Chapter 267

In the Konoha Cemetery, Ye Shan and Anbu Daozhi were still squatting and kneeling. After a long time, he said softly: "I'm sorry, I was impulsive just now and shouldn't have hit you."

"Well done, Hokage-sama!"

Dao Zhi kept repeating this sentence, which made Ye Shan feel even more guilty: "You can kick me twice, or I will feel bad."

Dao Zhi is not a very smart person, he is not mentally ill. Regardless of the hierarchy, he is in the right, so what if he scolds him a few times? Who made me not dare to stand up and support him in the first place?

Ye Shan was tired of squatting, so he sat in the mud and said, "I'm not really blaming you. You have parents and children, so you're in a dilemma. It's just that I was upset today and couldn't control my temper and hit you. I definitely didn't mean any other thing."

"Well done, Hokage-sama!"

"..."

"When Kakashi comes back, you will retire from the Anbu and become an ordinary jonin again. It's easy to have psychological problems if you stay in the shadows all the time."

Daozhi was confused. Since he joined the Anbu at the age of fifteen, he had long been accustomed to the current pace of life and never thought that one day he would stand under the sun.

"Kakashi can't continue to carry out ordinary missions. He has too many enemies. I intend to arrange for him to serve in the New Rain Country. You will be responsible for the protection mission."

Ye Shan stared at the color photo of Hatake Sakumo and said, "Not only you, but everyone in the yard went to protect him. This way I can feel more at ease."

"Yes!"

"Go back and rest. Remember to drink some hot water if the rain gets heavy."

Dao Zhi bowed respectfully, looked at him deeply and left, leaving Ye Shan sitting alone in the mud.

"When a person dies, it's like a light goes out. You're living a carefree life down there, but you don't know how hard it is for Kakashi and I." Ye Shan whispered his thoughts, "There aren't many people who support us in the village, but there are many who oppose us. Everything we do is difficult. We've finally survived the long winter, but the real test is coming."

"I intend to initiate an unprecedented change. The reason why it is called unprecedented is that the change involves land ownership. The land has been in the hands of the nobles for thousands of years. Even the Konohagakure Village nominally belongs to the daimyo. You can imagine how difficult it would be to make changes."

"But things need to be done, otherwise my new policies will be a joke. The Ninja World War has just ended. If the reform measures are too drastic, it will easily lead to a new war. When I am alive, I can suppress the enemy village, but people will die eventually. Who should I entrust the next things to? Kakashi has had some problems with his thinking in recent years, which indirectly led to his strength not reaching a level that satisfies me. The Kage of Konoha Village is appointed by the capable. Kakashi may be the tallest among the short ones, but he is not the best candidate. He does not have a strong family to support him. If you are still alive, you may give it a try."

"After all, it seems that I have many choices, but in fact, there is only one - Uchiha Itachi. I know that you hate the Uchiha clan from the bottom of your heart and think that they are all a bunch of psychopaths who often do things without considering the consequences. But there is really no other option. I am worried about being held responsible after my death. If the Third Hokage's lineage takes the throne, it is very likely that the new policy will be ruined. Of course, I cannot guarantee that the Uchiha clan will follow the path I have designed. After all, it is difficult to see through people's hearts."

"Itachi Uchiha has a big heart. He has been able to consider others since he was a child. He also has a strong sense of the overall situation. He will sacrifice personal interests for the benefit of the group. He is a true Hokage seedling. I intend to support him to become the fifth Hokage in a hundred years. Only he can withstand pressure from all sides and implement the new policy."

"Don't blame me for being disloyal. Kakashi is undoubtedly excellent, but he only has small love in his heart and no great love. He only sees the good and bad of the people around him and has no interest in other people. You two are completely different people. Sometimes I even doubt whether he is your child."

"The death of Uchiha Obito has made him depressed for half a year. If a few more die, I dare not imagine what he will become. A person's capacity determines the upper limit of his future. This is what you taught me. Now it has become the standard for measuring your son's future. One can't help but sigh that things are unpredictable."

Ye Shan poured a glass of wine, but he was reluctant to share it with Haruyu, so he drank it all by himself and continued, "To be honest, there is nothing to do in the position of Hokage. There is no blessing, but it is common to work hard. Thinking about this and that all day long is simply boring."

"Don't think I'm showing off, this is the truth. Kakashi can be the second-in-command in the future, in charge of the Anbu, the Root and other powerful departments. I think his life will not be too bad. If he can make some achievements in the New Rain Country, the Ninjutsu Research Association will be handed over to him. Anyway, you can rest assured that no one will treat him unfairly."

"Shimura Danzo is dead. I beat him to death with my own hands. So please don't come to me in dreams for no reason, as if you have been wronged. It is immoral to disturb someone's sweet dreams."

Ye Shan drank glass after glass of wine and soon he felt dizzy. He staggered to his feet, stroked the color photo, and said meaningfully: "You are an out-and-out saint. You always consider others when doing things, but you taught a selfish guy. I will soon become a Hokage who will be condemned by thousands of people. Countless people want to tear my tendons and skin me alive. You can chat with me in my dreams from time to time, but there are some things I can only tell you."

"Let's go. I'm going to go see Shancheng Chen and curse him a little. I don't know what happened to that guy recently. He was absent from my dreams and made me very worried. I'll come to see you next time I have time. I hope everything goes well for you down there."

Ye Shan straightened up, swept away the sadness and depression, and turned into the Hokage who looked down upon the world. He walked in the rain without looking around, walking away from the once vibrant lives, until he turned into a blurry little black dot.

.......

That night, Nara Shikaku was sleeping soundly with his wife in his arms when he was awakened by the sound of crickets. It was raining heavily at the time, and the wind chimes under the quaint eaves kept ringing, interweaving into the most comfortable lullaby for people. And where did the sound of crickets come from in spring?

Nara Shikaku turned over impatiently and was about to ignore the chirping of crickets and continue to sleep, but a few seconds later he suddenly sat up with his eyes wide open, and as expected, woke up his sleeping wife.

"What's wrong?" A dazed voice covered the chirping of crickets.

"I have to pee urgently. I'm going to the bathroom. You can continue sleeping." Nara Shikaku said softly.

Soon, the sound of steady breathing reached his ears. Nara Shikaku quietly got off the bed, closed the wooden door, and came under the eaves. The sound of crickets was made by humans, indicating an emergency.

Nara Shikaku asked calmly while wearing Konoha's standard vest: "What happened?"

An ANBU directly under the Hokage knelt in the courtyard and replied, "Team A is back."

Nara Shikaku suddenly felt something was wrong. Team A had only been out of the village for about ten hours to carry out the order of the Hokage. Why did they return to the village at this time? Could it be that something big had happened to Kakashi?

"Where's Team Kakashi?"

"Three dead and one seriously injured!"

"Sigh~"

What you fear will come true. Nara Shikaku bit his tongue to calm down and asked the most critical question: "Is Kakashi dead?"

"No, he is currently receiving treatment at Konoha Hospital!"

"Whoo~"

It's good that he didn't die. Nara Shikaku knew clearly what the Hokage did this afternoon. If Kakashi died accidentally, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Immediately send someone to ask Lady Tsunade to go to the hospital to treat Kakashi and ensure his safety!"

"Lady Tsunade is on duty tonight and is already participating in the treatment."

Nara Shikaku felt a little relieved. With the help of Lady Tsunade and the excellent equipment of Konoha Hospital, Kakashi's life was saved.

"Who is on duty today, Hokage?"

"Team B."

"Take my warrant and go to the Anbu to declare a state of emergency. All resting ninjas must gather and wait for orders from the Hokage!"

"Send someone to invite Vice Hokage Uchiha Keiji to the office and ask him to mobilize the Root ninjas to stand by!"

"From now on, all missions above A-rank will be suspended in the mission department. All jonin will stay in the village and wait for orders!"

Besides, Nara Shikaku has never been a show-off. As the head of the Hokage's office, he has the right to mobilize the forces within the village in times of emergency. Of course, he can only restrain them and not drive them.

Now Kakashi's team had three dead and one injured. Even if we ignore his sensitive identity, the village lost two elite jonin and an excellent medical ninja at once, which was a big event. If a jonin was lost in peacetime, there would always be accountability afterwards.

After arranging his duties, Nara Shikaku became melancholy instead. He didn't know how to report this matter to the Hokage. He knew that the Hokage drank a lot of wine in front of Hatake Sakumo's grave in the afternoon, and he drank without eating a single peanut.

But when the time came, Nara Shikaku did not dare to delay. He dressed neatly and went to the Hokage's house in the rain and knocked on the door.

With the continuous spring rain and the alcohol in his body, Ye Shan slept soundly tonight, and it was rare that he didn't have any dreams. But he was awakened by a knock on the door, and his brows knitted tightly. After a few seconds, he turned on the bedroom light and shouted, "Come in!"

A moment later, Nara Shikaku walked into the bedroom barefoot with water stains on his feet. When he saw him, he half-knelt down with an unpleasant look of sadness on his face.

"Why did you wake me up so late? Did something happen?" Ye Shan asked, half leaning against the head of the bed, sipping the tea that had already gone cold.

"Hokage-sama, Kakashi's team encountered danger, resulting in a major accident with three deaths and one injury. Fortunately, Kakashi himself is still alive and is being rescued by Lady Tsunade herself."

The tea in Ye Shan's mouth froze. He opened his mouth to say something, but the tea leaked out and wet his quilt.

"What did you say?"

Nara Shikaku lowered his head deeply, not daring to repeat what he had just said, because he knew that the Hokage had heard every word of it, but just didn't want to believe it.

Ye Shan looked down at the wet quilt, then at the water cup in his left hand, but his eyes inadvertently caught the photo of Hatake Sakumo's bright smile on the bedside table. For a moment, his breathing became rapid, his face flushed, and his heartbeat suddenly accelerated. An indescribable feeling flooded into his brain, making him inexplicably feel like vomiting.

"Ugh~"

Finally, Ye Shan couldn't suppress the discomfort in his stomach and vomited on the bed. There was no food residue in the vomit, but yellow liquid, even mixed with a little blood.

Nara Shikaku just took a glance, then hurriedly lowered his head and dared not look again, with a huge wave of emotions rising in his heart.

The young and strong Hokage actually vomited blood from his stomach. If this were to get out, it would definitely cause an uproar!

Ye Shan swallowed hard, resisting the discomfort in his body, and said calmly, "Raise your head."

Nara Shikaku did as he was told and focused his eyes on the Hokage's face, forcing himself not to look at the bloody vomit.

"Tell me, what did you just see?"

"To reply to Lord Hokage, I didn't see anything just now!"

"Very good! You are a smart person, you should know what to say and what not to say, and I don't want to waste my words. It is inevitable that people will feel uncomfortable in their stomachs after drinking too much, do you understand?"

Nara Shikaku was sweating profusely, and he quickly replied, "I know!"

Ye Shan nodded with satisfaction, put down the cup in his hand, got off the bed and stood on the floor, saying: "Whenever there is a big event, we should remain calm. As the helmsman of Konohagakure, we must not lose our composure! The loss of Kakashi's team is certainly heartbreaking, but in the final analysis it is just a small matter, and it is far from shaking the foundation!"

"Inform Uchiha Keiji and Namikaze Minato that a meeting will be held in the Hokage's office in a quarter of an hour. Also pass on my order to arrest the person in charge of the mission office!"

"Yes!"

"Send an envoy to the Land of Water tonight to question the culprit. Order the Mizukage to give me a reasonable explanation within five days, otherwise the envoy will not be the only one going next time!"

"Yes!"

Ye Shan thought about it carefully, and then said: "The person in charge of the mission department will be kept for the time being, and the Konoha Law Enforcement Team will be held accountable for dereliction of duty."

"As ordered!"

"Get up! You're so anxious that you're sweating. I thought the sky was falling!"

Nara Shikaku climbed up and followed the Hokage, not daring to breathe.

"I am the sky of Konoha, I am the mountain of Konoha. As long as I, Baiyunyeshan, am here, Konoha will never collapse! Next time you encounter something, stay calm and don't be so rash. You are all going to be fathers soon, you should learn to be calm and indifferent."

Listening to the Hokage's nonchalant rebuke, Nara Shikaku calmed down for some reason. The sky was falling and there were tall people to support it, so there was no point in panicking.

Ye Shan flicked his hand casually, and a grain of chakra the size of a rice grain flew out happily from his fingertips and landed accurately on the quilt. In an instant, a ball of orange-red flame rose up and burned the quilt to ashes after a few seconds. The strange thing was that the mattress underneath was unharmed.

Just based on this pinnacle chakra control ability, Ye Shan deserves to be called Ye Shan. Do you really think that the name of Konoha Mountain can be given to anyone?