034 Reborn as the Third Kazekage

"I propose restructuring all three-man ninja squads into four-man teams, with the additional member serving as a medical ninja. Moreover, all combat strategies should revolve around the medical ninja. I firmly believe that such an arrangement will significantly enhance the survival rate of every ninja squad on the battlefield. To support this strategy, I've outlined three principles:

A medical ninja must never abandon treatment while a teammate is still alive.

A medical ninja must never stand on the front lines during combat.

A medical ninja must never die before any other squad member.

This is the proposal I submit for your consideration. The detailed report is in front of you, and I hope the committee will adopt these recommendations."

Tsunade finished speaking and plopped down into the seat at the hearing bench, crossing her legs and taking a sip of the tea before her. Confidence radiated from her smile as she awaited questions.

Arashi had been bold in his personnel decisions. Whether it was Hokuto for the Lake Tsuki New District, Karuke for the construction corps, or Rasa and Yura from the Hourglass Group, all were promising young Jonin. For such a critical position as the medical division, he had directly entrusted Tsunade, an outsider, with the responsibility. He had even elevated the medical division to the status of a department. To balance the opinions of Sunagakure's senior leadership, Chiyo had been nominally assigned the title of "Head of the Medical Department." However, everyone knew that Chiyo was primarily focused on the Intelligence Bureau and the ANBU, leaving the real authority in the hands of Tsunade, who was both Deputy Minister and the hospital's director.

When faced with opposition, Arashi dismissed it with disdain. What outsider or insider? Utilizing the right talent was paramount. Tsunade had been personally recruited by him from Konohagakure, and if anyone opposed, they were free to find someone of equal or greater skill. If they couldn't, they had better keep quiet. Besides, weren't the talents cultivated by Tsunade within the Sunagakure medical department and hospital staying in the village? This was a resource kept entirely in-house—what was there to argue about?

Tsunade had not disappointed Arashi's trust. While her status in Konoha was noble (she was, after all, the granddaughter of the First Hokage), her youth had limited her influence. Many of her ideas and proposals were neither accepted nor implemented. In Sunagakure, however, it was different. Arashi had given her absolute trust and authority. With a blank slate, she could create a masterpiece.

In just six months, Tsunade had overhauled Sunagakure's medical environment. She built hospitals, trained medical ninjas, established laboratories, and even cultivated medicinal herb gardens on the village outskirts and in the Lake Tsuki New District. These bold moves earned Tsunade recognition from all factions within Sunagakure.

Tsunade had proposed similar ideas in Konoha before, but they had been rejected by the Third Hokage due to a lack of personnel and technical feasibility at the time.

As for the hearing committee, it was a new institution born from reforms inspired by the Second Kazekage's Elder Advisory Council. Arashi had intentionally shared some of his authority with village elders and clan representatives. This gesture naturally garnered support from Sunagakure's leadership. Every new policy was brought before the hearing committee for consultation and debate, ensuring its feasibility and reducing resistance to implementation.

This reform also allowed various factions within Sunagakure to participate in decision-making and mitigated risks of dictatorship or overreach by Arashi (though in truth, Arashi was simply too lazy to micromanage everything and preferred giving the elder council something to occupy their time). From the outset, Arashi had set the tone for the hearing committee: decisions should focus solely on right or wrong, benefit or harm, and avoid partisan politics or bias. Constructive criticism was welcomed, but sensationalism or disruptive behavior was not tolerated. This approach made the committee both efficient and practical.

...

"I have a question. I'd like Deputy Minister Tsunade to answer," said Elder Uchikusa, the head of the Personnel Department, raising his hand.

"Please, go ahead," Tsunade replied with a calm smile, gesturing for him to speak.

"While I agree that adding a medical ninja to the traditional three-person squads would improve survival rates, wouldn't it also reduce the combat effectiveness of the team?"

"I don't think so. Please turn to page three of my report," Tsunade said, pointing to her document. "It clearly states that the medical ninja in a combat squad is not merely a healer but also possesses combat capabilities. The medical ninja's primary role is to provide medical support, allowing the squad's overall combat performance to be sustained over a longer period."

"I see no further issues," Uchikusa said after carefully reviewing the section.

"I have a question," Elder Chiyo said, raising her hand.

"Go ahead," Tsunade responded.

"Your plan involves reorganizing all of Sunagakure's tactical squads—over three thousand teams and nearly ten thousand people. However, I've estimated that we don't currently have enough medical ninjas to meet this demand. How do you propose addressing this issue?"

Tsunade thought for a moment before answering.

"Elder Chiyo's concern touches on another topic: the training of medical ninjas. I have some ideas about this, though they're not fully developed yet. Since the Kazekage and all representatives are here, I'll share my preliminary thoughts.

"First, we'll integrate existing resources. We'll register all current medical ninjas and allocate them more efficiently. For instance, if Squad A already has a member who can serve as a medical ninja, they'll only need one additional combat ninja. However, Squad B, which lacks a medical ninja, will need a newly trained one. All medical ninjas will undergo standardized training before being deployed.

"Second, we'll identify capable and willing individuals from current combat squads and train them as medical ninjas to fill the gaps.

"Finally, we'll establish specialized medical training programs at the ninja academy, creating a tradition of cultivating medical ninjas from a young age. This approach should resolve the issue in time. Elder Chiyo, does this address your concerns?"

The room fell silent as everyone processed Tsunade's response.

"This plan will be costly," said Elder Shiro, head of the Finance Department. "Reorganization, training, and ninja academy expansions—this will cost no less than fifty million ryō."

"I'll say this," Arashi interjected. "Improving our ninja's combat capabilities is worth the cost. We cannot afford to be shortsighted."

He paused and gestured toward Tsunade. "I have a feeling that Deputy Minister Tsunade's proposal represents the future of warfare in the ninja world. The earlier we implement these reforms, the lower the costs and the greater the benefits. Let's vote!"

Arashi raised a green card. The committee rules were clear: green for approval, red for rejection, white for abstention. Proposals required a majority to pass.

"Out of 25 votes, 17 are in favor, 3 abstain, and 5 oppose. I declare Proposal 97 approved," announced the vote counter. The room erupted into applause.

"Next, I'll assign tasks related to this proposal. Elder Uchikusa and Elder Shiro, draft a reorganization plan and budget immediately."

"Understood."

"Elder Ebizō, prepare plans for the medical academy."

"Understood."

Flipping through his calendar, Arashi continued, "Today is March 10th. Can these plans be completed within two days?"

"No problem!"

"Good. If there are no further issues, this meeting is adjourned."

"Wait," Chiyo said, raising her hand.

"What is it?" Arashi asked, puzzled.

Chiyo smirked and snapped her fingers. Pakura entered, pushing a three-tiered cream cake into the room.

"Happy birthday, Lord Kazekage!"