Konoha 64, January.
In the cold winter season, everything is dormant. It has been two years since the Fourth Ninja War, which established a new pattern in the Ninja World.
Perhaps that war consumed too much of the power of each major country. In the past two years, all major countries seemed to have entered a relatively peaceful period of development. Although there were rumors that the border between the Kingdom of Ghosts and the Kingdom of Earth was The country's ninjas still have conflicts from time to time, but they are only small-scale battles and are not worth mentioning on the table.
On the surface, the ninja world is calm, and every war will usher in several years or even ten years of peace. This seems to have become a tradition in the ninja world. However, everyone knows that this is just a sign before the storm comes.
The friction between big countries has been reduced, but the behind-the-scenes control of small countries by big countries has become a stage for war between countries.
Taking the opportunity to seize the fruits of victory in the Fourth Ninja World War, the Kingdom of Demons penetrated the small countries even more rapidly. The small countries in the west of the Ninja World Continent were basically led by the Kingdom of Demons, and gradually formed the trend of an alliance.
The original aristocratic class in the country has been suppressed by force, and the voices they can make are getting smaller and smaller. If things go on like this, it will only be a matter of time for these small countries to become the prey of the ghost country. This can be seen by anyone with a discerning eye. figure it out.
As the Land of Ghosts 'occupies' more and more land and population, the two big countries in the west of the continent, the Kingdom of Wind and the Kingdom of Earth, can only turn a blind eye to this, even if the Kingdom of Ghosts Various actions have caused a sharp decrease in the number of missions commissioned by the Ninja Village of the Great Country. The two countries of Futu and Japan just adopted a muddle-headed attitude and avoided a head-on conflict with the Kingdom of Demons.
After all, the first time the military and security forces of the Kingdom of Ghosts settled in these small countries, they targeted the country's black industry and the bandit forces hiding in the country, and suppressed them with thunderous and bloody methods.
Accepting the rule of the Kingdom of Demons means that the country can enjoy the constant protection of the Kingdom of Demons' security forces, and there is no need for the existence of a ninja village to solve their problems. If it were not for the daimyo of the two countries, Futu, provided more sufficient Without financial support, there may be problems with the normal operation of the Ninja Village.
Shikaku stood in the Hokage's office.
Even though two years have passed, the working environment here is still the same as before. There are piles of files on the desk that can never be finished, and there is Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, who is busy non-stop.
This has become the norm in the Hokage's office.
Although Tsunade, as the Hokage, can assign the work of processing files to other senior executives to complete together. After all, if there are so many files, if one person really has to handle them, he will have to stay in the Hokage's office for at least ten hours a day. , and occasionally have to work all night.
But Tsunade couldn't trust the other senior officials, especially the two advisors, whom Tsunade was very wary of. If the Hokage's power was divided between the two advisors, they might backstab her.
Tsunade still remembers the mistakes made by her teacher Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Therefore, Tsunade will only assign a small number of tasks to Shikaku, the trustworthy Jonin squad leader, and occasionally assign some documents to Hinata Hizatsu, a senior elder, to handle them on his behalf. But most of the time, Tsunade is handling it all by herself.
If I'm really busy, I'll use the shadow clone technique for emergencies.
Standing in front of the desk, Shikaku said nothing. Even if he had something important to report, he would wait quietly for Tsunade to finish her work before explaining.
This lasted for more than ten minutes, and Tsunade temporarily escaped from the pain of work and turned her attention to Shikaku.
Even after two years, Shikaku, who is already middle-aged, has not changed much. At most, the beard on his chin has grown a little longer, and his motivation has improved a little.
In addition to the secret skills passed down from their families, the ninjas of the Nara clan also have two distinctive characteristics. One is laziness and has no motivation to do anything. The other is smart. People of this clan generally have high IQs.
The ninjas of this family have been able to hold the position of Konoha's jounin squad leader from beginning to end, and it is not for nothing.
At least in terms of work attitude, even Tsunade could rarely find any faults with Shikaku.
"Thank you for your hard work, Hokage-sama."
"Isn't this a necessary task every day? Don't worry, physically speaking, I'm the same as a young person, so this workload won't trouble me."
Tsunade stretched out and let out a long breath. Tsunade didn't take it seriously for some of Shikaku's worries.
She is the top medical ninja in the ninja world, so she naturally knows how to take care of her body. Although at her age, her physical fitness has basically reached its limit and there is no possibility of any improvement, but relying on her own medical ninjutsu, even at the age of six At ten years old, the decline in strength is almost negligible.
After all, the hidden wounds left in her body when she was young have been slowly removed through daily maintenance and continuous care. Physically speaking, she is stronger than most young ninjas today.
It seems like a lot of workload, but for her, it won't put any load on her body. She just needs to pay more attention to the balance between work and rest.
"Speaking of which, why did you come to see me at this time?" Tsunade asked instead. "There are two things."
Shikaku said. Tsunade didn't speak, took a sip of tea and listened quietly.
"The first thing is that the last batch of ANBU secretly cultivated have reached the qualification standards, and we can try to cultivate a new batch of ANBU."
Because he advised Tsunade and provided this idea two years ago, the ANBU under Tsunade is now divided into two parts: light and dark.
The ANBU on the surface is commanded by the chief and deputy ministers. There are six squad captains, twenty-four squad leaders, and seventy-two team members under their command. The lowest strength of these people is Chuunin. The six squad captains are all elite jounin. , more than half of the twenty-four squad leaders are jounin or special jounin. These ninjas gathered under Tsunade's command are already a very powerful force.
Compared to the time when the Third Hokage was in power, the size and strength of the ANBU have now significantly improved.
And this is also the condition that Tsunade naturally obtained from her advisors and the ninja clan after becoming the Hokage.
In addition, there are ANBU who were secretly trained two years ago.
These ANBU are not included in the original statistical list of ANBU, but are recorded on another list. Only Tsunade and Shikaku are eligible to watch.
This ANBU, which is located deeper, has now trained a total of more than 270 people. Because there is no strong requirement for ninja levels, even genin can be incorporated, so the number is larger.
Most of them are chuunin, and some genin with outstanding talents are also absorbed. Finally, several jounin are selected as leaders of this ANBU team.
The strength of this ANBU was obviously inferior to that of the ANBU on the bright side. The ANBU on the bright side alone had twenty jounin gathered, not to mention the chuunin who had gathered, all of whom were of the same rank. An outstanding ninja among the top level. However, the biggest role of this ANBU is the direct power of strong masters. In addition, when problems arise in the ANBU, they can quickly replace the superiors, allowing the ANBU organization to maintain a virtuous cycle at all times. Instead of just one When hit, it immediately comes to a standstill.
After experiencing the defection of Kakashi, Asami Masumi and others, Tsunade and Shikaku were cautious about recruiting ninjas into ANBU.
Any ninja with any flaws or 'vacancies' on their resume will not be admitted. They will even conduct a 360-degree investigation on their family members, relatives, and friends to ensure that there are no problems in all aspects. Only then will admission be carried out.
This is also the method Tsunade strictly adopts in order to protect Konoha. "Oh, have they completed their training?"
"Yes, because they don't have to worry about life, and they don't have to work on long and meaningless tasks. Their only task is to train and become stronger. Occasionally, they can engage in actual combat through the task channels here. In addition, Hokage-sama, you have another Many ninjutsu and secret techniques are open to them, so the ninjas who join grow very fast..."
Lu Jiu gave a positive tone and couldn't help but have a smile on his face.
These admitted ninjas already have a good foundation, and Tsunade spares no effort to provide various ninjutsu and secret techniques, as well as various resources, so they don't have to worry about life. In addition to practicing, they are engaged in actual combat. If this is not the case, If it can grow rapidly, then it is unreasonable.
It can be said that the effect of this plan is much better than expected. But Tsunade showed a trace of sadness.
"That's true, but we can only do this on a small scale, while the Demon Country's military has implemented this policy across the board... Whether it's the ninjutsu and secret arts resources that can be provided, or the funds and time, Even Konoha can't compare with it."
"You have to take it step by step slowly. The Kingdom of Ghosts only started to become stronger after it completed its primitive accumulation."
"Of course I know this. Are there sufficient funds there? How many people can be admitted in the next batch?"
Tsunade shook her head and asked this question.
"With Lord Hokage's secret funding, the funds can continue to flow. As for the number of admissions for the next batch, from the report, there are a total of 161 people without problems, but I suggest that 30 of them be admitted on a merit-based basis. Just people."
Although I would like to absorb so many people at once, it will be very troublesome to deal with the problems of venue and teachers.
To absorb newcomers is not to give them ninjutsu and secret techniques, but to directly study them on their own. If this is the case, just working behind closed doors will not go far at all.
Therefore, Jounin resources who are proficient in education are the real key. Each Jounin is responsible for several newcomers and carries out elite training in the form of small classes. Only then can the resources invested quickly become the strength of the ninjas themselves.
"Thirty people? Including the previously trained personnel, there are almost three hundred people... It seems that there is still a long way to go before the goal of five hundred people."
This transformation speed is not slow. Moreover, these are direct subordinates who can be trusted, so Tsunade cannot find fault among them.
"Currently, the Anbu has grown more than a circle, and can solve many problems for Hokage-sama. It's just that the advisors and ninjas may notice the movement here..."
Shikaku thought deeply.
It was okay at first, but as the number of people increased, more and more venues were requisitioned, and it was absolutely impossible to hide it from the eyes of some people.
"It's not possible, but they have already discovered it. Just yesterday, those two old guys, as well as several representatives of the ninja clan headed by the Sarutobi clan, came to me to discuss this matter."
Tsunade smiled coldly. Shikaku was surprised.
"Don't worry, after all, I am still the Hokage, and they are just protesting. What I can't accomplish, let the next generation do it. Anyway, those two old guys probably won't stay in the position of consultants for long. ."
This is a blatant curse on the two consultants to retire soon.
"Having said that, if we lose two consultants to provide lubrication in the middle, the situation may be even worse."
Shikaku thought about this question.
The existence of the consultant was originally to smoothen the relationship between Genbu and Hokage.
But now that Nebu has withdrawn from the front stage, he can no longer take the position of Hokage.
Then, the existence of the consultant is to lubricate the relationship between the Hokage and the ninja clan. Without the lubricant like the consultant, things may develop in a bad direction. After all, there is still a lot of power that is not in the hands of the Hokage.
"Even without them lubricating the situation, the situation would be similar. As for the Hyuga clan..."
Tsunade pressed her brow in pain.
Although it was her decision-making power that pushed Hinata Hizashi to a high-level stage, it was also an unprecedented decision.
Because if a wealthy family like the Hyuga clan ascends to such a high position, it will further strengthen the clan's power, making the gap between them and ordinary ninja clan wider and wider.
But how did Hinata Nizu give feedback? In every meeting, he only had two sentences - what the consultant said was correct.
Everything Hokage-sama said is right.
This not only made Tsunade helpless, but probably the advisor was also dumbfounded by this.
In terms of not offending others, even the advisors who had been the weaklings between the Nebu and the Hokage had to accept the defeat.
Although this is already a traditional practice of the Hyuga clan.
But Tsunade still hopes that Hinata Hizu, the newly promoted senior executive, can do something bigger, instead of being like a dead fish that will probably not move even if it is fried in a pan.
"Forget it, let's not talk about these troublesome things. What's the second thing?" Tsunade changed the topic, not thinking about the troublesome things about the Hyuga clan.
"It's an invitation from the Kingdom of Ghosts."
Shikaku took out an exquisite letter from the document in his hand, with aster flower-style hot stamping on it.
"Invitation letter? Even if you want to hold another joint chuunin exam, this time is too early."
Tsunade said so.
Now that the New Year has just passed, not to mention the top leaders of various countries, even the ninjas have begun to take vacations and reunite with their families.
Only she, the Hokage, would be busy with endless work at such a time. By the way, she took Shikaku, the Jonin squad leader, with her.
"It's not the Chuunin exam, but we are invited to Konoha and the Country of Fire to attend the sixteenth-year-old coming-of-age ceremony for the Miko of the Country of Demons."
"Miko of the Demon Country?" Tsunade looked dazed for a moment. Shikaku nodded and sighed in an inexplicable tone:
"Speaking of it, the Kingdom of Demons seems to be a theocratic country." "..." Tsunade smiled bitterly.
After Lu Jiu mentioned it, he suddenly remembered that there was such a thing.
For a long time, because the Kingdom of Ghosts has given people a prominent impression of its strong military power, people have overlooked the fact that it is essentially a theocratic country.
"Is it a coming-of-age ceremony for a miko? In other words, a messenger needs to be sent there..." Tsunade calmed down.
Although the relationship with the Kingdom of Ghosts is not good, this is how things are diplomatically.
During the period of hostilities, when she assumed the position of the Fifth Hokage, the Kingdom of Demons also sent an envoy with a generous gift to congratulate her.
At least the etiquette must be impeccable, showing the magnanimity of a great country, instead of being preoccupied with certain things.
"Shikaku, please come over then."
There is only one main lineage miko in the Kingdom of Demons, and that is the current miko Shion. If it were the Kingdom of Fire, her status would be equivalent to that of a daimyo.
The coming-of-age ceremony for the king of a country should be attended by people of sufficient importance.
Originally, Jiraiya was also a good choice... But when he thought about the relationship between Jiraiya and the Demon Country, Tsunade felt that sending him there might cause trouble, and letting the more stable Shikaku go was the best choice. .
"I see."
Shikaku didn't refuse, and he could probably guess that Tsunade would leave this matter to him.
Except for high-level officials such as the Hokage and advisors who cannot move around without authorization, those who are qualified have too much conflict with the Kingdom of Demons. Those who have no conflict are a bit inferior in terms of status and appear not to take them seriously enough.
As for the ninja who meets the status and will not cause conflict with the Kingdom of Demons, he is the only jounin squad leader in Konoha.
"Trouble." Tsunade nodded, and then thought of something: "By the way, don't let that brat Naruto know about this matter. If he does, he will probably make a fuss and run to the Kingdom of Ghosts." …"
◎
"Your Highness Ziyuan, please don't do this. Your actions will make things difficult for us."
One of the side halls of the shrine seems to be more spacious and brighter than before due to many renovations and modifications.
The wooden floor has been wiped smooth and bright, and it seems that you can see the reflection of people from above.
Although modern decoration can be seen in some places, most places still retain the ancient style.
At this time, the shrine maiden in the side hall was teaching the main lineage shrine maiden, Shion, about some precautions during the coming-of-age ceremony.
For example, the most basic walking posture will definitely have strict regulations.
Originally, the foundation for these things should be laid from an early age, rather than waiting until this time to learn.
However, unlike the mainline miko of the previous generation, Shion's character was too willful. Coupled with the favor of the Minister of Military Affairs, the miko who usually taught Shion etiquette could only turn a blind eye.
But this time the situation is different. It is a coming-of-age ceremony that happens only once in a miko's life, so she must not let down her guard.
Holding the completion ceremony means that Shion has reached adulthood and is a veritable monarch of the Kingdom of Ghosts, and is no longer a mascot in name only.
Theoretically, as long as you complete the coming-of-age ceremony, you can control various government orders in the Kingdom of Ghosts.
But on the other hand, excessive contamination with the breath of the human world will make the power of a miko become impure.
It doesn't matter if you are a branch lineage miko, but as a main line miko, you must keep the power of the miko pure to suppress the most powerful monsters - monsters. Once the power of the main line miko is no longer pure, problems will really arise. .
Therefore, the coming-of-age ceremony for the main lineage miko of the Kingdom of Demons is more symbolic than practical. Even if she has the ability to hold power, she will not interfere excessively in human affairs.
With the torii gate as the boundary, the world inside is ruled by the shrine maiden, while the world outside is governed by the military and government of the Kingdom of Demons. If necessary, just report to the main line shrine maiden.
"Don't stop me! Let's let the coming-of-age ceremony go to hell when the time comes!" Ziyuan stretched out her hand towards the door of the side hall, as if she wanted to regain her freedom.
On her body, several witches were like pendants, constantly blocking her progress, asking her to stay and learn the various etiquette rules necessary for the coming-of-age ceremony.
After all, the coming-of-age ceremony is not far away, and there is not enough time. If His Highness is allowed to act recklessly, the envoys from various countries will definitely laugh, thinking that the witch from the Kingdom of Ghosts is just an unreasonable child.
Although it was indeed a child, if they hadn't really felt the huge pure power from Shion, as branch mikos, they would even really doubt whether the previous Maitreya miko had carried the wrong fetus.
This kind of personality that escapes willfulness is completely different from the mainline miko of previous generations who are law-abiding.
She is willful, unruly, playful, and good at eating. She is half-hearted when practicing as a miko. She either falls asleep or wants to eat snacks, and always thinks about running to the 'human world'.
He was also shouting nonsense like, 'If you don't experience the prosperity of the world, how can you truly transcend this world'...
In the end, didn’t you find an excuse for your fun and deliciousness? It’s just that this excuse only sounds good.
"We will not let you leave here, Your Highness Ziyuan! No matter what you say today, we will make you stay and learn the etiquette that a lady should have!"
"No! I will die of boredom in this place where birds don't poop anymore!"
It's a pity that a person's power is always limited, and these witches have extremely strong willpower and won't let go no matter what.
In the end, Shion, who was alone, was defeated and was forced to be forced to learn etiquette by the witches in the side hall.
About two hours later, an older shrine maiden walked into the side hall where she was learning etiquette.
I stopped in front of the curtain. Inside was a place for Shion to rest.
"Thank you for your hard work in the afternoon, Your Highness Ziyuan. I know that Your Highness doesn't like this kind of long and boring etiquette study, but the following is an important day for His Highness to accept the coming-of-age ceremony, and you must not be rude in front of the envoys from various countries. Well, wait until After the coming-of-age ceremony is over, His Highness can regain his freedom."
No sound came from inside.
On the bed, you could only see the figure of a girl lying on her side.
The old miko sighed, knowing that Ziyuan was angry with her, so she probably didn't want to pay attention to these complicated and troublesome etiquette.
However, considering that this year's main line of mikos is slightly different, and the Kingdom of Demons has also undergone tremendous changes, she turned a blind eye to some of Shion's behaviors that were not in line with mikos.
"Since His Highness has rested, as long as His Highness can promise me to study here peacefully these days, I will not disturb you."
However, this time, there was still no sound from the girl on the bed behind the curtain. "Your Highness?" The old miko hesitated and tried to call out.
Finally realizing that something was wrong, the old miko quickly stepped forward to lift the curtain and saw the girl lying on her side on the bed with a quick movement that was not like an old man.
The girl was wearing a witch costume, but there was no trace of popularity on her body. She looked like a doll placed here.
The expression of the old witch goddess changed slightly, and she formed a seal with one hand. "Unsolved!"
The miko on the bed immediately turned into a puff of black smoke and disappeared into the air.
On the bed where the girl originally lay on her side, there was only a palm-sized scarecrow tied with a red string, which seemed to be making a silent mockery of her.
The old miko's face suddenly darkened. ◎ "Going to the land of ghosts?"
Shikamaru, who came back from outside in the evening, was informed of this incident by his father Shikaku as soon as he returned home.
The sixteen-year-old Shikamaru is not only taller, but also a little stronger than before. It's just that it can't be seen under the clothes. But his temperament is mature and stable compared to his peers. It cannot be faked.
In the past two years, although he often complained about the busyness of tasks, the hard work of training, and teaching Naruto was a headache every week...but in the end he gritted his teeth and persevered.
To put it simply, he thinks that with his current strength, he can easily defeat himself when he was chasing Sasuke three years ago.
With such impressive results, it can be regarded as a fruitful one.
Although the energy and time he put in for this made him often exhausted, his leisurely days were gone forever.
However, he has just come back and is about to be ordered to go to the Kingdom of Ghosts. Isn't this too intensive a squeeze on him?
It is true that he no longer rejects the job of ninja, but he can't squeeze his body like this, right?
Sensing Shikamaru's resentful gaze, Shikaku also knew that Shikamaru might be wrong, so he said: "Don't worry, although it is a mission, I will go with you. And it is not a troublesome diplomatic work, I should say, It's only a trip at public expense."
"Dad, would you come to me for such a good thing?" Shikamaru looked at Shikaku with suspicion. "Can you have more confidence in me as a father?"
Lujiu complained. "So, the specific thing is..."
"The miko of the Kingdom of Ghosts is preparing to hold an adult ceremony in a week. At that time, all countries will be invited to participate, and Konoha is also among the invitations. Lord Hokage will leave this matter to me, and I will choose to participate in the Ghost Country. The envoys of the coming-of-age ceremony held by the shrine maiden of the country."
Shikaku's answer made Shikamaru feel relieved.
In this case, it is really not a troublesome thing. Apart from the disadvantage of traveling long distances, the evaluation of traveling at public expense is not an exaggeration at all.
He was afraid that he would have to go to the Kingdom of Ghosts to engage in some extremely troublesome diplomacy, which would not only affect his body, but also his brain.
He is just a sixteen-year-old child, but he cannot bear the pressure caused by the collision between countries. It is too heavy.
"Then the personnel you decide..."
"There are a dozen people in total, you are one of them, and I am also considering the rest. The departure time is early the day after tomorrow, and we will be on the road with the envoys from Daming Mansion to arrive at the Kingdom of Ghosts a few days in advance."
"That's it, then I have no problem. I just want to relax recently. By the way, I can bring Ino and Choji with me too."
"As long as you get their consent, I have no problem. As for Naruto, you should know what to do without me having to tell you."
"Of course, if he knew, he would still be in trouble..." Shikamaru scratched his head, nodded, and agreed.
Although it was not good to hide this from a friend, because of Sakura's incident, he could not judge how Naruto would react after learning about it.
Therefore, I had to conceal the matter for the time being, wait until the limelight passed, and then explain it to Naruto properly.
When it comes to contacting past 'companions', it's better to let him do it.
