Ryoma now held not one, but three positions.
Aside from being the newly appointed Head of the Administration Department and Deputy Minister of the Anbu, he was also still Vice Principal of the Academy and Class 7's instructor.
Even for him, it felt a little much.
"I don't want to work!" Ryoma groaned.
Kushina laughed, poking his chest with a finger.
"You slacker!"
Ryoma pulled her into his arms with a grin.
"I'm not lazy—I just won't have time to keep you company. Look, the Administration Department, the Anbu, the Academy… they all need me. What do I look like, three heads and six arms? I don't want to spend every night working overtime."
Kushina, blushing in his embrace, muttered, "That's true… if only you could split yourself."
"Split…?" Ryoma froze for a beat, then his eyes lit up.
"That's it! Shadow Clones! Kushina, you really are my lucky charm!"
Before she could react, he grabbed her and kissed her deeply.
"Mm—!" Kushina melted in his arms before finally shoving him away, face red.
"Idiot! Grandma Mito saw all of that!"
Ryoma chuckled. "Then let's head out."
"You really won't go to work? Lord Hokage said you have to report to the Administration Department this morning!"
"Go? Of course I'll go." His grin widened as he formed hand seals.
Bang!
Two Shadow Clones appeared behind him. They stared at each other, confused.
"…We're one short."
Bang!
A third clone materialized. Now there were three, identical and waiting.
"Good. Kushina, remind me next time—Shadow Clones solve everything."
For most shinobi, maintaining multiple Shadow Clones long-term was exhausting. But for Ryoma, it was nothing. These weren't illusions; they were true physical doubles, each able to think and act independently.
He pointed at the first. "You, report to the Administration Department."
At the second: "You, head to Anbu HQ."
And the third: "You, go teach at the Academy."
The clones stared back at their original. "And you?"
Ryoma smirked. "Me? I'm taking Kushina shopping."
Kushina rolled her eyes, though her heart felt warm.
...
At the Academy
Ryoma's first clone had just arrived when Minato Namikaze sought him out.
"Ryoma, congratulations! Head of the Administration Department and Deputy Minister of Anbu—you've risen fast."
As fellow Anbu leadership, Minato was already aware of the news.
"Jiraiya-sensei told me… if you're too busy, you could skip some days at the Academy. I could take over Class 7 for you."
Ryoma gave him a flat look. "No. You're unlucky."
"…Unlucky?" Minato blinked, not following.
The words had slipped out unconsciously, but Ryoma didn't take them back.
In the original timeline, Minato's team—Obito, Kakashi, and Rin—were a tragedy. Even with Obito's later "redemption," the blood and loss couldn't be erased. Rin had died, Obito's soul was broken, and Minato himself would fall during the Nine-Tails' attack.
Compared to Naruto, who despite hardship pushed forward and became Hokage, Minato was a man cursed with ill fate. A lone star.
No way was Ryoma letting him handle Class 7.
"Teacher!"
"Teacher Ryoma!"
The three students ran up—Obito, Kakashi, and Rin.
"You're here," Ryoma smiled, pulling out his teacher's manual. "Let's review your last mission. From your first encounter with the enemy to your final performance—you've all improved a lot."
He chuckled. "I still remember, Obito, the first time you killed a Mist ninja. You looked miserable."
"Sensei!" Obito turned red, mortified. That was his darkest memory.
Kakashi and Rin both burst into laughter.
"Please don't ever bring that up again!" Obito groaned, face burning.
...
At Anbu Headquarters
Ryoma's second clone was greeted by Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang.
"Just in time. I've been assigned a new mission. I'll be leaving soon, so I'm handing you this."
He placed a small token in Ryoma's hand.
"This represents Anbu authority. With it, no one in Konoha will obstruct you."
Ryoma nodded, but Sakumo smirked.
"Better hurry home though. If that clone pops, the token will drop."
Ryoma raised a brow. "You can tell I'm a clone?"
White Fang chuckled.
"If I couldn't tell a Shadow Clone from the real thing, do you think I'd still be Anbu Commander? Boy, you underestimate me too much."
With that, he strode out of the room.
Ryoma watched the short-sleeved cloak of the famed White Fang of Konoha disappear through the doorway, his thoughts turning heavy.
A man like him—so strong, so respected—would one day take his own life?
…Could it be because of this mission?
"White Fang-senpai!" Ryoma called out.
Sakumo paused at the door. "Hm?"
Ryoma faltered, unsure what to say. In the end, he just offered, "Safe journey! If anything happens, you can always count on me."
"Got it!" Sakumo waved casually and left headquarters.
Meanwhile, Ryoma's third clone arrived at the Administration Department.
The first floor was deserted, with only two people present.
When they saw Ryoma, both men were momentarily stunned before quickly standing at attention.
"Lord Ryoma, you're here!"
Earlier that morning, they had been informed that Elder Akimichi, who had just taken over the department, was undergoing emergency treatment due to an old injury flaring up. He could no longer serve.
The new Minister… was Ryoma.
"Just the two of you?" Ryoma asked.
"Yes, Lord Ryoma. Would you like us to take you to your office first?"
Ryoma nodded politely. "Alright, I'll trouble you."
The two staffers exhaled in relief. So the infamous Ryoma wasn't as difficult to approach as the rumors claimed.
They escorted him upstairs.
The second floor, too, was completely empty.
"…The hell? Where is everyone?" Ryoma muttered, scanning the barren halls. "This is way too strange."
Just as he sat down in his new office, a staffer arrived with a folder.
"Lord Ryoma, this is the mission document from Kirigakure."
"Kirigakure?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow and flipped it open.
He skimmed through the report—and froze.
The Third Mizukage was dead. To address this, the Hidden Mist had dispatched an official delegation to Konoha.
No wonder that crafty old monkey Sarutobi had dropped him into this post.
I killed the Third Mizukage myself. Out of everyone, I'm the most qualified to handle this mess.
The document outlined Kirigakure's requests:
They wanted the corpse of the Third Mizukage returned.
They demanded the return of a noble's descendant who had been taken.
And, in an attempt to mend relations, they proposed a joint Chūnin Exam between Konoha and Kirigakure.
But Ryoma could see through it immediately.
This exam wasn't about "friendship"—it was a wager.
If Kirigakure won, they would reclaim their Mizukage's body and the noble's heir.
If they lost, they would still reclaim both… but only by paying a heavy price to Konoha.
Classic Mist Village scheming.
Of course, Konoha had its own plans. Neither side would easily bend. That's why the delegation had come.
For now, though, the initiative was firmly in Konoha's hands.
After all, the one who had slain the Third Mizukage was none other than Ryoma himself. With Kirigakure leaderless and in disarray, their so-called diplomacy was nothing more than desperation.
...
TN:
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