Hiruzen Sarutobi shifted his gaze to the portrait of Tobirama Senju hanging in the office and smiled faintly.
He brought his hands together in a small salute.
The reason his conversation with Danzo Shimura had gone so smoothly came down to one thing. He had used the honor of being Tobirama Senju's disciple as collateral.
Rounded up, it was basically cashing in some of the Second Hokage's credibility.
Of course, credit alone was not enough. He still had to give Danzo a little sweetness, and make him feel like he had actually come out ahead.
When it came to internal conflicts, political credit mattered immensely.
"Those fan-made videos focus on using fire as a metaphor for history. There's not much real substance there."
Hiruzen Sarutobi reviewed his informational advantage.
"Right now, there are two things I can be sure of. First, opinions about me in my previous life were extremely polarized, but both sides believed that if I had handled things better, many tragedies could have been avoided…"
"That means there are many angles from which I can approach my work. Most people can be won over."
"Second, this world seems prone to sudden, unexpected interference. Personal strength can never be overlooked."
As he analyzed the situation, Hiruzen also contemplated the five modules of the red-headed document in his consciousness.
Authority, Diplomacy, Economy, Military and Education.
Aside from combat instincts that still needed polishing and integration, these five areas were the core source of his strength.
What kind of concrete help they could provide was still unclear.
But comparing them to the memories he had absorbed while feigning illness, he realized that he was now far better off than before. His hidden ailments were gone, his body was visibly healthier, and his energy was abundant.
They were worth trusting.
Looking at those five modules, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled in relief.
This felt far too familiar.
It was basically a simplified performance evaluation sheet.
One that demanded he improve Konoha in every aspect.
All five fronts had to be grasped. Every finger had to be strong.
For Kazuki, though, this was a blessing.
Having a body capable of flying through the sky and moving through the earth, while also experiencing life in a new world…
So what if he had to work a bit harder for the village?
"Let's take a look at the scroll Danzo left behind first."
Hiruzen carefully flipped through it.
This was clearly Danzo Shimura's smear material against Orochimaru. He had no illusion that it was a faithful record.
Still, the dirt was mixed with truth, so parts of it were worth referencing.
All it showed was that the old man had quickly settled into the mindset of a Hokage candidate.
And had already started tripping up a competitor.
In today's Konoha, most people still believed Orochimaru would succeed Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen's favoritism toward Orochimaru had been obvious in the past.
But among the highest ranks, some had already keenly noticed that since the Second Shinobi World War, the relationship between the Third Hokage and his beloved disciple seemed to have changed.
"Trading with clans inside the Land of Fire that never joined Konoha, in exchange for test subjects?"
"The Iburi Clan, the Tsuchigumo Clan…"
"Ninja abducted from other countries by the Foundation…"
When he saw that children were also among the test subjects, Hiruzen felt instinctive discomfort.
After smoking half a pipe, he quickly accepted reality and reminded himself.
This was a world where, just a few decades ago, children fought and died on the battlefield.
So-called geniuses in their early teens having dozens of lives on their hands was commonplace.
A complete age of chaos.
What was more, the Second Hokage he had just used to build political credit could practically be called the forefather of human experimentation in the shinobi world.
At its core, this was a trolley problem.
To maintain strategic advantage in a world where war could erupt at any time, other villages might be conducting similar research. If Konoha stopped, it meant falling behind in the future arms race.
He could not gamble the safety of the entire village on other people's morality, especially in a world that barely had any.
"But it must be brought under supervision. Ninjutsu cannot be allowed to become a runaway beast."
"At the very least, operations inside the Land of Fire are unacceptable. Even setting morality aside, that would shatter the village's cohesion…"
"And Orochimaru is absolutely a valuable talent, especially as a rare research-focused mind."
"Technology is the primary productive force."
Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered.
Orochimaru had been his cherished disciple since childhood. When Orochimaru was young, their bond had been almost like that of father and son.
But after Hiruzen became Hokage, his extremely conservative governing style gradually clashed with the maturing Orochimaru.
So much so that after the Second Shinobi World War, Orochimaru had actually preferred the rougher, freer atmosphere of the Foundation, working under Danzo Shimura.
That was undoubtedly a failure on his part, both as Hokage and as a teacher.
Fortunately, there was still room to salvage things.
According to his memories, he and Orochimaru had not yet had any open confrontation. Rather than a clash of political ideals, it felt more like a sulking child leaving home to start a business.
Hiruzen thought about the path forward.
The immediate problems were countless. The combat shortcomings exposed by the war, outdated systems, the looming shadow of the next conflict.
Internally, there were financial shortages, fractures among the leadership, and tension between the ninja clans and the Hokage.
"The best solution is to make the cake bigger, then use new benefits to fix old problems. But making the cake itself is the hardest part."
Hiruzen knew that the core of being Hokage was making the village strong and wealthy.
Strength could not be achieved overnight.
But when it came to making money, he already had ideas.
Konoha's finances relied on daimyo funding and mission payments.
He had once considered using force to take over the daimyo's treasury, but after digesting his memories, he set that idea aside.
High risk, low return.
Rough calculations suggested the Land of Fire's population numbered in the tens of millions at least. Ninja had overwhelming combat power, but no administrative capability. They could not replace millions of bureaucrats.
Sending the already limited number of ninja to collect taxes would only weaken combat strength.
And the Land of Fire's tax system was outdated. Without war, after several generations, ninja might naturally seize power like shoguns. But with the current small ninja population, acting rashly would only drive nobles to flee and give enemy villages an excuse to intervene.
Hiruzen organized the documents in his hands.
This was the "money pouch" he had prepared for Konoha.
"It's hard to take taxes directly from nobles, but getting them to spend willingly is easy."
"To harvest rent-seekers, you sell anxiety, sell health, and add virility as the flashy hook."
Whenever virility was involved, men would always be willing to spend irrational amounts of money to try it.
Longevity, health, virility.
Combine the three and create a "Konoha Special All-Cure Pill," and it would absolutely become a hit across the shinobi world.
How could those nobles not rush to throw their money at him, stuffing his pockets while shouting, Hokage-sama, I want more?
Hiruzen was confident this was something others could not replicate.
There was Hashirama Senju's legend of self-healing without hand seals, Tobirama's reputation as a jutsu inventor, and Mito's Reserve Seal. Three top-tier endorsements.
With Orochimaru and Tsunade, the foremost medical ninja in the world, constantly refining it, plus reference materials from the Akimichi and Nara clans' pharmacological records.
Add himself, now visibly younger, as a living advertisement.
Who cared whether it was a cheat ability or a pill?
As for the actual effect…
As long as it worked a bit and did not kill anyone, it was enough. A placebo effect with a touch of real substance mixed in would do the job.
"Plenty of ideas, but actually putting them into practice is the hardest part…"
Hiruzen sighed inwardly.
The first step was to rebuild a solid teacher-student relationship with Orochimaru.
His gaze shifted to Danzo Shimura's incriminating material.
This was an important tool.
Sarutobi Clan Grounds, Hokage Residence.
Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to the spacious, brightly lit home.
As soon as he arrived, Biwako Sarutobi led the servants in removing his hat and ceremonial robe.
A quick glance showed the house spotless.
"Hiruzen, you worked hard today. What would you like for dinner?" Biwako asked softly.
Normally, hot meals would already be prepared by the time he returned. If he came home late, Anbu would deliver food to the Hokage Tower.
But today, he had finished work unusually early, and she had not prepared anything yet.
In the past, Hiruzen Sarutobi worked overtime almost every night. When he came home, he was so exhausted he had no appetite, often unable to finish even a single bowl of rice.
"Tonight, I'm having Orochimaru over for dinner. We agreed on six o'clock."
Hiruzen thought for a moment. "He likes hot food. Have apples and eggs ready. The rest can be simple. Warm up two pots of wine."
"Sorry to trouble you."
Biwako looked up in surprise. Seeing the Hokage looking younger and standing tall, she smiled shyly.
"What are you saying?"
Her light, quick steps as she left made Hiruzen feel a bit emotional.
So easy to please.
More than a wife, Biwako Sarutobi was effectively the Sarutobi household's steward. She never disobeyed his decisions, handling his daily needs with meticulous care.
Even matters in the bedroom were decided entirely by Hiruzen.
It had to be said, there were aspects of these feudal ninja clans that were quite convenient.
Hiruzen walked to the back courtyard, changed into training clothes, and headed to the training field.
Even if his stats had increased, situational awareness and execution still made up a huge portion of combat strength.
A top-tier account in the hands of an expert and a novice could produce vastly different results.
Training was something that could never be neglected.
On the training field.
"Senju, Uchiha…"
Hiruzen murmured the two surnames in his heart as he warmed up with a steel staff. The staff cut through the air, producing a low hum.
As he trained, he also integrated combat instincts.
In his memories, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, those two legendary shinobi, had left a profound impression on him.
In the current shinobi world, Hiruzen Sarutobi was unquestionably among the top tier.
But he was not on the same level as those two.
Studying history was a good way to understand the world.
"Since ancient times, every few decades to a century, the Uchiha and the Senju would each produce a world-shaking shinobi, leading the entire shinobi world into war…"
The steel staff spun once in his palm, producing a sharp whoosh.
"And each time, they appeared in perfect symmetry, locking the Warring States era in place for nearly eight hundred years. It was not until Madara and Hashirama shook hands and made peace that the deadlock was finally broken."
"Coincidence?"
The Sarutobi clan records stated that the Senju and Uchiha were descendants of the Sage, but the writing was tinged with myth.
Was this world truly centered around Senju and Uchiha?
Even if it was, so what?
The problems facing Hiruzen Sarutobi would not be solved by waiting for some destined savior to descend from the heavens.
Visibly, another shinobi world war would break out within a few years. Who knew when another pair like Senju and Uchiha would emerge?
Besides, apart from Madara and Hashirama, the other so-called world-shaking Senju and Uchiha recorded in history were not all that invincible.
They were outstanding, but not despair-inducing.
"If a god really does appear, the Senju side is manageable. The Second Hokage scattered the clan and integrated them into Konoha, so they stand with the village."
"But the Uchiha?"
Just thinking about the Uchiha Clan gave Hiruzen a headache.
Seriously, what kind of clan was this?
Born emotionally sensitive, capable of deep love, yet prone to extreme personality shifts when traumatized. Their minds manifested in their eyes as the Sharingan, and as they immersed themselves in power, they grew arrogant.
It sounded troublesome, like a terrifying hereditary mental condition.
More troublesome still was that while the Uchiha Clan were Konoha's original shareholders and held immense military value, they constantly crossed political red lines.
First, Madara Uchiha left the village without explanation and fought Hashirama to the death, causing the First Hokage to die early.
Thankfully, the rest of the clan did not follow Madara and remained in Konoha.
Then, during the Second Hokage's era, Setsuna Uchiha launched a rebellion. After Tobirama suppressed it, the dovish faction rose, shedding blood for the village during the First Shinobi World War as their blood tax.
But now, under his rule, they were stirring again.
No matter how difficult the Uchiha Clan was to handle, as Hokage, he could not take the easy route and use blunt measures to isolate or eliminate them.
The performance metrics were right there.
If he could make the Uchiha Clan develop genuine loyalty to Konoha, Hiruzen was confident his performance would improve significantly.
"The strongest fortress is often breached from within…"
"If only there were someone within the Uchiha Clan who could carry out my will."
"But that's hard. This person would need deep understanding of the Uchiha, the strength to subdue others, and the ability to grasp my way of thinking…"
Hiruzen sighed, realizing his thoughts were somewhat idealistic, and focused fully on his training.
Shaking the sweat from his temples, he felt refreshed all over.
Since transmigrating, this body had grown stronger by the day. Jutsu insights that had once stalled were loosening, waiting to be tested one by one.
In his youth, he had been tall and well-built. But once the Hokage mantle fell upon him, the pressure was like a mountain. It not only exhausted his mind but visibly shrank his stature.
The body was the vessel of politics. True authority should transcend appearances and be built on achievements.
But abnormal aging was clearly detrimental to prestige.
In a sense, the rise of the Uchiha rebellions was also connected to his formerly aged image.
"A clan that worships strength, huh?"
Hiruzen swung the steel staff with full force. The air exploded, sand and stones flying across the training field.
As the staff rose and fell, technique insights and battlefield experience fused together. Each strike flowed naturally with mind and body in perfect harmony, brimming with renewed vigor.
The balance of hardness and softness in his staff technique mirrored the approach he intended to take with the Uchiha Clan.
And at that moment.
Orochimaru stood at the entrance to the training field, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar fierce figure, frozen in place.
This…
Was this really the teacher who had invited him over for dinner?