Tsunade's expression became conflicted. She had originally planned to leave to give Kakashi some space to grow. After all, staying in Konoha all the time served no purpose for her.
But now, with Sasuke in the picture, she just puts herself in the position of the Godaime Hokage to consider the pros and cons. But then she thought again, she was no longer the Hokage.
'I couldn't really stay here forever, worrying about every little thing. The village already had a new Hokage, and even if something went wrong, Kakashi would handle it.'
'Besides, Uchiha Sasuke is more or less Kakashi's disciple, so whatever happened between them didn't need me, the former Godaime Hokage, to worry about.'
When she thought of this, Tsunade suddenly relaxed, and she slouched back in her chair. Her gaze turned lazy again as she raised an eyebrow and said, "How could I? I'll probably leave in the next few days. Shizune still has some work to hand over to Sakura."
Hearing this, Naruto immediately understood that Shizune was planning to leave with Tsunade. Then Sakura would take over most of the remaining work in the Medical Department, essentially becoming the director.
As for the Intelligence Department, half the staff were already working under Ino on communication projects, so busy that they had no complaints due to the lucrative benefits.
From this, it can be seen that the future of Konoha is basically taken over by the next generation of Shinobi. After all, it is a Shinobi Village, where bloodlines, clans, and experience were highly valued.
But none of this concerned Naruto. He didn't care for all the formalities and could walk freely in Konoha as he pleased. If anyone stood in his way, he would simply send them down.
Sandaime and Danzo had already gone down, one at the hands of Orochimaru, the other by Sasuke. Neither had anything to do with him, and he might as well drop a flower on their graves amidst the chaos.
As for releasing slanderous remarks he said in front of Danzo before, Naruto couldn't be bothered to follow through. After all, with Danzo dead and no descendants, it would be a thankless effort to continue do such things.
After leaving the Hokage Tower, Naruto thought about contacting Hinata, but she had been busy with clan's affairs these past few days and couldn't spare the time. The Hyuga Clan was indeed undergoing a shift, with Neji showing signs of becoming the next Clan Head.
Hiashi had always been a decisive man. When he said he would step down as Clan Head, he did so without hesitation. He had no attachment to the privileges of the main family and even found them troublesome.
People change… The death of his younger brother, Hizashi, shook the old-fashioned Hizashi's faith. On top of that, he had two daughters, which made him feel even more empathetic.
No matter what, in a clan as traditional as the Hyuga Clan, with its countless rules, it was impossible for Hanabi, despite her excellence, to become the Clan Head.
Moreover, Hiashi still had to face another issue: whether Hinata or Hanabi would belong to the main or branch family. No matter what, both were his flesh and blood.
As the Clan Head, he might be able to delay making a decision for now, but what about the future? When a member of the main family becomes the Clan Head, the issue between Hanabi and Hinata will become even more intense. As for Hiashi, he has already let go of many things.
He saw Neji's potential and knew that Neji was a person with deep emotions. After everything that happened, Hiashi simply resigned from his position.
In the branch family, the only one who could become the Clan Head was Neji, and now that the Caged Bird had been abolished, the problem between the main and branch families was essentially resolved.
Moreover, in a way, Neji becoming the Clan Head still meant that it was their own person leading the clan.
After learning that Hinata was busy, Naruto decided to visit Anko. She had adapted to the rhythm of the Academy and had returned to her usual laid-back self.
"What are you doing?"
"Exercise. Sitting too long is bad for your health." Anko replied, wearing her fishnet bodysuit as she stretched on a mat, her trained body bending into various positions.
"Really? Milf like you should cut back on sweets." Naruto commented, glancing at her. He couldn't help but sighed, 'Anko was indeed someone with hidden depths… though she wasn't overwhelmingly charming, she had her own small-town appeal.'
"I know. I'm not even thirty yet, what do you mean 'Milf'?" Anko retorted, doing a full split on the mat, "Only women with kids are called that, and I don't have any."
Naruto sat on the couch, watching Anko stretch. The more he watched, the more he felt something felt off.
"Do you want a child?"
"Are you offering to give it to me?" Anko shot him a glance, "Kurenai had a daughter. I think she's really cute, but it's a shame I can't just carry her around and play with her."
"You wouldn't starve the child, would you?" Naruto said half-jokingly.
"What are you talking about?" Anko stood up, drenched in sweat, "I just feel like life has no purpose. I'm not stupid, you know. Don't underestimate me."
Now that things have come to this, what else can Naruto say? Anyway, it is impossible for him to just come to chat with Anko. And he can't just chat all night, right?
Thankfully, Naruto was good at interacting with people, offering insightful suggestions for Anko's confusion. While some things were unclear, having a child certainly wasn't complicated.
A few days later, Shizune finished handing over all her work, and Tsunade left the village without hesitation, taking Shizune with her.
By the time Naruto learned of this, Tsunade had already been gone for half a day, but he didn't mind much. After all, he was also planning to leave soon.
Leaving quietly was in line with Tsunade's personality, as she wasn't one to draw attention. Just as she had returned casually, she left without taking anything with her… completely carefree.
Choji came to see Naruto. As he stared at him, his chubby face was full of confusion and unease.
"When are you leaving?"
"I don't know, maybe in a few days." Naruto said, leaning back in his chair and sizing Choji up, "Why do you ask? Hey, have you settled the bill?"
Choji: "..."
He realized Naruto could be really cheeky. Choji opened his mouth but then swallowed his words, and instead replied, "It's settled. Are you really that short on money?"
"Yes, very much. What did you want to ask?" Naruto glanced at him, "It's not about industry secrets, is it? You know, my consultation fees are quite high."
Once before, Choji consulted to Naruto about making puff pastry, and Naruto had used that as leverage to exploit him a few times before finally letting him off the hook.
Choji didn't mind, though, since Naruto's advice was indeed effective.
"No, it's not that," Choji shook his head. "It's about Sasuke. You've heard about it, right? I just feel like something is off, like I've caught wind of something strange."
"Oh, that. It's nothing serious." Naruto said vaguely, "You don't need to worry too much. The village is still safe, and we still have Kakashi."
"Hmm." The expression on Choji's face changed several times. His chubby hand gripped his chopsticks tightly, and after a long while, he finally calmed down and let out a long sigh, "How did Sasuke become like this?"
Naruto didn't say anything. He just lowered his head to eat.
'It was like the calm before a storm, and fate had chosen Sasuke. From the very beginning, he was destined to play the role of the avenger.'