After everything fell into place, Makoto suddenly felt that life had become somewhat dull.
There seemed to be no one left in this world who could oppose him.
Black Zetsu was imprisoned, Uchiha Madara was confirmed dead, Obito had become a diligent Konoha ninja, and Nagato, after losing the Rinnegan, quietly remained in Amegakure.
The only one still at large was Orochimaru, but now that Makoto possessed the Tenseigan and the Brutal Justice, he had nothing to fear.
The only remaining threat was the Otsutsuki clan from beyond the stars, but that was a matter for decades later.
For Makoto, it felt as if he had completely cleared a game.
But reality wasn't a game—he couldn't just start a second playthrough.
"Your Majesty."
Samui stood nearby, holding a stack of documents, watching Makoto as he played with the children.
She waited patiently for his response.
This was inside the Hokage Residence.
The old Hokage building had been demolished—Makoto planned to construct a true imperial palace, and to make room, he had requisitioned nearby residential areas, relocating the inhabitants to a newly developed district.
And naturally, the arduous task of constructing the imperial palace was entrusted to none other than Uchiha Obito, whom Makoto "trusted" deeply.
With the Hokage building gone, Makoto moved his office back home, and as his secretary, Samui followed suit.
"What is it?"
"These are documents submitted from below that require your decision."
Makoto casually took the stack of files and skimmed through them, his brows instantly furrowing.
Considering the children were nearby, he refrained from losing his temper.
"It's all trivial nonsense. Didn't I already tell them to handle these matters on their own from now on?"
He had already delegated authority, placing people he deemed competent in various positions.
However, since they were all former ninjas, they lacked expertise in governance and still insisted on reporting everything for approval.
Waving a hand for Samui to return the documents as they came, Makoto took a deep breath.
He realized he needed a team of skilled political talents to help him govern the empire.
But talent wasn't something that could be acquired at will.
After much thought, Makoto decided that the best approach was to start with education.
As he was lost in thought, Hinata suddenly climbed onto his back, laughing as she said, "Daddy, make me fly! Don't let Naruto and Sasuke catch me!"
Hearing this, Makoto chuckled and gently lifted Hinata into the air, watching as the three children played together.
"Daddy, I want to fly too!"
"Me too!"
Neji had already started school, along with Toneri and Jugo.
The three had become inseparable friends.
The education reform that Makoto had just been thinking about was precisely aimed at restructuring the system.
Once the idea took shape, he set aside time to draft an initial plan.
The training of ninjas had to continue, but it must remain firmly under the empire's control.
The former Five Great Ninja Villages were gradually being dismantled, and the ninja education institutions needed to be rebuilt.
However, their numbers had to be limited—each province could only have one.
These new academies would be much larger than the original ones in the Five Great Villages, and every year, the top graduates would be sent to Konoha for further screening and evaluation.
Only those who passed would be officially recruited as Imperial Ninjas, serving the empire.
The remaining ninja graduates could either be selected by the provincial leadership for local service or register with the Ninja Guild to make a living by accepting missions.
Aside from ninja education, there was also the matter of political education.
Unlike ninja training, this did not need to be widespread.
Instead, Makoto planned to establish a single specialized institution in Konoha, which would not publicly recruit students.
Enrollment would be strictly controlled based on lineage—while commoners could be admitted, the majority of students would likely come from noble families.
In addition, Makoto intended to establish a dedicated institution for training scientific and technological talent, ensuring a steady flow of skilled individuals for the empire's two research facilities.
In the study, Samui read over Makoto's drafted proposal and couldn't help but praise, "Your Majesty, your ideas always leave others in awe."
Makoto chuckled. "That flattery is a bit too forced. I know exactly what I wrote."
Still, Samui continued to offer a few more words of praise.
At that moment, Ayari suddenly walked in with a tray of tea, smiling as she asked, "What are you two chatting about so happily?"
Samui immediately bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, the Empress."
Makoto shrugged and said, "Just discussing government affairs."
Ayari raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So work is enough to make you this happy?"
Noticing the odd tone in her voice, Makoto waved a hand, signaling Samui to leave.
Before departing, Samui took the drafted proposal with her, saying she would have it refined into a detailed plan before presenting it to Makoto again.
Once Samui had left, Ayari smirked and said, "So it really was just work talk, huh?"
"What else?" Makoto pulled her into his arms without hesitation, giving her a light pat on the hip.
"Stop overthinking things."
"It's not me overthinking," Ayari said, motioning with her mouth in the direction Samui had left.
"Who told you to have such a beautiful secretary?"
"What, you want me to keep an ugly one by my side? That'd be unbearable."
"You could've hired a man."
"A man… ahem... there wasn't a suitable one… really, there wasn't."
Ayari squinted at Makoto with a mischievous smile before suddenly reaching out and pinching the soft flesh at his waist.
"Hiss—! Stop pinching! It hurts!" Makoto quickly pleaded for mercy.
"I'm innocent! We were really just talking about work!"
Ayari huffed. "Even if you were talking about work just now, I'm sure you've done something shady at some other time."
Makoto muttered, "What do you mean 'shady'? That sounds so bad."
"Are you denying it?"
"… Ahem, let's not talk about this. Since I'm free now, why don't I take you to check on the progress of the palace construction?"
Ayari, however, pressed him down onto the chair and pulled over another chair to sit across from him.
"Don't rush, I have something to talk to you about."
"What is it?" Makoto casually picked up the tea Ayari had brought earlier and took a sip.
However, Ayari suddenly hesitated, as if struggling to speak, which made Makoto feel a bit puzzled.
"What's wrong?"
"It's… it's about Natsu."
"Natsu?"
Hyuga Natsu.
Makoto paused, lost in thought.
Right, he hadn't seen her these past two days.
Ever since Neji was born, Natsu had been acting as a caretaker in their household.
Though technically a servant, she had integrated well with the family, and the children loved her.
In a way, she had become part of their home.
After Neji started school, Natsu didn't visit as often, and Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata had their own mothers to care for them.
"What about Natsu?" Makoto asked after some thought.
Ayari gazed at him with deep eyes. "Do you know… that Natsu has already come of age?"
Makoto was stunned for a moment before realizing what she meant, his expression turning slightly awkward.
"Is… is that so? Time really flies. I still remember the first time I met Natsu—it was you who introduced her to me."
Back then, Ayari had even tried to set them up.
At the time, she never imagined she herself would fall for a boy so much younger than her.
Ayari continued, "A girl Natsu's age would have already been engaged in our clan… Do you have any thoughts on this?"
Makoto found it hard to respond.
Was Ayari asking about his thoughts on Natsu herself, or about her marriage prospects?
If he answered wrong, he might end up getting punched and kicked again.
Makoto could only force a laugh. "Well… I haven't really thought about it."
Ayari, however, gave him a deeply resentful look. "You really haven't thought about it?"
"…No."
Suddenly, Ayari stood up from her seat.
"Alright, that's all I wanted to say."
Makoto watched her leave in confusion.
She hadn't made herself clear, and he didn't dare ask more, fearing it would make Ayari even more suspicious and upset.
Natsu… has already come of age.
Makoto sat in his chair, absentmindedly rubbing the teacup in his hand, suddenly feeling a wave of nostalgia.
Has it really been that many years already?
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