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Many civilian ninjas face harsh living conditions once they can no longer work as ninjas, transitioning into ordinary lives.
And now, some people even want to jump in and steal their opportunities.
Kazuki was completely fed up with these people.
"Are many clans involved?"
"Quite a few. Most of them are small to medium-sized clans that don't have the deep resources of the Uchiha or Hyuga clans to provide well-arranged retirements for their members. That's why they're eyeing the teaching positions at the Ninja Academy."
If the advisory elders were acting on behalf of their own clans, Tsunade wouldn't even bother entertaining their suggestions.
The issue was that Koharu and Homura weren't pushing their own clans but were genuinely advocating for those allied clans. This left Tsunade in a position where she couldn't outright reject their requests.
"The Uchiha haven't been informed about this?"
Seeing Kazuki's confusion, Tsunade found it odd.
This kind of matter should have reached the Uchiha, even if they weren't taking sides. At the very least, they should have been kept in the loop.
"They likely haven't."
After a moment of thought, Kazuki shook his head. Although he hadn't returned to the Uchiha compound recently and had instead been staying shamelessly at Kurenai's house, if it were something important, Fugaku would have definitely sent someone to notify him.
Since there hadn't been any word, it meant the Uchiha weren't involved.
No matter the relationships, the Uchiha were still one of Konoha's most representative clans.
Normally, discussions about clan alliances wouldn't exclude the major clans unless this was a decision made solely among the smaller and medium clans, excluding the larger ones.
In short. This alliance proposal, while supported by several ninja clans, had nothing to do with the major clans, so they weren't informed.
"Even though I didn't go back, if there were something important, the clan leader would have sent word. Since there's been no notice, it must be a decision made by the smaller clans."
"So, if you didn't return home, then you were..."
At this point, Tsunade abruptly stopped herself.
She shot Kazuki an annoyed glare. 'I'm here, working myself to the bone every day, and you, a Hokage advisor, haven't gone home but instead have been freeloading at your girlfriend's house. Are you serious?'
'What now? Does the Hokage also monitor who stays over at their girlfriend's place?'
"Ahem, let's continue, shall we?"
Under Shizune's slightly amused gaze, Tsunade awkwardly coughed, pulling the conversation back on track.
As a Hokage advisor, Kazuki didn't shirk the responsibilities that came with the role.
He thought for a moment and then offered his suggestion.
"Actually, excluding the major clans might not be a bad thing."
"What do you mean?"
Sure enough, Tsunade's eyes lit up, eager to hear more. She looked like she was ready to hang onto his every word.
Kazuki gestured with his hands.
"It's simple. Since the major clans weren't informed, it means this is a private alliance among the smaller clans. That reduces the opposition the Hokage's office might face. Even if this affects a lot of people, there's no need to consider their feelings. If they want to push their candidates forward, fine. Just make an official announcement."
"Let's see if their clans can handle the outrage of countless villagers and civilian ninjas."
"You're suggesting making the teacher selection process public?"
Previously, Tsunade had planned to investigate privately, finalize a preliminary list, and then conduct further vetting to select candidates with good character and loyalty to teach at the Ninja Academy.
But Kazuki suggested going public.
"Yes, go public."
Kazuki nodded and continued, "Since the goal is to support civilian ninjas, why hide it? Make the selection public and let the villagers participate. As long as the Hokage's office retains final decision-making authority, there's no issue. I don't believe that once it's public, these clans will dare try to push their candidates forward. If they're not afraid of the villagers' and countless civilian ninjas' anger, let them try."
"What about the clans' proposals...?"
"Agree to them, but make your stance clear. The purpose of selecting teachers is to support civilian ninjas and provide better education for the village's next generation. Everything must be open and transparent. If they're not afraid, let them participate."
No matter how poorly off clan ninjas might be, they still have their clans as a safety net. Even the most destitute clan still has some resources to fall back on.
Unlike many civilian ninjas, who struggle to find even basic work after retirement.
By making the process open and transparent, any clan that still tries to get involved would be bringing trouble upon themselves and would undoubtedly face overwhelming backlash.
They'd be criticized mercilessly, leaving them in complete disgrace.
"Alright, we'll do it your way!"
The more Tsunade listened, the more energized she became. Excited, she slammed her hand on the desk and laughed.
"I'd love to see where these clans get the nerve to push their people forward. If they dare, let them. As long as they're not afraid of public outrage, let's see them try."
Konoha's resources have long been concentrated in the hands of ninja clans. Now, with the intention to openly support civilian ninjas, these clans still want to get involved? They'd deserve all the criticism they'd face.
If they dared to persist, they'd definitely become the proverbial rats in the street.
'Such narrow thinking...' A straightforward issue had been turned into such a convoluted mess.
With the matter resolved, it meant Kazuki could finally clock out for the day.
"Itachi, you can go and rest now. If you're free, keep an eye on your brother for me. That kid isn't very obedient. He likes to act tough. Let him experience more of life's hardships. Don't let him develop the mindset that a small improvement in strength means he's invincible."
"...Understood."
'Forgive me, Sasuke.'
After silently apologizing to his younger brother, Itachi's gaze grew resolute. He decided to dedicate more time to teaching Sasuke in the future, while also being stricter in his methods.
With a solution to the problem in hand, Tsunade immediately drafted a public announcement and handed it over to Shizune to release.
Soon, a new notice from the Hokage's office was posted at the building. Villagers and ninjas passing by curiously gathered to read it.
The announcement quickly caught everyone's attention, sparking quite a commotion.
In the past, how retired ninjas—those forced out of duty due to injuries or disabilities—could make a living had always been a pressing issue.
Even though the village provided compensation, many of these retired ninjas still struggled to live satisfying lives.
Now, they finally saw a glimmer of hope.
The Fifth Hokage had decided to strengthen the teaching staff at the Ninja Academy. She announced an open and transparent selection process to recruit capable, experienced, and loyal injured ninjas to become teachers who would educate the next generation.
The contents of the announcement spread like wildfire, sweeping through Konoha's streets and alleys.
The numerous families who had banded together to request nominations through the advisor elders were utterly dumbfounded.
They had assumed that, even if Tsunade was determined to support civilian ninjas, she would at least leave them some scraps. Perhaps the "cake" would be divided, with family ninjas getting a portion and civilian ninjas getting the rest.
But no, Tsunade had acted decisively. She made the selection process entirely public and transparent, openly stating her goal of supporting civilian ninjas.
If those families had the audacity to interfere, they were welcome to try pushing their members forward. 'I don't mind,' her announcement essentially declared, 'as long as you're not afraid of public backlash.'
At Konoha Hospital, in one of the patient rooms, the retired Third Hokage received news of the announcement. A satisfied smile spread across his face.