have the old man come back and serve as his deputy for a while. He should be grateful if we can resolve this historical problem of the Uchiha clan."

　It's too late, I'm a good-for-nothing. (ori)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)