Reborn as the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen

In the Hokage's office in Konoha Village, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at his desk wearing his Hokage robe, his bamboo hat placed to the side.

After reading the report in his hands, he knocked on the table and said sternly to Homura and Koharu, "No, this funding request cannot be approved." He tossed the evaluation report onto the table, his frustration evident.

Koharu looked surprised, "Hiruzen, this is for war pensions and disability allowances. If we don't distribute these, it will cause serious issues."

Hiruzen shook his head, "I never said we won't provide pensions or disability allowances. I'm saying this distribution plan is flawed. The village acknowledges the contributions of our ninjas, but do the ninjas themselves know whether they're serving the village or just their own clans?

Right now, the funds are being distributed to clan leaders, who then pass them down to their members. That's where the problem would arise. It means the recipients will be grateful to their clan leaders instead of the village. Moreover , what if a clan leader or elder embezzles part of the funds or doesn't distribute them fairly?

If that happens, they'll blame the village, not the clan leaders. The money comes from the village, but all the gratitude goes to the clans. If something goes wrong, we would be the one to take all the blame. Do you think that's fair?"

Hiruzen continued, "Konoha belongs to everyone, and we need to break these outdated divisions. As the Hokage and village elders, we must act for the good of the entire village.

That's why we need to reorganize the pension system. We'll register each recipient individually, and the village will distribute the payments directly. No intermediaries.

For disability allowances, we need a more detailed registration process. Every injured ninja is a valuable asset to Konoha. Some of them could even become instructors at the Ninja Academy. Their battlefield experience would be invaluable in the process of training the next generation.

Therefore, providing them with jobs isn't just financial support but it's the recognition of their service."

Homura and Koharu were left speechless by Hiruzen's words.

Ignoring their silence, he picked up another report and asked, "Homura, who is currently in charge of the Anbu?"

"There's no single overseer at the moment," Homura admitted, "The Anbu technically reports directly to the Hokage, but it's divided into different squads, each led by a captain."

Hiruzen frowned and called out, "Someone, come!"

After a long pause, no one answered. Hiruzen sighed, feeling slightly embarrassed, "Is no one stationed outside today? From now on, make sure there's always someone on duty at the door. If an emergency arises, we can't afford to delays."

He turned to Koharu, "Koharu, rewrite the pension and disability subsidy plan according to what I just said and while you're at it, bring Danzo here."

Koharu took the documents and left.

Hiruzen then turned back to Homura, "Does the Anbu have a proper selection process? I've noticed the quality of its members varies too much. Where are the current Anbu recruits coming from?"

Homura hesitated before replying, "Originally, the Anbu was formed under the First Hokage as the 'Special Assassination Unit.' At that time, the major clans were very exclusive, so the Anbu mostly consisted of ninjas from smaller families or recent Academy graduates. The First Hokage also wanted to train more civilian ninjas, which is why Konoha Academy was established in the first place."

Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on, "The Anbu isn't even living up to its name right now. It's supposed to be the Hokage's elite force, yet when I called for someone just now, no one even responded. So what exactly is the Anbu even doing?"

At that moment, the door swung open, and Danzo walked in.

"Danzo, you're here now take a look at the current state of the Anbu," Hiruzen said, handing him a file.

Danzo skimmed through it before setting it down, "The Anbu's purpose isn't clearly defined, and its structure is a mess. There are no proper rules or regulations."

Hiruzen nodded, "That's why I want to reorganize it into three divisions: Intelligence, Assassination, and Protection.

The Intelligence division will handle gathering information, whether through undercover agents or open surveillance.

The Assassination division will hunt down rogue ninjas and take care of sensitive missions that require Konoha to remain in the shadows.

The Protection division will guard the key figures in the village, like the senior ninja team that will soon be heading to the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron."*

Danzo scoffed, "Senior ninja team? Do you even have one in the Anbu? Right now, they're all weaklings. How can you take them out in public?"

Hiruzen chuckled, "Aren't you a senior ninja? I plan to send you to lead the team to the summit."

Danzo raised an eyebrow, "As an ambassador?"

"No, as a bodyguard."

Danzo frowned, "I don't want to babysit the Uchiha."

"How can you say that? They're part of the village," Hiruzen replied.

Danzo scoffed, "The Uchiha clan leader has never accepted your leadership. He opposes you at every turn, yet you're trusting him with something this important?"

Hiruzen smirked, "That's exactly why I'm sending you in order to keep an eye on him. I want to stabilize Konoha, but he keeps getting in my way. I can't use more drastic measures, so I have to send him elsewhere for now."

Danzo sighed, "Why don't you send someone else?"

Hiruzen glanced around, "Who? Homura, would you like to go? No? Koharu? You think she's not suited for this either? Then there's only you, Danzo."

Homura quickly waved his hands, "Yes, yes, Danzo is the perfect choice."

Hiruzen smiled, "Good, then it's settled. Now, back to the Anbu."

He continued, "I want to issue an open recruitment for the Anbu across the village. When there's no mission, members can take regular assignments like any other ninja but when they are needed, they'll wear masks and operate as an Anbu.

Also, there's been no fixed salary for Anbu members. From now on, they'll receive a base salary of 10,000 ryō per month, regardless of missions. On top of that, they'll get extra pay for assignments.

I don't believe the major clans will ignore this because many ninja clans are struggling financially. If their families try to stop them from joining, they'll only grow resentful or perhaps their clans will try to match the pay—but how long can they sustain that?

This is an open employment. No matter how the clans react, it will benefits the village."

Homura raised a concern,"what if the clan ninjas take the money and don't actually work? They could easily cooperate with their families to exploit this system."

Hiruzen shook his head, "That won't be a problem. Anbu members are required to carry out Anbu missions. If someone fails to do their job once, we can overlook it but if they make a habit of it, they'll be expelled.

Additionally, they have to collect their salaries directly from the Hokage's office. This means they'll interact with the village more often, which will create tensions within their own clans. As a result, their families will start questioning their loyalties towards the clan."

Homura frowned, "But if they're only doing part-time Anbu work, won't they be less committed? We're spending a lot of money just to recruit a bunch of ninja clan ."

Hiruzen sighed, "Nothing changes overnight. Be patient. Right now, the Anbu doesn't even have enough missions to keep everyone busy full-time. This is just a temporary measure. Once we cultivate more loyal ninjas within the village, we'll have a real Anbu force."

After a brief pause, Hiruzen turned to Homura, "I have a task for you."

Homura straightened, "Just tell me what needs to be done."

Hiruzen folded his hands, "I want to compile a history of Konoha—document everything from ten years before the village's founding to the present."

Homura raised an eyebrow, "That's about thirty years of history. What's the purpose of this?"

Hiruzen smiled, "First, it will honor the veterans who helped to build this village. By recording their achievements, we will acknowledge their contributions and reassure them that they haven't been forgotten.

Second, I need to verify a theory of mine—some things from the past need to be examined closely.

Lastly, this will serve as a guide for the younger generation. They need to learn more from our predecessors' experiences."

Danzo scoffed, "Hiruzen, you're being too naive. Do you really think they'll fall for this so easily? Those clan leaders aren't fools. They're all seasoned veterans—do you think they won't see through what you're doing?"

Homura chuckled, "See through it? That's the whole point—it's an open ploy."

Hiruzen sighed, "Conspiracies, schemes… call it whatever you like, but in the end, it's all for the good of the village. I don't believe those elders are so petty. By the way, go and assign a team of Anbu to guard my office. There's too much to handle every day, and I don't even have anyone to relay the orders properly. It's so frustrating when I call for someone and no one shows up. Also, bring Kagami here—I need to discuss a few things with him."

Danzo, looking irritated, turned and left.

Once he was gone, Hiruzen turned back to Homura,"Homura, when writing the history of Konoha, make sure it's fair and objective. However, we must highlight the achievements of our predecessors as much as possible. Focus on the hardships they endured while building the village. Avoid mentioning their past conflicts , if possible, leave them out entirely. We don't want to stir up old grudges. What should be a unifying project could easily turn into a source of division."

He paused then added, "Also, ask each clan to send a young representative to help you compile the history. It'll make them feel involved and help to ensure a broader perspective."

Hiruzen noticed that Homura had fallen silent, "Well? I'm still talking. Say something."

Homura smirked, "Go on, I'm listening."

Hiruzen frowned, "Don't you have any thoughts of your own? Give me some input! I can't think of everything on my own. You're supposed to help me identify the gaps in my plans."

Homura rolled his eyes, "Fine but honestly, I think you're handling it well. I don't have any better suggestions so I support your approach."

Hiruzen exhaled, "Alright then if any issues come up, we'll deal with them together. For now, let's get to work."

Homura picked up the documents, nodded, and left, closing the door behind him.