Morning.
"Sis, let me help you put them on."
Natsume crouched with enthusiasm, looked up, and said, "It's hard for you to put your shoes on standing."
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to."
Tsunade looked down at him from above, her gaze sharp, and slowly extended her bare foot.
Just as Natsume thought she'd agreed to let him help, she lifted his chin with the top of her foot, then pressed her sole to his chest and shoved him away.
"Hmph. You think I'd still reward you?"
Tsunade put her shoes on herself and said, "Alright, drop the act. Get up and go eat."
"You're not eating breakfast again?"
Natsume got up, a little annoyed. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have let you become Hokage. You're so busy you won't even eat!"
"I eat at the Hokage's office."
Tsunade paused, her expression softening, and ruffled his hair with her right hand.
"Hey, you're messing up my hair."
Seeing she wouldn't stop, Natsume immediately caught her hand. "Let's go. I'll come to the Hokage's office with you."
"You? Do you know what a Hokage actually does?"
Tsunade looked him up and down, teasing.
"I told you I'm very capable."
Natsume kept playing with her hand. "I'm going to be the Hokage's man, after all!"
"Mm. Fine."
Tsunade drew her hand back, smiled, and said, "Getting familiar with a Hokage's work in advance will do you good."
"Thanks, sis."
Natsume turned his head. "Shizune, we're heading out first."
"…"
Shizune was speechless.
Forget it, I'll just eat by myself.
…
Hokage Building.
"Lady Hokage."
Ninjas they passed greeted her respectfully.
Tsunade replied casually, nothing like a Hokage.
Once in the office, she rubbed her face and grumbled, "Being Hokage is such a pain."
"You don't have to worry about them."
Natsume offered a lousy idea. "You're the Hokage now. You don't need to bother with them at all."
"If I made you Hokage, you'd offend everyone in this building within days."
Tsunade shot him a look. "As Hokage, you can't act too aloof. Understand?"
"I understand!"
Natsume replied loudly and obediently.
"Why are you shouting?"
Tsunade flipped open the papers in front of her and warned, "When there are people around, don't call me 'sis.' Call me 'Lady Hokage.'"
"Okay, Lady Hokage."
Natsume chuckled, leaned in, and unceremoniously sat in the Hokage's padded chair with her.
The chair was designed big; two people weren't too cramped.
"What are you doing?"
Tsunade's heart skipped. "This is the Hokage's seat. If someone sees, what would it look like?"
Feeling the softness of her hips and waist, Natsume wouldn't budge.
"I'm hungry. Go get some food."
Tsunade used a mature woman's wisdom to send Natsume on an errand.
Breakfast at the Hokage Building was pretty simple.
Rice balls.
Natsume grabbed enough for two and returned to the office.
"Sis, I'll feed you."
Noticing Tsunade was already reading, he said considerately, "That way it won't interrupt your work."
Before she agreed, he brought a rice ball to her lips.
Tsunade glanced at him and didn't refuse, taking a bite and chewing slowly.
One fed and one ate; the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
When the rice balls were gone, Natsume held his index finger in front of her.
Tsunade, absorbed in the documents, opened her mouth by reflex and bit down.
Something felt off immediately.
She frowned and bit harder.
"Ow."
Natsume sucked in a fake breath.
"Serves you right!"
Tsunade spat his finger out. "You're completely up to no good!"
"No way. I was testing how focused you were."
Natsume wiped his finger, spouting nonsense.
"If you're so free, help me with this work."
Tsunade picked up a stack of relatively unimportant documents and dumped them in his arms.
"But I don't have a seat."
Natsume eyed the Hokage chair again.
Tsunade refused.
She felt it would seriously lower her efficiency.
In the end, she set up a new stool for Natsume, right across from her.
The Hokage's desk became a two-way workstation.
Natsume thought, What is this? A diarchy?
He opened the top file.
"Because of the trauma from the Uchiha massacre night, a villager requests 30,000 ryo in psychological compensation."
"Denied."
"A Villager requests the Ninja Academy be relocated because the demon fox Naruto passes by his house to and from school."
"Pay for it yourself if you want it moved."
Natsume held back his rant and continued.
"There are stray cats near my house yowling miserably every night. Please have the Hokage send someone to exterminate them."
"Stray cats' lives are lives too."
Natsume finally understood why Naruto was so busy after becoming Hokage.
Konoha's system was the real problem.
There was a brain trust, like Nara Shikaku, but they handled major affairs.
Day to day, they had their own missions or work.
Natsume raised his hand. "Sis, as a Konoha ninja, can I make a request?"
"Speak."
Tsunade didn't look up. "If it's reasonable, the Hokage will grant it."
"Shouldn't we establish a Hokage Secretariat?"
Natsume restrained his more excessive requests and said seriously, "Relying on those two do-nothing Hokage advisors is too inefficient."
Also, a Hokage Secretariat would dilute the advisors' power and gradually sideline them.
To do that, he'd have to pick ninjas with enough clout.
"That might actually work."
Tsunade, by nature, was laid back.
Unlike Hiruzen, who wanted to keep power in his own hands.
Good thing he was old now; otherwise Tsunade would've ended up like Minato—Hokage in name, with no control over ANBU and Root.
"So who do you have in mind?"
Tsunade put down her papers, interested.
"Set up a general office next to the Hokage's. Seven members, chosen from the major clans."
Natsume thought for a moment. "For example, the Hyuga, and the Ino–Shika–Cho trio. They just need to be smart enough."
"You sure know how to slack."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes at him but accepted the suggestion.
The Hokage shouldn't handle petty trifles.
Passing them to a Secretariat made more sense.
Tsunade remembered the Raikage had a designated secretary.
Konoha only had Hokage Advisors and Assistants.
And they had too much power.
Tsunade pulled out the rosters of the major clans and discussed candidates with Natsume.
How to put it?
There were many people, but Natsume basically didn't know them—most hadn't appeared in the original story.
Mainly Tsunade made the final calls.
By the time they were done, it was noon.
Natsume remembered something. "The Hokage can take leave, right?"
"What's wrong?"
Tsunade set down the papers.
"Your birthday is in a few days. You promised to go to the seaside. I've already rented an uninhabited island."
Natsume hurried. "You'd better not stand me up."
"Oh, that."
Tsunade's eyes turned as she enjoyed his anxious look. She smiled. "Once the Secretariat is in place, we'll go."