Mao Sui Recommends Himself

"The war is almost over."

Minato Namikaze said it with a smile.

And, in truth, it was. The Mist front had already been pushed back. Plenty of skilled shinobi and lucky survivors would make it home, since Konoha's preparations hadn't been especially thorough. But most of the Wartime Jonin and Wartime Chunin, along with the cannon fodder who'd been forcibly promoted to Genin just to boost their numbers, would inevitably suffer heavy casualties.

Even the ambush by the Seven Mist Swordsmen of the Mist described in the original story—the attack on Konoha by a force of elite shinobi—would never happen.

After all, even a Kage could die when surrounded by more than a dozen Chunin and five or six Jonin. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were only slightly stronger than Jonin. Without a stronghold to support them, their surprise attack would simply be suicide.

The seven had survived against Minato Namikaze only because they'd been cautious enough—and because Minato had been more focused on slaughtering large numbers of rookie Jonin and the Chunin who formed the backbone of the force.

Yes, in a war, it wasn't the Jonin who formed the backbone. It was the Chunin, who were the most numerous and had the most ordinary basic abilities!

Of course, people with power beyond the norm of a Kage were the exception.

And it was the large-scale casualties among the Chunin—the ones who could be used to occupy and attack the front lines—that dealt the heaviest blow to Kirigakure.

"Right, though I expect we'll still be busy for a while."

Li Ke spoke of their situation.

Especially him. Minato might be able to take the wounded back to the village, spend some time with Kushina, talk things over with the Third Hokage, and make an appearance among the Ninja Clans. But he, Li Ke, Minato Namikaze's launcher, would inevitably have to stay on the front lines.

His mobility was simply too valuable to the entire Ninja Force!

"That's right, Qingtan. You'll have to work hard for a while longer."

Minato couldn't help bursting into laughter. It was a rare sight for a Hokage Candidate, especially one who had always treated people with such gentle courtesy.

But Li Ke understood. This battle would be the high point of Minato's life!

After laughing, Minato looked up at the tent roof and wiped away the tears of excitement in his eyes.

He knew he'd lost his composure, but he didn't care. Li Ke was one of his own now.

Thanks to Li Ke's help, there was no longer any chance of anything going wrong with his and Kushina Uzumaki's hopes of becoming Hokage. His marriage to Kushina Uzumaki was also free of any further complications. Even if the Konoha Elders demanded that Kushina Uzumaki go on missions as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he could refuse them outright and say, "There's no need for Kushina to go. I can wipe out the enemy forces on my own!"

"That's wonderful, Qingtan. Just wonderful..."

Minato let out a long sigh of relief, then turned to Li Ke.

"What's your wish, Qingtan? I still don't know what you want."

You're actually thinking of me at a time like this? You're offering to grant me a wish?

Li Ke thought it over and decided to be a little bold.

After all, he'd already gone this far with his cheat. What was wrong with being a little more ambitious?

"Well... I actually want World Peace."

"World Peace?"

Minato was taken aback. He wasn't sure what Li Ke meant, so Li Ke explained with a meaningful look.

"Yes. World Peace Under Konoha's Leadership."

Minato's expression turned serious at once.

"That's not an easy wish to fulfill, Qingtan... The shinobi world isn't that simple. Everyone has something of their own they need to protect, so peace for everyone is hardly possible."

Li Ke's ears automatically translated Minato's words.

You're not strong enough yet, and Konoha isn't united. I can't promise you the Hokage Position. I have something I need to protect too—Kushina. Once you become Hokage, you might use the Nine-Tails' Power. I can't accept that.

So Li Ke only smiled and offered his explanation.

"That's why I want to work together with you to protect the people we both want to protect. After all, I want my wife to be able to treat being a shinobi as something like going out to play with the children—not as a brutal profession that demands mortal combat and the sacrifice of her family."

Put another way: I understand, but I'm not trying to cut you out. I want to work with you and your power. I don't want my wife or children sent to the battlefield, either, so why would I send anyone else's wife and children? You don't need to worry about that.

"..."

Minato fell silent for a while. When he spoke again, he dropped the coded language.

"You might be more suited to becoming Hokage than I am, Qingtan. To understand this much at your age... You really are a frightening Genius."

He was genuinely surprised. He'd known since childhood that Kushina's identity was unusual, so he'd spent his early years thinking about how to protect her. He'd learned these things under Jiraiya's and the Third Hokage's guidance. Even then, his thoughts hadn't fully matured until the Sand Shinobi battlefield, when he finally understood what he wanted and what he wanted to protect.

But Li Ke was different. Li Ke had basically been raised and assigned as a safeguard for Asuma, and his parents had died when he was young. Under ordinary circumstances, there was no way he could have developed this kind of outlook.

That left only one possibility: Li Ke was a super Genius.

A Dual Genius in both power and thought.

"Was it the battlefield that taught you all this, Qingtan?"

Li Ke nodded.

"Yes. The brutality of the battlefield made me realize that the Ninja System is fundamentally wrong, Minato. We shouldn't have the role we do now."

Minato instinctively glanced toward the entrance and around the tent before speaking.

"Careful, Qingtan... You know the Daimyo cut off our supplies, don't you?"

That was why he was so eager to drive the Mist Shinobi away. If the Mist Battlefield dragged on too long, Kushina might be sent into battle. Nobody knew whether she could retain control of herself in Nine-Tails Mode, so he'd never dared to let her try.

If the Nine-Tails went berserk on the battlefield, Kushina, as its Jinchuriki, would be branded "unfit." At that point, she'd lose her freedom for good.

Even if he became Hokage, there'd be no easy way to let Kushina move about freely.

"I do."

Li Ke nodded. There were things Minato couldn't say, but he could.

"Doesn't it seem absurd, Lord Minato, that shinobi have no control over the finances? We protect the Land of Fire. We're the ones who allow the Daimyo to maintain his lofty position among the nations. We're also the ones who suppress bandits and keep the peace. So why should the shinobi have to cut their numbers because of the Daimyo? Kirigakure is a cautionary tale, and I'm certain Sunagakure will also suffer budget cuts this time..."

What he said was rather over the line. It wasn't good to say something like that just as the two of them were starting to trust one another.

But Li Ke wasn't afraid of that. In the end, the shinobi world was ruled by strength.

There were two kinds of shinobi in this world.

Hashirama Senju, and everyone else.

Impure World Reincarnation could be considered an enhancement for anyone—even Madara Uchiha. But for Hashirama Senju alone, it was a weakening.

As long as he was as powerful as Hashirama, he could easily say, "I don't need the Nine-Tails. I can wipe out the enemy forces on my own!"

Likewise, even if he couldn't reach Hashirama Senju's level and only managed to approach Madara Uchiha's, he could still stand above the world alone. Minato would have no choice but to help him.

But having a group of allies with decent strength and numbers would make it far easier to fulfill his wish.

So, before he gained that invincible power, he had to secure enough power and prestige in Konoha. It wasn't enough to merely get a slice of the pie at the table.

Like Minato, he had to become one of the few people in Konoha who could make the pie.

But to Minato, anyone who wanted to become Hokage after he took office would be his opponent—someone who threatened his family's unity.

So Li Ke had to make his position clear. He had to become Hokage, or at least seize control of Konoha's power, as soon as possible. He had to become Minato's right-hand man in Minato's circle.

That position could go to many people: Kakashi, Jiraiya, even the Third Hokage's eldest son—or the Third Hokage himself. So Li Ke had to show his ambition and his stance first, ensuring that he would be Minato's first choice.

There was no helping it. It was always this troublesome for a nobody from a small clan to rise to power. He had to sound out Minato's thoughts and attitude, while showing that he truly wanted to become Hokage but wouldn't oppose Minato or do anything that crossed his bottom line.

"Then what do you want to do, Qingtan?"

Minato understood Li Ke's intentions, but didn't reveal his own position. Instead, he asked the most important question.

"I'll wait until I've improved my strength and everyone recognizes it before making that wish. Otherwise, it'll just be a joke. Until then, I'll help build Konoha under the Hokage's leadership."

Minato nodded. As long as Li Ke didn't make trouble, that was enough. His thinking was rather bold for a shinobi, but it was just right for a Fifth Hokage.

And Qingtan was far more sensible than most shinobi!

It was a very reassuring feeling!

"Good. I'll help you, Qingtan. You're younger than I am, after all, and the future belongs to your generation. But your strength isn't enough yet. Still, I'm sure Jiraiya-sensei and Lady Tsunade would be more than willing to help a Genius like you... Summoning Jutsu and the techniques only Sages can master can make a real difference to your strength. Li Ke, you know about Sage Mode, don't you?"

But if Li Ke hadn't mastered an advanced application of the Flying Raijin Jutsu in just one day, if he hadn't had such enormous chakra reserves at twelve, and if he hadn't wiped out the Mist force single-handedly, Minato would never have made such a promise!

He also laid out his conditions: until Li Ke was strong enough, he shouldn't speak out, and he needed to study under Jiraiya or Tsunade and learn Senjutsu.

Minato had learned Senjutsu to better counter the power of the Tailed Beasts. If Li Ke wanted to become Fifth Hokage, he had to master Sage Mode! And to earn this kind of trust with what he'd just said, Li Ke also had to join Minato's circle and be kept under observation!

So Li Ke answered without hesitation.

"I know."

"Then master it—or gain the strength to defeat your enemies without it."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

The conversation ended. The two fell silent for a while, then Minato smiled and extended his fist, the solemnity disappearing completely from his face.

Li Ke extended his own fist and bumped it against Minato's. Then Minato made the promise Li Ke truly needed: the right to divide the pie and help make it.

"Then, once we're back in Konoha, I'll tell Lord Hokage to have you teach the Chunin their jutsu. That way, you can spend more time with Kurenai and your classmates and friends. Later... you can come help me in the Anbu, Jonin Squad, and Hokage Guard Platoon."

As expected, understanding a character's personality, boundaries, and ambitions was one of a transmigrator's cheat abilities!

And there was the payoff!

Li Ke could be sure he'd get into the Anbu. His battle record and abilities made him the perfect candidate. Becoming an Anbu Captain—or even a small-scale supervisor—would be no problem. The Hokage Guard Platoon was no issue either; his role was similar to Kakashi's. But the Jonin Squad was different.

That was something he'd secured with what he'd just said.

Li Ke smiled.

The Jonin Squad's commander was a position that could be either easy or demanding.

Of course, the position wasn't guaranteed. Shikamaru Nara and Shikaku Nara had both served as commander of the Jonin Squad, but the position made its holder one of Konoha's top officials.

To put it simply:

If the highest military rank was that of a marshal, then the Jonin Squad's commander was a deputy marshal—and one in charge of personnel assignments!

The position didn't have much real power in ordinary times, but it brought its holder into contact with shinobi from all of Konoha's clans and every department. It offered a clear understanding of the village's connections and how Konoha actually operated.

He was unlikely to become commander of the Jonin Squad right away, since Shikaku Nara would hold the position for a long time. But there was no problem with making him deputy commander. Add his experience as an Anbu Captain, and he'd have enough to become "friends" with most of the clan heads.

As for the Hokage Guard Platoon, that needed no explanation.

The First's guard was the Second Hokage. The Second Hokage's guard was Hiruzen Sarutobi. And Hiruzen Sarutobi's guard, at first, was Orochimaru, followed by Minato Namikaze.

Of course, the Hokage Guard Platoon couldn't actually protect the Hokage.

But Minato's surprise wasn't over yet.

"Also, Qingtan, I hope you'll become my child's teacher, just like Kakashi."