Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

When Natsuro descended from the Hokage Tower, he stretched and let out a sigh of relief. Finally, everything was over.

Overall, he was satisfied. His objectives had been achieved: Danzo was dealt with, his power was demonstrated, and Naruto's true identity was revealed.

"Thank you, Natsuro," Naruto said earnestly as he caught up to him.

"No need to thank me. This is the recognition you deserved all along," Natsuro replied, patting Naruto on the shoulder. "Now, make sure you live up to the promises you made to everyone."

"I will!" Naruto nodded vigorously.

"By the way, how did the Nine-Tails react?" Natsuro asked, curious.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "It called me an idiot and then went quiet. So mean."

Hearing this, Natsuro chuckled but didn't comment further. Watching Naruto, he was glad to see that even with his newfound identity, Naruto remained the same cheerful self.

Helping Naruto reclaim his identity hadn't been a spur-of-the-moment decision. It was something he had planned since their time together in Mount Myoboku when Naruto had shared his Sage Mode with him. This wasn't about changing Naruto but about giving him what was rightfully his, his heritage and his father's legacy.

"Well, I'll head back to the office now. I still need to go over some things with Lady Tsunade," Natsuro said.

"Got it! I'll keep working hard!" Naruto replied, brimming with energy.

When Natsuro entered the Hokage's office, he found Jiraiya already waiting for him.

"Natsuro, thank you for what you did for Naruto," Jiraiya said, his tone unusually solemn.

"He already thanked me," Natsuro replied with a small smile. "Besides, it was something I wanted to do."

Jiraiya nodded, understanding. He also realized that while he had a deep personal connection to Naruto, Natsuro's bond with the boy was different yet just as meaningful.

"Well, I'm still grateful," Jiraiya said, scratching his head with a grin.

At that moment, Tsunade entered the office with Shizune in tow.

"Oh, Jiraiya, you're here too," Tsunade said, giving him a look of mild disdain.

"Of course. I've got some intel to pass on to the Hokage. Though, I thought I'd be giving it to you, didn't expect to hand it over to Natsuro so soon," Jiraiya replied with a chuckle.

Tsunade turned to Natsuro. "By the way, you don't need to call me 'Lady Tsunade' anymore. You're the Hokage now. It wouldn't sound right if someone overheard."

"Then... how about 'Granny Tsunade'?" he teased, echoing Naruto's favorite nickname for her.

Tsunade froze, her face darkening. She stormed over, slamming her hand on the desk in front of Natsuro with a grin that was more menacing than amused. "You little brat, couldn't you pick up some better habits instead of learning all the bad ones?"

Despite her tone, everyone familiar with Tsunade could tell she wasn't genuinely angry.

"Alright, then... how about 'Big Sister Tsunade'?" Natsuro offered, looking at the youthful Tsunade with mock seriousness.

Tsunade paused, clearly caught off guard. Then, a satisfied smile spread across her face. Patting Natsuro on the shoulder, she said, "Not bad, kid. You've got taste!"

Jiraiya, however, burst into laughter. "Tsunade, how old are you again? And you're letting him call you 'Big Sister'?"

Tsunade shot him a deadly glare, and Jiraiya instantly fell silent, swallowing the rest of his laughter.

"Fine," she said, turning back to Natsuro. "If not 'Big Sister,' just call me 'Sensei,' like Jiraiya does."

"Hey, hey, don't go stealing my student!" Jiraiya protested.

"Oh, please," Tsunade retorted with a smirk. "You barely taught him anything. You're just a figurehead."

"Well..." Jiraiya faltered, realizing she had a point.

"Alright then, 'Sensei' it is," Natsuro agreed. Then, with a mischievous grin, he added, "Unless you want me to call you 'Lady Tsunade' until Jiraiya-sensei earns himself a new title, like 'Husband.'"

Jiraiya's face turned red as he glanced at Tsunade.

Tsunade let out a soft huff, avoiding his gaze but not outright rejecting the notion.

Seeing this, a spark of hope lit up in Jiraiya's eyes. Maybe... just maybe...

After the playful banter had settled down, Tsunade glanced around at Natsuro's surroundings and asked, "Didn't you have Ino come over to be your secretary?"

"No, Ino is still in the middle of her growth phase. It's better not to tie her down with something like this," Natsuro replied.

Truthfully, Ino was indeed well-suited for the position of secretary, not just because of their relationship but also due to her Yamanaka clan's secret techniques. Especially her Mind Transmission Jutsu, which would make communication incredibly convenient.

"I see. Come to think of it, you're still in your growth phase too, aren't you?" Tsunade suddenly realized that Natsuro was only fifteen years old.

But Natsuro's demeanor and capabilities were so far beyond his years that she had unconsciously overlooked this fact. Looking at him more closely now, Tsunade couldn't help but marvel once again.

At such a young age, he already possessed incredible power. It wasn't far-fetched to think he might surpass her grandfather someday.

"Yes, but the Hokage position won't interfere much with my growth," Natsuro said calmly. One of his Spiritualized Shadow Clones would be more than enough to handle the paperwork. Plus, he was planning some reforms.

In his opinion, tying down the village's strongest combatant to an office was a foolish waste of resources. He hadn't been in a position to voice this before, but now that it was his turn, he intended to make some changes.

"As long as you know what you're doing," Tsunade said, nodding. Then she raised an eyebrow and suggested, "How about I lend you Shizune for a few years?"

Shizune froze for a moment, then hurriedly protested, "Lady Tsunade, I can't! I still need to take care of you—"

"I'm a grown woman; I don't need constant care," Tsunade said, waving dismissively before winking at Natsuro.

Natsuro was momentarily exasperated. He understood what Tsunade was thinking, she probably wanted some freedom to go gamble and drink without Shizune nagging her all the time.

He glanced at Jiraiya, wondering how much wealth the man had accumulated through missions. It was probably enough to fund Tsunade's habits for a while.

"But..." Shizune tried to object again.

"There's no need, Tsunade-sensei," Natsuro interjected. "I already have someone in mind for the position of secretary."

"Oh? Who?" Tsunade asked, surprised.

"Nara Shikaku," Natsuro replied.

Tsunade nodded in approval. Shikaku was an excellent choice. He was experienced, level-headed, and closely connected to Natsuro.

"Plus, this way, when Shikamaru matures, he can seamlessly inherit the role from his father," Natsuro explained.

As for Ino? Well, being the Hokage's wife would certainly be a better position than secretary, wouldn't it?

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Currently on Chapter 297 - Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Destruction)