Chapter 94.3- One Thousand Hands

“It’s not just about making them like me, Shika. It’s more than that. What do you think the civilian to shinobi population split is?”

“Accounting for casualties?” She asked.

“Of course”

“Two to one?” She tried.

“More like three to one. The census data is over there if you want to check it out” I said, pointing towards my file cabinet.

“You want to tap the civilian children to replenish our numbers.” She said.

“I knew you’d get it. Moving the tower will normalize shinobi to the civilians, while also giving the children to have the exposure necessary to shinobi for them to begin dreaming out being one.” I said, making my thinking on the matter clear.

“Why do I still feel that all this could be achieved without moving the tower itself though?”

“Sure, I could look into other programs that could help both goals be achieved. My Granduncle heavily subsidized D-rank missions for Konoha residents so they would get more missions, be exposed to more shinobi and grow to have an altogether positive outlook on us that they could then leave to their children in turn. My Grandfather frequently held conversations with the civilians trying to get more and more of them used to the concept of shinobi. You know this is both new and not new right?” I asked, gesturing to the village itself.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the idea of shinobi and non-shinobi coexisting in the same space. Even in the warring clans period, the clans had civilians who followed them about. They needed a loyal workforce to blacksmith for them, farm for them, inc some cases, even treat them when they were wounded. For example, the famous Nara clan repository of herbs was mainly compiled by civilian members of the clan. The problem is that those civilians were almost always just that— members of the clans. They shared blood relations to the shinobi around them so the distrust that naturally came towards shinobi was much easier to navigate with something as strong as blood tying them all together.”’

“And here, we have none of that to help” Shika said.

“Exactly.”

“I still don’t think moving the tower is the only wa to do that.”

“I agree. But it achieves the most with the least effort, and maybe most importantly, it gives a promise to the civilian population.”

“Which is?”

“This will never happen again.. The tower standing strong and unbowed in their middle should give them more confidence in Konoha’s protective umbrella which we cover them with.”

“Of course that entire message falls kind of flat when you remember that the reason the tower is being moved is because it was destroyed in the first series of attacks.” She said.

“Well, that won’t matter in a generation or two. They’ll grow up under the shadow of the Hokage tower. They will look to it— to me for protection in their darkest hours and I will not forsake them”

“And at what step in this plan of yours do we begin to pray to you and call you Kami-sama?” She asked.

“Oh, that’s at the endgame. Step ninety-four” I said, chuckling. Shika herself did not laugh though. Instead, she pinned me with a serious note.

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes really.” She said.

“I’m not trying to become a god, Shikahime” I said with a sigh.

“I find that hard to believe, but I will take your word for it for now. Because I hope you’ve not forgotten what happens to false gods. I’ll look into setting the groundwork for the relocation and have the architects mock up a budget proposal” She said, turning and marching her way out of the room

“Shika?” I called after her.

“Yes Shori?”

“Thank you, but if I ever name myself a god, you best be sure I will not be a false one.” I said. She nodded, face lacking expression as she left.