Hokage's Secretary?

After the dinner, Yūske and Tsunade walked side by side through the Konoha Streets.

Neither of them said much. Perhaps it was because once this gathering ended, they would be heading to the Front Lines. The situation on the battlefield changed by the moment, and no one could guarantee they would return alive.

A handsome young man and a beautiful young woman, both Hokage's Disciples—in a world with so little entertainment, word of them had already spread from one end of the village to the other.

"Isn't that Lady Tsunade?"

"Lady Tsunade!"

"Hey, who's that beside Lady Tsunade?"

"You don't know? Lord Hokage took on another disciple. That's Lord Yūske."

"Lord Yūske."

Tsunade was already accustomed to the villagers' enthusiasm and smiled as she nodded to them. Yūske, who had hardly ever been in the spotlight in his previous life, felt somewhat uncomfortable under so many stares.

"It's fine. You'll get used to it," Tsunade said softly, noticing his discomfort.

"Haha, I'm just not used to getting so much attention," Yūske said with a laugh, easing the awkwardness.

"Are you still going back to the hospital?" Yūske looked up at the sun. It would be setting before long.

"Yeah. We've rested and reorganized for long enough. Things are getting tight on the Front Lines, so I need to get back into shape quickly. I also need to make more medicine for wounds and antidotes."

"Isn't the main battlefield in the Land of Rain right now?" Yūske asked in confusion.

"Amegakure won't be able to hold out much longer. They can't afford a prolonged war. As long as we can keep Salamander Hanzo tied down, no one else is worth fearing." After a pause, Tsunade continued.

"Salamander Hanzo is known as a demigod, so naturally he's extremely powerful. But what we need to watch out for most is his summon—Ibu​se. So when fighting Salamander Hanzo, the first problem to solve is the poison gas."

"Alright, then I'll walk you over."

"Mm."

Outside Konoha Hospital.

"I won't walk you inside. I need to hurry up and train."

"Mm. It's wartime, so the old man probably won't have much time to teach you. While Jiraiya is still in Konoha, you can ask him for guidance. He may be unreliable, but he's quite strong."

"I know. Go on in." Yūske thought, No point letting free help go to waste. Once you all leave, judging by the Third Hokage's current state, he probably won't be able to do what a teacher should until the war ends. For now, it'll probably be a hands-off approach.

As soon as he finished speaking, a masked figure clad in Anbu attire appeared.

"Lord Yūske, Lord Hokage requests your presence."

"Alright. I'll go right away." With that, the Anbu used the Body Flicker Technique and left.

"Tsunade, I'm going to see Teacher. Bye." Before he had even finished speaking, Yūske vanished.

"Such an impatient boy." Tsunade smiled softly.

She turned and headed toward the hospital. There was nothing else to do now; it was time to focus on her work.

Hokage Office Building.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in."

The door opened from within, revealing a young and beautiful woman who greeted Yūske with a smile.

"Hello, Yūske. My name is Nara Haruna, and I'm Lord Hokage's Secretary."

"Hello, Haruna. My name is Watanabe Yūske." Yūske extended his hand and shook Nara Haruna's.

I don't remember the Third Hokage having a secretary. Or maybe the manga never mentioned one, so I just assumed he didn't?

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yūske saw the Third Hokage smiling at him and hurried forward.

"Teacher!"

The more the Third Hokage looked at Yūske, the more satisfied he became. A powerful Kekkei Genkai, polite manners, respect for his elders. Compared to the previous three, he was simply a treasure.

"Yūske, from now on, Teacher will set aside time every evening to guide your training. You don't need to worry," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, placing great importance on Yūske.

"But shouldn't Teacher be very busy right now?" Yūske asked, puzzled. As Hokage during this period, shouldn't he be attending meetings, discussing strategies, coordinating personnel, and arranging logistics?

"Haruna will organize everything in the evenings. If anything important comes up, the Anbu will notify me." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled in satisfaction. Not greedy, not impatient. Very good.

Not everyone could place the village above themselves. Compared to his own improvement, this child cared more about the war on the Front Lines and the village's future.

As expected, he had not misjudged him.

"Since that's the case, then I'll be troubling you, Teacher."

Nara Haruna had brewed tea and served a cup each to the Third Hokage and Yūske.

"Lord Hokage, rest assured. I'll organize the documents first. The village's safety will absolutely remain my top priority."

"Good, good. Yūske, the Nara Clan has one of the finest minds in the shinobi world. Another day, have Haruna take you to visit their clan grounds. Knowing more people won't do you any harm."

"Alright, Teacher." Yūske wondered what the Third Hokage was playing at. Was it merely polite small talk, or did he have some hidden meaning?

That made no sense. It was only his first day as a disciple, and there were still three senior brothers and sisters ahead of him.

"Alright, Lord Hokage."

"Yūske, when you're free, this big sister will take you around and show you the way." Nara Haruna covered her mouth, looking at Yūske teasingly.

Bang!

A clap of thunder rang out.

Yūske's eyes widened as he looked at the Third Hokage, then at Nara Haruna.

Show me the way? A political marriage? Hiruzen Sarutobi sold me out?

Seeing Yūske's vacant stare and having no idea what he was imagining, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not hold back his laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Alright, Haruna, stop teasing Yūske."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped laughing and drained the tea before him in one gulp.

"Actually, the Nara Clan Elder heard about your Kekkei Genkai and felt that it was similar to their clan's secret technique. He asked me whether it might be possible to find a way to improve their secret technique through your String Style."

Hiruzen Sarutobi explained that the Ino-Shika-Cho clans were all loyal supporters of the Hokage's faction. If his disciple could help them, perhaps even benefit their entire clan, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous favor and would further strengthen the relationship between both sides.

It was not exactly help in a time of need, but it was certainly the icing on the cake.

"I understand. Once I can fully master my Kekkei Genkai, I'll have to ask Haruna-nee to lead the way."