Bab 100: Chapter 100: Selecting a New Hokage
The daunting task of casualty reporting ultimately fell on Shikamaru's shoulders, courtesy of a direct order from his own father.
At that moment, Shikamaru couldn't help but wonder if he was even related to his father. Faced with dozens of crates of paper files from the police archives, Shikamaru almost felt ready to give up right then and there.
But with too few people available, there was no choice. This job wasn't just about casualty reports; it was also an opportunity to thoroughly review the village's personnel records.
Before the war, Konoha already had many security risks stemming from gaps in its registration system. Many merchants who stayed for extended periods began to blend in with the locals.
Previously, the police force would confirm their background, but since its disbandment, this tedious work had never resumed. Konoha's registry hadn't been updated in over a year.
During the attack, Konoha was severely compromised by enemy spies. Konoha Hospital had been assaulted by a group of spies, which in turn caused a critical shortage of medical resources.
Kakashi and Shikaku decided to use this casualty report opportunity to thoroughly update Konoha's registry, laying the groundwork to rebuild the police force.
With a resigned expression, Shikamaru gathered his friends and began working. For all his laziness, he could still be reliable when it counted.
After treating the wounded and processing reports, there was still a mountain of issues to resolve.
Firstly, Konoha was extremely vulnerable after the battle. Other villages would undoubtedly exploit this. There was no need for guessing—they were likely already mobilizing.
This meant they had to quickly deploy elite shinobi to patrol Konoha's perimeter.
Konoha's walls and defensive barriers had sustained significant damage. The Barrier Corps estimated at least a month would be needed for full repairs.
During this time, Konoha was completely exposed. No enemy could be allowed near the village; all intruders had to be intercepted far from the perimeter.
"Our main threats are Iwagakure to the northwest and Kumogakure to the northeast. Iwagakure, in particular, is surrounded by forests, so we need to be extra cautious."
"It looks like Aoba was prepared. During his time stationed along the Kumo border, he destroyed nearly all the nearby forests, leaving the enemy with hardly any cover. It's a small silver lining."
Kakashi and Shikaku studied the map for a long time, only to return to the original problem: manpower.
"We'll need seasoned Jonin squads to patrol the borders. The recent war cost us too many skilled shinobi. There just aren't enough qualified people left."
"If necessary, we can pull from the Anbu. Root was integrated into the Anbu, so we should still have a decent number. Recall any Anbu on missions outside the village, and prioritize securing the village's safety."
"We're already working on it, but gathering them will take some time." Kakashi, once an Anbu leader, knew that assembling such a team could not be done quickly.
"There's one more option. In this war, several Special Jonin and Chunin stood out. I think we should consider promoting some of them to Jonin."
"There are also the clan shinobi within the village. Konoha is in crisis. As clans, they need to do more."
Shikaku looked at Kakashi, letting out a subtle sigh. Ultimately, it came down to involving the clans. But he couldn't object; Kakashi's reasoning and the current situation were irrefutable.
He couldn't believe how relentless Kakashi was. Or was this Aoba's influence?
"Fine. The Nara clan has always stood with Konoha. When I return, I'll mobilize some of our retired shinobi and younger members for missions."
Shikaku knew precisely what Kakashi meant. Konoha needed the hidden shinobi from each major clan.
That's right—each clan had a number of shinobi who weren't officially registered. They didn't attend Konoha's school but were privately trained by their families.
Upon coming of age, they wouldn't perform missions for the village but served only the clan's interests. This was one of the defining aspects of being a clan.
Regardless of how many shinobi died in battle, these clans could always ensure their lineage's survival.
"But there's still one obstacle. What authority do we have to mobilize the other clans?"
Shikaku, with his keen foresight, understood the need to adapt. But not every clan could see things the same way.
In fact, it wasn't impossible for the clans to deploy their private forces for the village, but it would require some resource exchange.
Put simply, to use this power, the Hokage would generally need to make some promises in return.
However, the village currently had no Hokage. As Hokage's advisor and Jonin corps leader, Kakashi and Shikaku held considerable authority, but ultimately, they were not the Hokage.
"You mean we need a Hokage."
"Yes. Not only for handling day-to-day matters but also for maintaining order. We need to quickly appoint a new Hokage.
Installing a new Hokage will reassure the public and signal to outsiders that Konoha has returned to normal."
As he spoke, Shikaku kept his gaze fixed on Kakashi. Given the current situation, if Kakashi wanted to take on the role, Shikaku could accept it.
If it were Aoba Kamikawa, he'd have to consider it more carefully. That young man was clearly even more formidable than Kakashi.
But to his surprise, Kakashi dismissed the idea outright.
"Neither Aoba nor I have any desire to become Hokage. But Aoba has indeed thought about this issue. Given the current situation, if Lady Tsunade returns, she'd be the best choice for Konoha."
"Tsunade, huh."
Shikaku understood the significance of Tsunade's return. As the last princess of the Senju clan, she had both the rank and strength to be Hokage. As the best medical ninja in the shinobi world, Tsunade also had immense respect within Konoha's shinobi ranks.
Anyone who had fought in the Third War had, in some way, benefitted from her skills. With her reputation, Tsunade would face almost no obstacles to becoming Hokage. At least, not from any external sources.
"I support Lady Tsunade as Hokage, but from what I know, she has little interest in the position."
Little interest was an understatement; Tsunade had completely lost faith in Konoha at this point and didn't even want to return.
"We don't need to worry about that. Aoba says he'll take care of it."
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