Chapter 31: Rise of Konoha

While discussions were taking place within Konoha about the two major events, news of these events quickly spread to the other four countries.

In the Land of Wind, the recently returned Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, looked at the Konoha news delivered by his subordinates and couldn't help but marvel at the talent in Konoha. Even with the presence of the Sannin, there was now an even stronger Fourth Hokage with Wood Release. And to think that this young Hokage was just in his early twenties!

Rasa turned his gaze towards the sand-covered Sand Village outside the window. After suffering severe losses in the previous ninja world war, the strength of the Sand Village had hit an all-time low. There were no successors, and financial difficulties had even forced him, as the Kazekage, to personally engage in gold panning in the desert.

His previous ambitions had long dissipated, and now all he hoped for was to restore the village to its former glory as much as possible. "Perhaps," Rasa thought to himself, "it would be a good way forward for the Sand Village to truly turn hostility into friendship with Konoha, or even become closer allies."

His eyes brightened with this realization.

In the Land of Earth, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, received updates about Konoha from his son, Kitsuchi, while receiving treatment for his old waist from a caring and lovely female nurse in a hospital bed.

Upon learning about Ryu's possession of Wood Release, Onoki let out a deep sigh and couldn't help but reminisce about the past. "I just hope... that this Fourth Hokage, being a member of the Senju Clan, possesses the same qualities as his predecessors. If it were someone like Uchiha Madara, the ninja world would not know peace in the future!"

After a while, Onoki spoke with emotion.

However, his eyes suddenly froze, and as the Third Tsuchikage, he erupted with a powerful aura. Supporting himself with his hands, he stood up and declared firmly, "No! Konoha is rising again. How can I, as an old Tsuchikage, waste time lying in bed? I need to gather my strength! I need to... ah!"

A crisp and loud cracking sound echoed in the ward.

Soon after, Onoki howled in pain, sounding like a wounded animal. "My old waist!"

It turned out that his excitement caused him to stand up abruptly, resulting in re-injuring his old waist.

"Lord Tsuchikage, how many times have I told you not to act rashly! You're putting extra strain on our hospital staff," the female nurse reproached, rolling her eyes without any hesitation.

"Bol-bold, I am the Tsuchikage, and... ouch... you dare to speak to me like that," Onoki trembled in pain.

The nurse didn't back down. "Even if you're the Tsuchikage, you're still a patient in the hospital, and patients should listen to us. Don't move!"

"Ouch! Tap, tap, tap!"...

In the neighboring ward, the sound of chaos could be heard, with chickens and dogs frantically jumping around.

Akatsuchi, standing by the side, scratched his head and, out of habit, remained silent, observing the amusing scene unfolding before him.

The Land of Lightning.

Inside the Raikage's office.

Lord A, the strong and muscular fourth Kage, was lifting a heavy barbell while receiving a report from his female secretary, Mabui.

This is the kind of office Ryu really wants, but the Fourth Raikage already has it.

Unfortunately, the Raikage, who is focused on his muscles, rarely pays attention to his female secretary.

To him, the barbell in his hand is probably more interesting than any person in front of him.

"Humph! Wood Release!" After hearing Mabui's report, Lord A's eyes burned with a strong desire for battle. "I've been wanting to see the power of the legendary Wood Release. I wonder how strong the fourth Hokage is now. How does he compare to the original Hokage?"

My boss is a battle maniac. Mabui can't do much, but she feels the need to remind him: "Lord Raikage, Konoha is gaining strength. Some elders in the village have suggested reducing conflicts with the Fire Country's borders to avoid unnecessary problems."

"Reduce? No way! We need to show the strength of our Cloud Ninja at this time. It's the only way to gain more advantages from Konoha in future negotiations. The older and more confused the village elders become, the less we should listen to them!" Raikage firmly refused.

Mabui wasn't surprised by this response; after all, Raikage has always been like this.

"By the way, Lord A, during this time, Lord B once again left the Kumogakure Valley and mentioned organizing a concert in the village," she recalled and mentioned.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she immediately regretted it.

As expected, Lord A's eyes suddenly lit up, and he expressed "anger" as he said, "Damn it! I don't know what he's thinking all day! As an older brother, I have the responsibility to teach him a lesson! Mabui, you handle the remaining paperwork on the desk for me."

After speaking, he ignored Mabui's protests and disappeared with a loud bang.

Seeing yet another big hole in the wall and glancing at the stack of documents on the desk, Mabui felt utterly frustrated.

Lastly, in the Land of Water.

After the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, finished listening to his subordinates' report, his expressionless doll-like face remained unchanged.

Once he was alone in his office, a dark figure slowly appeared behind him.

The full picture couldn't be seen clearly, but three swirling magatama were visible in the ominous Sharingan eye that was revealed.

Konoha, Hokage's Office.

Ever since Ryu took over as Hokage after Hiruzen Sarutobi's retirement, he has experienced both happiness and challenges during this time.

In a true sense, he has gained control over the military power of the largest ninja village, and all the Konoha ninjas, including the well-known figures he is familiar with, follow his orders. The satisfaction he derives from this brings him great joy.

However, the workload has significantly increased, dampening his happiness.

As he gazes at the stack of documents in front of him, Ryu lets out a deep sigh.

He spends most of his time each day dealing with these documents, to the point where he hasn't even had the chance to use the crystal ball that Sarutobi Hiruzen finally agreed to send!

But he made this choice himself, so he can only face it head-on and persevere.

Ryu summons a group of shadow clones to assist him diligently.

Two hours later.

The shadow clones disperse, and Ryu, who has experienced exhaustion multiple times, vigorously rubs his forehead.

While the shadow clones significantly improve his work efficiency, the exhaustion accumulated by each clone eventually affects his own body.

That's why many people understand the benefits of shadow clones but rarely seek their assistance.

Fortunately, Ryu possesses the Senju Physique, allowing him to quickly recover after a short rest.

"However, if this continues, although my body may suffer, my spirit will inevitably grow weary. I don't know how the previous Hokage endured this for so many years. Although the current heavy workload is mainly due to the transition of power, there are actually many smaller matters that don't require the Hokage's personal attention and decision-making. It seems that I must find someone to share some of these responsibilities."

Ryu shakes his head. The unexpected and demanding workload at the moment has disrupted his original plans. Not only has he had to temporarily halt his training in the sage wood art, but he hasn't even had the opportunity to use his reputation to its fullest during this period and exchange fame points for the best rewards from the system.

While power is important, the support system behind it is undoubtedly even more crucial.

This fact remains clear in Ryu's mind.

"Nara Shikaku would be a good choice. He is the leader of the ninja class, and the Nara clan has always been known for their intelligence, so he can definitely help me shoulder a significant portion of the burden. Additionally, Namikaze Minato can be considered as well. In the original story, he became Hokage, and aside from his tendency to give jutsu peculiar names, his noble character speaks for itself."

Ryu quickly finalizes his choice of candidates in his mind.