Tsunade Can Hear My Inner Voice novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - 14: The Daimyō's Scheme

There was no denying it—Tsunade was truly a responsible Hokage.

That towering stack of documents, half a meter high, had to be reviewed and approved one by one, with corrections meticulously written where necessary.

As for Kamizuki Hikari, the moment Shizune arrived, he immediately took the opportunity to slack off.

"Shizune, go fetch some medical records. Let Hikari study them. Lee has been refusing to give up on becoming a shinobi. I've decided to give him a chance."

Shizune obediently left the office to retrieve the records.

[Tsk tsk, Shizune is really obedient!]

[She's also quite well-off. I wonder if Kakashi would be into someone like her... Should I play matchmaker for them?]

Kakashi: "I really appreciate it!"

Tsunade ignored someone's random thoughts. Kamizuki Hikari had all sorts of absurd musings every day. If she didn't learn to tune him out, she would probably suffer from a mental breakdown sooner or later.

The only sounds left in the office were the steady strokes of Tsunade's pen as she reviewed documents.

*Knock knock knock!*

"Hokage-sama, it's me, Shikaku!" Nara Shikaku's composed voice came from outside the door.

"Come in, Shikaku!" Tsunade responded while continuing to review the files. Only after hearing the door open did she set aside the document she had just finished, raising her head to look at Nara Shikaku.

"Tsunade-sama."

Nara Shikaku bowed respectfully, earning a nod of approval from Hikari.

[No wonder the Third Hokage liked Shikaku so much. This guy is smart and knows how to show proper etiquette. Not bad, not bad at all!]

Tsunade glanced at Hikari, who was slacking off in the corner, and shot him a fierce glare.

If you recognize someone else's good qualities, why not take the initiative to learn from them?

Slacking off in the office every day... People were already starting to suspect she was keeping him as a lover!

"Shikaku, go ahead."

Nara Shikaku took out an official document and respectfully placed it on Tsunade's desk.

"This is a letter from the Daimyō, inviting you to report on your duties and discuss this year's military budget."

Tsunade took the letter, casually set it aside, and smirked.

"Looks like that old man isn't completely useless yet. After being the Daimyō for so many years, he still has some tricks up his sleeve."

"What's your take on this, Shikaku?"

Shikaku had already anticipated this discussion. Upon hearing Tsunade's question, he answered immediately: "It's standard protocol for a new Hokage to report to the Daimyō after taking office. Nothing unusual about that. However, since the Daimyō specifically brought up the military budget, there's definitely something suspicious. We don't have much intel on the Daimyō's court, so I can't determine where the issue lies just yet."

Tsunade tapped her index finger on the desk rhythmically, clearly deep in thought.

The military budget was the backbone of a shinobi village. If the Daimyō decided to cut funding, it would significantly undermine her authority. If the cuts were severe, she might even become the shortest-serving Hokage in history.

"Hikari, what's your opinion?"

Still in the midst of slacking off, Kamizuki Hikari was caught off guard when Tsunade called his name. He blinked in confusion.

Shikaku glanced at him briefly before shifting his gaze back to Tsunade. Seeing that she merely frowned but wasn't actually angry, he immediately understood.

Love me, love my dog, as the saying goes.

Hikari bore a striking resemblance to the Second Hokage. It wasn't surprising that Tsunade, out of her respect for Senju Tobirama, treated him with favor.

Compared to how the Third Hokage had filled Konoha's leadership with his own trusted subordinates, Tsunade merely showing favoritism to one person was hardly a big deal.

Even if something did happen between Tsunade and Hikari, Shikaku wouldn't be surprised. In fact, he'd be quite entertained by it.

"The Daimyō has invited me to report on my duties and discuss the military budget. What are your thoughts?"