"Three squads to start with, twelve people including medical ninja," Tsunade said, her tone relaxing slightly when she saw there was room to negotiate. "I'll reallocate the funding from Konoha Hospital's existing budget, without using any additional appropriations.
I'll personally train the people myself. The village won't need to assign extra teachers."
Ninja were generally organized into three-person teams, paired with an instructor or captain.
Tsunade's plan was to select and train people herself, adding one medical ninja to each four-person team.
Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment.
This proposal was indeed far more practical than the previous one of directly assigning medical ninja to every team.
Three squads as a pilot program, self-funded, with personnel trained by herself—if it worked well, it could naturally be expanded.
If it failed, the losses would remain manageable.
"Fine!" He nodded, then added, "But the pilot results must be reported openly and transparently. If the results fail to meet expectations after a year, you must accept its termination."
"Deal." Tsunade rose to her feet, a smile finally appearing at the corner of her lips.
She turned and headed outside. When she reached the door, she paused and glanced back at the Konoha F4!
"Old man, the decision you made today will save many lives in the future."
With that, she pulled open the door and left, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi alone in the office with his pipe in his mouth, his aged face wearing an unreadable expression. After a long while, he muttered softly, "That girl... when did she suddenly become so good at negotiating...?"
"Hiruzen! How could you agree to such an unreasonable demand?!" The moment Tsunade left, Sakura Utatane jumped to her feet!
"Do you realize that after this concession, Tsunade will definitely push for more next time and propose establishing a Medical Division again!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. "If the results are good, what would be wrong with establishing a Medical Division?"
Sakura Utatane was left speechless.
She wanted to keep arguing stubbornly, but then she heard Hiruzen Sarutobi say, "Sakura! I am the Hokage."
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!" Sakura Utatane instantly shot back, then froze in disbelief.
Shimura Danzō and Mitokado Homura both gave her strange looks.
Shimura Danzō: Those are all my lines!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened even further. What the hell, one after another, all of them saying he would regret it?
Who did they think they were, Danzo?
"Hmph!" Feeling embarrassed, Sakura Utatane snorted and forcibly tried to save face before leaving with Mitokado Homura.
Glancing at Shimura Danzō, who was still standing off to the side, Hiruzen Sarutobi said irritably, "Danzo, what are you still doing here?"
"I came to ask for someone! Mirai Uzumaki must join Root."
Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed in anger. "Get the hell out too!"
Of course, as the Hokage, he could not actually swear, but that was what he meant.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Bang!
Now that was more like it. Hiruzen Sarutobi took a satisfying puff from his pipe, sat down, and continued handling official business.
When Tsunade walked out of the Hokage Building, she was in an excellent mood. She looked up at the sky, unable to suppress the smile on her lips.
That brat Mirai really had some skills.
She would give him a massage as a reward when she went back tonight.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Around the corner appeared a refined-looking man with long blue hair and an easygoing smile on his face.
Tsunade's eyes lit up. "Dan! What are you doing here?"
The refined man was Dan Katō. He had originally planned to go to the hospital to get closer to Tsunade, only to be told that she had gone to the Hokage Building.
While envying her ability to meet the Hokage whenever she wanted, he had hurried over to wait for her.
He scratched his head, his smile growing brighter. "It's nothing much. I just wanted to continue discussing with Lady Tsunade how we can get the Medical Division proposal approved."
Whether the Medical Division was established or not did not really matter to Dan Katō, but an opportunity to get closer to Tsunade could not be missed!
Konoha's number one rich beauty—who would not want her?
When Tsunade was at her most isolated and helpless, he had stepped up to support her. This should have maxed out her favorability toward him, right?
Unfortunately, Dan Katō's hopes were dashed.
Tsunade gave a rare smile to a man. "Thank you, Dan, but there's no need anymore. I've already gotten the old man to approve the proposal."
Though he had only agreed to a pilot program, Tsunade had absolute confidence that once the results came out, she would definitely get the proposal approved!
Dan Katō felt as if he had been struck by lightning!
What? How had the proposal been approved just like that? He had not even begun his offensive!
That was it?
"I-is that so?" Dan Katō felt like he could barely maintain the smile on his face. "Then... then congratulations, Tsunade!"
"Thank you, Dan." Tsunade thanked him politely. "Thank you for speaking up for me at the last meeting."
"It would be wonderful if Konoha had more Jonin like you."
"Haha, is that so..."
In the end, Dan Katō was so absentminded that he could not even remember when Tsunade had left.
He only felt utterly alone. Though it was September, it felt as if he were standing in a heavy snowfall.
"No—"
The next day, at the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Mirai Uzumaki entered the classroom as usual. The moment he sat down, he discovered several letters stuffed inside his desk.
He casually pulled one out for a look—pink envelopes with hearts drawn on them, some even sprayed with a faint floral scent.
Could these be the legendary love letters?
Mirai Uzumaki immediately became interested. He had to take a look!
He opened one. Inside were crooked pencil-written words: "Mirai, you're really amazing. Can we be friends?"
The signature was the name of a girl he had never heard of.
The second letter was even more direct: "Mirai, I watch you train by the playground every day. You look so handsome! You even appear in my dreams at night, and dream-you is such a bad boy!"
Mirai's mouth twitched. Come on, I'm only seven!
How bad could I possibly be?
This was outright slander.
The third letter, the fourth letter...
Mirai raised a brow, inwardly marveling. Girls in the Shinobi World really did mature early. They were only in second grade, yet love letters were already flying everywhere.
Before he could look more closely, a hand reached over from beside him and snatched all the letters away with lightning speed.
"Confiscated!"
Kushina Uzumaki puffed out her cheeks and shoved all the envelopes into her schoolbag in one go. Her red hair fluttered slightly behind her, and her eyes resembled those of a kitten guarding its food.
"Eh?" Mirai turned to look at her. "Kushina, those are my letters, right?"
"I'm supervising you for Grandma Mito!" Kushina declared righteously. "You're only seven. You're not allowed to date early!"
"...I wasn't planning to date early."
"Still not allowed!" Kushina huffed twice. "What if there's... that kind of improper content inside? I'll filter them first and return the ones that are fine."
Mirai looked at her expression of I'm only doing this for your own good and could not help laughing.
He did not expose her. He merely shrugged. "Fine, fine. You call the shots."
Only then did Kushina sit back down in satisfaction, though her hand remained pressed against her schoolbag, as if those letters were dangerous forbidden items.
Before you continue