Yes, the Hokage

Night had fallen in the Hokage's office.

"Your idea is truly brilliant. Having the villagers supervise each other is far more effective than having the ninjas directly deployed," Minato exclaimed.

“We must use magic to defeat magic, and similarly, we must use troublemakers to deal with troublemakers.” Feng Lan shrugged. “As long as we make those troublemakers believe that the war will not affect their interests, someone will naturally help us deal with those who spread rumors. As for whether it really won’t affect them, that’s not something I can guarantee.”

"Don't use that word." Minato frowned; he disliked the term "troublemaker" that Fenglan used.

"Okay, I won't let you hear it next time." Feng Lan picked up Shui Men's cup and drank it all in one gulp. He was exhausted from running around and talking all afternoon.

"And I will definitely quell the war as soon as possible and prevent it from affecting the daily lives of the villagers." Minato clenched his fist, his face resolute.

"Yes, yes, yes, Lord Hokage is brave and invincible. I'll rely on you to carry me to victory." Feng Lan casually put the cup back on the table and walked out.

"Where are you going?" Minato asked hurriedly.

"I've made plans to drink with someone." Feng Lan waved casually, then closed the door and left without looking back.

"Well……"

Minato looked a little disappointed. He was still thinking of drinking with Fenglan later, since it was the last night before she left. He had even asked Kushina for leave in advance.

Unexpectedly, before she could even speak, the guy had already made plans with someone else, and deliberately didn't include her.

……

The same izakaya private room, the same food and drinks, the same people.

"Mr. Shikaku arrived very quickly this time. It seems he wasn't too conflicted," Fenglan said with a smile, raising her cup.

"After all, it's highly likely that we'll enter a period of war, and protecting Konoha is everyone's duty." Shikaku's answer was also quite skillful; even now, he still refused to completely side with Minato, choosing instead to remain neutral.

"Mr. Shikaku, I'm going to Amegakure tomorrow."

"I've heard about it." Lu Jiu put down his chopsticks and sighed. "Lord Fenglan, you really know how to pick your timing. Danzo has run away, and Kumogakure is about to attack, but you're going on a long trip."

"It is precisely because Danzo has run away and Kumogakure is coming that I have to go to Amegakure," Feng Lan said calmly.

"Is that so..." Lu Jiu's eyes narrowed slightly. Although he didn't know many things about the higher-ups, he could already deduce a lot from Feng Lan's words and attitude.

However, Feng Lan didn't call him over this time to ask this Konoha strategist to analyze the war situation. He leaned forward slightly and once again offered the same temptation: "Mr. Shikaku, do you remember what I said to you here last time? To reach new heights... take it a step further."

His true purpose was to find an advisor for Minato during his absence from Konoha. He didn't need to do everything himself; he just needed to offer advice at crucial moments. Just as the Third Hokage had left Orochimaru's information unsaid, Fenglan had never truly trusted Konoha's F3.

After all, the current cooperation is due to shared positions under pressure from external enemies, not shared ideals. Once the external pressure is removed, the two sides will most likely continue to scheme against each other.

And Nara Shikaku is the best choice for Fenglan.

Chapter 57 Shiro's Heart Fluttering

Upon hearing this again, Shikaku paused slightly as he raised his hand to drink: "What do you mean by that, Lord Fenglan? I don't quite understand."

Having said that, he drank the contents of his cup in one gulp, then looked over with a pair of cold, steady eyes.

Still putting on airs with me, huh?

Feng Lan rolled her eyes inwardly. Shikaku's attitude had clearly softened. Most likely, after seeing what happened on the day of the speech, he had improved his evaluation of Minato while also feeling somewhat disappointed in the Third Hokage.

“Danzo is now a rogue ninja, and the Elders Council has a vacancy for an advisor position.” But it doesn’t matter. Shikaku is a meticulous person who always seeks stability, but I can still let him have his way. “I’m already preparing to strongly recommend Mr. Shikaku.”

Upon hearing this, Shikaku's eyelids twitched violently. "Damn it, you're doing it again?"

Having witnessed their previous encounter, how could he not understand that Feng Lan wasn't seeking his opinion at all, but rather charging in headfirst?

“Miss Shizune is already one of the advisors, can’t she fill this position?” Shikaku’s first reaction was to decline. It was too much to ask someone as rational as him to gamble like the Uchiha.

“Miss Shizune is still young, so after our friendly negotiations with the Third Hokage, although she is nominally an advisor, she only has the right to speak, not the right to vote.” Feng Lan once again entered smiling tiger mode. “You should know what this means.”

“But Mr. Shikaku is different. You have devoted yourself to the village for a long time. Both your ability and prestige are enough to make you a true elder. This power to decide the direction of the village... is rightfully yours.”

Shikaku's gaze sharpened. Voting rights—this was the Elders' Council's greatest power. In high-level meetings, all decisions had to be made by vote. Even the Hokage only had one vote.

The Third Hokage has held the power of three votes for many years, which means that every important decision must be approved by him. Now that Danzo has fallen, if I could get that vote... it's a terrifying thought.

Minato's side is at a disadvantage and will definitely have to work hard to win over the other side. The Third Hokage will also be unwilling to let the vote fall to the other side and will also focus on winning them over. With the strong support of the Akimichi and Yamanaka clans, the Nara clan does have the potential to rise to become a powerful clan.

But this exciting thought only flashed through his mind, and Shikaku quickly regained his composure: "Lord Fenglan, although you are powerful, you have only been in Konoha for a short time and there are some things you are not clear about. The reason why Danzo was able to sit in that position is not because he has a great family influence. On the contrary... he is the only person in the council of elders who has no family interests."

"Oh?" Feng Lan raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to hear more details."

“Sarutobi, Mitomon, and Utatane—weren’t they all from large and powerful families? Danzo dismantled his family early on and poured all his resources into Root. He had no worries about the future and no clansmen to support, so it took three generations to dare to use him… If he was ruined, he could be discarded without fear of backlash.”

Shikaku put down his wine glass, his gaze sharp: "You want me to sit in that position, but the Nara clan has hundreds of members. What do you expect me to gamble with?"

His meaning was clear: Konoha's share of the pie had already been divided up, and even if Danzo left, there wouldn't be much more to go around, not enough to support a powerful family.

Feng Lan didn't rush to refute, but slowly poured himself a glass of wine: "You can't say that. When Minato first became the Fourth Hokage, we had nothing. But look at us now? Standing army, finances, power... we've at least achieved so much, haven't we?"

"Mr. Shikaku, there is no such thing as a free lunch."

It's a very simple principle that Shikaku surely understands. What Fenglan means is that if you can't step up and offer help when the Fourth Hokage needs it most, then it will be too late to come and add to the glory when we have truly defeated Konoha.

Want to become a wealthy family without taking any risks? Where in the world is there such a good thing?

The problem is that Shikaku doesn't have that strong desire to become a powerful clan. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio just want to protect themselves and live a peaceful life in this cruel ninja world. It's impossible for him to do something as crazy as the Uchiha.

Feng Lan knew this too. These kinds of people who seemed to have no desires were the hardest to deal with, so he couldn't put too much pressure on them. Therefore, after demonstrating his strength, he immediately gave them a way out: "My request isn't high. As long as you can help Shuimen a little bit during the time I'm away from the village, that will be fine."

"As long as you do this, Danzo's position will be yours when I come back. You won't need to actually take sides."

This is quite tempting. He can take a position on the elders' council and remain neutral, just as Shikaku envisioned. Both sides would try to win him over, and with the help of the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans, he would be a stable force even if he wasn't a powerful clan. No matter how the power dynamics in the village change, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio would be a force to be reckoned with, instead of being stuck in this awkward, in-between situation.

At that moment, he was truly moved.

But smart people are troublesome. Even though he was already tempted, Lu Jiu still remained calm and asked, "I wonder what kind of 'slightly' Lord Feng Lan is talking about?"

“Shizune will accompany Minato to every high-level meeting and then tell you the details. At that time…” Feng Lan emphasized, “I don’t think Minato will need to ask for help. Mr. Shikaku should know when to offer advice, right?”

Shikaku's pupils suddenly contracted. Fenglan's words were both an affirmation of his wisdom and a heavy responsibility placed on him. Undoubtedly, the other party's bottom line was that the village must not be in chaos during his absence, and the power of the Minato, if not expanded, must not be swallowed up.

This is indeed very difficult, but as the saying goes... there's no such thing as a free lunch. The reward offered by Feng Lan is indeed generous, and if I refuse, the consequences will be equally severe, because Feng Lan's strong push doesn't care whether you agree or not.

"it is good!"

He uttered only one word, but anyone could hear the determination contained within it.

Hearing this, Feng Lan smiled slightly, raised his wine glass and clinked it with Shikaku's: "Then, I wish Konoha a thousand years of prosperity, and the Land of Fire... a long and prosperous reign."

……

"call!"

Stepping out of the izakaya, Feng Lan couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. He had finally gotten rid of Shikaku, the most troublesome guy. He felt completely relaxed. To put it somewhat inappropriately, his mood was like that of an imperial uncle who had just entrusted A Dou to the prime minister.

He won't be able to go to Amegakure with any peace of mind until this matter is resolved.

"Lord Fenglan." Shishui, acting as a guard, appeared behind him without anyone noticing. "There is something I don't understand."

"Hmm?" Feng Lan stretched. "What is it?"

"You once told Itachi that sometimes it's easier to scheme against smart people than against stupid people, but now it seems to me... winning over Mr. Shikaku is still the most troublesome thing to do."

“You said it yourself, sometimes.” Feng Lan smiled. “Besides, this isn’t scheming, or even trying to win someone over, but recruiting them. Scheming against a smart person can be easy sometimes, but recruiting one is much more complicated. They’ll analyze all the pros and cons to determine if you’re the best option. And Lu Jiu is smart but not very ambitious, which makes him even more troublesome.”

“Someone like Orochimaru, although he is smart, is too ambitious. As long as I throw out enough bait, he will not be able to resist jumping into the pit even if he sees it is a trap.”

"Before seeing the benefits, Shikaku will inevitably analyze what risks he might encounter. Once he feels that the risks outweigh the benefits, he will absolutely not take that step. So I can only push him forward appropriately, but I can't push him too hard, otherwise it will have the opposite effect. It's really troublesome... Fortunately, I finally succeeded."

Hearing this, Shisui couldn't help but worry, "What if, during your time away from Konoha, Mr. Shikaku feels that the risks of assisting the Fourth Hokage outweigh the rewards? What if he..."

"No, smart people know one thing in their hearts: wavering is a big no-no. If you're going to gamble, you have to go all in." Feng Lan gazed at the night sky, a smile playing on her lips. "Lu Jiu, Lu Jiu, you've finally been tempted. As long as I assist Minato this time... how could I not get you on board?"

At this point, Shisui was starting to lose track of his train of thought, but compared to Shikaku's matter, he was more concerned about something else: "Lord Fenglan, you said that recruiting a smart person is a very troublesome thing, right?"

“That’s right.” Feng Lan turned her head to the side.

"What kind of efforts did Lord Minato make when he recruited you?"

After saying this, Zhi Shui hurriedly lowered his head. Undoubtedly, this was an overstepping question that should never have been asked by him, the shadow guard. But for some reason, when he was with Lord Feng Lan... he couldn't help but become more and more presumptuous.

"Oh, you mean that?" Feng Lan chuckled nonchalantly. "He asked me, 'Would you be willing to become the Hokage's advisor?'"

"and then?"

"Then I said yes."

"Um……"

Zhi Shui fell into a long silence. At this moment, Feng Lan had already taken a step forward. He hurriedly followed behind, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke: "Lord Feng Lan, I, I think you said some things incorrectly."

"Hmm, what's wrong?" Feng Lan asked casually, his thoughts already drifting back to Amegakure.

“You said…you never trust anyone, but I feel that you trust Lord Minato implicitly.” Shisui mustered his courage. “You seem to be…deliberately portraying yourself in a negative light, but in reality…”

Fenglan suddenly stopped walking, and Zhishui immediately shut up, not daring to say anything more.

After a moment, Feng Lan took another step forward. He seemed to mutter something under his breath, but even with the keen hearing of a master like Zhi Shui, he couldn't hear it clearly.

All he could confirm was a long sigh and a vague "fools are lucky".

Chapter 58 The most important thing for the three of you is to live a good life.

Early the next morning, Feng Lan led a large group of people and set off. The technological situation in the Naruto world is somewhat Schrödinger's cat. You might say the technology is low, but they have water, electricity, and gas, and they sell printed books everywhere. Even movie theaters are constantly releasing new movies (although the most popular movie is actually Jiraiya's Icha Icha series). You might say it's high, but most ninjas have to walk to get around. Even Danzo, the 55th Hokage who went to the Five Kage Summit, had to do this. Fortunately, ninjas are much faster than ordinary people, otherwise it would be hard to say whether they could have made it.

However, considering Feng Lan's special identity, Shui Men still prepared a carriage for him to ride in. Feng Lan, who was not good at this, could only shrug helplessly. It was really too much to ask him to research things like gunpowder and airplanes just because he was a transmigrator.

"Fenglan".

When it was time to say goodbye, Minato was extremely reluctant to part: "You must be very careful. It doesn't matter if you can't catch Danzo, but you can't get hurt, you know?"

"When did it become your turn to tell me to be careful?" Feng Lan rolled her eyes. "During the Third World War, you were the most reckless kid."

"I'm reckless because I have the Flying Thunder God Technique." Minato, however, was unusually serious. "Although you've learned it, you haven't fully mastered it yet. Don't think that the Flying Thunder God Technique is omnipotent. If you encounter a strong opponent you can't defeat, you must retreat. I will take care of them for you in the future, no matter who they are!"

"I understand, I understand." Feng Lan was somewhat touched, but she wouldn't show it on her face. She boarded the carriage and waved without turning her head, "Everyone, Feng Lan is off."

The delegation set off in a high-profile manner, with Feng Lan carrying a large banner as if afraid that no one would know that he was going to Amegakure. Such a ostentatious display completely violated the ninja's secretive behavior, but no one in the entire village, from the Third Hokage Minato down to the two gatekeepers at the entrance, felt that there was no problem.

Everyone is used to it; Fenglan always has his reasons for doing anything. If we haven't thought of that, it's not his problem, it's our thinking that's wrong.

After the carriage departed, Konoha F3 and the others returned to the village. They had many things to do, such as preparing for the war. Only Minato stood blankly at the door, watching the departing delegation until the flamboyant banner gradually disappeared into the forest.

He felt a sudden emptiness in his heart. Although he couldn't bring himself to say something like, "Cut down this forest for me, so I can't see Yuanzhi's back," he felt a sense of panic and sorrow welling up inside him. It was as if the confident and omnipotent golden light he usually possessed had suddenly disappeared.

"Fourth Hokage, it's time to go back." At this moment, Shizune walked up and gently reminded him.

"I..." Minato's behavior at this moment was somewhat like that of a helpless child.

Seeing his expression, Jingyin secretly admired Lord Fenglan's foresight. She then took out something and handed it to him with both hands: "Mr. Fenglan said that if you encounter any problems that you cannot solve during his absence, open this scroll."

Minato looked down and saw that the scroll was covered with dense sealing techniques, clearly containing a very important plan. For some reason, he suddenly felt his confidence return.

"Alright." He took the scroll and solemnly placed it in his pocket. "Let's go back too; it's time to start our work for today!"

However, he was met with a rather peculiar gaze from Jingyin.

"W-what's wrong?" Minato blushed, realizing that his behavior just now was indeed embarrassing.

"No." Shizune quickly lowered her head as well. "It's just that I feel... Mr. Fenglan really understands the Fourth Hokage."

The implication is that you've been manipulated to this extent.

Unfortunately, Minato failed to grasp the deeper meaning. He confidently strode into the village, and then…

"Ugh, this is driving me crazy!"

Half an hour later, looking at the pile of documents on the table, Shuimen felt terrible. Before, Fenglan was responsible for 80% of the documents and he was responsible for 20%, and he didn't feel anything. But now that Fenglan was gone, he immediately felt his head buzzing when he started working on them.

He only now realized how terrifying Feng Lan was, who could effortlessly finish all his work in a morning and even help him fill in the gaps in his knowledge.

"How does that kid have such a sharp mind?" He couldn't help but mutter to himself after only half an hour.

And this was clearly within Feng Lan's expectations.

"Lord Fenglan asked me to answer you. There's nothing special about it; it's simply a matter of practice makes perfect."

"Whoa?!"

Minato was startled, then, seeing Shizune standing beside him, he asked curiously, "What did you say?"

“Last night, after Lord Fenglan had been drinking, he came to my place.” Jingyin sighed. “Besides giving me that scroll, he also taught me a lot of things and told me how to use them in different situations.”

"The phrase 'There's nothing special about it, it's just a matter of practice,' was asked to be uttered by him when you made a similar remark."

Minato: "..."