Nonō's Work

"Lord Third, your tea."

A figure with bright yellow hair and a curvaceous silhouette appeared in the Hokage Office, making the previously stifling office atmosphere feel somewhat refreshed.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took the tea and nodded, "Nonō..."

"Your tea-brewing skills are getting better—cough, I mean, more delicious."

Yakushi Nonō was currently wearing a form-fitting secretary's uniform, sporting round-rimmed glasses, a slender figure, and a face as clear and beautiful as water, fully embodying the demeanor of a mature woman.

She certainly looked like the most qualified secretary imaginable.

She merely stood to the side respectfully, her expression carrying a hint of helplessness.

"You flatter me, Lord Third."

"This is only my second day on the job, after all."

Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed without a hint of embarrassment, "Doesn't this just prove that my judgment is excellent? You clearly have a natural talent for being a secretary."

Ever since he had transmigrated, Sarutobi Hiruzen had pondered how he, as the shadow of the village, didn't even have a secretary; it was truly preposterous and failed to set any kind of example.

Thus, he had thought of this excellent 'Wandering Miko', and considering Yakushi Nonō's background as Konoha's greatest spy, he had considered her potential for secretarial work.

Of course, it was mediocre at best.

The work of a spy and a secretary were completely different types of jobs; it was impossible for someone to be good at both, unless they were Black Widow.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had now delegated many affairs to the Council of Elders, making his own life much easier, so he didn't really need anyone to assist him.

He just wanted someone by his side to pour tea, fetch water, and help with chores.

Naturally, as a retired spy, Yakushi Nonō had been unwilling to become Sarutobi Hiruzen's secretary.

It was only because Sarutobi Hiruzen had taken out Danzo, resolving her worries regarding her past as a spy, and because he held the position of Hokage.

In the end, Sarutobi Hiruzen had also promised to expand the Konoha Orphanage, which was the only reason Yakushi Nonō had reluctantly agreed.

However, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen's undisguised gaze and the strange uniform he had forced her to wear to work, she now felt that agreeing hadn't been the right decision.

But having boarded Sarutobi Hiruzen's pirate ship, there was no easy way to get off; as Hokage, it was all too easy for Sarutobi Hiruzen to manipulate her.

After sipping his tea while enjoying the view, Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally didn't forget the main business.

"How is that little guy, Naruto, doing with you?"

"Are there any difficulties?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen asked with concern.

"Naruto is a very cute child, very obedient, and he rarely cries or makes a fuss."

Thinking of the infant she had just adopted, a flash of tenderness crossed Yakushi Nonō's eyes.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's reason for thinking of Yakushi Nonō was naturally not just for the secretary position, but also to find a home for Naruto.

Although Naruto's fate had a sense of being predetermined, with many troublesome old schemers keeping their eyes on him, no matter what, Naruto would almost certainly be a powerhouse at the peak of the three-star level in the future, a very useful thug to have.

Sarutobi Hiruzen would naturally not let such a useful tool go to waste, and the maternal Yakushi Nonō, as his adoptive parent, was the most suitable choice—she was upright, pure-hearted, and kind; otherwise, Danzo wouldn't have been able to manipulate her so repeatedly.

Sarutobi Hiruzen bringing Yakushi Nonō to his side also had the underlying motive of binding her to him, thereby controlling Naruto.

"In the future, Naruto should still carry the Namikaze surname,"

Sarutobi Hiruzen said.

"You don't need to shy away from his background..."

"Just raise him as a normal child."

He was much more magnanimous than the original Third Hokage and would never resort to such filthy tactics to control a Jinchuriki.

Sarutobi Hiruzen did not yet know that he had already earned a reputation among his subordinates for being petty.

"Naruto's parents also left behind an inheritance..."

"I'll hand it all over to you to use for his upbringing."

As renowned powerhouses in the Ninja World, the Namikaze couple naturally weren't short on money and had left behind a significant fortune, but Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't about to haggle over such things with an infant.

Yakushi Nonō nodded in agreement, a glimmer of light in her eyes;

the Third Hokage before her, who looked majestic yet somewhat unreliable, was actually very upright in his actions.

Yakushi Nono was naturally clear about Naruto's special status; as a spy, she knew all too well how ninja villages typically treated and handled Jinchuriki.

Yet, Sarutobi Hiruzen had exerted no control over him whatsoever, even going so far as to find her to adopt Naruto, which could be said to show a character of integrity and uprightness.

As for him forcibly binding her as his secretary, that was a very normal method of supervision; the existence of a Jinchuriki would naturally receive extra attention.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's methods were already quite gentle.

For a moment, Yakushi Nono felt a sense of goodwill rise toward the Third Hokage before her.

Sarutobi Hiruzen showed a little concern for Naruto, but since Naruto was currently just an infant, Konoha was facing a more important situation.

He picked up a report regarding the Cloud Ninja and began to browse through it.

The Cloud Ninja were still maintaining rampant activities along the border line, becoming even more brazen, constantly harassing the outposts on the Konoha border, and there were already signs of them amassing a large number of troops at the frontier.

And amassing troops at the border of any nation was a highly provocative and dangerous act, undoubtedly akin to dancing on the Third's face.

At the same time, it was also a way to intimidate Konoha into submission, forcing Konoha to back down obediently if they did not want to fight.

"As expected, the Fourth Raikage still thinks I am that long-suffering Ninja Bear."

Sarutobi Hiruzen saw this and did not get angry, but instead laughed.

For the coming war, it was naturally better for the enemy to underestimate him as much as possible.

After all, Konoha's current pure strength was not what it had been during the peak period when the Sannin were still present; the top-tier combat power could truly be said to be lacking in successors.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had the confidence to win, but he also needed to exploit a gap in perception and timing, allowing the Fourth Raikage to think he had grasped his psychology while he prepared to deliver a heavy blow to the Cloud Ninja.

"Pass the word down!"

"Make our preparations for troop deployment as secretive as possible!"

"Depart in separate batches, and do not inform the subordinates what they are going to do!"

"Also, vigorously crack down on spies within the village, especially those from the Cloud Ninja!"

"I want them to be unaware that we have declared war on them until they are already being hit!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen passed all these orders to Nara Shikaku, knowing he would know what to do.

He was clear that this time, he intended to strike the Cloud Ninja with a heavy blow to serve as a warning to others.

Having finished dealing with the Cloud Ninja's affairs, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the intelligence from Jiraiya.

It was written on it:

Orochimaru's tracks remained elusive; he seemed to be traveling the Ninja World as well, collecting experimental materials.

Hiruko also had no news, still quietly researching the Chimera Technique, with no intention of showing his face in the Ninja World.

However, Jiraiya had found traces of Jugo in a remote village in the Land of Fire and was currently going to investigate.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was not surprised; the rogue ninjas among the candidates were not easy to deal with, and having escaped Konoha's pursuit for so many years, they were naturally not that easy to find.

On the contrary, those like Jugo, who had fixed residences, were much easier to locate.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen indicated that he was not in a hurry; with his long lifespan, he could afford to wait even until the era of Boruto.

"For now, I still have to resolve the matter of the Cloud Ninja."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was looking forward to seeing how much Space-Time Source Energy this would bring him.