Uchiha Shingen, ANBU Minister

After tidying up the training room, Namikaze Minato Uzumaki Kushina.

There were only the two of them at home.

Naruto and Karin are now proper ninjas. Karin is at least in the Sealing Squad and in the village, while Naruto is a regular soldier whose main job is to accept missions. He can't go home during missions.

The house feels much quieter now.

Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were proud of their children, but they also couldn't help feeling lonely and worried.

They figured it wasn't like they couldn't afford to raise them, so they really wanted to have a third child.

"Karin isn't going home tonight," Uzumaki Kushina suddenly said.

"Yes, the Sealing Squad needs to work with the Barrier Team to repair the sensor points in the forest," Namikaze Minato replied habitually.

Then it quickly dawned on me that my wife wasn't talking about Karin not coming home.

He silently stopped what he was doing.

I'm going to buy some groceries.

It seems like we don't need to replenish our stock at home.

It's necessary to make some purchases!

Most importantly, he needed to make sure that no one would bother him tonight.

"You didn't just disappear while you were shopping, did you?" Uzumaki Kushina said. "Since you're on vacation, just enjoy it. The Second is here, and besides, everything's been prepared for Shingen's internship, right? Come back soon."

"Okay, I'll be right back, it'll be quick."

Namikaze Minato said.

He took off his apron, draped it over a chair outside the kitchen, and then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport out.

If we're in a hurry, we won't use the now-defunct Body Flicker Technique.

When he reappeared, he was already in the Hokage's room.

Senju Tobirama was still looking at the documents, glanced up, then lowered his head again.

"Fourth Hokage, how is your recovery going?" he asked.

"I'm ashamed to say I haven't been training enough," Namikaze Minato said apologetically. "Second, I probably won't be back in time tonight, so..."

"It's alright, just call Shingen." Senju Tobirama felt this wasn't a problem; Namikaze Minato was the biggest issue right now.

"But are you really sure?" he said. "Once you step down, barring any unforeseen circumstances, you'll never be able to return to this position in your lifetime, since you're retiring."

"Yes, my original wishes have all come true. It's time to give the opportunity to someone else."

"If that's the case, then that's not bad." Senju Tobirama nodded. "You're luckier than me. Back then, I didn't have as many choices as you."

There were still many preconditions for Senju Tobirama's willingness to help Namikaze Minato.

Namikaze Minato very dedicated, but the problems he faced were far more complex than those he faced at the time, and his workload was much greater than it had been back then.

While Senju Tobirama was somewhat disappointed with Sarutobi Hiruzen's actions, he was quite satisfied with the grand-disciple Sarutobi Hiruzen had chosen.

His passion for the village goes without saying, but what's even more commendable is that he always stayed true to his original intentions and didn't become Hokage just for the sake of the Hokage's power.

"Oh, by the way, Shingen just came by," Senju Tobirama told him. "Be careful, don't let him catch you. We can't let him find out yet."

"Okay." Namikaze Minato nodded.

Having finished speaking, he prepared to leave.

But after thinking about it, he turned around and asked the question that had been bothering him.

"Second, why don't we just do it directly? This secretive approach might lead to others overinterpreting things."

"Because I looked into Shingen's past, I've seen quite a few people like him before," Senju Tobirama said. "They look honest, but they're actually very rebellious. You have to take it slow, otherwise you don't know how they'll react."

Naive! Does he think he'll obey just because he's the Hokage?

Senju Tobirama looked at Namikaze Minato and shook his head inwardly.

The fourth generation is still too young...

"You look so skilled. There were so many troubled youths back then..." Namikaze Minato, unaware of Senju Tobirama's inner thoughts, believed him.

People from the Warring States period were so cool? And even rebellious?

And it seems you, the Second, have encountered them all. They say birds of a feather flock together, could it be...?

"Quite a few. After all, it's inevitable that they have psychological problems from years of fighting. War can easily amplify certain personality traits, especially those who are serious and prone to extremes." Senju Tobirama sighed. Although his words weren't entirely truthful, his emotions were genuine. "The Uchiha Clan is the same way. When they go crazy, they really... That's why I established the Police Force."

Namikaze Minato agreed with this.

He thought of the Uchiha Clan he had known since childhood.

The Uchiha Clan back then wasn't like they are now.

Being around those Uchiha Clan ninjas who had Sharingan, you could clearly feel their aura of "keep away, strangers!"

Cliques and xenophobia were Namikaze Minato's early impressions of the Uchiha Clan.

"Indeed, but they have changed so much over the years, and have produced ninjas like Shingen."

"I suppose so..." Senju Tobirama's tone was insincere. He skipped over the topic and continued, "In short, Shingen appears to be quick-witted, but he's actually a very stubborn person with little political ambition. He'll be quite comfortable in his current position, but if you want him to take that leap, you have to get him used to it first, and then tell him that he's already taken that leap, otherwise he'll run away."

"Second, it seems like you've known him for many years."

"I've seen it all, it's quite normal." Senju Tobirama's expression remained unchanged. "When people become similar, they can almost look like one person. Although there are more people in your era, the level of antagonism in daily life isn't as high, so you see it less often."

"I understand. I'll get this retirement system approved as soon as my vacation is over."

"Yes, this is a big deal, we need to act quickly."

Chapter Eleven: Uchiha Shingen, Head of the ANBU

After a short break, the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato, finally returned to his rightful place.

It's obvious that he looks much better.

After all, Impure World Reincarnation through Senju Tobirama, is worth two of them.

However, Senju Tobirama was not the current Hokage, and some documents had to be handled personally by Namikaze Minato.

Namikaze Minato took three days off, and three days was enough time to accumulate a considerable amount of work.

However, he was in a good mood.

The task of quietly and subtly transferring some of the work to Uchiha Shingen proceeded smoothly.

The person most skilled in foreign affairs in the entire Shimura Danzō Leaf Village.

Although he made a lot of mistakes, he achieved even more.

Moreover, a closer examination reveals that most of the debatable results occurred in the later stages of his rule. Good heavens, Shimura Danzō was only human, and as he aged, he inevitably developed problems such as mental rigidity, lack of dexterity, and conservatism.

His tendency to forcefully solve problems through physical means was thus amplified.

To be fair, during the prime of his career, Shimura Danzō truly did his best to actively eliminate risks for Leaf Village and ensure Leaf Village's deterrent power as a major force in the Ninja World.

As for Namikaze Minato, the most unavoidable stain on his record during his administration was his work with the ANBU.

It's really not fair to blame Namikaze Minato entirely. No matter how many problems Shimura Danzō later years, his professional competence was still there, and he could still solve problems, even if only in the short term.

But after he fell, in the vast Hidden Leaf Village, the entire Sarutobi Group, there really wasn't a single person who could do the job well.

That is, until Uchiha Shingen began serving as the acting head of the ANBU.

Uchiha Shingen became the person who was relatively good at foreign affairs after Shimura Danzō.

Moreover, he did not attack outsiders from the outset.

His first step was to reduce the size of the ANBU combat force, shrinking it to less than a hundred men.

Honestly, after all these years, the personnel structure of the ANBU has become very problematic.

Those responsible for killing people are overstaffed, while those actually handling intelligence are in short supply.

Among those active on the front lines, there are plenty of talented people who can offer insightful opinions, but very few who dare to make on-the-spot decisions.

These were the areas that Uchiha Shingen focused his attacks on.

With Namikaze Minato back in his office, Uchiha Shingen finally had less time to help out at the Hokage's office, so his main workplace returned to the ANBU.

The reorganization of the ANBU is nearing completion, and everything is on track.

As usual, Uchiha Shingen walked into the Hokage Building with practiced ease and entered the area reserved for the ANBU.

Now that he's here, the atmosphere around him feels much better.

Before, everyone who walked in here had the air of an office manager about them.

Now, it has more of the flavor of the Root, the flavor of the old ANBU.

The original ANBU adhered to an open working style and delegated authority extensively.

Of the members of Tobirama Squad, Shimura Danzō, who was the most authoritarian, actually had the fewest constraints on his subordinates.

Basically, as long as his subordinates follow the direction he sets, even if they make a mess, Shimura Danzō will take the blame.

The ANBU style of the Second Hokage's era was inherited by Root during the Third's era.

Now, Uchiha Shingen needs this style to return to the entire ANBU.

Otherwise he would be exhausted to death; that's why he stands with Shimura Danzō, not Namikaze Minato.

They are ninjas, not nobles who rely on words and the system; they don't need to cling to much power.

Especially the ANBU.

The nature of the work and environment of the ANBU Anti-Secession Bureau) dictates that Anbu Ninja need strong adaptability, which is comprehensive and includes dealing with superiors.

Making a mess is perfectly normal; it's an everyday occurrence.

If you don't want to make a mess, you'd better not do anything at all.

Uchiha Shingen walked into his office and sat down in a chair.

There were already many documents piled up on the table. As the head of the ANBU, he had a dedicated secretarial team that would organize the documents that needed his approval every day.

However, their numbers are far fewer than those of Namikaze Minato.

It wasn't just because the Hokage had an overall command, but because the first thing Uchiha Shingen did after being promoted was to establish a clear hierarchical management structure and adjust departments.

At the headquarters level, he consolidated a large number of departments and established the Intelligence Science and Secretarial Departments.

The previous branch system was retained, but the branches were no longer secondary agencies below headquarters, but directly subordinate to the intelligence section.

The secretarial department is responsible for the collection and analysis of intelligence, and internally organizes and implements its work by forming teams.

All of the ANBU's operations are coordinated and managed by the Special Operations Team. The Special Operations Team are organized according to the ANBU's original squad system. This department is independent and receives orders directly from Uchiha Shingen.

In this way, everyone could do what they were supposed to do and perform their duties, while Uchiha Shingen delegated all tactical decision-making authority to others.

He sets the strategic level; the tactical level is up to everyone else.

If you can't handle something or it causes trouble, then go to him; he'll handle what the others can't.

Normally, Uchiha Shingen only handles difficult problems and holds meetings with those in charge to exchange opinions.

The documents submitted to Uchiha Shingen were all intelligence gathering and statistical results, and there were not many "difficult cases". This shows that the current ANBU members are not indecisive, but the environment of the past made them afraid to make decisions.

Those who make a living in this field are all quick-witted.

Suddenly, Uchiha Shingen's attention was drawn to a piece of information.

This is intelligence from the Land of Rain.

This is the Land of Rain, not Amegakure. It's very difficult to hide in Amegakure now.

This intelligence indicates that there has been a change within the Akatsuki, and it seems that a major reshuffle has taken place inside them.

Uchiha Shingen pulled out the document separately, placed it on his right, and then continued reading other things.

After reading everything, Uchiha Clan placed the sections on the left side, one by one, those belonging to "difficult and complicated cases".

This time, the "difficult and complicated cases" all fall into the category of making a mess of things.

This was caused by frontline staff either misjudging the situation or overreacting.

As for the targets, they were not from ninja villages, but from various ninja organizations that had become increasingly active since the Third Shinobi World War.