Yes, the Hokage

"And have you noticed that our long and complex sentences are somewhat different? My long and complex sentences use a lot of irrelevant information to drown out the relevant information, with the core purpose of making the other party give up asking questions and getting entangled; while Mitokado Homura's long and complex sentences turn simple things into a maze," with the aim of making people feel, 'This matter is too complicated, I shouldn't make the decision myself.'"

Feng Lan shrugged: "Of course, that doesn't mean we don't know how to use their words. It's just that we need to choose different types of sentences for different situations. I didn't want the Tsuchikage to keep harping on the rules of the Five Kage Summit, so I used that kind of sentence. Mitokado Homura was trying to make it impossible for you to refuse, so I used that kind of sentence."

"In this situation, you cannot fight back, because to fight back you need to dissect the other party's language structure, which is a skill you have not yet mastered."

"Then, Fenglan-sensei!" Minato's eyes shone brightly. "I want to learn how to analyze other people's language structures!"

“Okay.” Feng Lan smiled. “To decipher someone’s language, you have to remember what they said first. Please repeat the long and difficult sentence that Mitokado Homura just said.”

“Ah…this…” Minato stammered, “Because some people came and saw that others didn’t know they were there, I mean…some people saw that some people hadn’t come and some had come…in short, the whole structure went off track.”

"Is that so?" Feng Lan raised an eyebrow and recited Mitomon Yan's words verbatim.

"How exactly do you people's brains work?" Minato's expression was one of utter astonishment.

“These things aren’t so easy to learn, Little Watergate.” Feng Lan smiled mysteriously. “They are difficult to learn through systematic explanation. Instead, you need to go through a lot of practice and have a burst of inspiration when dealing with those old hands. Only by seizing that inspiration can you gradually master them.”

"In short, there's nothing special about it except practice makes perfect."

“Hmm…” Minato lowered his head in frustration. He recalled the same answer he received when he was faced with piles of documents and marveled at how efficiently Fenglan handled them. “Does that mean I’ll never learn?”

"Of course not. You can learn by watching and observing with me, and you'll eventually master it," Feng Lan said with a reassuring smile.

"What about the current situation?" Minato asked, somewhat unwilling.

"The current situation is naturally something you need to resolve, but not by countering their words. This time, you need to take the initiative."

Feng Lan snapped his fingers: "You need to play to your strengths and exploit others' weaknesses. Your biggest advantage is your status as Hokage. They will never dare to confront you head-on, especially now that the Third Hokage is silent."

"So, even if you can't deal with Mitokado Homura's language structure for the time being, you can put it aside for now and learn it slowly. Instead, you can use a strong and powerful offensive to leave the other party with no energy to talk nonsense."

"Hmm..." Minato scratched his head, "For example?"

“This is still an exam, so I won’t give you specific answers, but I will give you some hints.” Feng Lan waved her finger. “First of all, there’s something Mitokado Yan said, which is also something I often use—programs, programs are very important.”

"Hmm..." Minato clearly didn't understand.

"Secondly, you are the Hokage, and the Third Hokage is now in seclusion and seems to be retiring. So many things... especially appointments, can be decided by you. Even if a high-level meeting is held, the other side may not have the upper hand."

“Third,” Feng Lan raised her finger, “the law is something that the other side can use, and so can we.”

Seeing that Minato was clearly still unaware, he could only add a hint: "Based on my observation, the pass in Mitokado Homura's hand was issued by the Third Hokage, and now you are the Fourth Hokage."

He casually marked all the positions held by the higher-ups, then picked up the brick-sized document on Minato's desk that was giving him PTSD, and flipped through it on the sofa while saying casually, "Finally, Inuzuka Tetsuya's current status is quite awkward. He can be seen as my dog... Sorry, considering your feelings, I'll just use 'ninja dog' instead."

"You can think of him as my ninja dog, or you can think of him as one of the Third Hokage's ninja dogs. If you want to borrow him, I wouldn't mind~"

"Um……"

Shuimen fell into deep thought, scribbling and drawing in his notebook, while Fenglan silently flipped through documents. It wasn't until nearly noon that the blond-haired man stood up confidently: "Fenglan, I've planned everything! Come and take a look..."

"No, no, no." Feng Lan smiled. "Please don't treat me like a teacher now, but simply as a subordinate giving orders. You won't let all your subordinates see the details of the project you're pushing forward, will you?"

"Um……"

It was clear that Minato still seemed somewhat insecure when he heard that Fenglan wouldn't help with the review, but he took a deep breath, gulped down his tea, and patted his cheeks: "Fenglan! I need you to promote these few people according to my requirements. They need to be assigned to..."

With Feng Lan's skill level, he could naturally guess Minato's overall plan just by listening to his instructions, and smiled with satisfaction: "Yes, Hokage."

Chapter 133 Minato's Counterattack!

Soon, all the necessary personnel were in place, and Minato returned to his desk.

He let out a long breath, encouraged himself, and then called out, "Tie, come here for a second!"

Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Inuzuka Tetsu jumped up and rushed into the office, shouting, "Fourth Hokage!"

"Tetsu, please go and invite Lord Mitokado Homura over. I have some things I'd like to discuss with him." Minato smiled gently, but Inuzuka Tetsu couldn't help but tremble. Perhaps he was too nervous and it was just his imagination, but he actually saw a hint of Feng Lan's charm in the other man's smile.

……

Soon, Mitokado Homura followed Inuzuka Tetsu to the Hokage Building. He frowned as he noticed two Uchiha youths standing on either side of the entrance, seemingly acting as guards.

"Advisor!" Upon seeing Mitokado Homura arrive, Inahisa and Tetsuka, who had already been instructed, immediately bowed respectfully, pretending to know nothing.

"Hmm." Mitokado Yan nodded slightly, having already noted the difference in his mind.

When he put on a smile again and entered the Hokage's office, he was met with a blow to the head: "Lord Mitokado Homura, after careful consideration, I have decided to have Feng Lan move back to his original office."

Mitokado Yan frowned slightly, first looking around the office. Seeing that only Minato was there, he spoke up: "Fourth Hokage, did you make this decision on your own, or did someone help you make it?"

"I came up with the whole process myself." Minato also showed his signature squinting smile, making Mitokado Homura feel a little uncomfortable.

Of course, Feng Lan wasn't really absent. He was currently using his sensory abilities to listen to everything in his former office, which was also the reception room, while Yamanaka Inoichi had been invited over to help.

"Hmm..." Seeing Minato's seemingly resolute demeanor, Mitokado Homura's first reaction was also to stall. "I need some time to determine if it's feasible, Lord Minato. Do you have any written documentation?"

"Of course." Minato then took out a document.

After a quick glance, Mitokado Yan felt much more at ease. The content was clearly not written by Feng Lan; it was full of flaws, and he could easily find a hundred reasons not to approve it.

[Hmph, it seems I've managed to sow discord between these two.] The thought that Minato might not trust Feng Lan as much as he used to think filled him with even more smugness.

"Lord Mitokado Homura, I trust your judgment, but the final answer should ideally be feasible." Minato began to exert pressure subtly.

But a seasoned expert like Mitokado Yan would not be put under such direct pressure: "It... might be feasible."

Before he could even find fault, Minato changed the subject: "But that's not the main point of calling you here. Please sit down, we're here to talk about something more important."

[Could the more important matter be diplomatic maneuvering towards the Land of Waterfall?] Mitomon Homura raised an eyebrow. He didn't believe that Minato could glean any useful information from that large brick unless Fenglan helped with the analysis.

However, the reality was quite different. He had barely sat down when he heard words that nearly made him jump: "Lord Mitokado Homura, I've been thinking... the older generation of elders are under too much pressure. It's time to lighten your burden."

"Oh no, no, no, there's absolutely no need for that." Mitokado Haru shook his head vigorously, of course.

“It’s necessary, of course it’s necessary.” Minato smiled and took out the sheet of paper with the high-ranking positions marked by Feng Lan. “Let me see. In addition to your duties as an elder, you are also the financial manager of the administrative department, responsible for the salaries and benefits of the ninjas, right?”

Mitomon En's eyelids twitched suddenly. What kind of job did the elders have? They just attended meetings and voted. The finance director was the real lucrative position.

"Just thinking about how many ninjas there are in Konoha, and how much money you have to check every month, must be incredibly daunting. It must be too much work for you."

"No, no, no, it's not hard work at all." Mitokado Homura coughed twice hastily. "It's effortless, a piece of cake."

"Is the salary of so many ninjas in Konoha a trivial matter?" Minato emphasized, sounding quite surprised. "I think the Third Hokage is hinting at retiring. I thought you and Koharu Utatane also had this idea, but just didn't want to say it."

“Absolutely not!” Mitokado Homura hurriedly said, “I have many great young men under my command, so things can be coordinated and managed. I don’t need to do everything myself, so I can handle it completely, I can handle it haha.”

Minato's face darkened: [It's a system of oversight and division of responsibilities. When Fenglan isn't around, I have to approve documents, but I have to do everything myself.]

He silently noted this down in his notebook, planning to get revenge someday. Then, he bared his fangs: "Since it's all about overall coordination and management, it's fine to hand it over to someone else. Mr. Shikaku, it seems convenient for you to handle the ninjas' promotions, appointments, salaries, and benefits as well..."

"No, absolutely not!" Mitokado Homura almost exclaimed. "Nara Shikaku already has too much power... I mean, too much power at work!"

“That’s true,” Minato said, feigning thought. “But if I were to put you in charge of ninja promotions and appointments…”

"Of course I'd be happy to help you with this." Mitokado Homura was indeed fooled. Just like what Fenglan once said about Orochimaru, some smart people, even if they are very perceptive, will still jump into a trap if you offer enough temptation.

"Oh, I knew it." Minato smiled, his eyes narrowing. "Lord Mitokado Homura, you have given so much and sacrificed so much for Konoha."

“This is hardly a sacrifice, it’s perfectly fine.” Mitokado Homura smiled, even imagining the moment when he would gain power over Shikaku.

But the next second, Minato's demeanor changed drastically, his smile vanished and his face turned serious: "But Lord Mitokado Homura, I can see through your true intentions."

Mitokado Yan's heart skipped a beat, and almost instinctively she asked, "You...can you?"

But Minato's smile vanished again: "You're willing to sacrifice your retirement to help me out, aren't you? That's so noble, so great!"

[Wow, that's a pretty sharp statement.] Feng Lan raised an eyebrow. [An answer of yes or no won't work. This kid has gone from being single-minded back then to being indecisive on both ends now.]

“Yes, of course…” Seeing Minato smile again, Mitokado Homura breathed a sigh of relief and nodded subconsciously, but then immediately realized something was wrong and shook his head violently, “No, that’s not right! I didn’t sacrifice myself at all!”

This is a double-edged sword tactic: if Mitokado Homura admits that he is sacrificing himself, then Mitokado has every reason to reduce his power; if he denies this, then he is obviously saying that he has other plans.

Therefore, even someone as cunning and shrewd as him was momentarily stuck and dared not make any rash moves.

"Oh, Lord Mitokado Homura, I'm increasingly convinced that you have too many things to worry about, especially now that Lord Shimura Danzo and the Third Hokage aren't involved as much."

However, Minato dropped another bombshell: "I can no longer keep you tied up here because of my incompetence. Please go back and take care of the things the elders should be doing."

Hearing this, Mitokado Homura's heart clenched again, but Minato already smiled and said, "Go back quickly, Lord Mitokado Homura. It's not good for the elderly to worry too much. Leave the rest to us young people."

Helpless, Mitokado Homura could only slowly get up, while Minato casually said, "By the way, Lord Mitokado Homura, I'll be quite busy from now on. If needed, I'll send someone to the Elders' Council to invite you over."

"Do you need anything?" Mitokado Yan frowned again, but Minato had already lowered his head and was in a gesture of seeing him off, so he could only walk out.

Then, as his hand touched the doorknob, Minato's voice, seemingly muttering to himself, came through: "I mean, if there's a need, it might not actually happen."

After decisively issuing the order to leave, he then called out, "Tetsu, please go and call Advisor Shikaku over!"

This was obviously meant for Mitokado Homura to hear. Just as the old man was about to turn back, Minato slapped his forehead and said, "Hey, look at me. It's lunch break now. I'll go find him for a meal and we can talk about our plans."

Upon hearing this, Mitokado Homura trembled. He quickly closed the door and went back inside: "Fourth Hokage, this..."

But Minato just disappeared cleanly and neatly, using Flying Thunder God Technique to run away, without giving him a chance to speak at all!

Yes, he was the Fourth Hokage. Many laws apply to others but not to Minato. There was never a humorous rule like "the Hokage cannot freely enter or leave the Hokage's office without prior notification."

“Yes, the time is ripe.” Feng Lan smiled in the reception room. “Mr. Haiyi, contact Shikaku.”

……

After that, it was everyone's lunch break. This period was not long, and Minato only needed to deliberately chat and laugh with Shikaku in the ramen shop so that the Anbu could see them.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, having received the news from the Dark Side, became even more restless, losing their appetite and even their desire to drink water.

They waited and waited, and finally the afternoon workday began.

However, Minato had already used Flying Thunder God Technique to bring Shikaku back to the office, and then called out to the outside, "Tetsu! Could you come over here for a moment?"

Just as Inuzuka Tetsuya was feeling drowsy after eating, he jolted awake and practically tumbled into the office: "Fourth Hokage!"

"Listen up, Tetsuya." Minato's smile grew even more ethereal. "I'm going to have a long talk with Mr. Shikaku, and I don't want anyone to disturb us. Neither the Fenglan nor the elders are allowed in. Do you understand?"

In reality, Feng Lan was having coffee in the next-door reception room. He said that entirely to put some pressure on Inuzuka Tetsuya.

As expected, Inuzuka Tetsuya trembled even more violently: "Yes, Hokage-sama, I will do my best."

"No, no, no, doing your best isn't enough." Minato said with a smile, "Tetsu, you don't seem to realize how much power the captain of the Hokage's Guard has. No matter who it is, as long as they don't have a warrant, they can only come to see me by making an appointment with you in advance, understand?"

"That's true, but Hokage... it's just a procedure, in reality..."

"Ha!" Before he could finish speaking, Minato interrupted him with a laugh, "No, actually, Lord Mitokado Homura said that procedures are very important."

Chapter 134 Dog Training

After closing the door, Inuzuka Tetsuya's heart trembled. He knew all too well that he was about to be forced to choose sides.

[Is it the Third Hokage's side or the Fourth Hokage's side?] His mind raced, one possible outcome after another flooding his thoughts, but unfortunately... it seemed that neither was a good option.

Throughout history, fence-sitters have never had a good ending. Inuzuka Tetsu should have realized this when he knelt before the Third Hokage, but unfortunately, at that time, he was preoccupied with the idea of ​​"never underestimate a young man's potential" and was completely unaware of the danger lurking within.

"otherwise……"

His pupils contracted: "I gave in to the fourth..."

"Four what?" Inuzuka Tetsuya was interrupted halfway through his self-talk as he saw Mitokado Homura striding towards him in horror.

"Gu, Advisor!" He nearly choked on his own saliva. "You, what brings you here?"

"Can't I come?" Mitokado Yan held his chin high, his face full of arrogance.

"No, I mean..." Inuzuka Tetsu's gaze involuntarily drifted down. He remembered that there were two Uchiha guards at the downstairs door. Did the Hokage fly directly to his office with the Thunder God Technique and not have time to instruct them?

Mitokado Homura also sensed Inuzuka Tetsu's thoughts from his gaze, and snorted coldly: "Does a mere Uchiha dare to stop me?"

After tapping Inuzuka Tetsuya, he looked towards the office: "Is the Fourth Hokage inside?"

“Advisor…” Inuzuka Tetsuya took a deep breath, “The Fourth Hokage asked me to remind you that in order to reduce your waiting time… if you could submit an appointment before your next visit… it would be much more convenient for everyone.”

“Is that so?” Mitomon Homura raised an eyebrow. “I don’t find it inconvenient at all.”

“This…” Inuzuka Tetsu swallowed hard. “I think it is.”

Mitokado Homura's face darkened: "I want to see the Fourth Hokage."

“I’m afraid, I’m afraid it won’t work…” Inuzuka Tetsuya was already finding it hard to breathe. “He, he’s talking to Lord Shikaku.”

"what?!"

Mitokado raised an eyebrow and strode toward his office.

"Advisor!" Inuzuka Tetsu hurriedly stepped to the side, blocking the doorway, and said with great difficulty, "I suggest you... think about it again. Doing this... is really not appropriate."

In fact, what he said was theoretically correct, but Mitokado Homura was so angry that he couldn't listen to it. In addition, he was used to being arrogant and domineering in the Hokage's office, coming and going as he pleased. Besides, he had the pass in his hands.