Tsunade Seeks Counsel Again

A full week has passed since the Battle of the Valley of the End ended. Konoha has long since returned to its former bustling state, the villagers are gradually emerging from the shadow of war, and the streets are once again full of life. For Neji Hyuga, life has also returned to an almost monotonous routine—

He wakes up promptly at six in the morning and meditates in the courtyard; at seven-thirty, he walks to Tenten's ninja tool shop, changes into his shop assistant uniform, and begins his day's work; at noon, he has lunch with Tenten and listens to her tell him interesting stories about what happened in Konoha; in the evening, he closes the shop early and the two of them climb the back mountain of Konoha together, watching the sunset sink below the horizon side by side; after nightfall, they go home separately, Neji reads in his study for two hours before washing up and going to sleep.

This routine, almost mechanical life gave Neji a strange sense of peace. The Tenseigan granted him near-divine power, but sitting behind the counter of the ninja tool shop, haggling with customers, watching the sunlight move across the floor through the window—these ordinary moments made him feel more truly alive in this world.

That afternoon, Neji was sorting through a batch of newly arrived Kunai and Shuriken. Sunlight streamed in from the courtyard, and dust particles floated slowly in the beams of light. Suddenly, the wind chimes on the shop door rang, and he looked up to see an unexpected figure.

Tsunade stood in the doorway, her backlit figure appearing somewhat weary. She wore the Hokage robe, but it seemed larger than she remembered—or perhaps she herself had become thinner. The wrinkles around her eyes were deeper, and her once vibrant eyes were now filled with weariness.

"Neji," Tsunade's voice was a little hoarse, "Do you have time to talk?"

Neji put down the Kunai he was holding and nodded. "Please come in, Lady Tsunade."

He led Tsunade through the shop to the tea room in the backyard. It was a quiet little space; pushing open the paper door revealed a meticulously maintained courtyard with stone lanterns, a startled deer, and a clump of green bamboo—simple yet elegant.

"Please have a seat," Neji said, and began to skillfully prepare the tea set.

His movements were fluid and focused: he used a wooden spoon to scoop out the tea leaves, poured in just the right amount of hot water, waited, poured out the first infusion, and then poured in fresh water. The aroma of tea gradually filled the air, mingling with the fresh scent of grass in the courtyard.

Tsunade watched him quietly as he prepared tea, her gaze complex. This young man possessed the power to destroy a village with a single blow, yet at this moment he performed the tea ceremony with an almost Zen-like demeanor, like any ordinary tea-loving villager. This contrast made her feel a strange unease—not fear, but some deeper uncertainty.

Neji placed the brewed tea on the small table in front of Tsunade. The tea was clear, and steam rose gently. He picked up a cup himself, blew away the steam, and took a small sip.

Tsunade didn't touch her teacup. She stared at the gently swirling tea inside, and finally spoke:

"Neji, my suggestion that Shikaku Nara succeed as Hokage has been rejected."

Her voice was calm, but Neji could sense the suppressed emotion beneath that calm.

"Konoha High Command advisors Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, directly objected," Tsunade continued, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the table. "The Daimyo also disagrees. Their reason is... while Shikaku is exceptionally intelligent, his strength is insufficient to intimidate other countries."

Neji glanced at Tsunade, then took another sip of tea. The tea was slightly hot, with just the right amount of bitterness and sweetness.

"So what were their suggestions?" he asked, his voice calm and even.

"Let me continue as Hokage," Tsunade said with a wry smile. "Or, let Kakashi serve as Hokage's assistant to familiarize himself with the work, and then succeed him when the time is right. Their core argument is that the Hokage must be the strongest person in the village; this is Konoha's tradition and also a guarantee of safety."

Neji put down his teacup, the porcelain making a soft tapping sound as it touched the wooden table. A thoughtful glint flashed in his Tenseigan, but he quickly regained his calm, unwavering composure.

He didn't want to get involved in these political trifles. With his power, he could easily ignore these rules and directly nominate someone he approved of—but he knew that doing so would only sow the seeds of deeper problems. What concerned him more was that the "corrective force" of this world seemed to be at work: he suggested that Shikaku succeed him, but various forces united to resist, as if an invisible hand was pulling history back to its original course.

There's still a year until I and Tenten turn 18. A year is probably enough time to accomplish something.

A different light suddenly appeared in Neji's eyes—a sign that some kind of decision, some kind of plan, was beginning to take shape.

"Lady Tsunade," he said slowly, "Is Kakashi willing to succeed Hokage?"

Tsunade thought for a moment, "Kakashi doesn't have the intention of actively vying for the Hokage Position. But if we directly hand the position to him, given his sense of responsibility, he will definitely accept it."

"So," Neji looked directly into Tsunade's eyes, "You've come to me this time wanting me to help you 'clear away obstacles'?"

Tsunade was visibly taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved her hand, the movement almost knocking over the teacup in front of her. "No, no! I just came to ask for advice, that's all!"

Her reaction was so genuine that Neji almost believed that this old ninja, who had faced countless life-and-death situations, had never entertained such a cold-blooded thought.

Neji suddenly smiled. It wasn't a mocking smile, but a gentle, almost comforting one.

"Lady Tsunade, please don't misunderstand," he explained. "I won't resort to force to solve problems. Since you've come to ask for advice, I'll humbly offer my suggestions."

He refilled Tsunade's teacup, his movements still composed.

"First of all, Konoha currently only has two elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura," Neji said. "I want you to increase the number of elders to seven."

"Seven people?" Tsunade aback, leaning forward slightly. "Why seven people?"

"Because I want to change the Hokage succession system." Neji's tone was calm, as if he were discussing the weather. "The current system is: the previous Hokage designates a successor, which is then approved by the Elder Council, and finally appointed by the Daimyo, right?"

Tsunade nodded blankly, "Yes... yes."

She had no idea what Neji was going to do, but years of political experience told her that what this young man was about to say might be something that would overturn decades of Konoha's traditions.

Neji continued, "I hope that the future Hokage will be chosen through a combination of village elections and Elder Council' recommendation."

Tsunade's eyes lit up—a politician's instinctive understanding; she instantly grasped some of the merits of the proposal. But soon, a new question arose, "What about the Daimyo? His approval isn't needed?"

"Of course it's necessary," Neji narrowed his eyes, "But it's just a formality. I suggest allocating the weights like this: 50% for the village election results, 30% for the Elder Council' recommendation, and 20% for the daimyo's opinion. Wouldn't Hokage elected this way better represent the village's will? And be more 'democratic'?"

"Democracy..." Tsunade repeated the word. The concept was both strange and familiar to her. The ninja world had always been about strength and bloodline, and so-called "public opinion" was often just a decoration for the will of the strong. But Neji's proposed distribution ratio was indeed logically impeccable.

However, this breaks with the tradition of succession among the Hokage. Is such a change truly feasible?

Neji seemed to see through her doubts and continued, his tone even carrying a hint of unfinished enthusiasm. "Not only that, I also suggest that the Hokage's term be fixed at four years, with a maximum of one re-election. In other words, no one can serve Hokage Position for more than eight years."

He paused, allowing Tsunade to process the information.

"This way, there's no need to worry about anyone clinging to power or holding a position without contributing. Moreover, it will give more talented people the opportunity to serve the village—after all, not everyone is willing or able to shoulder a burden for ten or twenty years."

Tsunade had received too much shocking information tonight, and her brain was almost unable to process it all. She picked up the slightly cooled tea and drank it all in one gulp; the warm liquid helped her clear her head a little.

"Then... what about the candidates for the five elders?" she struggled to gather her thoughts, "Do you have any recommendations?"

Neji pondered for a moment. In the courtyard, a startled deer made a crisp "thump" sound, and a bamboo tube struck the stone, producing a gurgling sound of water.

"Kakashi Hatake, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Hyuga Hiashi," he rattled off four names, then paused before the last one, "... and Lord Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru?!" Tsunade practically jumped up from her seat, her voice echoing in the tea room. "How could we allow a missing-nin who killed the Third Hokage to enter the Konoha High Command! Neji, this suggestion is absolutely unacceptable!"

Her reaction was within Neji's expectations. He calmly observed the agitated Tsunade, and only after she had calmed down slightly did he slowly speak:

"What if... I were to act as guarantor?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Tsunade's anger and plunging her into deeper thought.

A guarantee from a Six Paths Tier powerhouse—what does this mean? It means that even if Orochimaru harbors ulterior motives, Neji has the ability to stop him immediately. It means that even if Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura have many complaints, they will have to carefully consider this proposal. It means that the daimyo, upon hearing that it's Neji's guarantee, is likely to not raise any objections...

But Orochimaru, the one who killed her teacher...

Tsunade sat down again, her fingers gripping the teacup tightly until her knuckles turned white. After a long while, she finally spoke with difficulty:

"If you were to act as guarantor... theoretically, it should be feasible. But this will take time. First, his status missing-nin must be revoked, and then—"

Neji gently raised his hand, interrupting her explanation. "I won't listen to the details; Lady Tsunade can handle it directly. If Lady Tsunade accepts my suggestion, I hope you will step down Hokage Position after this new system is implemented."

He paused, then added, "By the way, if you have any further questions, feel free to contact me anytime. After all... I also hope that Konoha will get better and better."

The last sentence was spoken casually, but Tsunade sensed the sincerity in it. She looked at Neji —this ridiculously young "god," this anomaly who could have ignored all rules but chose to sit in a ninja tool shop selling Kunai —and suddenly she understood his thoughts a little.

Perhaps change really is necessary. Not for power, but for... making the world a better place.

Tsunade stood up and gave Neji a deep look. "I will seriously consider your suggestion. It may take time, and there may be many obstacles... but I promise you, I will seriously consider it."

"That's enough." Neji also stood up and nodded slightly.

Tsunade turned and left the tea room, walked through the ninja tool shop, and stepped into the afternoon sunlight. Her back was still upright, but her steps seemed lighter—as if she had unloaded some burden, or perhaps found a new direction.

Neji stood at the shop entrance, watching her leave until her Hokage robe disappeared around the street corner.

The wind chimes rang again, and he turned back behind the counter to continue sorting the unsorted Kunai and Shuriken. Sunlight streamed through the display window, casting long shadows on the floor.

Everything seems the same, but something has been quietly changing.

The startled deer in the courtyard let out another clear, resonant "thump."