Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 263 The Darkest Day of the Acting Hokage

The Land of Fire, Konoha Village.

The autumn sky was crystal clear, and golden sunlight lazily spilled into every corner of the village, bathing the roof tiles and street pavers in a warm glow. The air was filled with the joy of harvest and the delicate fragrance of osmanthus blossoms; the peaceful scene brought a sense of tranquility.

Apart from the top-floor offices of the Hokage Building.

"Ugh...this is so troublesome..."

A groan, almost draining of life force, drifted faintly from behind the mountain of official document scrolls.

Nara Shika, sporting two dark circles under his eyes so thick they were almost tangible, slumped in the large Hokage's seat, feeling as if his soul was slowly leaking out from the top of his head.

There is only one day left before the main fleet returns in triumph.

For him, the acting Hokage, those twenty-four hours were comparable to a most grueling S-rank mission.

He stretched out a finger and weakly brushed aside a document that was almost stuck to his face. The document had a striking title: "Preliminary Draft on the Scale and Procedures of the 'Welcome Ceremony for the Triumphant Return of Heroes'".

The deer's eyelid twitched.

He just wanted to temporarily look after the village for that guy who went to the front lines and made a name for himself, and maybe slack off a bit in the rear. Who knew that once the war ended, the real hell was just beginning.

These days, he feels like he's handled more reels of chess than he's ever played in his entire life.

Nara Shikaku picked up a request from the Konoha Police Force; the vice-commander, Uchiha Yatsushiro, had strong, powerful handwriting.

The request mainly involves applying for an additional budget to provide the troops responsible for security at the welcoming ceremony with brand-new ceremonial vests bearing both the Uchiha and Konoha insignia, and to request that an elite squad led by Uchiha Fugaku perform a flaming shuriken dance during the ceremony.

"...Even performing requires a report, and you need new clothes?"

Nara Shikaku muttered under his breath, feeling a headache coming on, "Flame Dance? You guys might as well go and steal the barbecue stall from the Akimichi family's victory celebration."

Despite his constant complaints, he still picked up his pen and wrote the character "准" (meaning "accurate") at the end of the scroll.

Now that the Uchiha clan has finally moved from the periphery to the core of the village, he has no reason not to support their active integration into the community and their sense of honor.

Sigh, for the sake of the village's stability and unity, let's just go through the trouble.

He tossed the scroll into the pile of approved documents, which was almost taller than him.

Next, Nara Shikanobu picked up a report from the Hyuga clan.

Ever since being tricked by Danzo, that infrastructure maniac, into joining Konoha's quality control department, the Hyuga clan members have become the most popular presence on various construction sites.

Their eye rolls are more useful than any other tool for inspecting engineering structures and detecting material defects.

The report is about applying for a special subsidy for white eye care.

The reason is that prolonged and intensive use of the white eye for microscopic examinations puts a great burden on the eyesight of the tribe members, requiring regular use of a specially made medicine for maintenance.

"Excessive screen time...a subsidy?"

The corner of the deer's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

This reason sounds so absurd, yet so reasonable!

He could even picture a Hyuga clansman staring intently at a steel bar for half an hour before pointing out a tiny air bubble inside.

"Approved! Approved!"

Nara Shikano waved his hand irritably, as if that would chase away his fatigue. "Give them another round of funding to collaborate with Tsunade's medical department and develop eye exercises!"

Next up, the Ninja Academy.

The proposal was made to grant the entire school a day off on the day the heroes returned in triumph, and to organize students to wave small flags at the village entrance to welcome them.

When Lu Jiao saw the application, his face, which was filled with despair, finally showed a trace of life.

"This is good, this makes sense."

He quickly approved, "Not only should we have a holiday, but we should also allocate funds from the village's finances so that every child can receive a tricolor dumpling and a candied apple at the celebration banquet."

Making the children happy is always a good thing.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

"Please come in."

A young ninja, with long black hair tied in a topknot like his, walked in. It was his son, Nara Shikaku, who had been temporarily assigned to be his second-in-command.

Shikaku's face was expressionless, but Nara Shikaku could see a trace of... sympathy in his eyes, which were exactly like his own.

"This is the final version of the postwar bonus budget submitted by each department, as well as the menu for the victory celebration banquet... It was sent by the Akimichi clan, who specifically requested that you take a look."

As he spoke, he gently placed the stack of new rolls he was holding onto the already rickety desk of the deer antlers.

"boom--"

With a soft click, the mountain of documents on the table grew even taller.

Deer Antlers felt his shadow dim in that instant. He even had an impulse to use Shadow Imitation Technique to control his shadow, go downstairs to buy two bottles of wine, and then find a place to lie down and die.

He resignedly picked up the top scroll containing the menu and slowly unrolled it.

"Appetizer: First Flutter of Leaves - Cold Cabbage Salad"

"Main Course 1: The Legacy of the Will of Fire - Akimichi's Secret Charcoal Roasted Whole Pig".

"Main Course Two: The Sharp Edge of White Teeth - Premium Pork Belly from Shuomao Farm".

"Soup: Whirlpool Bonds - Kelp Miso Soup"

"Dessert: The Childhood of the Three Ninjas - Three-Colored Dumpling Platter"

"..."

Nara Shikano stared blankly at the three-page menu, each dish name brimming with an epic feel and a strange sense of ritual.

He remained silent for a long time, then rolled up the scroll and shouted towards the door.

"Nara Shikaku!"

"Yes, Acting Hokage." The figure outside the door responded immediately.

"Go tell those guys from the Akimichi family that the menu is approved. But if I don't get to eat garlic cucumber at the victory celebration, I'll hang their barbecue restaurant's sign up to the Hokage Rock."

"……yes."

Nara Shikaku's reply carried a hint of barely suppressed laughter.

After dealing with this most outrageous menu, Deer Antler felt as if all his last bit of strength had been drained away.

He leaned back in his chair and turned to look out the window.

Under the sunlight, the three enormous faces on the Fire Shadow Rock stood solemnly and majestically.