Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

In the following days, Natsuro finally understood the impact of Tsunade's announcement at the succession ceremony. He had now become the top person in Konoha after the Hokage. Even the advisors recognized Natsuro's standing and treated him with respect.

One person beneath the Hokage, yet above all others!

Then, Natsuro was called to the Hokage's office.

He walked in to see Tsunade behind her desk, which was piled high with documents, nearly obscuring her from view. Shizune was still hauling more paperwork over.

This was exactly why he didn't want the position of Hokage.

"Lady Tsunade," Natsuro called out, seeing her absorbed in paperwork.

"Oh, you're here," Tsunade said, finally pausing and stretching.

Natsuro couldn't help but glance, taking in the scene. He didn't feel guilty—who wouldn't take a quick look?

"I went over the suggestions you made in the Third Hokage's hospital room. They're solid," Tsunade said. "But I don't think we need to restrict team arrangements so rigidly. Some teams just don't work well together."

"I disagree. Each ninja has a unique personality. Familiar teams can bring out their best abilities and reduce the risk of mistakes. Random arrangements could lead to conflicts," Natsuro replied directly, having thought about this issue carefully.

"Fair point," Tsunade said, rubbing her temples.

"But if they're familiar with each other, like Konoha's Twelve Young Guard, it's different," Natsuro added.

"The Twelve Young Guard?" Tsunade blinked, unfamiliar with the term.

Natsuro explained who the Twelve Young Guard were. "They're familiar with each other, both among themselves and with their teachers, so they could handle the flexibility you suggested."

"Hmm, Twelve Young Guard—it fits," Tsunade mused as she read through the dossiers, absorbed in the nickname.

Natsuro felt exasperated. Is that really what you should be focused on?

"You're from the same generation as most of them, right? So, what does that make you—the Big Guard?" Tsunade asked teasingly.

Natsuro could only roll his eyes.

After a moment of silence, Tsunade chuckled awkwardly and said, "Well, let's go with your plan. I didn't choose the future Sixth Hokage for nothing; you've clearly thought this through."

"So, was that the only reason you called me here?" Natsuro asked, relaxing as he noted her casual demeanor.

"Of course not." Tsunade grinned and handed him a file.

Natsuro took it, opened it, and scanned through the pages. His eyes widened as he read.

"So, Lady Tsunade, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"What am I trying to say? It's an S-rank mission!" Tsunade replied seriously.

"I don't recall any S-rank missions in my file," Natsuro replied, glancing at the detailed profile, which included extensive details about him.

Tsunade paused, then spotted another scroll beside her and realized her mistake.

A short while later, Natsuro was holding the actual mission scroll.

"Ahem, just ignore that previous mix-up. So, Natsuro, the prospective Sixth Hokage, as one of Konoha's pillars, lend your strength to uphold Konoha's reputation!" Tsunade said sincerely.

"After the Chunin Exams, I've handled a lot already: joint maneuvers with the Sand, searching for Lady Tsunade, fighting Orochimaru…all of those would rate as S-rank missions if evaluated," Natsuro pointed out, referring to missions he completed for others, not himself.

But Tsunade seemed determined to have him take on this mission.

In the end, he had no choice but to agree—after all, her position was higher than his.

Sigh, Natsuro thought. In his previous life, he'd been overworked by companies, and now he was being overworked by Tsunade…he was practically living in reverse!

Well, at least he didn't have much else to do later, so he could continue training in nature energy to strengthen his body and complete missions as needed.

As Natsuro left, Tsunade smiled to herself, practically seeing dollar signs in her eyes. She'd seen Natsuro's incredible efficiency in completing missions.

Plus, with the Flying Thunder God, he could get it all done even faster!

If only he could stop resting and keep working for her—no, for Konoha's wealth!

Once Natsuro had fully left, Tsunade's smile faded as she looked at the scroll she had mistakenly given him earlier.

Of course, that "mistake" wasn't unintentional. She'd done it on purpose. It showed that Natsuro likely knew or suspected that the Third Hokage had investigated him, yet he didn't seem bothered by it.

This gave Tsunade some peace of mind. In reality, the Third's investigations had been extensive. When she took over the position, she found even more files on Natsuro than she'd expected.

The details were so thorough that they were nearly excessive—almost as if they wouldn't rest until they'd unearthed Natsuro's entire lineage.

Seeing this level of scrutiny made Tsunade feel it was overkill. Was the old man truly so worried about another Orochimaru?

Luckily, Natsuro didn't seem too bothered by it. Because of that…

Reflecting on her interactions with Natsuro and reviewing his files, Tsunade mentally placed him firmly among those she could fully trust.

If such thorough investigation didn't reveal any issues, then the world might be too crazy—she would take the risk of being wrong.

.....

Natsuro didn't rush to complete the S-rank mission. He figured that, even if he returned after finishing it, Tsunade would likely just hand him another mission scroll. But he couldn't drag things out indefinitely, so he put his previous-life expertise to use: knowing how to appear productive while actually taking it easy.

First, he removed his Flying Thunder God markers for normal travel—except when they were needed in combat.

For example, on his journey back after completing the mission, he traveled slowly, taking in the scenery and absorbing natural energy to continue his body-strengthening work. When he wanted to go home for a meal or to see Ino, he'd use Flying Thunder God to teleport back for a short break, then return to his journey.

As long as not too many people noticed, this worked perfectly.

Despite these detours, Natsuro was confident that his efficiency was still among the highest of S-rank mission handlers. This gave him the freedom to take things at his own pace.

Finally, after what seemed like a leisurely journey, he stood in front of the Hokage's office and went in.

"Well, if it isn't our Sixth Hokage-to-be, back from his sightseeing trip!" Tsunade greeted him with a grin and an annoyed vein pulsing on her forehead.

"That's nonsense—I worked hard to complete an S-rank mission! How can you call that slacking off?" Natsuro countered.

"But your speed is way slower than before!" Tsunade said loudly.

"Did I complete the mission?" Natsuro asked.

"Yes."

"And how was the client's feedback on my performance?"

"Very good…"

"And compared to other S-rank mission teams, how was my efficiency?"

"…"

Tsunade fell silent under Natsuro's barrage of questions. Fine—he might not have used Flying Thunder God to rush back, but he was still one of the most efficient. But it still felt far slower than she'd expected!

With a sigh, Tsunade said, "Alright, I'll agree not to give you back-to-back missions, so please don't waste time on the road."

"It's not a waste of time. I find that spending time in nature is quite beneficial." Natsuro answered honestly. He truly felt that nature energy was more abundant in the wild.

"Do as you like," Tsunade huffed, glaring at him.

Then she handed him another mission scroll.

"Huh?" Natsuro blinked in surprise, considering she'd just said no back-to-back assignments.

"This is a mission Naruto accepted. Since Jiraiya isn't with him, you'll need to keep an eye on things. Besides, you're taking it easy anyway, so you might as well do it there. You probably won't even need to get involved," Tsunade explained.

Natsuro nodded and opened the scroll.

Soon, he frowned as certain keywords—Land of Snow, Koyuki Kazahana, Princess Gale—triggered some hazy memories in his mind. A photo of Koyuki Kazahana in the scroll made those memories clearer.

This…was the plot of one of the movies, wasn't it?

"Why, did you fall for her?" Tsunade asked, noticing Natsuro deep in thought. She grinned mischievously and added, "Just a reminder, you do have a girlfriend, and Ino's a good one."

"What? No way! Don't joke like that," Natsuro said, snapping out of it and glaring at Tsunade.

"Oh? Then why so mesmerized?" Tsunade teased.

"I just remembered something…about Princess Gale," Natsuro replied.

"Oh? Are you a fan of hers?" Tsunade asked, intrigued.

"Not at all. Follow me." Natsuro led Tsunade to the records room, where sensitive information about the Anbu was stored.

Only authorized personnel could enter, but as the Fifth Hokage and her Sixth Hokage-to-be, no one would stop them.

Natsuro began searching through the files, which piqued Tsunade's curiosity. Did Princess Gale have some past connection with Konoha?

Just as Tsunade was wondering, Natsuro found the document he wanted and handed it to her.

"This is…a record of Kakashi's mission to the Land of Snow during his Anbu days?"

Tsunade was surprised. How was this connected to Kakashi? And it seemed to be from when he was much younger!

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Currently on Chapter 221 - Natsuro's Determination and Training