(LIFE IN THE HIDDEN LEAF) CHAPTER TWO

Naruto had spent most of the previous night forgetting about the envelope.

At least, that was what he had told himself.

He had taken it out of his pocket after returning to the couch, looked at the seal, and then put it away again when Boruto had wanted to see the photograph. After that, there had been dinner, a bath that somehow left more water on the floor than in the tub, and a bedtime story that Boruto had insisted on hearing twice despite falling asleep halfway through the first telling.

By the time Naruto had gone to bed, the envelope had become someone else’s problem.

Unfortunately, morning had made it his problem once again.

Naruto stood outside the Hokage’s office with his hands in his pockets, staring at the door. He had been expecting the upcoming meeting to be unpleasant. He had not been expecting Kakashi to send one of his aides to his house with a sealed letter and instructions to meet him before the meeting.

Naruto knocked.

“Come in.”

He opened the door and stepped inside.

Kakashi was sitting behind his desk, one hand resting on a stack of documents while the other held his usual Icha-Icha book. Shikamaru stood beside the window with his arms crossed, looking as though he had been awake for several hours longer than Naruto had. To be fair, he always looked like that, although this morning he looked even more exhausted than usual.

Naruto looked between them.

“You two look cheerful.”

Shikamaru sent him a half-hearted glare. “It’s too early for that.”

Naruto grinned. “So something is wrong.”

“Something is always wrong,” Shikamaru replied.

Kakashi lowered his book. “Morning, Naruto.”

“Morning.” Naruto closed the door behind him and walked farther into the room. “I got your letter.”

“I assumed you did.”

“You could’ve just told me yesterday.”

Kakashi’s visible eye curved slightly. “You had a photographer over.”

Naruto blinked. “How did you know about that?”

“Your wife mentioned it.”

Naruto stared at him. “You talked to Hinata?”

“Briefly.”

“When?”

“Yesterday.”

Naruto narrowed his eyes. “You knew about the picture?”

Kakashi shrugged. “I know a lot of things.”

Shikamaru sighed. “Can we get back to the part where the village’s political situation is becoming a problem?”

Naruto looked at him. “Right.”

He pulled the envelope from his pocket and placed it on Kakashi’s desk.

“So what’s going on?”

Kakashi looked at the envelope for a moment before setting his book aside.

"A delegation from the Daimyo's government has formally requested changes to the way Konoha handles major military deployments. The advisers arriving later this week are coming to present and negotiate that proposal."

Naruto’s expression became more serious. “The command proposal.”

“Yes.”

“I thought that was still being discussed.”

“It is.”

“Then what’s changed?”

Kakashi leaned back in his chair. “They’ve taken it beyond an informal recommendation.”

Naruto waited.

“They want the arrangement written into policy.”

Naruto frowned. “What kind of policy?”

“Any deployment involving a significant portion of Konoha’s forces, or one likely to have consequences beyond the village’s borders, would require approval from the Daimyo’s government.”

Naruto stared at him.

“Approval?”

“For major operations.”

“That sounds like approval.”

Shikamaru pushed himself away from the window. “That’s because it is.”

Naruto looked at him. “So if we’re attacked—”

“Then Konoha can defend itself,” Shikamaru said. “The disagreement is over what happens when the response becomes large enough to affect the wider country.”

Naruto‘s spine stiffened. “And who decides when it’s large enough?”

“That,” Kakashi said slowly, “is one of the things they’re proposing to define.”

Naruto let out a breath through his nose. “So we’d have to ask permission before sending people out.”

“On paper, yes.”

“And if the answer takes too long?”

Kakashi didn’t answer immediately.

Shikamaru did. “Then we wait.”

Naruto’s eyes hardened. “And if someone’s dying while we wait?”

“Then that’s one of the problems we need to address.”

Naruto looked toward the window.

The village was already waking up below them. Shinobi moved across the rooftops while civilians filled the streets, carrying out the ordinary business of another morning. Most of them had no reason to think about the people who might be called upon to protect them before the day was over.

That was why Naruto understood where the Daimyo’s advisers were coming from.

The Fourth Great Ninja War had shown everyone what could happen when a handful of people possessed enough power to affect the lives of entire nations. The fact that only a few individuals had come so close to destroying the world was probably more than enough to make anyone question whether the system that had given them so much freedom to act should remain the same.

Naruto couldn’t blame them for being worried. He just wasn’t convinced that putting more restrictions on the people responsible for protecting the village was the answer.

“I don't like this,” he said.

Kakashi smiled slightly.

“No.”

Naruto turned back toward him.

“What exactly are they afraid of?”

“The Hokage,” Shikamaru said.

Naruto stared at Kakashi. “You?”

“The position.”

Shikamaru walked over to the desk and picked up one of the documents.

“They aren’t claiming that Kakashi personally can’t be trusted. They’re concerned about how much authority the Hokage has during a crisis.”

Naruto frowned. “So they want someone watching over the Hokage.”

“They want the Daimyo’s government to have a say in major military decisions.”

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s pretty much the same thing.”

“Politically, there’s a difference.”

“Of course there is.” Kakashi said, giving a small laugh. “You’ll learn.”

“I’ve been dealing with politicians and their decisions for years.”

“And yet you still complain about them.”

“Because they’re annoying.”

Shikamaru looked at Kakashi.

“He’s got a point.”

Kakashi ignored him.

Naruto looked back at the documents before pulling out the chair opposite the desk, sitting down.

“What‘s everyone saying about it?”

“Some believe additional oversight is reasonable after the war,” Kakashi replied. “Others think it would weaken Konoha’s ability to respond quickly.”

“And the jounin representatives?”

Shikamaru’s tired expression gave way to a frown.

“That’s where things get complicated.”

Naruto glanced at him. “How?”

“The major clans have formal agreements concerning their autonomy within Konoha.”

“I know.”

“Some of those agreements go back to the founding of the village.”

Naruto nodded.

Hashirama had brought the clans together under Konoha’s banner, but joining the village had never meant that every clan simply abandoned its internal authority. Each had brought its own traditions, responsibilities and obligations with it.

“What does that have to do with the Daimyo?”

“The proposed system would apply to major clan deployments as well.”

Naruto sat back. “So the clans would need permission too?”

“That’s the intention.”

“And they don’t like that.”

“Some of them don’t.”

Naruto sighed at that, rubbing at his face. “I can understand why.”

Shikamaru nodded.

“That doesn’t mean their position is entirely compatible with ours.”

Naruto gave him a look. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Kakashi picked up another document.

“"Hiashi and the other representatives are already preparing formal objections on behalf of the major clans."

Naruto leaned forward. “What are they arguing?”

“That the proposed system could interfere with rights and autonomy that were guaranteed when their clans entered into agreements with Konoha.”

Naruto was silent.

“So if we accept the Daimyo’s proposal, some of the clans might say we’re breaking those agreements.”

“Potentially.”

“And if we reject it—”

“We risk turning a political disagreement into something much larger,” Kakashi finished.

Naruto sighed. “This is a pain.”

“That’s why Shikamaru is here.”

Shikamaru looked offended.

“I’m here because everyone else has decided I'm best suited for his sort of mess.”

Naruto laughed. “You’re good at it.”

“I hate that you know that.”

Kakashi smiled.

Naruto looked between them.

“So what are we going to do?”

Kakashi didn’t answer. Instead, he glanced at Shikamaru, who walked over to the desk and placed another document in front of Naruto.

“We’ve been looking at the proposal from the other side.”

Naruto looked down.

“What does that mean?”

“The Daimyo’s advisers want greater control over Konoha’s military.”

“Yeah.”

“They believe that authority comes with responsibility.”

Naruto looked up.

Shikamaru continued. “If they want a greater role in deciding when shinobi are deployed, then they’re going to have to accept some of the responsibilities that come with maintaining a standing military force.”

Naruto frowned. “Such as?”

“Supporting it.”

Naruto stared at him. “That’s vague.”

“It is for now.”

Kakashi leaned forward. “The Daimyo’s government has spent generations relying on Konoha as the military force of the Land of Fire while allowing the village to handle most of its own internal affairs.”

Naruto nodded slowly. “So?”

“So if they want greater authority over that military arm, we can ask what they’re prepared to provide in exchange.”

Naruto looked back down at the document.

There were several figures written across the page. He didn’t recognize all of them, but he recognized enough to understand that this was not a small request.

“What’s this?”

“Land,” Shikamaru said.

Naruto looked up.

“For what?”

“For shinobi.”

Naruto blinked.

“You’re suggesting the Daimyo give land to every shinobi in active service?”

“Not suggesting.” Shikamaru tapped the document. “Proposing.”

Naruto stared at the figures again.

“That would cost a fortune.”

“Yes.”

“And they’d have to reorganize land ownership across the country.”

“Yes.”

“And the nobles aren’t going to like that.”

“No.”

Naruto looked at Kakashi. “You’re serious.”

Kakashi nodded.

“If the Daimyo’s government wants greater control over the military, then we believe they should be prepared to invest in the people who make that military possible.”

Naruto leaned back.

“That won’t get accepted.”

Shikamaru gave him a tired smile.

“That is rather the point.”

Naruto looked at the document again.

“So we’re giving them a choice.”

“Exactly.”

“They can accept the restrictions and pay for them.”

“Or reconsider how badly they want that level of control.”

Naruto was quiet for a moment, then he smiled. “You know, for someone who hates politics, you’re pretty good at this.”

Shikamaru groaned. “Don’t start.”

Kakashi picked up his book again.

“There is another reason we need to be careful.”

Naruto looked at him. “What?”

“The Daimyo’s advisers aren’t necessarily trying to weaken Konoha.”

Naruto waited.

“They’re trying to make sure what happened during the war cannot happen again.”

Naruto’s smile disappeared because, again, he understood.

If the people on the other side genuinely believed they were protecting the country, then shouting about Konoha’s independence would accomplish very little.

Naruto looked toward the window again. 

“I don’t want another war either.”

“I know.”

“But I also don’t want someone sitting in a room hundreds of kilometers away deciding whether our people are allowed to help someone who’s under attack.”

Kakashi nodded. “Neither do I.”

Shikamaru gathered the documents.

“That’s why we’re not trying to win the argument by pretending their concerns are stupid.”

Naruto looked at him. “We’re giving them a reason to back down.”

“We’re giving them a reason to negotiate.”

Naruto considered the distinction. “Right.”

Kakashi stood and walked around his desk. “The representatives will discuss the proposal today. Those from the Daimyo’s government will return later this week, and I expect they’ll want an answer before long.”

Naruto rose as well.

“So today’s meeting is just the beginning.”

“Yes.”

Naruto slipped his hands into his pockets.

“What do you want me to do?”

Kakashi smiled. “For now?”

“Yeah.”

“Listen.”

Naruto stared at him.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Shikamaru nodded.

“We won’t show we are committed to anything yet. Let everyone explain what they want, and we will pay attention to what they don’t say.”

Naruto sighed.

“You’re both making this sound more complicated than it needs to be.”

“It is more complicated than it needs to be,” Shikamaru said.

Naruto laughed, though it was a sober one. “Fair enough.”

He turned toward the door, but Kakashi’s voice stopped him.

“Naruto.”

He looked back. “Yeah?”

Kakashi’s expression had become more serious.

“There was one other reason I asked you to come here before the meeting.”

Naruto waited.

Kakashi glanced toward the envelope still sitting on his desk.

“The deployment proposal isn’t the only matter the Daimyo’s advisers have raised.”

Naruto’s expression tightened. “What else?”

Kakashi visibly hesitated.

“That’s something I’d rather explain once we have the relevant people here.”

Naruto stared at him. “You couldn’t have put that in the letter?”

“I could have.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

Kakashi smiled with his eyes again. “Because you would’ve spent the entire night worrying about it.”

Naruto opened his mouth, then stopped.

He thought about the envelope sitting on his bedside table the previous night, the number of times he’d remembered it before forcing himself to think about something else, and the way he’d intentionally avoided opening it.

“You know me too well.”

“Fortunately.”

Naruto shook his head and opened the door. “I’ll see you at the meeting.”

“Try not to start an argument.”

“No promises.”

Shikamaru sighed. “That’s reassuring.”

Naruto stepped into the hallway, then paused. He glanced back at the two men.

“Kakashi.”

“Hmm?”

“If this land thing is supposed to scare them off, how much are we asking for?”

Shikamaru answered before Kakashi could.

“Enough.”

Naruto grinned.

“Good.”

He closed the door behind him.

For a moment, Kakashi and Shikamaru remained where they were. Then Shikamaru looked toward the closed door.

“He’s going to make this harder.”

Kakashi picked up his book.

“Probably.”

“You don’t sound worried.”

Kakashi opened it to the page he’d left behind.

“I’ve known Naruto a long time.”

Shikamaru sighed.

“That’s exactly what worries me.”

Outside, Naruto headed down the corridor toward the meeting chamber, already wondering what the Daimyo’s advisers could possibly have planned that Kakashi had decided not to put in writing.

Whatever it was, he suspected he was going to find out soon.