Later that day, Habara was summoned before Lady Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage and Daimyo-Elect of the Land of Fire. For Tsunade, this was finally meeting the man in person… Although Habara had previously undertaken the mission to find her, the two hadn't actually interacted substantially during the process.
"Regarding the Daimyo's death, do you have anything to explain?" Tsunade asked bluntly as soon as she saw Habara.
It was a perfectly normal question. Anyone with a functioning brain could see that the sudden demise of the Daimyo and his entire clan was highly suspicious. Furthermore, the current situation, with the seemingly "popular demand" for Tsunade to become the new Daimyo, clearly indicated someone was pulling strings. The invisible hand was becoming practically visible—who wouldn't notice?
Under normal circumstances, even if no heir to the Daimyo could be found, the Fire Capital would be embroiled in endless debate over potential candidates. Various factions would vie for influence, and it might take months to settle the matter. But now? On the day after the Daimyo's death—strictly speaking, within 24 hours—someone had already consolidated opinions in the capital and determined the next Daimyo would be the current Hokage.
Realistically, if a new Daimyo were to be chosen from across the nation, the Hokage would typically not even be a candidate. While the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, might become a candidate due to her lineage, she would almost certainly not actually ascend to the position. A figure holding both the Hokage and Daimyo titles would be far too powerful; subordinates and vassals alike generally prefer not to serve such an overwhelmingly strong ruler.
So, why was Habara conveniently present in the Fire Capital at such a crucial moment?
"It may be related to the recent split and turmoil within the Guardian Shinobi Twelve," Habara explained to the new Hokage. "A faction among them held very radical ideas, consistently aiming to eliminate Konoha's Hokage and make the Daimyo the de facto supreme leader of Konoha. However, judging by the traces at the scene of the Daimyo's assassination, there's a possibility of intrusion by outside ninja. The number of intruders seems small, likely only one or two individuals."
The Hokage looked somewhat weary, a palpable exhaustion in her eyes.
Tsunade frowned, clearly unsatisfied with this explanation. Considering the events in the Fire Capital and the resulting outcome, it could undeniably be summarized in one word: coup.
It was a highly successful coup, and Tsunade, or rather Konoha which she represented, was the ultimate beneficiary. Yet, this gain brought Tsunade no joy. On one hand, she despised the feeling of being manipulated by others. On the other, the drastic change to the nation's entire system filled her with apprehension about the future.
"Investigate this matter immediately," Tsunade ordered. "But more importantly, what did you do after the incident occurred?"
Habara, naturally, wouldn't admit to anything, but he would present facts and reason.
"In terms of governing ability, the former Daimyo had little worth praising. Judging by character and morality, his death is hardly worth mourning. If we were to compare, Lady Tsunade far surpasses…"
"A complete nation's military and political systems being entirely separate—that is clearly abnormal, deformed. I believe the impetus for integration is correct. The current stability is a delicate one, like two eggs stacked precariously… Simply put, this is a rare opportunity. Why shouldn't Lady Tsunade give it a try? Try guiding the nation towards a better future."
"What do you mean, 'give it a try'? Since the First Hokage founded Konoha, this nation has maintained internal stability. You…"
"Does Lady Tsunade lack the confidence to govern?" Habara interjected earnestly. "The previous Daimyo was merely mediocre. No matter what you do, you will surely do better than him."
Tsunade almost laughed in exasperation. Why on earth should she compare governing talents with anyone, unprompted? Was he dense?
"This isn't about confidence! It's about responsibilities that were never mine being forcibly thrust upon me! Besides, achieving your so-called unification of military and politics isn't so simple. It requires redesigning a nation's entire top-level structure! Who could possibly handle such a task without exceptional foresight and extraordinary intelligence?"
"Ahem, quite the contrary," Habara stated. "If it's merely the design phase, I don't believe it's particularly difficult."
Keyboard politicians, right? How hard can it be? Position the wrists, start typing—unstoppable.
At this point, Tsunade was already getting sidetracked, and Habara's remark was like adding fuel to the fire. It essentially implied that the First Hokage's system design was no big deal. Tsunade couldn't tolerate that. Her suppressed anger finally boiled over. "Very well! Then you will submit a proposal for integration tomorrow. Remember, it must be submitted tomorrow."
I could submit it in an hour, Habara thought, but decided against further provoking his direct superior. He adopted a mild tone and agreed readily.
"Understood, Hokage-sama."
Theoretically, watching a beautiful woman get angry can be enjoyable, let alone deliberately provoking one. The problem was, the Hokage's age was a factor that couldn't be ignored. Annoying a woman of her age served no purpose; one should aim to appease her instead.
After this brief interaction, Tsunade's impression of Habara wasn't particularly favorable. She saw him as someone with many ideas who was accustomed to doing things his own way. From a professional standpoint, a ninja with too many ideas isn't necessarily a good ninja.
After Habara left, Shizune asked Tsunade, "Lady Tsunade, is this matter truly decided then?"
Tsunade sighed heavily. "What choice do I have in the current situation?"
Shizune murmured, "You shouldn't have hesitated. If you had refused sternly from the beginning, things might be different now."
In the initial moments, Tsunade had indeed hesitated for an instant, considering the future of the Land of Fire and wondering if she truly was the only option. That moment of hesitation cost her any remaining choice.
"Ah," Tsunade lamented quietly, "hesitation is defeat."
Early the next morning, Tsunade received Habara's written report. It seemed Habara's efficiency at the keyboard was top-notch.
Tsunade took the report and looked it over. The very first point demanded changing the ambiguous title of "Daimyo" to "State Lord" (Kokushu).
This opening made Tsunade frown, initially thinking the rest would be similar semantic games. She had held a sliver of expectation after Habara's boasting yesterday.
However, matters of nomenclature can sometimes be quite important. Besides, this was Habara's only point regarding titles.
Theoretically, he should have outlined the method of succession for the State Lord, a serious matter involving the transition of national power. But given the current era and Tsunade's personal circumstances… it was best not to mention succession for now.
However, the subsequent content of Habara's report proved to have considerable merit.
The power of a nation essentially boils down to legislative, executive, and judicial functions. Legislative and judicial aspects aside, the executive function is the core of a ruler's power. Here, Habara proposed establishing three new integrated bodies: an Inner Cabinet Secretariat (responsible for gathering intelligence and drafting the State Lord's decrees), a State Lord's Office (responsible for executing decrees, overseeing subordinate administrative agencies), and a State Affairs Advisory Council (responsible for reviewing and amending decrees).
On the Konoha side, below the Hokage, a supreme command body would be established: the Meritorious Council. Theoretically, this council would hold power equivalent to the Hokage, but it wouldn't be a full-time, fully staffed institution. Several ninja would be elected from the council to assist the Hokage in managing village affairs, forming what would be called the... ahem, the Hokage Advisory Council.
This Advisory Council was distinct from Konoha's previous advisors. The old advisors were essentially figureheads with high status; this new council held clearly defined powers and responsibilities. The specific duties and oversight assigned to each advisor would be determined by the Hokage.
Evidently, Habara's middle school history lessons hadn't gone to waste. Structurally, the proposed Secretariat, State Lord's Office, and Advisory Council under the State Lord closely resembled the historical Chinese system of the Three Departments and Six Ministries. However, considering the Land of Fire government and Konoha together, the government side resembled the Chancellery and Secretariat, while Konoha mirrored the Bureau of Military Affairs—a "Two Governments" system.
Habara himself slightly doubted whether such a typically feudal system could function effectively in the Land of Fire, though considering the realities of the shinobi world, feudalism might still possess its own advanced aspects here.
Of course, Habara's suggestions weren't flawless. This integration of political and military power was fundamentally unified under the monarch. The person holding both Hokage and State Lord titles was crucial; an ordinary individual certainly couldn't manage it. But for some reason, Tsunade seemed particularly, perfectly suited for the role.
As Tsunade read, she fell into deep thought, pondering how an ordinary ninja could design such a political system.
Well, if she were to actually ask Habara, he would undoubtedly attribute it to receiving a complete nine-year compulsory education.
As for the more specific details, like how the Land of Fire should select and appoint officials, that wasn't Habara's immediate concern. Most likely, existing practices would continue for the time being. Changes to the top-level structure would take time to filter down to lower-level traditions and habits. Leaving those untouched for now would facilitate the swift and comprehensive recognition of Tsunade's status as State Lord; after all, the former Daimyo's power hadn't reached every corner of the Land of Fire either.
"Lady Tsunade, is there a problem with the report?" Shizune asked curiously, seeing Tsunade remain silent after reading. She had assumed Habara might have just scribbled something random to fulfill the task.
However, Habara hadn't written randomly; he had clearly come prepared.
"See for yourself," Tsunade said, handing the report to Shizune.
"Shizune," she added, unable to resist asking, "if I recall correctly, Jonin Habara comes from some unknown minor clan in the provinces, right?"
"Yes," Shizune confirmed, her secretarial work proving thorough. "Specifically, a minor clan from the Land of Wind. The clan was wiped out by Sunagakure for unknown reasons. He later came to Konoha due to his connection with Orochimaru… Orochimaru played a dishonorable role in that."
It was common for the five great hidden villages to eliminate minor villages within their sphere of influence; seemingly nothing remarkable there.
Tsunade pressed further, "Are you sure it was just an unknown clan? Were there no special circumstances? For example, were they highly educated, or perhaps connected to the Land of Wind's upper echelons?"
Tsunade wouldn't be surprised by the strength of a ninja from outside Konoha, no matter how powerful; such things could easily be explained by talent, which is inherently unpredictable. But the detailed concepts Habara elaborated upon seemed completely incongruous with his background. These weren't things explainable by talent alone. How could a person transcend their own 'experience' to such a degree? It was deeply puzzling.
"The records show nothing special. Perhaps Jonin Habara is simply someone who loves to learn?"
Shizune couldn't possibly provide a real answer.
"Lady Tsunade," Shizune shifted focus, "is what's written here feasible?" Compared to the mystery of how Habara wrote it, Shizune was more concerned with whether it could actually work.
"Yes, it is," Tsunade nodded, possessing the necessary insight and vision. "More importantly, with such clear divisions of power and responsibility, even if I become State Lord, this role won't require working 24 hours a day."
This point was highly valued by Tsunade. She shared a common, hard-to-overcome affliction found in many people: a love for slacking off.
"In that case," Shizune remarked from her observer's perspective, "Jonin Habara truly is more than just a ninja…"
Tsunade had to nod in agreement.
Often, a system isn't inherently good or bad; a system that can be implemented is a good system, and vice versa. And Konoha possessed the capability to ensure the implementation of Tsunade's top-level reforms in the Land of Fire.
Thinking about it this way, perhaps Habara had a point. Didn't a unified military and political structure seem more like a normal nation than a separated one?
Several days later, in response to the "request of the people, the desire of the masses" from the Land of Fire, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, gave her formal reply. She would accept becoming the ruler of the nation, the princess of its myriad people. However, she hoped one condition would be accepted in return: she did not intend to place the nation's central authority, the capital city, in the original Fire Capital. Considering public acceptance, she also wouldn't designate Konoha as the capital. Instead, she planned to establish a new city, relocating the capital to the location of the Shadow Leaf Stronghold.
Ostensibly, this was a compromise made to balance military and political interests. For Konoha, how could the Hokage leave the village for the Fire Capital? For the Land of Fire's high officials and state apparatus, how could the Daimyo reside within Konoha?
Therefore, establishing a new capital served as both a balance and a compromise, reflecting the new ruler's political wisdom.
However, only Tsunade herself knew the truth: having occupied the 'magpie's nest,' she simply didn't feel like moving again. Konoha's atmosphere felt stuffy and decayed; the Fire Capital would only be worse. As the supreme authority of the nation, she now had the right to be a little willful, to display her personal preferences… although, truth be told, she had always been this way, even before becoming Hokage and State Lord.
Ultimately, the blame rested squarely on Habara. Who told him to label the building "Number 10"? One couldn't argue with metaphysics; it had truly become Number 10 Downing Street, in a sense.