Sōgen walked briskly toward the Hokage Building, his face adorned with what he believed was a friendly and approachable smile. However, perhaps due to the disparity in status, the staff within the building scrambled to step aside whenever they saw him, clearing a path.

This route to the Hokage's office was one he had traversed countless times, so much so that he could find his way there with his eyes closed.

That is, as long as there were no new obstacles in his way.

Knock, knock!

Standing at the door, he knocked. "Lord Hokage, sorry to interrupt!"

After receiving permission from the office's owner, he opened the door and entered. Inside the spacious office, Sōgen saw that it wasn't just the Fifth Hokage, Akimichi Torifū, present. Sitting comfortably in the guest area was Jiraiya, who greeted him with a cheerful smile when he entered.

"Sōgen-kun, you're here too, huh?"

"Jiraiya-senpai?"

"Thanks to your advice last time, I spoke to Naruto about what he wanted. Thankfully, I didn't force a decision. Naruto isn't really ready to leave the village yet. I almost made a mistake."

"Is that so? Staying in the village for now isn't a bad idea." Sōgen shut the door behind him. "Naruto is still a bit too young. I've reviewed the memories of the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, and even he didn't go to Turtle Island to train until he was a teenager. Of course, he became a Jinchūriki later than Naruto, but there's no need to rush. Slow progress isn't a bad thing, especially since the village doesn't currently need the Jinchūriki to carry the burden."

"Haste makes waste, indeed! I was too hasty before, luckily you reminded me. Otherwise... sigh, I really lost my head there."

Jiraiya sighed deeply and sincerely thanked Sōgen.

"I'm kind of like Naruto's half-teacher, so looking out for the younger generation in the village is my duty. Plus, Naruto is incredibly talented. It would be a real shame to waste that potential."

"That secret Yang Release technique you taught him is impressive, Sōgen-kun. Well done."

Jiraiya's eyes twinkled with delight, clearly happier to praise Naruto's intelligence than to hear any compliment about himself.

Though Jiraiya was still not fifty years old, he was less than a year away from that milestone. At this point in life, though he hadn't fully let go of his feelings for Tsunade, he had long since abandoned the idea of having descendants. And with the Great Toad Sage's prophecy now revised, his obsession with finding the "Child of Prophecy" had slightly diminished. His focus was now entirely on Naruto.

In Jiraiya's eyes, the boy—whose name was taken from his first novel—was like his own grandson, someone he deeply cherished.

Ahem, ahem!

Sitting behind his desk, Akimichi Torifū cleared his throat helplessly. This was his office, after all! The two of them had gotten so carried away with their conversation that they'd completely ignored him. It was... frustrating!

"Sōgen-kun, what brings you here?" Torifū finally asked.

"Well, I have two things to discuss." Sōgen got straight to the point. "First, the reforms in the Police Department are going well. Even in the village's least populated areas, there are now patrols. Given a little more time, I believe the village's public safety will continue to improve."

"As long as it's effective, that's good. But there's no need to rush, Sōgen-kun. Long-term results are what matter in these matters. Patience and careful cultivation will pay off."

Torifū spoke earnestly, nearly spelling out, "Just manage your Police Department and don't interfere with the other departments." He was truly worried Sōgen might use the Police Department's success as a precedent to demand sweeping reforms across the entire village.

Torifū was not interested in such upheaval. In his view, the administrative system in Konoha didn't have any major flaws. The Police Department's issues were historical, stemming from suppression and marginalization during the Third Hokage's time. But the other departments didn't have such problems.

"I understand that. Each department has its own responsibilities, and one method can't work for everything. The Police Department has already encountered some issues. That's why I came here for some... assistance. We've expanded our staff several times over, and now we're running short on funds. Lord Hokage, I'm requesting some financial support."

"Ah, well..."

Torifū's face became troubled. "Sōgen-kun, how much of a shortfall are we talking about?"

"It's quite significant. I didn't expect the reforms to go so smoothly. When we submitted our budget request at the beginning of the year, we were already trying to be as generous as possible, but it turns out we were too conservative."

Sōgen smiled bitterly.

Konoha had a system where departments submitted budget requests every six months, with funds being allocated at the beginning and middle of the year. Once allocated, the Hokage's office didn't interfere with how departments spent the money. However, unless a major event occurred, no additional funds would be provided outside of these periods.

It was currently late February, about four months until the mid-year allocation.

The Police Department's funds, if things went well, might last two months. If not, they might run out in one month, definitely not enough to last until the mid-year allocation.

"We do have some reserve funds, but Sōgen-kun... opening this door is tricky. If we give extra funds to your department, other departments will expect the same, and the reserve won't be enough to satisfy everyone."

Torifū was clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

And he had a point. No department ever felt like they had too much money. Every department claimed to be underfunded, and nobody ever said they had more than they could spend.

However...

Just because it made sense didn't mean there weren't loopholes. The reserve fund existed for unforeseen emergencies. If the Hokage decided to release those funds, the other departments could only complain, but would likely settle for minimal increases.

Ultimately, securing those funds would require convincing the Hokage.

"I understand that, but I really have no other options. If I did, I wouldn't be here begging," Sōgen sighed. "While the Police Department's reforms are going well, fully straightening everything out will take at least four or five years. If we can't get through this immediate obstacle, we'll be delayed even longer. So please, Lord Hokage, I'm asking for your support."

"Four or five years, huh? That's... a long time. Alright, Sōgen-kun, submit a formal request with a reasonable justification—something that will prevent the other departments from following suit. I'll try to squeeze a bit more from the reserves for you."

Torifū sighed dramatically, but inwardly, he was relieved.

Four or five years wasn't bad. By then, he would be sixty-seven or sixty-eight years old. Realistically, with his current health, he probably only had a few more years left before he'd have to retire. Despite his large physique and the concerns about blood pressure that came with it, the Akimichi clan practiced Yang Release techniques, which allowed them to live relatively long lives—well into their seventies or eighties with proper care.

In comparison, the average life expectancy in the Land of Fire was less than thirty.

And for the ninja community, even in Konoha, the average life expectancy was under twenty-five.

Having survived the ravages of three Ninja World Wars, with even academy students sometimes sent to the frontlines, few ninja ever lived to old age. Torifū considered himself fortunate to have made it this far, despite the irreversible damage his body had suffered from using family secret medicines like 'Spinach Pills' and 'Curry Pills' to push his physical limits in battle. Otherwise, he might have been able to serve as Hokage for another ten or twenty years.

But as things stood, he was content. Compared to his comrades and friends, who had died decades ago, reaching this age felt like a great blessing. Plus, if he had been healthier, he might never have become Hokage in the first place.

Relieved, Torifū smiled internally, while Sōgen saw no downside. As he often reminded himself, now was not the time to compete for the position of Sixth Hokage. Handling the Police Department alone was already keeping him plenty busy. His training time had been severely cut back, and where he used to spend time guiding his students and sister, lately he'd left them to train on their own.

Though, to be fair, the recent Police Department reforms had played a large part in that.

Still, in the coming years, Sōgen planned to shift his focus back to his own training: unraveling the mysteries of the Flame Fan, Banana Fan, and Amber Purifying Bottle; delving deeper into the essence of Yin and Yang Release; experimenting with new ways to unlock the Rinnegan; and continuing his research into White Zetsu's cell transplantation techniques...

There was a long list of things awaiting his attention.

Having Torifū stay as Hokage for another four or five years fit perfectly into his plans.

"Oh right, Sōgen-kun, you mentioned two things. What was the second one?"

Torifū asked.

"Ah! This... it's still about the Police Department, a missing person case," Sōgen reported truthfully. As soon as he spoke, his eyes darted around nervously, while Jiraiya, who had been contemplating whether to take his leave, suddenly focused his attention, straightening up in his seat.

"A missing person case?" Akimichi Torifū rubbed the short stubble on his chin and frowned slightly. A missing person case... While it wasn't exactly a minor issue, it certainly shouldn't be something that required the attention of the Hokage. What could be the underlying problem here? His mind raced, and in a flash of insight, he recalled an old precedent.

His heart sank. Could this be another story involving Orochimaru? As Orochimaru came to mind, he instinctively glanced at Jiraiya and, noticing his serious expression, became even more convinced of his suspicion. His mood grew heavier, wondering who in the village might have committed such a grave offense this time.

"A patrol squad in the new development district recently discovered that construction workers have been disappearing..." Sōgen continued briefing on the case, unaware that both the Fifth Hokage and Jiraiya had completely misunderstood the situation. "According to the squad's investigation, the missing persons case seems to be connected to the Special Envoys' Residence, and there's a possibility that the mastermind behind it might be the envoy stationed in Konoha from the Daimyō's mansion, so I..."

"Isn't someone researching forbidden jutsu?" Akimichi Torifū blurted out, interrupting Sōgen mid-sentence.

Sōgen was momentarily stunned. "Researching forbidden techniques? Is this intelligence from the Anbu? So the Anbu is already investigating this case?"

"No, wait a minute, Sōgen. How did the Anbu get involved?" Akimichi Torifu rubbed his temples hard, trying to untangle the confusion in his head, and asked again, "Wasn't this missing persons case discovered by you guys while investigating someone researching forbidden techniques? I thought this was another Orochimaru case! And just to clarify, I haven't received any reports from the Anbu about this."

Sōgen paused for a couple of seconds before realizing the misunderstanding and laughed helplessly. "We're still not sure exactly where the missing people went. I just assumed the Anbu was also investigating this case... The investigation is ongoing, but since we found out that the case might be linked to the Envoy's Office, continuing the investigation could cause friction or even conflict with them, so I came to report it in advance."

This time, without interruption, Akimichi Torifu and Jiraiya both understood what was going on.

Jiraiya's previously tense expression softened slightly. Bringing up a missing persons case reminded him of Orochimaru, whose initial exposure for conducting human experiments started with frequent disappearances in the village that led to an investigation, which eventually pointed to Orochimaru.

Of course, a missing person case is never a good thing, so Jiraiya still looked serious.

In comparison, the Fifth Hokage was caught in a dilemma. While it was a relief that this wasn't another Orochimaru case, when he realized what Sōgen had just said, his heart sank again. Why did it have to involve the Envoy's Office? The relationship between the Daimyo's court and the village of Konoha was delicate. Before, he hadn't felt this tension, but after becoming Hokage, he realized that the Daimyo's court and Konoha were like two hedgehogs huddling for warmth. They couldn't be too far apart, or they'd be frozen by the harsh winds of the shinobi world. The Land of Fire needed Konoha's military strength to defend against external threats, and Konoha needed the Land of Fire to provide a favorable environment.

But they couldn't get too close either. The Fire Daimyo couldn't ignore the fact that his most powerful military force was operating independently without his direct control, and Konoha had become accustomed to its high level of autonomy under the Hokage's leadership. The shinobi would never accept being ruled by the sluggish, bureaucratic system of the Daimyo's court.

Therefore, every Hokage and Fire Daimyo had to carefully maintain this delicate balance between the village and the country.

The Daimyo couldn't forcefully take over Konoha, and because of the subtle influence of the one-nation, one-village system, few in Konoha ever thought about overthrowing the Daimyo's court and taking control of the Land of Fire themselves. As a result, maintaining the balance between the village and the country became crucial.

"Are you certain it's related to the Envoy?"

Akimichi Torifu asked.

"We're not sure yet. We've only found some connections to the Envoy's Office in the investigation so far. It's still unclear whether the mastermind is the Envoy, someone within the Envoy's Office, or several individuals. The truth will only come out after further investigation."

"...Is there any way to investigate without alerting the Envoy?"

"Well... if the mastermind is the Envoy or someone close to him, it's almost impossible not to alert him," Sōgen hinted tactfully.

Akimichi Torifu rubbed his forehead in frustration. What rotten luck. Why did the Police Force have to discover this? If the Anbu had found out first, there might have been a chance to handle it quietly without alerting outsiders. But now that the Police Force was involved and Jiraiya had heard everything, there was no way they could abandon the investigation or deal with it secretly in the name of preserving the bigger picture.

As Hokage, he couldn't afford to lose face like that.

"Then... investigate! Let the Anbu... forget it, Sōgen, let the Police Force continue the investigation. But remember, unless you have solid evidence linking the missing persons to the Envoy, avoid any direct conflict with the Envoy's Office. The priority is to find out where the missing people went. If the situation isn't too severe, we still need to save some face for the Daimyo."

"I understand. Don't worry, I'll personally oversee this matter," Sōgen responded earnestly.