The Hokage Who Didn't Want Money, Sakumo and Minato

Hokage Office Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi held a volume of Forbidden Jutsu Notes left behind by Senju Tobirama, reading it with great interest.

The more he read, the more he understood why he had revered his teacher so deeply in the past, and why every Hidden Village had feared him so much...

Senju Tobirama truly had been a super genius!

Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, Flying Thunder God Technique, Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, Soul Sealing Jutsu...

Every Forbidden Technique involving souls and space had been conceived with extraordinary ingenuity.

They possessed both wildly imaginative thinking and down-to-earth structure.

He had been a true all-rounder. Not only had he possessed all seven Chakra natures, but he had also been highly proficient in Sealing Jutsu.

His conventional combat methods had been equally remarkable. He had played Water Release's nature and shape transformations like no one else.

"What a waste. How could something this good be locked away on a shelf?" Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself as he circulated his Chakra and pondered its secrets.

He had a tiny bit of talent himself, too.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi had mostly focused on "learning" in the past and had not developed many groundbreaking ninjutsu,

it was not too late to start researching now!

"The materials required for Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu are indeed a major problem. The ethical concerns involved, though, don't really matter..."

Souls and bodies were a complementary pair. If the balance between them was disrupted, problems were bound to arise.

Besides, an Impure World Reincarnation body could hardly be called a real body.

"The conversion rate isn't ideal either, but this jutsu must be perfected. It can become the village's trump card."

According to Senju Tobirama's experimental data,

with the current version of Impure World Reincarnation, an average Jonin used as material could only produce an Impure World Reincarnation Body whose maximum Chakra output was at Chunin level.

No wonder it could only be used as a human bomb, as the fuse for Mutual Explosion Tags.

But there was clearly room for improvement. Senju Tobirama had proposed several ideas, but had not had time to verify them...

"You're truly full of treasures, Teacher..."

"I'm missing you more and more." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at the Second's portrait on the office wall and smiled.

When he had gone to retrieve this batch of Forbidden Jutsu Notes, he had also checked the village's records of Forbidden Technique applications.

Orochimaru's name appeared frequently.

He had applied to borrow every text that might, even indirectly, involve the Second's Forbidden Techniques.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had rejected many of those requests in the past.

But after reading through the texts Orochimaru had requested, Hiruzen Sarutobi identified their overlapping subject matter.

Souls.

It was not necessarily certain, but there was a strong chance that Orochimaru had a tremendous interest in "souls."

"That brat and I are pretty in sync..." Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled.

Once the development of the Healthcare Pill produced preliminary results, Lord Hokage decided to give Orochimaru a heavier workload.

If he wanted to become Hokage, then he had to work...

And this period would also give Hiruzen Sarutobi time to gain a deeper understanding of these ninjutsu.

Trusting Orochimaru was one thing.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi was confident he could build a relationship with Orochimaru that was part teacher, part father, and part friend, he could not be a client who only threw money around and assigned work...

He needed professional knowledge. Like Danzo, someone who only knew how to demand progress reports would be looked down upon by researchers...

He believed that Orochimaru would soon come looking for him on his own.

After all, there was no longer any rift between them.

Knock, knock, knock!

A knock sounded at the door.

Hatake Sakumo and Namikaze Minato walked in.

"Lord Hokage! Lord Third!"

"You're here? Don't just stand there. Sit..." Hiruzen Sarutobi put away the notes in his hand and warmly invited them to sit, tossing each of them an apple from his desk.

"Biwako insisted I bring these over. Help me take care of these enemies."

Hatake Sakumo smiled, catching one neatly. "Thank you, Lord Third. I haven't had breakfast yet..."

Namikaze Minato, meanwhile, was somewhat stunned. Though he had excellent composure, this was his first private meeting with Hiruzen Sarutobi in such a small setting.

Was the Hokage really this approachable?

"Sakumo, have you gotten used to the work as Deputy Chief?" Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up an apple himself and ate alongside them.

"What you mentioned repeatedly before really is a problem. You must pay closer attention to it in the future," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a genial smile.

"You report directly to me. I'll be giving you more responsibilities in the future. Do you have confidence?"

Hatake Sakumo blinked. Their eyes met, and he immediately understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's meaning.

He was referring to Sakumo's previous report about Root's abnormal expansion...

By now, Root had been cut down and absorbed into the Anbu.

Shimura Danzō had also become a Deputy Chief on equal footing with him.

"Lord Hokage, leave it to me!" Hatake Sakumo's tone was calm, yet filled with determination.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction.

Born of samurai stock, Hatake Sakumo was like a loyal blade. He was worthy of Hiruzen Sarutobi's trust.

And this also concerned how Shimura Danzō would be handled in the future.

If Danzo performed well enough in the Kumogakure incident, Hiruzen Sarutobi would not mind making him Anbu Chief, but he would reclaim his personnel authority.

The appointment of the Anbu Deputy Chief, captains of every squad, even team leaders, as well as the composition of each team, would all require the Hokage's approval.

After all, he was meant to assist, not hold actual authority.

And when Danzo's abilities were used in the right place, he could still accomplish some things.

He simply needed restrictions. Danzo could not be allowed to build an independent kingdom.

"Sakumo, I have an idea concerning the village's security and defense."

Hiruzen Sarutobi handed him a document. "Combine the Inuzuka Clan, Aburame, and Hyuga with the Uchiha Clan to establish a diversified defensive line."

The Inuzuka Clan's scent tracking, the Aburame's insects, the Hyuga's penetrating vision...

And the Uchiha's Red-Eyes.

With all of them working together, enemies would have a much harder time infiltrating the village.

Hatake Sakumo pondered for a while. "Lord Hokage, it's a good proposal, but can the village's financial income support it?"

It was not as though no one had proposed this idea before, but they had all been stopped by the issue of "money."

Though a Hidden Village was a military organization with a certain degree of coercive power, without the fundamental resource of "money," no system could be sustained...

The village's income came from Daimyo funding and a share of mission payments.

Adding these security squads would mean a considerable increase in expenses.

Take the Uchiha Clan, for example...

Every year, Konohagakure had to allocate a large amount of funds to the Military Police Force...

Targeting them was one thing, but they could not be trapped inside the village and left unable to afford food, could they?

If that happened, they would have every justification to rebel.

"You don't need to worry about money, Sakumo..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled. "I've decided to donate part of my personal assets to the village. Supporting patrol squads of just over a dozen people for several years will be easy enough."

"Afterward, there will also be dedicated funding. As Hokage, I'll find a way."

"The urgent priority is ensuring the villagers' safety. We absolutely cannot delay any longer!"

Hatake Sakumo's eyes widened slightly, a rare sight. "Th-This won't affect your life, will it?"

"Of course it will affect it. With security improved, I'll be able to handle government affairs with greater peace of mind..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi answered naturally. "Don't you think?"

Namikaze Minato had been listening quietly, still unaware why he had been called here today.

Hearing those words, he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a trace of admiration in his eyes.

"Don't worry about me. What does a Hokage need money for?"

"I just need to leave some for Asuma and Shinnosuke to get married."

To Hiruzen Sarutobi, "money" truly held little meaning. What he needed was for the village to improve...

Hatake Sakumo went without saying. He was someone Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to cultivate as a trusted confidant.

As for Namikaze Minato, he was the little hero who had rescued Kushina and a genius who, at such a young age, could defeat an elite Kumogakure squad...

Besides, he was also his grand-disciple.

Naturally, Hiruzen Sarutobi thought highly of him.

The best way to win over a genius was to establish a good relationship while they were still growing.

"Kid, do you know what you should call me?" Hiruzen Sarutobi teased Namikaze Minato.

"Of course, Lord Third..."

Namikaze Minato suddenly understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's meaning. The title on his lips changed. "Grandmaster!"

"Oh, you've got quite the sweet mouth..." Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed.

"What happened between you and Kushina was very good! That brat Jiraiya can be rather flighty sometimes. If there are matters of training or daily life he can't handle, you can come directly to me, your Grandmaster."

Namikaze Minato nodded obediently. "Thank you, Grandmaster!"

Hatake Sakumo's eyebrow twitched beside them.

The kid looked airheaded, but his mind was quite sharp.

He seemed like the same type, this Yellow-Hair...

"Choose ninjas with outstanding sensory ninjutsu, relatively average combat ability, and a preference for stability... Don't force ninjas with versatile abilities into security work. Wasting talent would be a shame."

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Hatake Sakumo his instructions. "The unit should be around twenty people and conform to the Anbu rotation system. Everything must be based on practical results."

Hatake Sakumo nodded with utmost solemnity. "Lord Hokage, please rest assured!"

The Hokage was paying out of pocket for everyone's security. If he still could not arrange this properly...

then Hatake Sakumo would not be able to forgive himself.

He was a very simple man.

He loved this village because of that glimmer of light manifested by the Will of Fire.

Ninjas were not tools; comrades were not consumables.

As long as the Will of Fire did not change color, Hatake Sakumo was willing to do anything...

"Minato, I have a task for you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke slowly. "I heard from Jiraiya that you made suggestions concerning Anbu security... Once Sakumo has finished his work, you will inspect the village's security at irregular intervals."

"If you find any loopholes, your Grandmaster will give you some private lessons in the future!"

Namikaze Minato's eyes immediately lit up. "Understood!"

He turned to Hatake Sakumo. "Lord Sakumo, excuse me in advance..."

Hatake Sakumo smiled faintly. "Kid, don't speak too soon!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched this scene with satisfaction.

That evening,

Hatake Kakashi returned home with a scrunched-up little face.

"Father..."

"I want to graduate! The Ninja Academy is really too boring. I want to become a ninja!"

Ever since that day at the training ground, when Jiraiya and Hatake Sakumo had tossed him around like a toy,

Kakashi, who had considered himself a genius, had suffered quite a blow. Though he was still just a little kid, he was immensely proud inside.

With such a massive gap between them, if he continued wasting time at the Ninja Academy, would the gap not only grow larger in the future?

That would not do!

Hatake Sakumo looked up at his son and chuckled.

Foolish son, you have no idea what a good life you're living...

Wasn't a carefree life at school good enough?

Whether during the Warring States Period or the era of war, such days could not be found even with a lantern...

Young brats these days truly did not appreciate their blessings!

"There are many impressive kids at your school, Kakashi..."

"That Uchiha kid is one of them."

"There are even kids who haven't enrolled yet but possess extraordinary potential."

Hatake Sakumo thought of Might Duy and his son.

The sight of the boy training so hard and the calluses on his hands had left a deep impression on him.

Kakashi curled his lip.

Who would believe that?

Then a flash of inspiration struck Hatake Sakumo, and a wicked idea came to mind.

"Do you know Namikaze Minato? The male ninja with yellow hair..."

"Of course. What's wrong, Father?" Kakashi replied in confusion.

"Is he strong? I think I've heard the teachers mention him..."

"If you can successfully sneak-attack him even once, I'll allow you to graduate."

Hatake Sakumo spoke with a perfectly serious expression. "What do you think?"

"Father, you said it. It's a deal!" Kakashi crossed his arms, looking like a Little Cool Guy.

It was only landing one sneak attack, not defeating him. How hard could that be?

"Mm-hmm, it's a deal..."

And at that moment, he was thinking to himself.

Maybe I should report the Ninja Academy situation to the Third?

I needed to make things harder for those little brats!

Two-in-one, a four-thousand-word mega chapter! Consider it a bonus update—please vote with your monthly tickets!! Please support this new book!

The idea behind Xiaofan's book was this:

With Hiruzen Sarutobi—a man wholly devoted to the village and determined to make himself stronger—as the driving force of the plot, it would unfold as a deduction-driven story.

So it would involve an ensemble cast, and at times the writing might seem rather detailed.

For chapters like this, Xiaofan would update as much as possible so you dear readers could enjoy yourselves to the fullest.

Below is an explanation of the Kakashi, Might Guy, and Shisui timeline. It does not affect the plot.

Short version: Kakashi enrolled and graduated at age five, Might Guy had not enrolled yet, and Shisui was in the same class.

Readers who do not care can skip this. I just wanted to discuss it with everyone and show that Xiaofan had put thought into the setting.

First, Kakashi.

First of all, according to the databook, Kakashi graduated at five, became a Chunin at six, and a Jonin at twelve.

But the problem was, neither the manga nor the anime version of the story reflected this.

Kakashi had joined the Anbu when he was very young. Back then, he had even said he did not care about his teammates, and he had gotten into unpleasant conflicts with quite a few people.

Yet there were also clear scenes showing Kakashi taking the Chunin Ninja Exams with Obito and the others, which was really hard to make sense of.

Had the Anbu been sent back to be a Genin?

Now, Might Guy.

According to the databook, Might Guy was two years older than Kakashi when he enrolled.

But in the actual story, there were scenes of Might Guy failing to enroll and retaking the exam, as well as scenes of him attending the entrance ceremony with Kakashi. Xiaofan had images for all of this—it was not fan-made setting.

Finally, Shisui. There was actually very little information about Shisui.

Two things were clear: he had participated in the Third Shinobi World War while still looking like a little brat, earning the name Body Flicker Shisui, and he appeared to be around five years older than Uchiha Itachi.

So the setting here was that Kakashi enrolled at five and wanted to graduate, Might Guy had not enrolled yet, and Uchiha Shisui was already at the Ninja Academy.

Thank you all for your support, dear readers~