Yes, the Hokage!

So, he took precautions and removed the seal on the bandage in case he was in the worst situation and could use Izanagi to escape. However, he did not expect that the Uchiha, who never dared to look up in front of him, would directly use his Sharingan to examine his bandage this time!

"That kid is definitely..."

Unaware of the existence of such ethereal beings as time travelers, Danzo naturally made the wrong judgment: "There's definitely a spy planted within my Root organization!"

Who is it?!

As a cunning old fox who had been planting spies in other forces for years, even Kabuto Yakushi was discovered and trained by him, Danzo was most sensitive to this. Coupled with his distrustful nature, the more he thought about it, the angrier and more frightened he became, feeling that there were flaws all around him and that there was no one he could trust.

He drove everyone away and sat in his office writing and drawing, determined to retaliate against Feng Lan with his next conspiracy.

In the dimly lit room, only the soft scratching of pens could be heard for a moment.

After an unknown amount of time, the door was suddenly pushed open, and the third generation strode in. He immediately noticed the project plan that hadn't been put away on the table, and his face darkened instantly.

"You've already been caught red-handed on the street, and you're still doing this stuff here?" He sneered, crumpling up the papers on the table and throwing them into the trash can. "Behave yourself for now."

Danzo's face darkened: "Hiruzen, you stripped me of my power in front of those two brats, and even dragged the Uchiha, who I hate the most, into the meeting minutes. Are you trying to discard me after I've served my purpose?"

"You did such a stupid thing, if I didn't suppress it, would I let the Uchiha fight you to the death?" the Third Hokage said calmly. "The reason why the Uchiha are at odds with you is because you are greedy and stupid!"

"You actually called me stupid?!" Danzo didn't care about his greed, but he was unwilling to admit that he was stupid, especially in front of the Third Hokage who had taken his position. He had gone to great lengths to prove that he was stronger than Hiruzen and more suitable to be Hokage.

Compared to his loss of composure, the Third Hokage appeared much more composed: "If you weren't stupid, how could you have been caught red-handed removing the seal from your bandages at a time like this? Were you afraid I was planning to deal with you?"

Danzo's expression twisted a few times, and he couldn't say a word.

"To become Hokage, one must have vision," the Third Hokage said in a deep voice. "Since I dared to let you bear the darkness of Konoha, I can naturally tolerate your ambition. You seem to act cautiously, but in reality, you have no tolerance for others at all. Once you discover a potential threat, you immediately eliminate it. Over time, you will naturally make many enemies and leave many loopholes. If I hadn't cleaned up your messes, do you think you would have survived to this day?"

"Don't be so resentful. Yan and Xiaochun have long suggested eliminating you. I'm only favoring you because of our past relationship and because you've done a lot for Konoha. But don't act recklessly! The Uchiha already knows you have the Sharingan. The bandage seal is tight. Keep a low profile for now and we'll talk again when things calm down."

Danzo's lips moved, and he said unwillingly, "That Fenglan is trying to win over the Uchiha, clearly to build his own private army. Are you just going to let it go like this? Or are you saying that you can tolerate the roots, but you can also tolerate the 'branches' that kid builds? Sooner or later, he will threaten your high and mighty Konoha, which is bathed in sunlight!"

“Aren’t you still here? Fenglan and the Uchiha are bound together, so they are destined to be your enemies. The struggle between the roots and the branches will not affect the leaves.” The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe. “But don’t underestimate that Fenglan. Don’t act on your own again. If you stumble again, I may not be able to protect you.”

After saying that, he pushed the door open and left, but stopped at the door without turning back: "I don't care what you and Orochimaru are researching, there can't be any more mistakes at a time like this. The Anbu will be present throughout the entire meeting between Fenglan and Orochimaru, so don't do anything underhanded."

"Hiruzen..." Danzo gritted his teeth, "You won't even give me this much trust?"

“If I give it to you, you’ll definitely cause trouble. I’ve worked with you for so many years, I still have that much ‘trust’ in you.” The Third Hokage sneered. “And don’t forget Danzo, I am the Hokage. I have the right to interfere in anything that happens in the village.”

"Oh!"

After he finished speaking, he slammed the door shut.

Within a single day, Danzo was subjected to Feng Lan's sarcastic remarks, Shisui's murderous intent, and the Third Hokage's reprimand. In the end, he could no longer maintain his cunning demeanor. With a "whoosh," he suddenly swept everything off the table, displaying his desktop cleaning master skills on par with Liang Feifan.

【but……】

The Third Hokage, though seemingly calm upon leaving, was inwardly plotting: "That Feng Lan has indeed been acting too recklessly lately. It's time to teach him a lesson, to let him know that Konoha isn't a playground where one can come and go as they please just because of a little cleverness."

……

The high-level meeting proceeded as scheduled the following day.

"The main topic of this meeting will revolve around the proposal put forward by Feng Lan." The Third Hokage took out the document that should have been on Minato's desk. "Also, based on his suggestion, we need to add a recorder to the meetings in the future to record the meeting proceedings. I personally think this is a good proposal. I wonder if anyone has any recommendations?"

This was clearly just a formality. Feng Lan waited a few seconds and, seeing that none of the elders were going to speak, smiled and said, "I think Uchiha Fugaku is a good candidate. The Uchiha clan has served as the security force and has done a lot for the village. His character and experience are trustworthy, and he is more than qualified to be a recorder."

Danzo immediately snorted coldly: "Mr. Fugaku is too busy as the captain of the security force to have time to organize and record any documents."

He was clearly there to stir up trouble and show his hostile stance towards Feng Lan, but the latter didn't care at all: "Everyone here is busy with their own affairs, working tirelessly for Konoha. If you can all squeeze out time for a meeting, I think Mr. Fugaku certainly won't be stingy with his efforts, will he?"

“Hmm, that makes sense.” The Third Hokage nodded. “Then let’s vote by raising hands. I think Fugaku is the best choice.”

He was the first to raise his hand, followed by Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. Danzo, unsurprisingly, cast his vote against it. As for Fuuran, he only had the right to speak but not the right to vote. The issue had already been passed before the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had even spoken.

Logically, the meeting could have ended at this point, since such matters concerning the advisors, guards, and the Hokage's office finances were not worth discussing openly. However, the Third Hokage continued, "Next is an excellent proposal in the plan: reducing redundancy in the middle management."

Feng Lan's eyelids twitched immediately, sensing an ominous atmosphere: "Third Generation Lord, didn't you say before that cuts might cause discontent?"

"Heh, Konoha isn't my personal fiefdom. This is just to discuss the feasibility of its implementation with everyone." The Third Hokage chuckled enigmatically. "What do you all think?"

“I think it’s feasible.” Surprisingly, Danzo was the first to jump out again.

Feng Lan's lips twitched. You old geezer, are you deliberately trying to make it hard for me to live a life of obscurity?

"Yes, I also think this is a good opportunity to improve finances and increase efficiency." Minato also expressed his opinion, he sincerely hoped that Fenglan's plan could be implemented.

[Damn it! Big brother, don't cause trouble at a time like this!] Feng Lan already knew what was going on, but given his current position, he absolutely could not object.

"Hehe, young people are bold indeed." Koharu Tsurugi chuckled. "Since it was Fenglan who came up with the plan, this proposal will naturally be handed over to him to implement."

[It's a thankless task for anyone to implement these policies, as it doesn't bring much benefit but always offends people. Why don't you do it, Grandma?]

Feng Lan was internally ranting, but on the surface he could only force a smile and say, "Haha, I'm still young and inexperienced, and I don't know much about the structure of mid-level ninjas..."

"That's alright... I will naturally lend you a hand." As luck would have it, Danzo spoke up again.

[You old codger, you've come to get involved too!]

Feng Lan was already in a state of shock. He finally understood what was going on. The Third Hokage was using this incident to give him a warning. "You like to push new proposals, right? We're not going to offend anyone anyway. Go ahead and take down those current members of the clans one by one. Let's see who will follow you after this whole operation, except for the Uchiha."

Oh, speaking of redundancy in the middle ranks, the Konoha Police Force of the Uchiha clan is the largest middle rank. Will you, Fenglan, nerf it or not?

Danzo, that old bastard, is even more ill-intentioned. He came under the guise of helping to cause trouble, and he might even be planning to place his Root organization's people in the middle ranks. Anyway, he's leaving all the offending stuff to Fenglan. But if the result is good, the credit will definitely belong to our glorious and righteous elders who passed the proposal.

And so, the proposal that Fenglan thought was the least likely to be implemented in the plan was passed unanimously!

Chapter 13: Both Support and Opposition

After the meeting, in the Hokage's office.

"That's wonderful, Fenglan." Minato seemed very happy. "The plan you've been pushing so hard has finally taken its first step. I think it's all thanks to that excellent proposal that the Third Hokage saw the potential it held."

There are perhaps far too many possibilities hidden within this.

Feng Lan rolled her eyes inwardly, but could only force a smile: "That's right, the Third Hokage is indeed farsighted. The courage to implement new policies during the most difficult time after the war is not something that ordinary people can have."

"After all, the Third Hokage was appointed Hokage in a time of crisis when he was younger than me, and he led Konoha to where it is today," Minato said with emotion. "There is so much I need to learn."

That's a lot indeed; I can't believe I wasn't being sarcastic.

Feng Lan forcibly suppressed the complaints that were about to come out: "Then I'll go and make some preparations first. These middle-level redundancies are all members of various families, which is a matter that can offend people."

“Yes, just go ahead and do it,” Minato said earnestly. “If you encounter any obstacles, come to me anytime. I will definitely support you to the end.”

"I'm relieved to hear you say that."

Feng Lan said this, but his face was full of annoyance when he turned around. If he had to trouble the Hokage to promote a project as the chief advisor, he would appear very incompetent and be questioned about why he was in this position. So, he could not trouble Minato with this matter under any circumstances. Otherwise, not to mention the Third Hokage and others, Danzo would definitely be the first to come out and cause trouble.

After leaving the Hokage's office, he didn't make any preparations and went straight to continue training with Dai. Feng Lan's first way of dealing with the big trouble thrown at him by the Third Hokage was to stall. Anyway, a project takes a lot of time from announcement to implementation, and he would never take the initiative. As he said in the meeting, Feng Lan, as an outsider, actually didn't know much about Konoha's middle-level structure.

He doesn't even know who can be cut, or who cutting someone would be like cutting off a vital artery. Does he really think he can ask Danzo?

If you go ask that old schemer who's become your mortal enemy, it's already kind of him to keep quiet. The worst thing is if that guy rattles off a whole bunch of stuff and then gives a completely wrong answer, saying you don't understand properly. In that case, Feng Lan will be a laughingstock.

His choice was to wait and see, first letting out the news that he, as the chief consultant, was planning to reduce redundancy in the middle management. He would then observe which middle managers would lose their composure and which would be too confident to be replaced, and thus conduct a preliminary screening.

"Haa, haa..."

With Feng Lan's stamina, she can't run a hundred laps in one go right now; she has to stop and rest halfway through.

Taking the opportunity, Shisui came over and offered a bottle of water: "Lord Fenglan, you don't seem happy."

"Who said that?" Feng Lan gulped down a mouthful of water. "I'm just a little short on stamina. I'm overjoyed to be able to train with Mr. Dai."

“That’s not what I meant.” Shisui frowned. “I meant… even though your plan is progressing smoothly, you don’t seem happy. Not only is your smile different from usual, but you also don’t seem very enthusiastic about implementing it. Is there something you’re worried about?”

"If it concerns the Uchiha clan, I'm willing to communicate with the clan head and members. The Uchiha are willing to set an example for you by reducing a number of redundant security personnel..."

"Hahaha."

Feng Lan couldn't help but laugh. This kid was really straightforward: "You calm down first. After this gets out, I shouldn't be the one in a hurry. Right now, our most important target is still Obito and Orochimaru."

"But if we implement it quickly, it will be of great benefit to the entire village of Konoha." Shisui's strategic vision was impeccable; he deeply understood that the proposals in Fenglan's plan were all for the good of Konoha.

"It may be of great benefit to Konoha, but not to me." Feng Lan lay down on the grass to try to recover some strength as soon as possible. "There is always a priority in doing things, and unfortunately... I have always put myself before others."

"You mean..." Shisui paused, then suddenly said something that startled even himself, "You don't want Konoha to become too good?"

As a guard, he should never have asked such a question, but the boy was too straightforward. He tried to hold back but couldn't help but blurt it out, startling Tie Huo, who was drinking water and resting nearby, so much that he trembled and spilled water all over himself.

“You can understand it that way,” Feng Lan smiled.

"Why?" Shisui tried to keep his tone from being accusatory. "Aren't you the Hokage's chief advisor?"

“It is precisely because I am in this position that I do not want to push things too fast.” Feng Lan sat up and glanced at him. “Because once Konoha is completely stable, it will no longer need advisors.”

"This……"

Zhi Shui was about to speak again when Feng Lan interrupted him, saying, "Besides, you should know that I'm not the only advisor. I can idly run laps around the village with Mr. Dai, but what about the others?"

Even if he didn't understand the dirty dealings between high-ranking officials, Feng Lan had made his point so clear that Zhi Shui should understand, and his expression instantly turned very ugly.

At this moment, Feng Lan had already stood up again, ready to continue running with Dai: "If you have the chance, rethink the Will of Fire and consider your conclusions?"

……

Shisui's contemplation didn't last long. The next morning, he took a thick stack of petitions and said to Fenglan with some unease, "Sir, although you don't want to push the project forward quickly, all the villagers of Konoha are very excited and strongly support it after learning about the reduction of redundancy in the middle management. They want to see you achieve some results."

"Hmph, the news spread among the villagers before it reached the middle-level officials? There must be someone pulling the strings behind this." Feng Lan sneered. "That's easy, just do another survey to show that they oppose this project."

“But sir!” Shisui exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. “They cannot both support and oppose the same thing.”

“Of course they can,” Feng Lan said lazily. “Imagine Zhi Shui; when a lovely young lady comes up to you and asks a question, you naturally want to make a good impression rather than make a fool of yourself, right?”

“…Yes.” Although Shisui himself wasn’t particularly interested in the opposite sex, Fenglan’s words made sense, so he naturally agreed.

“Now, young lady, please begin your questions.” Feng Lan pretended to pick up a piece of paper and start taking notes. “Mr. Shisui, are you worried that Konoha’s wealth and funds are being used for meaningless purposes?”

“Yes,” Shisui replied immediately.

Are you worried that some people are lining their own pockets while neglecting their duties?

"Yes."

Do you think more funds should be used to improve people's quality of life?

"Yes."

Do you agree to prune the middle ranks of Konoha?

"Yes!"

Seeing Shisui's happy and excited expression, Fenglan smiled slightly and put it another way: "Mr. Shisui, are you worried that the structure of Konoha will be shaken?"