"Find a safe place," Shikaku said quietly.
Shiki gave a small nod.
Without further words, the three of them slipped out of camp under concealment, crossing dunes until they reached a stretch of silent, moonlit desert.
Tsunade hugged her arms as the nighttime chill pressed in.
"Seriously—this desert freezes you to death at night. Why the hell bring us here?"
Shikaku chuckled.
"Tsunade-sama is still too young."
Instant killing intent.
"…What," Tsunade said slowly, eyes narrowing.
"You wanna repeat that?"
Shikaku froze on the spot.
Right—just minutes ago Tsunade was massaging Shiki like a gentle wife. He forgot the real Tsunade was a violent brawler who broke boulders with her fists.
"Ahem—moving on," Shikaku coughed, shifting away from the danger zone. He turned toward Shiki, face turning serious.
"Shiki, news just came from Konoha. The high council decided on your 'reward.'"
Shiki smiled faintly.
"Let me hear it."
Tsunade leaned forward, fully expecting something fitting for the man who single-handedly ended the war.
Shikaku inhaled.
"…They decided to grant you the title of Elite Jōnin."
Silence.
Not dramatic silence.
Dead silence.
Tsunade blinked.
"…And?"
Shikaku didn't blink.
"That's it."
Tsunade stared at him like he had just declared the sky green.
"…That's it?"
"That's it," Shikaku repeated with a helpless nod.
The desert wind hissed softly.
Tsunade's voice cracked in disbelief.
"Defeat a Tailed Beast, end a whole war, save thousands of lives… and those old fossils think the correct compensation is—an upgraded name tag?"
Her fists trembled.
She looked one second away from punching the moon.
"This is an insult! A complete—!"
"Calm down."
Shiki's voice cut clean through her rage.
And—just like that—Tsunade shut up.
Shikaku exhaled internally.
As expected… the only person alive who can shut Tsunade up with one sentence is Shiki.
Shiki glanced at her with amused eyes.
"Didn't I tell you earlier? Those high-ranking idiots were bound to try something."
He wasn't angry.
He wasn't surprised.
He had predicted this from the moment he met Hiruzen's eyes.
Shikaku nodded grimly.
"The decision hasn't been officially announced, but… there are members of the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans placed inside the ANBU. The moment the top brass discussed it, we got word."
He looked at Shiki with open respect.
"Your guess was correct from the beginning. They're scared of you."
Tsunade clenched her jaw.
"Those cowards stayed safe inside the village while we spilled blood outside—and now they dare pull this?"
Shiki waved a hand lazily.
"It's fine. Let them dance for now."
His smile sharpened.
"When we return to the village, we'll settle everything properly."
The desert wind blew.
The moonlight hit Shiki's eyes, making them glint like a beast that had just woken up.
Shikaku swallowed unconsciously.
Tsunade wasn't the dangerous one here.
Shiki was.
"But—!"
Tsunade wanted to say something, but the words tangled up in her throat.
Shiki didn't seem bothered.
He simply smiled lightly and turned toward Nara Shikaku.
"You didn't come all the way out here just to deliver the 'reward.' There's something else you want to talk about."
Shikaku nodded.
"As expected of you, Shiki. You catch on quickly."
Tsunade blinked.
She definitely did not catch on quickly.
"If I'm not mistaken," Shikaku continued, "you intend for Tsunade-sama to become the next Hokage."
Tsunade nearly jumped.
"H-Hey—! When did you—?"
Shiki didn't bother hiding anything.
He nodded calmly.
"Yeah."
This man…
He really had no hesitation saying something outrageous so casually.
Shikaku took a quiet breath, then bowed his head slightly.
"Then allow me to say this clearly:
The Nara clan is willing to lead the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans in supporting Tsunade-sama as Fourth Hokage."
Tsunade froze.
Just like that?
This easily?
Shiki smiled—satisfied.
"A Hokage doesn't gain support by sitting in that chair.
You sit in that chair because you've already gained support. You're recognized first."
Shikaku nodded deeply.
That logic… was flawless.
"The ninja clans decide the village's future long before the civilians ever hear any announcement," Shikaku said quietly. "And right now, Tsunade-sama has something the Third Hokage lacks."
Tsunade blinked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Trust."
Tsunade's expression shifted—embarrassed, flustered, and touched all at once.
Shiki chuckled softly.
"The clan leaders aren't blind. They know who fights, who bleeds, and who stands with the village at the front instead of hiding in the office."
Shikaku looked at Tsunade seriously.
"Compared to the Third Hokage, you are straightforward, honest, and reliable. With you as Hokage, the clans will finally feel secure."
Tsunade stared at him, stunned.
Straightforward? Honest? Trusted?
…Is that really how they see me?
Shiki laughed loudly.
"No wonder the Ino–Shika–Chō survived since the Warring States. You three always know which direction the wind is blowing."
Shikaku smiled but didn't deny it.
"Then that brings us to the real question," he said. "How do we deal with the Third Hokage? He won't step down willingly."
That part was true.
Hiruzen valued power far too highly.
He never gave it up easily.
Shiki leaned back slightly, expression calm.
"In the short term, we can't do anything. You don't pull down a Hokage with no justification. If we push now, it'll backfire."
Shikaku nodded slowly.
"And long-term?"
Shiki's eyes narrowed.
"Power cracks under pressure.
Mistakes expose weakness.
Hiruzen will create his own opening eventually."
Tsunade frowned slightly.
"You mean… wait for a crisis?"
Shiki didn't answer immediately.
Inside his thoughts, the narration turned colder:
A leader who clings to power always slips during war.
And Konoha's peace never lasts forever.
All they had to do was wait.
A new war meant new failures—failures a new Hokage could replace.
But none of that left his mouth.
Out loud, Shiki only shrugged.
"Big decisions require big moments. When the village faces pressure, Hiruzen will either rise… or fall. And when that time comes—Tsunade will be the one people turn to."
Shikaku stared at him with newfound respect.
A strategist.
A fighter.
And someone who understood timing better than anyone his age should.
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