Yes, the Hokage!

Matt Day stood at the front of the line, wearing his signature green bodysuit, hands on his hips, his bright teeth gleaming in the sunlight.

"Let your youth shine!"

The entire formation suddenly sprang into action, marching in perfect unison while shouting, "1! 2! 3! 4!"

The shouts were deafening, making everyone who heard them feel their blood boil, and the young people couldn't help but wave and shout along.

Those who had originally caused trouble, demanding that the village hand over Hiroshi Hyuga, were also taken aback:

"This, this is the standing new army?"

"Those are Uchiha people? They look even fiercer than the police..."

"The insects of the Aburame clan...how terrifying."

"..."

The entire procession circled the village once, finally stopping beneath the Hokage Rock. Feng Lan stood on the high platform, his usual smiling demeanor gone. He took a deep breath and pulled out a large megaphone: "Everyone, are you afraid of war? Are you afraid of the Cloud Village's iron hooves trampling into the Land of Fire? Are you afraid that war will take away your loved ones, your friends, and your homes?"

A commotion arose in the crowd; even if someone was truly afraid, no one would dare to say so at a time like this.

"Fear is good!" Feng Lan changed the subject. "Because we are human, we have flesh and blood, and we have things we cherish! But..."

His voice rose again: "Fear doesn't mean kneeling! Fear doesn't mean surrendering your heroism for a worthless life!"

He suddenly waved his hand, pointing to the standing new army under the Fire Shadow Rock.

"Look at these young people! They didn't spring from stones, they are your sons, husbands, best friends, brothers! They stand here not for show... They are Konoha's shield! They are the kunai that pierce the enemy! They are the last wall between you and the flames of war!"

The Uchiha elites simultaneously activated their Sharingan, their blood-red pupils glowing like burning fire.

"They train day and night, their skin worn out and their bones broken, all for what? So that when the big, dark-skinned guy from Cloud Village roars and charges at you, someone can stand at the front and take that punch for you!"

The insect cloud of the Oil Maidens rose up in response, its buzzing sound like war drums.

"As for those who shout 'Konoha will perish,' 'Hand over the murderer for peace'..." Feng Lan's voice suddenly turned cold, his gaze like a knife as he swept over the crowd, "Let me ask you, are you ninjas? Have you ever been on a battlefield? Have you ever seen blood? Have you ever killed an enemy?"

The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan bulged with veins, sweeping past the crowd behind them without even turning around.

No one dared to answer; several people involuntarily shrank back.

Just then, Minato appeared at the perfect moment: "In the name of Hokage, I swear that I will absolutely not allow anyone to harm the village!"

As he stepped onto the stage, all the regular new soldiers raised their arms and shouted, "Defend Konoha!"

"Defend Konoha!"

"Defend Konoha!"

The sound was as loud as thunder, even causing the Hokage Rock to tremble slightly.

After three shouts, someone in the crowd threw the first punch and yelled, "Defend Konoha!"

Then, the second, the third... the voices merged into a torrent, washing away all fear and hesitation.

"Defend Konoha!"

Only after the voices faded away did Feng Lan calmly announce something: "Starting today, Konoha Village is establishing the [Village Self-Defense Supervision Committee] to recruit ambitious young people to assist the guard in maintaining village security. The benefits are excellent, with a monthly stipend. The registration location is right outside the Uchiha's residence."

Hiring online trolls, huh? Let me show you the power of the Konoha scoundrels' will of might!

As soon as the news spread, long queues formed at the registration desk.

Who were these people? Mostly young, hot-blooded villagers. They had always disliked those spineless cowards who demanded peace by surrendering heroes, but they had never had a voice. Now, with official status, they could legitimately supervise (bully) those who wanted to surrender, and they could even get money from them.

This is equivalent to making you a dog administrator on Tieba, where you can criticize and ban anyone you don't like while still getting paid. Who wouldn't be happy with such a good deal?

By dusk, the committee had recruited more than fifty people.

These people, wearing matching armbands, patrolled the streets and alleys of the village, specifically targeting those who spread rumors and incite panic.

Feng Lan also personally equipped everyone with rubber batons, telling them to remember the principle of "persuasion with warmth, baton with force." If they were found to be guilty, they would first be given a verbal warning, and if they committed the offense again, they would be beaten up and handed over to the police force. In any case, if any problems arose, it would be a conflict between troublemakers, and it would have nothing to do with the police force.

Soon, those surrender rhetoric disappeared from the village.

Before Feng Lan could even investigate those Root organization informants spreading rumors, they were reported by "enthusiastic villagers." Fu Yue personally led the arrests, and without even a trial, they were thrown directly into the garrison's dungeon.

As for the Hyuga main family, they dared not make any further moves. When the Grand Elder heard that the situation had been brought under control so quickly, he was so angry that he smashed his teacup on the spot, but that was all he could do.

Night had fallen in the Hokage's office.

"Your idea is truly brilliant. Having the villagers supervise each other is far more effective than having the ninjas directly deployed," Minato exclaimed.

“We must use magic to defeat magic, and similarly, we must use troublemakers to deal with troublemakers.” Feng Lan shrugged. “As long as we make those troublemakers believe that the war will not affect their interests, someone will naturally help us deal with those who spread rumors. As for whether it really won’t affect them, that’s not something I can guarantee.”

"Don't use that word." Minato frowned; he disliked the term "troublemaker" that Fenglan used.

"Okay, I won't let you hear it next time." Feng Lan picked up Shui Men's cup and drank it all in one gulp. He was exhausted from running around and talking all afternoon.

"And I will definitely quell the war as soon as possible and prevent it from affecting the daily lives of the villagers." Minato clenched his fist, his face resolute.

"Yes, yes, yes, Lord Hokage is brave and invincible. I'll rely on you to carry me to victory." Feng Lan casually put the cup back on the table and walked out.

"Where are you going?" Minato asked hurriedly.

"I've made plans to drink with someone." Feng Lan waved casually, then closed the door and left without looking back.

"Well……"

Minato looked a little disappointed. He was still thinking of drinking with Fenglan later, since it was the last night before she left. He had even asked Kushina for leave in advance.

Unexpectedly, before she could even speak, the guy had already made plans with someone else, and deliberately didn't include her.

……

The same izakaya private room, the same food and drinks, the same people.

"Mr. Shikaku arrived very quickly this time. It seems he wasn't too conflicted," Fenglan said with a smile, raising her cup.

"After all, it's highly likely that we'll enter a period of war, and protecting Konoha is everyone's duty." Shikaku's answer was also quite skillful; even now, he still refused to completely side with Minato, choosing instead to remain neutral.

"Mr. Shikaku, I'm going to Amegakure tomorrow."

"I've heard about it." Lu Jiu put down his chopsticks and sighed. "Lord Fenglan, you really know how to pick your timing. Danzo has run away, and Kumogakure is about to attack, but you're going on a long trip."

"It is precisely because Danzo has run away and Kumogakure is coming that I have to go to Amegakure," Feng Lan said calmly.

"Is that so..." Lu Jiu's eyes narrowed slightly. Although he didn't know many things about the higher-ups, he could already deduce a lot from Feng Lan's words and attitude.

However, Feng Lan didn't call him over this time to ask this Konoha strategist to analyze the war situation. He leaned forward slightly and once again offered the same temptation: "Mr. Shikaku, do you remember what I said to you here last time? To reach new heights... take it a step further."

His true purpose was to find an advisor for Minato during his absence from Konoha. He didn't need to do everything himself; he just needed to offer advice at crucial moments. Just as the Third Hokage had left Orochimaru's information unsaid, Fenglan had never truly trusted Konoha's F3.

After all, the current cooperation is due to shared positions under pressure from external enemies, not shared ideals. Once the external pressure is removed, the two sides will most likely continue to scheme against each other.

And Nara Shikaku is the best choice for Fenglan.

Chapter 57 Shiro's Heart Fluttering

Upon hearing this again, Shikaku paused slightly as he raised his hand to drink: "What do you mean by that, Lord Fenglan? I don't quite understand."

Having said that, he drank the contents of his cup in one gulp, then looked over with a pair of cold, steady eyes.

Still putting on airs with me, huh?

Feng Lan rolled her eyes inwardly. Shikaku's attitude had clearly softened. Most likely, after seeing what happened on the day of the speech, he had improved his evaluation of Minato while also feeling somewhat disappointed in the Third Hokage.

“Danzo is now a rogue ninja, and the Elders Council has a vacancy for an advisor position.” But it doesn’t matter. Shikaku is a meticulous person who always seeks stability, but I can still let him have his way. “I’m already preparing to strongly recommend Mr. Shikaku.”

Upon hearing this, Shikaku's eyelids twitched violently. "Damn it, you're doing it again?"

Having witnessed their previous encounter, how could he not understand that Feng Lan wasn't seeking his opinion at all, but rather charging in headfirst?

“Miss Shizune is already one of the advisors, can’t she fill this position?” Shikaku’s first reaction was to decline. It was too much to ask someone as rational as him to gamble like the Uchiha.

“Miss Shizune is still young, so after our friendly negotiations with the Third Hokage, although she is nominally an advisor, she only has the right to speak, not the right to vote.” Feng Lan once again entered smiling tiger mode. “You should know what this means.”

“But Mr. Shikaku is different. You have devoted yourself to the village for a long time. Both your ability and prestige are enough to make you a true elder. This power to decide the direction of the village... is rightfully yours.”

Shikaku's gaze sharpened. Voting rights—this was the Elders' Council's greatest power. In high-level meetings, all decisions had to be made by vote. Even the Hokage only had one vote.

The Third Hokage has held the power of three votes for many years, which means that every important decision must be approved by him. Now that Danzo has fallen, if I could get that vote... it's a terrifying thought.

Minato's side is at a disadvantage and will definitely have to work hard to win over the other side. The Third Hokage will also be unwilling to let the vote fall to the other side and will also focus on winning them over. With the strong support of the Akimichi and Yamanaka clans, the Nara clan does have the potential to rise to become a powerful clan.

But this exciting thought only flashed through his mind, and Shikaku quickly regained his composure: "Lord Fenglan, although you are powerful, you have only been in Konoha for a short time and there are some things you are not clear about. The reason why Danzo was able to sit in that position is not because he has a great family influence. On the contrary... he is the only person in the council of elders who has no family interests."

"Oh?" Feng Lan raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to hear more details."

“Sarutobi, Mitomon, and Utatane—weren’t they all from large and powerful families? Danzo dismantled his family early on and poured all his resources into Root. He had no worries about the future and no clansmen to support, so it took three generations to dare to use him… If he was ruined, he could be discarded without fear of backlash.”

Shikaku put down his wine glass, his gaze sharp: "You want me to sit in that position, but the Nara clan has hundreds of members. What do you expect me to gamble with?"

His meaning was clear: Konoha's share of the pie had already been divided up, and even if Danzo left, there wouldn't be much more to go around, not enough to support a powerful family.

Feng Lan didn't rush to refute, but slowly poured himself a glass of wine: "You can't say that. When Minato first became the Fourth Hokage, we had nothing. But look at us now? Standing army, finances, power... we've at least achieved so much, haven't we?"

"Mr. Shikaku, there is no such thing as a free lunch."

It's a very simple principle that Shikaku surely understands. What Fenglan means is that if you can't step up and offer help when the Fourth Hokage needs it most, then it will be too late to come and add to the glory when we have truly defeated Konoha.

Want to become a wealthy family without taking any risks? Where in the world is there such a good thing?

The problem is that Shikaku doesn't have that strong desire to become a powerful clan. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio just want to protect themselves and live a peaceful life in this cruel ninja world. It's impossible for him to do something as crazy as the Uchiha.

Feng Lan knew this too. These kinds of people who seemed to have no desires were the hardest to deal with, so he couldn't put too much pressure on them. Therefore, after demonstrating his strength, he immediately gave them a way out: "My request isn't high. As long as you can help Shuimen a little bit during the time I'm away from the village, that will be fine."

"As long as you do this, Danzo's position will be yours when I come back. You won't need to actually take sides."

This is quite tempting. He can take a position on the elders' council and remain neutral, just as Shikaku envisioned. Both sides would try to win him over, and with the help of the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans, he would be a stable force even if he wasn't a powerful clan. No matter how the power dynamics in the village change, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio would be a force to be reckoned with, instead of being stuck in this awkward, in-between situation.

At that moment, he was truly moved.

But smart people are troublesome. Even though he was already tempted, Lu Jiu still remained calm and asked, "I wonder what kind of 'slightly' Lord Feng Lan is talking about?"

“Shizune will accompany Minato to every high-level meeting and then tell you the details. At that time…” Feng Lan emphasized, “I don’t think Minato will need to ask for help. Mr. Shikaku should know when to offer advice, right?”

Shikaku's pupils suddenly contracted. Fenglan's words were both an affirmation of his wisdom and a heavy responsibility placed on him. Undoubtedly, the other party's bottom line was that the village must not be in chaos during his absence, and the power of the Minato, if not expanded, must not be swallowed up.

This is indeed very difficult, but as the saying goes... there's no such thing as a free lunch. The reward offered by Feng Lan is indeed generous, and if I refuse, the consequences will be equally severe, because Feng Lan's strong push doesn't care whether you agree or not.

"it is good!"

He uttered only one word, but anyone could hear the determination contained within it.

Hearing this, Feng Lan smiled slightly, raised his wine glass and clinked it with Shikaku's: "Then, I wish Konoha a thousand years of prosperity, and the Land of Fire... a long and prosperous reign."