I Have a Bunch of Relatives Who Want to Be Hokage Chapter 4

"He was the Hokage first, Shisui." Uchiha Shingen looked at him, recalling the boy's tragic future from the manga. "Since he was the Hokage, his sense of self no longer belonged solely to him, just like a jinchuriki. You understand that too, don't you?"

Uchiha Shisui gave it some serious thought, then broke into a radiant smile.

"I believe in Lord Hokage."

"That's wonderful. I believe in Lord Hokage too."

The Adorable Uchiha

It was impossible for Uchiha Shingen to believe in the Hokage.

Even Senju Hashirama, once he became Hokage, had his selfhood turned into public property of the village. Uchiha Madara was the precedent.

In a sense, the head of a village was fundamentally unqualified to be a good person.

Nor could a Kage simply talk feelings with a ninja clan empty-handed. Otherwise, the latter would think he was brushing them off, or even suspect that he was trying to screw them over.

Namikaze Minato's negotiations with the Uchiha went very smoothly, and his sincerity was certainly sufficient—after all, he had brought money.

Afterward, he visited the Hyuga Clan as well.

The two great ninja clans stated that, by implementing a rotation system, they could ensure that the village always had no fewer than fifty jonin available for deployment. Considering the Uchiha's particular strengths, those fifty jonin possessed even greater actual combat power, not to mention that both clans could provide even more chunin.

As for special jonin, that was a rank invented by the Hokage Building. Ninja clans did not bother with such things internally.

Namikaze Minato's move met no opposition from the former Hokage administration. The old men and women were practically raising their feet in approval.

Leaf Village had lost more people in the Third Shinobi World War than in the previous two wars combined, but the benefits it gained were unprecedented as well.

After all, this was the third time. Three consecutive victories had established Leaf Village's might among the nations, triggering the largest wave of commissions since the village's founding. Judging from recent developments alone, its overall scale was expected to reach a terrifying level. Sand Village would not be the only one spitting out commissions; it just happened to be coughing up the most—because it had been the first to surrender.

Thus, even Shimura Danzo stated that Root could free up manpower if necessary.

It was not merely a matter of taking the opportunity to make money. No one could afford to run into the barrel of that gun.

The main body of Leaf Village's ninja forces was neither ANBU nor Root. The ninja from those two organizations were just a fraction of the total, insignificant compared to the vast number of village ninja who made their living through missions.

Moreover, unlike the Second Shinobi World War, the Third Shinobi World War had not been fought entirely for national interests. Some conflicts had arisen from grudges between ninja villages. The villages had to pay for that portion of the fighting out of their own pockets, while ninja sent on missions had no income and could only claim expense reimbursements.

Trying to get the daimyo to fund that part of the war was utterly impossible—why should I care if you ninja villages are building your reputations and fighting over missions among yourselves?

After several years of war, not only had the ordinary ninja become green-eyed with hunger, but the village itself was starving too.

This was no joke. Anyone who tried to hold things back at a time like this would be purged for "cleansing the ruler's side."

Shimura Danzo knew full well that if such a thing happened, he would one hundred percent be the one purged.

And so, the entirety of Leaf Village united as one and began taking missions.

Their only two competitors were their old northern friends: Stone Village and Cloud Village.

Leaving aside those highland barbarians who would lick even shit off the roadside just to taste it, the Stone ninja were still holding their breath in resentment. They had lost, and they were far from convinced.

In response to the Hokage Building's call, the Uchiha Clan mobilized every ninja it could spare, leaving behind only the most basic defensive force.

It was not only about showing the Fourth Hokage respect. The Uchiha wanted to make money too.

The Hyuga had greater numbers, so the Uchiha could not compete in quantity. They could only prevail through quality.

Uchiha Shingen also attended the clan meeting with unusual obedience, since it concerned who could leave the village.

The clan meeting quickly reached a consensus, put forth the exaggerated slogan, "One Uchiha is worth ten Hyuga," and finalized the roster at top speed.

There were fewer than thirty Uchiha with three-tomoe Sharingan altogether. Following Uchiha Fugaku's proposal, after excluding the upper ranks of the police force and those needed to remain stationed within the clan, fifteen people could fill permanent mobile positions. One additional person would be kept in reserve as a temporary replacement when manpower ran short. They would rotate shifts, with the minimum requirement being that at least five jonin would be out on missions at any given time.

Uchiha Shingen was very pleased. He had made the roster without even needing to fight for it.

His clansmen looked absolutely adorable when they were so focused on making money.

That was more like it. This was how a ninja clan ought to operate.

Training could not be done in isolation. They also needed to go out and cut down a few people now and then—otherwise, how could they put what they learned into practice?

Unfortunately, he was not in the first group.

Uchiha Shisui, naturally, was.

It could not be helped. Their first shot had to ring loud and clear. The name "Shisui of the Body Flicker" was truly renowned.

Early the next morning, four clansmen including Uchiha Shisui set out for the Hokage Building in full gear, marching with high spirits beneath the eager gazes of the entire clan.

They would collect their missions there and depart directly afterward.

After seeing them off, Uchiha Shingen did not head to the training grounds as usual. Since he could be sent out at any moment, he needed to ensure he remained in peak condition.

He returned home, spoke with his parents for a while, checked his equipment once more, then went back to his room. Lying on his bed, he rested while silently waiting.

As dusk finally fell, someone knocked on his door.

"Shingen! Assemble!"

Uchiha Shingen sprang up, put on his shoes, opened the window, and jumped out.

In just a few movements, he dropped from the second floor to the front gate. He called into the house, "I'm off," then headed with the clansman who had come to notify him toward the entrance of the clan compound.

At the gate, two other clansmen stood fully armed just like him.

Uchiha Yakumi was waiting nearby.

"Lord Yakumi."

"You're looking lively, Shingen."

Ever since they had gotten high together, his attitude toward Uchiha Shingen had clearly changed.

He used to wear a strictly businesslike expression; now it was all, "Kid, I've got high hopes for you."

Friendship and fun between men were just that simple and unoriginal.

"I remember you're skilled in Wind Release, right?" Uchiha Yakumi asked.

"Yes."

"Mm, good. There's an A-rank mission commissioned by a noble from the Land of Hot Water. Only jonin can accept it, so go pick it up at the Hokage Building."

The Land of Hot Water? It was said to be rich in hot springs, and it was also an ally of the Land of Fire.

Of course, "ally" was the nice way of putting it. Its real purpose was to serve as a battlefield between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.

It was also the battlefield between the Hidden Leaf Village and the Cloud Village.

To the north of the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Frost was the Land of Lightning's little brother.

Both the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost had their own ninja villages as well—essentially the auxiliary forces of the Hidden Leaf Village and the Cloud Village, respectively.

Uchiha Yakumi gave him a few more instructions before finally saying, "This is an escort mission, but from what I know, ninja will definitely come to attack. The client claims they'll be Hot Water ninja, but if anyone shows up, they'll definitely be Cloud Ninja. Don't hesitate—kill them immediately. Also, leave evidence behind. The village will have the client pay extra."

"Understood. Maybe both will show up. Then I'll kill them together, and we'll get even more added on." Uchiha Shingen smiled.

"Oh? You can still smile. Looks like you're confident. But you know ninja battles well enough—the hunter and prey can switch roles at any time. Your mission is ultimately about protection, which isn't the same as fighting a war. And above all, keeping yourself alive is the most important thing."

Uchiha Shingen nodded, indicating that he accepted the advice.

He had made that mental preparation already.

He just hoped the client would not be too difficult to deal with.

The Hidden Leaf Village's service attitude was beyond reproach, which was why it had always received the most orders despite being expensive.

After bidding Uchiha Yakumi farewell, Uchiha Shingen headed for the Hokage Building with two clan members.

The Hidden Leaf Village handled the acceptance and assignment of missions centrally at the Hokage Building. As the tallest structure beneath Hokage Rock, the building served many functions.

The top floor housed the Hokage's office, meeting rooms, and the secretarial department that assisted the Hokage.

The middle floors contained the administrative department and the ANBU headquarters offices.

The first floor was set aside for external counter services, including accepting and issuing missions.

The mission hall was the busiest area on the first floor. Three long rectangular tables stood in the middle, arranged horizontally in the shape of the character "gate." The center was used to assign missions, while the two sides allowed clients to submit missions and pay their mission fees. Namikaze Minato sat in the middle, personally assigning missions and receiving clients in his capacity as Hokage. During the process, he warmly informed clients of the available services and introduced the professional abilities of the ninja carrying out the missions.

Originally, Hokage did not do this sort of thing. It had begun under the Third Hokage, who spent part of every day sitting here. To be fair, it really had greatly narrowed the distance between the Hokage and the ninja, and clients had unanimously praised it. In the past, seeing one of the Five Kage was not so easy, and it made them feel much more at ease spending money in the Hidden Leaf Village.

Yet Sarutobi Hiruzen, the man who started it all, said he had been forced into it.

The Hokage was not only the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, but also its representative image to the outside world. Every action and gesture would be interpreted by countless people.

When Sarutobi Hiruzen was Hokage, what gave him the biggest headaches were neither the village's ninja clans nor his hot-blooded buddies who acted as if they owned heaven and earth, but those overimaginative people both inside and outside the village.

Sometimes, he truly could not tell who was a fan and who was a hater.

A cold and aloof image was completely unsuitable for a Hokage. People in the Land of Fire generally lived fairly well; once they were fed and clothed, they craved gossip, and they could never get enough juicy rumors.

For the time being, Namikaze Minato did not have that problem. He was still fresh in everyone's minds. For one thing, the novelty had not worn off yet; for another, once someone became Hokage, everyone around them suddenly became a good person. Right now, those good people's main priority was establishing the right image of themselves in the Hokage's mind.

Except for Shimura Danzo. He had always been tough and uncompromising.

The moment Uchiha Shingen walked in, he spotted that distinctive spiky hair. The other eye-catching thing was the banner hanging in the mission hall, which read: "Everyone, work hard and do your best!"

Standing before Namikaze Minato's desk were three people dressed in foreign styles: two adults and a child. One adult and the child wore rather flashy clothes, while the other was obviously a guard. Uchiha Shingen could sense chakra flowing through him.

Although chakra did not automatically make someone a ninja in this world, becoming a ninja was indeed the first choice for most chakra users.

Only a small number would never consider becoming ninja from the outset for various reasons.

There were also unlucky people who simply were not suited to the path of a ninja, but that did not mean much. There were other paths they could take.

"Shingen, you're here." Namikaze Minato waved him over. "Come, come, let me introduce you. This is the Takadai Landlord from the Land of Hot Water."

Uchiha Shingen walked over and sized up this wealthy patron.

Judging from his features, he looked refined and scholarly, and should be fairly easy to communicate with. Escort missions were most afraid of encountering stubborn, self-righteous clients who needlessly made the mission harder.

Unfortunately, such things were actually quite common, because high-ranking escort missions were generally commissioned by nobles.

The countries of this world followed a typical feudal system. Each country consisted of autonomous lords known as landlords, with local officials appointed separately by each landlord. The daimyo was the greatest landlord—the "great landlord." A landlord's primary obligation to the daimyo was military service; beyond that, they only needed to pay a fixed tax. As for ninja villages, rather than being funded by the country, they were more accurately said to be funded only by the daimyo.

These landlords were also premium clients that ninja villages in the great nations competed for, because these people really were impressive when they spent money.

"Lord Landlord, this is Uchiha Shingen, an elite of our village's Uchiha Clan," Namikaze Minato said. After making the introduction, he turned to Uchiha Shingen. "It isn't easy for Lord Landlord to make a trip to the Hidden Leaf Village, so Shingen, you must pay attention to your working methods. If anything comes up, communicate more, all right?"

At the mention of "Uchiha," the Takadai Landlord's expression changed, and he seemed somewhat pleasantly surprised.

"That is wonderful. With a powerful member of the Uchiha Clan escorting me, I'll be very reassured."

However, he cast Namikaze Minato a slightly regretful glance.

Actually, he had been one of Namikaze Minato's regular clients. In the past, he had always specifically requested that the commissions be assigned to Namikaze Minato.

After all, he was strong, pleasant to talk to, and warm-hearted.

But now that he was Hokage, he no longer took commissions.

The Uchiha's professional ability was undeniably formidable, but their service attitude... was a little hard to put into words.

As a landlord, he really did not want to hear someone say, "Give me the money, and I'll deal with him for you." It just did not feel right.

But the moment Uchiha Shingen opened his mouth, his impression of the Uchiha changed.

"Lord Takadai, please guide me along the way. You can call me Shingen." Uchiha Shingen smiled at him. "If you have any other requests, we can discuss them and strive for the best possible arrangement."

Did he think Uchiha Shingen only had one name? He had another name as well—Senju Muzoku. When it came to getting clients to spend money willingly, he knew the process inside out.

One Uchiha could handle two opponents in a fight; one Senju could snatch three clients.

At that moment, Takadai Landlord felt it—the feeling was there, exactly where it should be.

He said cheerfully, "No, I do not have any special requirements. As long as my son and I make it safely along the way, that will be enough."

"Understood. What is the schedule?"

"If possible, I would like to set off right away. I have been away from my territory for quite some time."

"Understood. I'll hand things over on my end, and we'll depart immediately."

After finishing his discussion with the client, Uchiha Shingen looked at Namikaze Minato.

"Lord Hokage, the mission has been confirmed. I'll be setting out."

"Mm. Be careful on the road." Namikaze Minato handed the mission scroll to the staff member beside him, then added one final reminder. "No matter what happens, you must ensure Lord Takadai's absolute safety."

Uchiha Shingen acknowledged him. The next moment, he slipped into his role and took up a protective position beside Takadai Landlord and his son as they headed out.