Who Are Our Allies? Who Are Our Enemies?

If power isn't delegated effectively or isn't delegated enough, it's a cycle of working overtime until you die. If power isn't delegated well, a bunch of cliques below can easily sideline the boss.

Uchiha Shingen did want to delegate power, but given the current structure of the ANBU, if he did, he would become a mere bystander, unable to accomplish anything.

Things will get much better when he can bring in a few people.

"Knock knock..."

"Come in." Uchiha Shingen didn't even look up. He had just finished reading the document in his hand, so he slapped it down with a big red slap.

"Minister," an ANBU entered, "the Sunagakure's forces have entered the village."

"Yes, cooperate with the Police Force, settle them in properly, explain the rules to them, and make sure they don't cause us any trouble."

"The arrangements have been made, but there's still one troublesome matter."

"What? Are the Sand Ninja causing trouble? Or are they from our side?" Uchiha Shingen finally raised his head. "If they're causing trouble, we can disqualify them from the exam. They know that very well."

"The specific reasons are unclear, mainly because the identities of both parties are quite sensitive."

"Just get to the point!"

"Yes... there was some conflict between the Kazekage's child and the two groups of candidates recommended by the Uchiha Clan." The Anbu Ninja secretly observed Uchiha Shingen's expression.

He felt this matter was too hot to handle.

He couldn't very well say, "Boss, your brat started a fight with Kazekage's son over a single word."

"Oh?" Uchiha Shingen shifted his attention from the documents. "You've made your move?"

"It's not serious, it's just a matter of friction."

"What did Kazekage say?"

He said he would restrain the village's ninjas.

Rasa, this kid, is he being so easy to talk to now?

Although the Anbu Ninja didn't explicitly say so, given Uchiha Sasuke and Naruto Uzumaki's personalities in this timeline, it's highly likely they were the ones who started the trouble.

Even if that's not the case, Rasa's attitude is still strange. Is he really trying to cause trouble?

Hmm... Could it be that Orochimaru has already turned her into a disguise?

"Understood. I'll visit Kazekage tonight to apologize. Is there anything else?"

"That's all, Minister."

"That's settled then. The arrival of examinees from various countries is a big deal. Besides their examinees, the ninjas leading the teams, the village leaders, and the three Kage, keep a close eye on them all. Don't be afraid of offending anyone. If anyone is uncooperative or tries to find out your identities, arrest them."

"Yes."

The Anbu Ninja withdrew in response. After the door closed, Uchiha Shingen picked up his pen again, but his mind was still on the Kazekage.

If it were Orochimaru, this could also be an opportunity.

You can act recklessly in the Land of Rice Fields, but can you do that here? At least not in front of the Sand Ninjas.

When the time comes, all he needs to do is shove a black Chakra rod in, causing the demons and monsters to reveal their true forms. The Sand Ninja will surely ascend to heaven on the spot and form an ironclad alliance.

That's fantastic!

Thinking about this, Uchiha Shingen was actually hoping that this Rasa was Orochimaru in disguise.

If possible, he'd like to set off right now!

But...

Uchiha Shingen shifted his gaze slightly to the right, his eyes falling upon a thick stack of documents on the table.

Damn it, the comments on these approval documents are practically worthless; they're all written by seasoned veterans!

Uchiha Shingen made a decision: after the Chunin Ninja Exams, he would ask Namikaze Minato for training rights; if he wasn't given them, he would do what Sun Wukong did.

Without the right to provide training, and working with these stubborn old hands, it's impossible to get by. Sooner or later, I'll be forced to soak goji berries in water.

This was his last act of defiance!

Calming himself down, he continued reviewing the documents.

Meanwhile, several more stacks of documents were delivered.

Uchiha Shingen had no choice but to brew a strong cup of tea to boost his energy.

Gradually, the sky outside the window darkened. Uchiha Shingen lit a lamp. At this point, only a few dozen documents remained.

By the time he finished approving these dozens of documents, it was completely dark outside.

Uchiha Shingen rang the bell on the table.

"Minister."

"Tell Aburame Torune," Uchiha Shingen said.

After a while, Aburame Torune arrived.

"Torune. I need to give the students intensive training for the next three days. During these three days, you will write for me. I will have the secretary prepare a formal authorization document."

Aburame Torune was stunned; he thought that Uchiha Shingen had summoned him to deal with someone.

How did it become a ghostwriting job?

"Lord Shingen, why not let Sarutobi Clan...?"

"You're my direct subordinate, so of course I'll entrust this to you. Besides, you're a veteran of the Root. If you're too busy, have Feng and the others come and help you. Handle it for three days, and I'll see how it goes."

Being able to become Danzo's last right-hand man in the original timeline, Aburame Torune and Yamanaka Fū were certainly not purely combat-oriented talents; they were both well-rounded individuals.

Even a military unit like the ANBU is only good at killing people and can't handle important tasks.

Uchiha Shingen felt quite at ease entrusting the approval to these two.

After all, the ANBU is in such a sorry state now. As long as Aburame Torune and Yamanaka Fū follow the old Root style and do their usual work, nothing serious will happen.

Moreover, since we're going to take back the training rights, we should do something that will be even more unacceptable to them.

"Alright, that's settled then. You'll be in charge from now on. You have three days. If you encounter any problems you can't solve, come back to me. The authorization documents will be distributed by the secretary tomorrow."

"Yes, Lord Shingen."

Uchiha Shingen had put it that way, Aburame Torune had no choice but to agree.

However, thinking about the situation he and his companions would face in the next three days, he wasn't afraid; on the contrary, he was quite excited.

Those of them who were originally from the Root have far too many things they can't stand about the current ANBU.

Uchiha Shingen had already stood up, stretched, and taken the captain's coat, which represented the authority of the ANBU, from the coat rack and put it on.

"Shingen, if you have other matters to attend to tonight, why don't we accompany you?"

Aburame Torune said hurriedly.

Wearing this outfit out in public clearly doesn't mean you're going to do charity work.

"Alright, then call Feng too, just the three of us." Uchiha Shingen agreed.

Rasa definitely has guards; it would seem a bit prestige for him to come alone.

That won't do. He's representing the ANBU right now, so we have to be careful.

"Yes."

After a while, Yamanaka Fū was Aburame Torune.

I was dragged Yamanaka Fū by a friend, but I still don't quite understand what's going on.

The main point is that Aburame Torune told him that Lord Shingen seems to be going out to kill someone.

This startled Yamanaka Fū. His first thought was that among the foreign ninjas who entered the village today, there was an enemy of Uchiha Shingen.

He felt... wasn't this too hasty? Wouldn't it be bad if things got discovered without proper planning?

"Let's go pay a visit to Lord Kazekage."

"Uchiha Shingen said."

Yamanaka Fū immediately realized he had misunderstood. After all, no matter how irritable this person was, he wouldn't go so far as to kill Kazekage.

"Yes, Lord Shingen."

Nowadays, most members of the ANBU refer to Uchiha Shingen as "Captain," but only former Root members still call him "Lord Shingen," the same way they addressed Shimura Danzō back then.

Uchiha Shingen did not correct this point.

This is the biggest difference between the ANBU and the Root.

The power of the ANBU comes from the position of Hokage; Anbu Ninja recognize their position.

The power of Root came from Shimura Danzō, a former Root ninja who recognized the person.

From this perspective, it's perfectly normal for former Root members to be suppressed by the ANBU.

Uchiha Shingen led the two away from the Hokage Building and headed towards the Guest House where they were staying in Sunagakure.

The three Kage who came to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams were all arranged to stay in the newly built Guest House after Leaf Village started its second phase of reconstruction following the war. The leaders of the next level villages of Amegakure, Kusanagi, Takigakure, and Oto, as well as the special envoy from Kumogakure, were arranged to stay in the old guesthouse.

The only teams that haven't arrived in Leaf Village yet are from Hidden Mist Village and Iwagakure.

In Kirigakure, I've heard that the Fourth Mizukage is considering abdicating and is currently determining a formal successor. I wonder if this is related to that.

However, it's unclear whether Terumi Mei will still be the heir.

To be honest, in Uchiha Shingen's opinion, Karatachi Yagura was indeed much more capable Terumi Mei, not because he could completely control the power of the Tailed Beasts, but simply because of his governing ability as the Mizukage.

In this timeline, without being completely reduced to a puppet, Karatachi Yagura had the opportunity to display his talents. Although both villages relied on the association system, Kirigakure's methods were far superior to Iwagakure's.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist Village have also been re-established.

Zabuza Momochi, who had fled to the Land of Fire for refuge, has returned to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

In this timeline, Zabuza Momochi longer connected, and Haku has become Uchiha Clan Haku. But for both of them, this might be a better outcome.

The reason why Uchiha Shingen thought of this was because Zabuza Momochi would also be coming to Leaf Village this time, as one of the Jonin the Hidden Mist Village team.

The new building was soon arrived, Uchiha Shingen saw the Anbu Ninja at the entrance.

This is Leaf Village, so naturally Leaf Village ninjas are responsible for the outer perimeter security. Sand Village can only carry out security work inside the building.

Uchiha Shingen walked over.

His attire, along with the Aburame Torune and Yamanaka Fū behind him, clearly identified him.

"Minister!" Two Anbu Ninja quickly bowed.

"No need for formalities, you've all had a long journey." Uchiha Shingen waved his hand, glancing upstairs where figures were moving around by the bright windows.

"Have the people of Sunagakure had dinner yet?"

"Yes, the kitchen waste was handed over two hours ago, but they only accept raw materials, which they made themselves."

"That's understandable, considering it's the Kazekage himself." Uchiha Shingen nodded. "Which floor is the Kazekage on?"

"Sixth floor."

"Yes, even though you're from Minggang, don't let your guard down. Once the Mizukage and Tsuchikage arrive, you'll attract even more attention."

"Yes!"

Patting the two on the shoulder in encouragement, Uchiha Shingen led the two behind him into the new building.

Chapter Five: Who are the Allies? Who are the Enemies?

In a room on the sixth floor of the new building, the atmosphere was somewhat somber.

Rasa sat on the tatami mat, looking at the children in front of her.

His eldest daughter Temari, has grown into a beautiful young woman, much like her mother. She possesses the talent to become a powerful ninja, has a strong personality, and values her family deeply.

Kankuro, the second son, possesses tactical talent and is driven, but his character flaws are also obvious—he has slightly poor emotional control and is prone to getting carried away.

As for the third son...

A few years ago, who could have believed that the timid child would grow up to be a volatile and ruthless killer?

And to be fair, although the third brother is often mistaken for a madman, he is actually quite quick-witted, much better than the second brother.

"Gaara, you did a great job today. You didn't let Kankuro continue to embarrass the village."