At the gates of Sunagakure.
Shinho stood motionless, ignoring the stares of the crowd.
Today marked the day they would return to Konoha.
However, it wasn't just the seven of them returning; they were also accompanied by Sunagakure's puppet corps.
The puppet corps was a signature and elite unit of Sunagakure.
Each member could control varying numbers of puppets, and when assembled, their combined strength multiplied significantly.
As they bid farewell at the gate, Shinho unfurled a scroll.
This was a document Gaara had given him, detailing the specifics of the puppet corps members.
In total, 400 puppet masters were following him back to Konoha to work.
Most of them were Chūnin, with only four Jōnin among them.
Shinho wasn't entirely sure of the puppet corps' prior condition.
Perhaps Sunagakure had tampered with the information or withheld details, but it didn't matter—400 members were more than sufficient.
Any more, and he wouldn't know how to arrange them effectively.
Behind him, Kakashi and the others were chatting casually.
"To think we could take away Sunagakure's puppet corps this easily… it's unbelievable," Shikamaru said with rare emotion in his voice.
"That's Shinho-kun for you!"
Karin's eyes sparkled with admiration as she spoke with adoration.
Kakashi was reminded of his father, Sakumo Hatake.
Years ago, Sakumo had eliminated the leaders of the puppet corps, the parents of Sasori.
Even so, Konoha had paid a heavy price for their victory.
But times had changed.
The very puppet corps that once troubled Konoha was now coming to work for them—it was surreal.
"What's the point of bringing so many people back?" Naruto scratched his head and asked.
"Shinho must have his reasons," Sasuke said in a calm tone.
"Shinho always surprises us. We'll find out soon enough," Shikamaru added, though he couldn't figure it out either.
What could 400 Sunagakure ninja possibly do in Konoha?
Could they take on mission assignments?
But Konoha's current ninja force was already more than capable of handling its missions.
Shinho would never let Konoha's ninja face unemployment…right?
Ten minutes later, under Kankurō's command, the puppet corps assembled into four formations.
Although they harbored resentment toward Konoha, being in a subordinate position left them no choice but to obey orders.
"Let's go."
Shinho put away the scroll and turned to leave.
The puppet corps followed closely behind.
Gaara, Temari, and others stood at the gates of Sunagakure, watching them leave.
Many wore expressions of frustration.
Whenever the puppet corps left the village, it had always been to fight for Sunagakure.
This time, however, was different.
…
Three days later.
The group arrived back in Konoha.
Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, guarding the gates, were startled by the sight of so many Sunagakure ninjas.
Was Sunagakure launching an invasion?
But they soon noticed Shinho and his team, realizing it was a misunderstanding.
Besides, if this many Sunagakure ninja were invading, they wouldn't have reached Konoha's gates unscathed.
"Lord Hokage!"
Izumo and Kotetsu greeted Shinho respectfully.
"Please help me register them," Shinho nodded slightly and said.
"It's no trouble; it's our duty," Izumo replied quickly.
Every Konoha ninja entering or leaving the village had to register at the gates—technically, even the Hokage.
"Lord Hokage," Kotetsu asked curiously, "what's going on with them?"
"There'll be an announcement this afternoon," Shinho replied.
It wasn't possible—or necessary—to conceal the presence of 400 Sunagakure ninja.
He planned to make an announcement regarding them to bolster his reputation.
"Yes, sir."
Kotetsu didn't dare to ask any further.
After completing the registration, the group entered Konoha.
As expected, they drew a crowd of onlookers.
Shinho didn't mind the attention, but Kankurō and his team felt humiliated.
At the entrance to the Hokage's office, Shizune, Mikoto Uchiha, and Anko Mitarashi had already heard the news and came out to greet them.
When they saw the puppet corps, they were visibly surprised.
They had no idea about Shinho's deal with Gaara.
"Lord Hokage."
Shizune and the others bowed in unison.
Shinho couldn't help but smile.
It felt pretty good.
"Yūgao-nee," Shinho said after a moment of thought, "take them to the old Root base."
Finding accommodations for 400 ninjas was no small task.
After some consideration, he decided the former Root base was the best option.
It was secluded and spacious, ensuring the villagers wouldn't be disturbed or feel overcrowded.
"Yes."
Yūgao Uzuki stepped forward and bowed.
Once the 400 Sunagakure ninja left, the Hokage's office entrance felt noticeably emptier.
"You can all go back to your duties," Shinho said, waving them off, "Shizune-nee, come with me."
The two went upstairs to the Hokage's office.
"I made a deal with Gaara," Shinho said, meeting Shizune's curious gaze, and explained the details.
"How will the water supply be transported?" Shizune asked thoughtfully, "Should we establish a Water Release ninja unit?"
"No need," Shinho replied. "I've contracted a summoning beast capable of transporting water."
"Ah, I see."
Shizune smiled in relief.
Ninjas specialised in Water Release could generate water using chakra, but their capacity was limited.
Acting as transporters still required chakra, and the round trip between Konoha and Sunagakure typically took six days.
She had initially doubted whether the deal would be profitable.
"What's the purpose of the puppet corps?" Shizune asked again.
"To work," Shinho replied with a grin, "You'll find out soon enough."
He was planning to use this opportunity to start transforming Konoha.
"Make an announcement," Shinho continued, "Explain the puppet corps situation and state that they'll be working for Konoha free of charge for three years."
"Understood."
Shizune's eyes lit up.
She could already imagine how the villagers would react.
This was definitely a morale-boosting achievement.
"And one more thing," Shinho added, "Keep an eye on the status of the Jinchūriki from various villages."
"The Jinchūriki?"
Shizune was momentarily taken aback. "Information about them is typically top secret. It won't be easy to gather."
"I know," Shinho said with a smile, "But someone will help us."
He was referring to the Akatsuki.
The battles involving Jinchūriki were bound to draw attention.
While he wasn't interested in saving them, he did want to monitor the Akatsuki's progress.
"Understood."
Though puzzled, Shizune refrained from asking further questions.
…
Half an hour later, the announcement regarding the puppet corps was posted throughout Konoha.
At a Konoha gambling den:
"Guess what I just saw?"
"What?"
"Sunagakure's puppet corps has been sent to Konoha as an offering!"
"Are you serious?"
"Of course, it's already been announced."
"Whoah, this Hokage is incredible!"
Tsunade, who was at the gambling den at that time, hesitated for a moment before picking up the money on the gambling table and leaving the casino.
It had been four days since she last saw Shinho.
Now, upon hearing that he had returned to Konoha, she couldn't suppress her feelings.
Not even her favourite pastime—gambling—could hold her attention.
"What is that brat up to now?"
Tsunade stared at the announcement board, deep in thought.
The news was undeniably exhilarating.
Along her way, she saw villagers enthusiastically discussing Shinho and the puppet corps.
But how exactly would the puppet corps be handled?
Tsunade made her way to the Hokage's office.
She pushed the door open without hesitation and walked in.
"Sensei?"
Shinho looked up, surprised. "What brings you here?"
"Can't I visit?"
Tsunade shut the door behind her, walked over, and without warning, bent down to kiss him.
Shinho froze momentarily but then wrapped his arms around her.
The softness of her embrace brought a wave of nostalgia.
Although he'd been occupied with other matters lately, nothing compared to Tsunade.
"What are you working on?"
Tsunade wriggled a little but eventually gave up and settled on his lap, her eyes catching sight of the scroll on his desk.
"A reorganisation plan for Konoha?"
She let out a curious hum and picked up the scroll.
Seeing this, Shinho leaned forward slightly, pressing against her back, his arms encircling her waist.
His chin rested naturally atop her head, her subtle fragrance filling his senses.
Tsunade glanced down.
His hands were slowly sliding under her shirt.
"Stop messing around!"
She stomped on his leg with her heel.
"Yes, Sensei."
Shinho obediently stopped.
Tsunade began reading through the scroll.
Konoha's organisational structure was extensive.
Shinho's adjustments kept the main departments intact while merging smaller ones and introducing new divisions.
The major departments were four: Hokage's Office, the ANBU, the Konoha Police Force, and the Intelligence Division.
The Intelligence Division encompassed interrogation, decryption, analysis, and the prison system.
The five newly added or merged divisions included the Special Operations Division, Finance Department, Science Division, Market Development, and Transportation Division.
The Special Operations Division combined the Sealing Team, Barrier Team, and Medical Unit.
The Finance Department ensured the implementation of salary systems, including basic wages and performance bonuses.
The Science Division included the Ninja Academy, Konoha Hospital, and various research labs led by Orochimaru.
Market Development, as its name suggested, handled external trade ventures, such as the launching of a new gold jewellery company.
The Transportation Division was ostensibly for helping Sunagakure transport water but, in reality, was part of Shinho's plan to build roads.
These changes, while appearing complex, essentially mirrored the organizational systems of modern corporations from his previous life.
Konoha had traditionally functioned as the Fire Nation's military force, focused solely on defense.
But now, it needed to address multiple facets of governance.
Of course, these departments were just the beginning. More would be added as needed, especially when managing the Fire Nation came into play.
Time passed.
After reading the scroll, Tsunade frowned deeply.
Many of the proposed changes went against traditional practices, making them difficult to accept.
"Sensei, what do you think?"
Shinho broke the silence.
"The salary system is a good idea, but it'll be a massive expense. How do you plan to secure funding from the Daimyō?"
Tsunade started with the Finance Department, raising a valid concern.
Aside from the commission from missions, Konoha's funding came primarily from annual allocations by the Fire Nation.
Sunagakure, for instance, suffered financial hardship due to reduced funding from the Land of Wind.
It was only natural for her to ask.
"The gold jewellery company," Shinho reminded her.
"No wonder you created the Market Development division," Tsunade said after a pause, "But I don't think it's appropriate."
"Why not?"
Shinho looked puzzled.
"You're asking ninja clans like the Hyūga and Uchiha to run a company. That's not what ninja are meant to do," Tsunade explained, "Ninjas should act like ninjas."
"That's a waste of their potential," Shinho argued, "Ninja can do much more than just fight."
"Tasks like this should be handled by the Fire Nation. If Konoha takes on such roles, it'll antagonize the Daimyō, and the consequences could be severe."
Tsunade suddenly froze.
She remembered Shinho once mentioned his ambition to become the Daimyō.
Now, looking at the proposed departments, she noticed similarities to the Fire Nation's government structure.
Was this brat going mad just to marry her?
"D-Don't act rashly," Tsunade said instinctively, grabbing his hand, "This is no trivial matter."
"Sensei, are you planning to stop me?"
Shinho asked in return.
"..."
Tsunade fell silent.
The Five Great Nations' system had endured for decades.
Now, Shinho wanted to change it. She didn't know what to do.
If it were anyone else, she would have stopped them without hesitation.
Success would be great, but failure could cripple Konoha.
Shinho sighed inwardly.
Tsunade's thinking was too traditional.
But he couldn't blame her—most ninjas thought that way.
"Sensei," Shinho shifted tactics, "what do you think about Jiraiya's prophecy of the Child of Destiny?"
"I don't fully believe in it," Tsunade admitted after a pause, "but I hope it's true."
Many ninjas yearned for peace for various reasons—people like Hashirama Senju, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Nagato, and Konan.
Jiraiya had chosen to place his hopes on the prophecy.
"Sensei, how about a bet?" Shinho asked with a smile.
"What kind of bet?"
Tsunade eyed him suspiciously, sensing the conversation going off track.
"I'm doing all this for the sake of peace in the ninja world," Shinho said earnestly.
Tsunade gave him a sceptical look.
Hearing those words from him felt... off, somwhow.
After a moment, Tsunade scoffed and said irritably, "I'm trying to have a serious conversation here!"
"This is serious," Shinho replied, grinning, "Will you take the bet?"
"..."
Tsunade pursed her lips. "What's the wager?"
"When peace is achieved in the ninja world, you'll marry me," Shinho said after some thought.
Initially, he wanted to mention having multiple wives but decided to hold back for his own safety.
Once he became the Daimyō, he could revisit the idea.
The ninja world's system provided a chance for success, after all.
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat. She locked eyes with him for two seconds before looking away.
So that was it—everything from restructuring to the talk of world peace was all to get her to agree to marry him.
"Fine, I'll take the bet," Tsunade said, pressing her lips together.
In all her past gambles, she'd always wanted to win.
But this time, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to win or lose.
"Feels like I've already won," Shinho said with a smile as she agreed.
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