The Hokage Building Really Was Short-Staffed

The moment Hibari heard that, he froze, then cried, "What's with you? When did you get so stingy? What kind of uncle are you?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was furious. That little brat called him "uncle" every other breath when he needed something, but the moment he didn't, he turned into a little punk. Still, he felt a bit embarrassed as he explained, "It's just... I really am out of money."

"What happened to your money? Didn't we each get over a million a little while ago? What, did Grandpa Sarutobi sneak yours away too?" Hibari asked, looking astonished.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's old face reddened, and he hurriedly waved his hands. "It's not like that..." As he spoke,

he glanced at the two little ones eating beside them, then lowered his voice and said to Hibari, "I've been seeing someone lately... I spent all the money buying her gifts."

"Ah! Big Sister Biwako?" Hibari's eyes widened even further. "You're way too generous! You spent all one and a half million ryo on Big Sister Biwako in just two or three days? I'm honestly impressed."

"Ahem... It's only right, isn't it?" Sarutobi Hiruzen awkwardly cleared his throat. "You'll be the same way when you're older."

Hibari clutched his wallet, feeling thoroughly aggrieved. He could at least count on Lord Hokage to scrape together his own money when payday came around, but Sarutobi Hiruzen's money was well and truly gone for good.

Seeing how the man couldn't even afford a meal of grilled meat, Hibari could only sigh. He reached into his clothes, pulled out the last few banknotes Little Tsunade had left him, and handed them over.

"Fine, let's split it down the middle." He pursed his lips, his voice full of resignation.

"Who could've imagined that I, the young master of the Senju Clan, would have to keep such careful track of the bill just to share a meal with you, the young master of the Sarutobi Clan?

We're really in a sorry state... Once I land a well-paid job or become a teacher and start drawing a salary, I'll treat you to a proper meal."

Sarutobi Hiruzen snatched up the money, his face instantly breaking into a grin.

"That's all easy enough!" He happily tucked the money away, then leaned closer and lowered his voice. "But speaking of Big Sister Biwako... how far have things gone between you two? You're not exactly a kid anymore."

Hibari raised an eyebrow and asked curiously.

Sarutobi Hiruzen first glanced around, then beckoned Hibari over with a finger. Once Hibari leaned in, he whispered, "You have to keep this under your hat. Don't tell anyone, or I'm finished..."

"What is it? Hurry up and tell me!" Hibari was itching to know, drawn in by his mysterious act.

"Little Biwako... is pregnant." Sarutobi Hiruzen finally managed to say.

Hibari froze on the spot, his eyes wide as saucers.

Under Hibari's astonished gaze, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "That's why I've been thinking I should go back and get the wedding arranged as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the worse it'll look for her.

I reckon I'll be inviting you all to the wedding feast before long!"

It took Hibari a while to recover. He stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen for a long time before clicking his tongue. "You sly dog, Sarutobi Hiruzen. You always look so serious and respectable, but I never thought you'd... Whatever. I don't even know what to say.

Anyway, hurry things along. I'll definitely keep it secret!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen had dropped such a bombshell out of nowhere that Hibari could barely stomach it.

They said that growing boys could eat their fathers out of house and home, and it was absolutely true. Hibari already had a big appetite, Orochimaru certainly wouldn't hold back, and Jiraiya was even worse. By the end of that grilled-meat feast, both their pockets had been cleaned out.

As a result, Hibari didn't dare go out for several days after getting home. He could only stay quietly indoors, poring over the scrolls and notes Second Grandpa Tobirama had left him.

Although the founding of the Ninja Academy had caused a huge stir in Konoha and drawn everyone into the fray, Second Grandpa Tobirama and the others had handled things so skillfully that, fortunately, nothing had actually gone wrong.

Without the Uchiha Clan leading the charge, few of those so-called "oppositionists" dared to stand against Lord Hokage.

The Hyuga Clan stuck to its usual moderate approach, moving at a snail's pace. In the end, they didn't openly oppose the proposal, but merely issued a formal statement.

When everyone else saw there was no point fighting it, they went along with the flow and joined in to "build a better school."

With the village united in its opinion, things naturally moved quickly. Second Grandpa Tobirama and Great-Uncle Hashirama, along with the Sarutobi Clan and the three clans of Ino-Shika-Cho, all pitched in. In just a couple of days, a respectable Ninja Academy had sprung up in the still sparsely built Konoha.

As Nara Lvxun had predicted, this whole affair had indeed been a "test" by Second Grandpa Tobirama and the others, to see how the major clans in the village would respond.

The situation gave them a chance to see which clans would answer the village's call right away and were willing to "put the village before their own families."

The three clans of Ino-Shika-Cho had promptly declared their support, following close behind the Sarutobi Clan. They then supplied both people and resources, helping the Hokage Building get the academy up and running quickly.

Their stance was crystal clear, and the people at the Hokage Building were quite pleased with it.

At that moment, in a conference room, Hokage Senju Hashirama was discussing matters with several figures.

"Now that we have a school building and enough teachers, I don't see any reason to delay the Ninja Academy any longer," Senju Hashirama said cheerfully. "We should start enrollment within the next day or two!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Second Grandpa Tobirama smiled and added, "This time, there was a lot of noise but little action. It looked like a commotion, but nothing actually went wrong. We were fortunate.

"And we have you three clans to thank for your full support, Lvxun, Kiyono, Kira."

Nara Lvxun, Yamanaka Kiyono, and Akimichi Kira all smiled at that. Nara Lvxun then spoke up. "This is a good cause that benefits the village, bringing prosperity to our generation and advantages for generations to come. How could we possibly hold it back? If there's ever anything the Hokage needs, just say the word. We won't hesitate."

On the surface, he was talking about the matter at hand, but in truth, he was subtly pledging the clans' loyalty to the Hokage Building.

Even Great-Uncle Hashirama could tell what he meant. He looked toward Second Grandpa Tobirama, who gave a barely perceptible nod.

Whether or not Nara Lvxun had truly seen through the deeper meaning and made the right call, at least everyone was happy with the result.

By this point, the three clans of Ino-Shika-Cho had made their position perfectly clear.

Since they had offered their loyalty of their own accord, it would be unfeeling to pretend not to notice. It would also risk discouraging those who were willing to pitch in.

After all, the village's future development would depend on everyone working together. If people lost heart, the whole team would be difficult to lead.

Moreover, just as Nara Lvxun had predicted, the Hokage Building really was short-staffed and urgently needed reliable people to fill the gaps.

The village was at a crucial point where everyone needed to pull together and build Konoha. Any new recruits had to be completely in step with the leadership.

A clan like the Uchiha, always stirring up trouble and causing one disruption after another, was out of the question. If they had to spend most of their energy managing internal conflicts, how could they get anything done for the village?

At that moment, Second Grandpa Tobirama's nod made the meaning perfectly clear.

The academy project had proved that the three clans of Ino-Shika-Cho could be trusted. At the very least, they were willing to give up some of their clans' interests for the good of the village. That was exactly in line with the Hokage Building's thinking.

They were on the same page, got along well, were quick-witted, and knew how to follow instructions. What more could anyone want? If people like that weren't brought in to fill the vacancies, who would be? It was an easy decision.

Seeing this, Great-Uncle Hashirama smiled too and spoke cheerfully. "Since you've put it that way, Lvxun, there's no point in us beating around the bush. It's true, we have plenty of work to do, and we'll need the three clans to lend us a hand."

As soon as Nara Lvxun heard that, he felt reassured. He really had bet on the right horse!

He immediately smiled and replied, "Lord Hokage, you're too kind. Serving the village is our duty. Whatever you ask of us, just say the word. We'll do everything we can to help and won't hesitate!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yamanaka Kiyono and Akimichi Kira hurriedly nodded in agreement. Their attitudes were exactly the same.

Only then did Second Grandpa Tobirama speak in a low voice, getting straight to the point. "Then let's be frank.

"Lvxun, there are countless matters to deal with in the village, and there's no system in place for many of them. We're seriously short on manpower and urgently need people who can offer sound advice.

"I've long heard that the Nara Clan produces plenty of strategists, and your reputation, Nara Lvxun, is well known throughout the village. So..."

He paused briefly, then continued, "I plan to establish an Advisory Squad directly under the Hokage, dedicated to assessing matters and developing strategies for Lord Hokage.

"I'd like you to lead it. What do you say? You can also seek out any talented people you have in mind. As long as they pass the assessment, they can join and work for the village with you. What do you think?"

Nara Lvxun was ecstatic. He had already guessed that their successful show of support would probably bring the three clans of Ino-Shika-Cho into the Hokage Building's circle of power,

but he truly hadn't expected the Hokage and Second Grandpa Tobirama to be so generous. They were ready to bring him into the inner circle right away and have him plan directly for the Hokage!

So he had no intention of declining. Pretending to be modest at a time like this would be far too affected. He answered directly, "If Lord Hokage and Lord Tobirama trust me, then I'll gladly accept!"

Senju Hashirama's smile widened. "Excellent! I look forward to seeing what you can do, Lvxun!"

From that day on, the Nara Clan officially entered the power center of the Hidden Leaf Village.

For decades afterward, the Nara Clan continued to prosper, and the three clans of Ino-Shika-Cho, bound tightly together, rose along with them.

Although he had only joined this so-called "Advisory Squad" for now, who could have guessed that the position would practically become a hereditary post in the Nara Clan?

The Nara Clan already had a strong foundation in studying medicinal herbs and developing medical care. Combined with their new role, they would later secure an unshakable position at the top of Konoha's medical system and earn great respect.

After settling matters with the Nara Clan, Second Grandpa Tobirama shifted his gaze to Yamanaka Kiyono. He smiled and said, "Kiyono, the Yamanaka Clan's greatest strengths are its various mental techniques and its deep understanding of the soul.

"The village's intelligence network has existed for some time, but it's disorganized and inefficient. We've long wanted to rebuild it into a proper intelligence department. I think you're more than capable of handling it."

He looked at Yamanaka Kiyono and asked, "So we'd like you to take the lead in establishing the Hidden Leaf Village's Intelligence Department. Do you think you can shoulder this responsibility?"

Yamanaka Kiyono smiled too and answered without hesitation. "Even if I can't, I'll do everything in my power to shoulder it! If the village needs us, the Yamanaka Clan will give it everything we've got!"