Konoha.
Hokage's Office.
Uchiha Yuzuru sat in the seat of honor, quietly listening as Fugaku reported on the village's various developments.
Compared to when they had first taken over Konoha, the village—no, the entire Land of Fire—had undergone earthshaking changes.
The most obvious one…
There were no longer bodies frozen or starved to death along the roadside, like during the era when Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo ruled.
In the hearts of the people of the Land of Fire, Uchiha Yuzuru was the leader who had brought them a new life. Nearly every household had a portrait of him pasted up in their home as a sign of respect.
Naturally, the more beloved Yuzuru became, the more Hiruzen and the others were spat upon.
In many places, people even deliberately imitated the copper statues Konoha had cast of Hiruzen and the rest, building their likenesses in villages and towns—just so everyone could vent the anger in their hearts.
Every night, plenty of little boys would secretly run over and pee on them…
"Yuzuru, your idea of providing relief through labor worked even better than I imagined."
"Not only did it perfectly solve the problem of the Land of Fire's people having no way to survive under Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo's rule, it also made everyone throw themselves into rebuilding the Land of Fire with incredible enthusiasm."
"At the current pace, in just five short years, the Land of Fire will be developed to the same level as the Land of Lightning."
"It's just that while the population is growing quickly, most of that growth comes from newborns. If we want to truly stabilize things and have enough hands, we'll still need to wait for this generation to grow up."
The several Great Ninja Wars hadn't just left Konoha's shinobi ranks barren—ordinary civilians had suffered massive casualties as well.
For example, those Konoha troublemakers who bullied everyone equally…
Those headaches who once drove countless people insane were now completely gone.
Even if he had replenished some of the population from the Land of Lightning, if they wanted the vast and resource-rich Land of Fire to truly come alive again, they still needed to give the people time to multiply.
That was also why he hadn't rushed to launch wars against the other ninja villages.
Those places were different from the Land of Fire—resources were scarce.
With manpower already lacking, taking them would bring little benefit.
After thinking for a moment, Uchiha Yuzuru stopped pressing further and instead smiled.
"Fugaku, you look like you're in great shape now. You don't look worn out at all anymore, like you did when you first took over."
Fugaku smiled and nodded.
"Everything's on track now. There are fewer and fewer things that actually need me to personally handle."
"And with Minato and Mabuma here, you could even say I'm basically a hands-off manager."
Thinking back to the anime in his previous life—Minato Namikaze's completely empty desk—Yuzuru nodded in agreement.
The Yellow Flash's reputation wasn't undeserved. No matter what it was, he worked at a speed ordinary people simply couldn't match.
It was just that…
Just as Uchiha Yuzuru's thoughts started drifting further and further off track, Mabui pushed the door open and walked in.
She wore a sharp, professional secretary outfit, holding a file to her chest with both hands.
"Lord Yuzuru. Lord Fugaku."
Mabui bowed first, then said softly, "All orphanage names and addresses throughout the Land of Fire have been fully compiled. These are the supplies I organized that need sponsorship. Please take a look."
Yuzuru glanced at it briefly, then set it down on the desk.
"Handle it yourself."
But Mabui shook her head.
"Lord Yuzuru, orphanages change a lot every year. The supplies we sponsor won't always stay the same. And how to arrange these orphans once they grow up also requires a proper plan."
"I suggest establishing an agency with layered branches responsible for unified management of all orphanages in both the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning."
Fugaku's eyes lit up. He clapped his hands.
"That's a great idea. Let's do it."
"Mabui, do you have anyone you'd recommend?"
Fugaku had no desire to hoard power. If anything, he missed the old days when all he needed to think about each day was training.
Becoming Hokage was the Uchiha clan's obsession—but once they truly became Hokage, everyone realized…
It was just this.
After all, under Uchiha Yuzuru's leadership, the Uchiha clan no longer needed the Hokage seat to prove anything.
If the Hokage position weren't unsuitable for frequent changes, Fugaku would have resigned long ago.
As if she had expected Fugaku to respond like this, Mabui simply clapped twice.
"Come in."
Immediately after, a woman wearing glasses and dressed in a nun's habit stepped inside.
"Lord Yuzuru. Lord Fugaku. Yakushi Nonō reporting."
Mabui spoke next.
"Nonō was once praised as a walking shrine maiden. During Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule over Konoha, she served as director of Konoha's orphanage. Later, after defecting to the Land of Lightning, she became the person in charge of orphanages across the entire Land of Lightning."
"She has both capability and qualifications. I believe she is the most suitable person to serve as the overall director of orphanages."
Hearing that, Fugaku looked toward Uchiha Yuzuru.
Yuzuru smiled and nodded.
"Then it's settled. You can discuss the details among yourselves."
——
——
"Nonō… it really has been a long time."
Walking along the streets of Konoha, Uchiha Yuzuru spoke softly.
Yakushi Nonō nodded, her tone respectful.
"Lord Yuzuru, I kneel to worship before your portrait every day, so it doesn't feel that long to me."
Yuzuru casually replied, "I'm not dead. Why are you worshipping me?"
Yakushi smiled and explained, "Because you are the benefactor of both myself and those orphans."
"Because of you, I was able to escape Danzo's clutches, and the children in the orphanage were able to grow up healthy and happy."
"And on the way here, I saw it with my own eyes—turning the Land of Fire into what it is now in just a few short years… all your people should offer you their most loyal devotion."
Chatting as they walked, the two soon arrived at a barbecue restaurant.
Yakushi Nonō took the initiative.
"Lord Yuzuru, allow me to treat you tonight."
Yuzuru naturally didn't refuse. He followed her into a private room.
While eating barbecue, Nonō said many words of gratitude. She drank until her cheeks were rosy, looking like a tempting apple.
In the end, Yakushi Nonō held her cup and walked to Uchiha Yuzuru's side, her gaze hazy with intoxication.
"Lord Yuzuru… back then, you stopped me and Kabuto from killing each other, and gave each of us a peaceful life… I will never forget your kindness."
"I—I want to toast you one more time."
Yakushi Nonō drained the cup in one gulp, but her legs went weak, and she dropped to her knees before him.
Uchiha Yuzuru gently rubbed her hair and said softly, "Nonō, you're drunk."
"I'm not drunk."
Yakushi Nonō buried her face against his thigh, her voice becoming slurred and indistinct.
"Lord Yuzuru…"