Chapter 385: A Show of Father-Son Bonding?
Haneda posed his second question:
"During your tenure as Hokage, how would you approach relations with the other ninja villages?"
Shisui hesitated. Haneda's approach to other villages, aside from allies, was one of dominance.
Haneda frequently exploited their weaknesses—such as controlling access to food supplies—to extract maximum benefits for Konoha.
But Shisui didn't want to continue down that path. He believed that oppressing other villages would eventually lead to disaster.
He preferred a more cooperative, mutually beneficial approach.
However, this mindset ran counter to Haneda's methods and could potentially alienate him, possibly disqualifying Shisui from becoming Hokage.
After a moment of deliberation, Shisui decided to stay true to his beliefs:
"I'd adopt a cooperative and friendly approach. Lord Hokage, relationships between ninja villages are like springs—the harder you press, the harder they rebound. That's often how wars start."
"You've been able to suppress other villages with your unparalleled power, forcing them to comply with Konoha's demands."
"But what happens after you're gone? The resentment they hold against you will erupt all at once, and they'll likely declare war on Konoha to reclaim what they lost or gain what they desire."
"If we build relationships based on mutual benefit, drawing friendly villages closer to us, everyone will have a shared interest in maintaining peace. And through those shared interests, peace will naturally emerge."
Shikaku nodded approvingly, giving Shisui a small smile.
Shikaku had always leaned toward diplomacy and peaceful coexistence. This was one of the reasons the Third Hokage had valued him so highly.
However, under Haneda's leadership, Shikaku had been forced to adopt a more aggressive stance.
Shisui's philosophy aligned closely with Shikaku's ideal vision of international relations.
Most importantly, Shisui's approach resonated with the long-term strategy Haneda and Shikaku had discussed for the post-war world.
After the Fourth Ninja War, Haneda intended to prioritize unity and mutual prosperity, even at the cost of some short-term sacrifices.
Looking at Haneda, Shikaku chuckled and said, "See? I told you Shisui is more than capable."
Haneda responded, "Not bad. Maybe a little too idealistic, but the future will need people with idealism."
"Since you and Kakashi both refuse the position of acting Hokage, we'll tentatively assign it to Shisui."
"I'll send word to Tsunade and the others to get their opinions. If there are no objections, we'll finalize this arrangement and start preparing for the stage of the Fourth Ninja War."
Haneda paused, shifting his gaze to Shisui. With a sly smile, he added,
"Shisui, starting today, begin familiarizing yourself with the duties of Hokage. If you're unsure about anything, consult Shikaku."
"I'll be heading out now. In a few days, I'll announce that I'm gravely ill and won't be seeing anyone."
With that, Haneda disappeared from the office using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Shikaku looked at the mountain of paperwork on the desk, then glanced at Shisui, who still wore his Anbu mask. After a brief pause, he said,
"Shisui, here's how it's been working: I handle most of the responsibilities, and Lord Hokage just signs off on them."
"But for now… why don't you start by taking over the duties of the Anbu? With Kakashi on a six-month leave, the position of Anbu Captain is effectively vacant. You can take that role for now and ease into things."
"Yes, Shikaku-senpai," Shisui replied respectfully.
Though he was practically confirmed as the acting Hokage—and likely the Sixth Hokage—Shisui felt it inappropriate to address Shikaku too formally, opting instead for "senpai."
He had no objections to Shikaku's arrangements.
After all, he had only ever been an Anbu squad leader. Jumping straight into the role of Hokage was unrealistic. Starting as Anbu Captain made sense.
Besides, Kakashi often delegated his work to Shisui when he didn't feel like doing it himself, so the role wouldn't be entirely new.
...
Leaving the office, Haneda returned home.
Sitting at his desk by the window, his gaze was drawn to a photograph on the tabletop.
It was a small family photo of sorts, featuring himself, Naruto, Haku, and Kimimaro.
Looking at it, Haneda suddenly realized a problem.
Should he pretend to be sick in front of them too?
If he didn't, would the act seem unconvincing?
This was a tricky question…
Deciding to follow the example of his predecessors, Haneda pulled a file from his bookshelf. It detailed the final days of Hashirama Senju's life.
Flipping through the section on Hashirama and Tsunade, Haneda found himself reading about how Hashirama had spent his remaining time gambling with young Tsunade.
Hashirama often lost, earning scoldings from Tobirama, while Tsunade, on the other hand, received praise for her gambling skills, which Tobirama deemed better than her grandfather's.
The stark double standards in Hashirama and Tobirama's family dynamics were amusing.
Haneda read on, captivated by the anecdotes of the two brothers and young Tsunade.
By the time he finished, he realized he hadn't found the answer he was looking for.
Hashirama had simply enjoyed his family life, and it seemed Tsunade hadn't known about his illness until the very end.
"So I could keep it a secret? But no—Naruto's old enough now. If word gets out that I'm terminally ill, he'll definitely find out."
"Should I stage a heartfelt father-son moment?"
"What a headache…"
Haneda put down his pen, rubbing his temples in frustration.
Deceiving the ninja world was one thing, but deceiving his own family was infinitely harder.
What was the best course of action?
After thinking it over, Haneda decided to be upfront with Naruto and the others. After all, aside from Naruto, the rest were seasoned ninjas who understood the importance of discretion.
And even if Naruto couldn't keep a secret, Kurama could always remind him.
Resolving himself, Haneda tossed aside his pen and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to the Konoha Ninja Academy.
It was around 10 a.m., and the students were in the middle of outdoor training.
Fortunately, Naruto's class was having a session at the training grounds.
Iruka was instructing the students on kunai and shuriken throwing—essential skills for any ninja, serving as a form of ranged attack that didn't consume chakra.
They could even be combined with explosive tags for greater effect.
When Haneda arrived, Naruto was pestering Sasuke to teach him Uchiha-style shuriken techniques.
"Sasuke, that shuriken of yours can curve mid-air?! That's so cool! Teach me how to do it!" Naruto exclaimed.
"I refuse," Sasuke said curtly, turning his back on Naruto with a haughty tilt of his head.
"What if I let Kurama act as your personal battery for a day? Come on, Sasuke, just teach me!" Naruto bargained.
Ever since Haneda had helped Naruto subdue Kurama, Naruto had become a semi-perfect jinchuriki.
Semi-perfect because Naruto's chakra control was still lacking.
Even though Kurama was willing to lend him chakra, Naruto couldn't fully utilize it.
However, Naruto had discovered that he could transfer Kurama's chakra to others.
The first time he tried, he experimented on Sasuke, who had been running low on chakra while practicing Chidori.
After experiencing the benefits of Kurama's chakra, Sasuke had been tempted enough to accept Naruto's bribes whenever he needed a favor.