93 Chapter 93

"What if we were to offer something in return? A mutually beneficial arrangement," proposed a younger member from the side branch. "We have valuable resources and expertise that the Nara clan might find useful. Perhaps we could negotiate a trade?"

One of the elders suggested.

"Why has everyone set their minds on the Nara clan's bijuu as if it's the only available option? Have you all forgotten that there is one more bijuu that has yet to be assigned? Don't you guys think that the Hyuga clan can nurture a young genius who can obtain the three tails?" The old man from the branch family knew that vying for the Nara clan's bijuu was impractical. However, he was much more confident about putting their own efforts into acquiring the three tails, which had been assigned to the Ninja Academy. Every year, quite a few Hyuga children join the academy from their clan, and especially this year, a prodigy of the Hyuga clan had enrolled.

"Hmm, this seems to be a viable option. Instead of eyeing for others' bijuu, it would be better if we could get the one that has been assigned to the academy. But do we have any children who excel and can possibly help us acquire the bijuu?" The Grand Elder liked the idea proposed by the branch family elder because, this way, they wouldn't have to take unnecessary risks.

"Yes, we do have a really promising one, Neji Hyuga, Hizashi's son. If we can nurture the child properly with the clan resources and provide him access to main branch techniques, there is a high chance that the kid will reach Kage level in the future, and he might even be able to become the three tails Jinchuriki if he can stand out amongst his peers," the old elder shared his thoughts once again. However, the mention of Neji Hyuga, especially allowing the child access to main branch resources, made many faces amongst the main branch members ugly.

"Grand Elder, you shouldn't accept this. The child is from the side branch; you cannot give him such privileges. Maybe we can look for another child within the clan." Kenshi blurted it out. He did not want Neji to gain status in the future because he already knew that, among the younger generation within the clan, Neji stood at the apex. Even his own son was mediocre compared to Neji, so he had to suppress the child and not let the clan nurture Neji.

"Oh, is that so? Kenshi, don't you have a son of your own? How about this: the clan will nurture your son with everything, but your son will have to become the Jinchuriki of the three tails before he turns twelve. I understand he is seven now, but in case he fails, you and your progeny will be demoted to the side branch and branded. Are you willing to take the risk?" The Grand Elder gave Kenshi a cruel choice. He had had enough of this man. Although he understood Kenshi's reasons for being petty, the Grand Elder did not like the fact that he brought the little Hyuga princess into the conversation as she was his own great granddaughter, so he had given the man such a dangerous choice.

"This... Great Elder," Kenshi didn't know exactly how to respond because he didn't have any confidence in achieving such a feat. His son already enjoyed all the benefits of the main branch, so even if the clan were to dedicate more resources, it would simply be useless.

"That's what I thought. If you cannot contribute to this meeting, then keep your mouth shut." The Grand Elder turned to the rest of the Hyuga members to address them. "We will nurture Neji Hyuga to become the Jinchuriki of the three tails. But remember this, Hizashi: if your son fails to achieve this task, then the consequences will be severe."

As the meeting within the Hyuga clan continued, within Yugito's seal space, Kazuki had already come to an agreement with the two tails.

"Kid, do you promise that no harm will come to Yugito and she will be sent back to her village without harm?" Matatabi's primary condition was to let Yugito go back unharmed. However, the bijuu did not know that this was what Kazuki had intended to do since the start because, according to the treaty, Raikage had already fulfilled his promises.

"Worry not, Matatabi. Like I said earlier, you will be with the Nara from now on, so there is no way I can deceive you, is there?" Kazuki kept a righteous face. The negotiation with the two tails had gone much more smoothly than expected.

Kazuki took so much precaution with the two tails because he was planning to suggest to his uncle that Shikamaru be the Jinchuriki of the two tails. Although there was the looming threat of Akatsuki coming after the bijuu, he knew he could handle it. Kazuki was more worried about the future enemies that the world was not even aware of, and Shikamaru was someone who could tip the balance in the future. Having a bijuu of his own would help him grow beyond what he could have achieved originally without a tailed beast.

What many did not know was that Tsunade had let Kazuki pick any bijuu he had wanted, but then his uncle had intervened, saying that it would disrupt the balance within the village if Tsunade showed too much favor to the Nara clan, making them a target. Shikaku still maintained a cautious mindset, like he did during the reign of Sandaime. After some back and forth, Kazuki had to relent because Shikaku had used the remaining contributions to get some more benefits for the Akimichi and Yamanaka clans. So finally, Kazuki had to let go of the other bijuu.

So Kazuki did not want to take any risks with the Two Tails because he knew what becoming a Jinchuriki entails. If the bijuu was dead set on making the Jinchuriki suffer, then it would hinder the growth of Shikamaru, and Kazuki could not have that. So he had to tame the cat first before gifting it to his little brother.

"Remember, Matatabi, I am trusting your words despite my misgivings about you, Bijuu. But if you ever harm my little brother or hinder his growth in any way, mark my words: I will find a way to erase you from this world forever. You will never be able to resurrect thereafter. I will show you what true death means," Kazuki said firmly. He knew that if he showed any kind of weakness, Matatabi would pounce on it. The bijuu had already discerned that Shikamaru was Kazuki's weakness, so Kazuki had to make sure that the bijuu would not have any strange ideas in the future. He was confident that Shikamaru would form a solid bond and would be able to become the perfect Jinchuriki, but having more precautions in place was never a bad thing.

"Kid, you don't have to threaten me. As long as you keep your promises, I will have no issues. As for the child who is going to be my new vessel, let's first see how he grows up to be," Matatabi replied. It knew the child standing before him was dangerous, and it felt that his threat of erasing the bijuu forever was not a mere statement; it was something the kid could achieve for real. So it did not want to push its luck by antagonizing the child.

***********************

The next morning, inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade was having a meeting with her sensei. Shizune had taken on the role of being Godaime Hokage's assistant, and by the side, on the couch, Kazuki was sprawled out, sleeping unceremoniously. He had spent close to ten hours yesterday extracting the bijuu, leaving him completely exhausted. However, no one bothered Kazuki for sleeping unceremoniously within the Hokage's office.

"Sensei, you should quit with that thing. It will only degrade your health faster." Tsunade couldn't help but comment as Hiruzen leisurely smoked his pipe. After stepping down from the post of Hokage, the man finally relaxed and started to enjoy life.

"Come now, Tsunade; I'm just an old man. Let me enjoy it," Hiruzen replied, taking a puff from his pipe. He was in the office today to discuss the Hokage ceremony that was going to happen later that day. Although Tsunade had already taken the mantle as Hokage, the ceremony was essential so that the entire village was made aware of her ascension.

"Say, Tsunade, have all the preparations been made for the ceremony? You cannot be negligent because the event is kind of important," Hiruzen reminded her. He wanted to make sure that his student, who tended to avoid such trivial things, did not let this important event slide.

"Rest assured, Sensei. Jiraiya is taking care of the matters regarding the ceremony. I called you here to discuss a different matter," Tsunade said, passing a folder over to Hiruzen. He put down his pipe, knowing it was time to discuss something important.

Hiruzen carefully flipped through the folder, his expression a mix of sadness and pride. He was sad that he would be losing most of his authority hereafter, but proud that Tsunade had already started taking measures to consolidate her powers.

"Was this the kid's idea?" Hiruzen asked, glancing in the direction where Kazuki was sleeping.

Tsunade couldn't help but scoff at the mention of her student. "Sensei, do you really think that if I had let this matter into the kid's hands, you would have had such privileges? He would have made sure to leave you with just a single ANBU squad."

"Well, that's the best I can do, Sensei. If I offer you any more Shinobi, then I am sure the kid will throw a ruckus. I am sure he chose to sleep in the office so he can pretend to sleep and eavesdrop on our conversation to make sure that you don't get any additional benefits," Tsunade added, sensing Kazuki's presence even though he was pretending to be asleep. As soon as she exposed him, Kazuki snapped up and sat on the couch without uttering a word.

"Sigh, fine! Will I be at least able to choose the ANBU myself? Because there are quite a few who would like to follow me despite losing my status," Hiruzen inquired, focusing on the list of ANBU members.

"Yes, Sensei, you can choose as you wish. You can even take out some of the elite if you wish. But make sure that all of them are older than 25. I will need the young ones to restructure the ANBU completely," Tsunade replied, being a bit lenient when allowing her sensei to pick the Shinobi. Normally, one wouldn't offer the elites, but Tsunade had no issues as she could nurture elites of her own.

"Hmm, have you given any consideration to the other request that I had made?" Hiruzen asked, satisfied with his ANBU team and now moving onto another matter.

"You mean about appointing Shinnosuke as the ANBU commander? Sensei, we both know that you will pull the previous ANBU commander into your own ANBU detail so that you can try to push your son Shinnosuke to fill that post. But, Sensei, your son, despite being a fine Shinobi, is still an elite jonin. The ANBU commander must be someone of Kage caliber. Our village previously might have lacked Kage-class ninjas, but it's not the same anymore," Tsunade explained, knowing that Hiruzen clearly understood the current situation in Konoha.

Hiruzen knew that wanting to make his son the ANBU commander was a tall ask, but he had to try nonetheless. "Hm, so who do you have in mind now that I might take away the previous commander?" he asked, wanting to ensure that Tsunade had a suitable replacement. If not, he could part ways with one of his subordinates until Tsunade could nurture a proper replacement.

"Hatake Kakashi," Tsunade declared confidently. She had a rough idea of how strong Kakashi had grown in the recent war. He had already stepped into the Kage rank and would only continue to grow stronger in the future, as he was still young.

"Tsunade, are you sure about this? The kid might be strong, but he still lacks proper experience." Hiruzen expressed his concern, worried that Tsunade was being hasty. However, Tsunade had made this decision after careful consideration.

"I have, Sensei. And about Shinnosuke, I have a suggestion. Although I cannot offer the commander position, I can assign one of the most elite ANBU units under his command," Tsunade declared, offering an alternative for her sensei's son.

Hiruzen was curious about which ANBU squad Tsunade was referring to, so he raised his eyebrows for clarification.

"Remember the ANBU squad that was under Kazuki during the war? I will have it reassigned under Shinnosuke. I am sure he will be able to achieve more with such an elite team," Tsunade explained, suggesting that she was willing to assign the members of the Ghost Squad under Shinnosuke's command.

However, Hiruzen was a smart man, and he quickly understood that this was a way to appease him and also a way to keep Shinnosuke in check because the members of the Ghost Squad were all loyal to the young monster who was seated on the couch.