Several meetings were held in such small time, Suzume was growing exhausted just from talking. Still, there were more faces to see and more commands to be ordered.  Revitalizing a village was hard work and it would take a lot of hands. Already there was a good number of patrols and assignments sent out to fix some problems. The crime rate in Suna had risen a bit in her absence. Not due to lack of leadership, but more due to the lack of manpower. For a while the village had been without a very strong force. It was at this low force that she had left the village with, not helping as quality was all that was left.

Her return was like a wave of water washing over her. Sunagakure was not the same village as the one she had left. This was very true as of now, with how she was getting to call in more highly ranked and highly qualified shinobi to her office for special domestic missions. There were gangs to stop, gambling to control, and corruption to end.

One such individual to whom she would place a task stood before her. Kazuhiko Mori. The dark haired jounin stood at attention before her. He was one of the very few who knew of what Suzume had to go through in the last few months, and of the even fewer persons who had actually experienced the fight abroad with her. And now he was willing to help her once again in cleaning up Suna.

Suzume looked away from Kazuhiko, ”You’ve been with me through a lot, Kazuhiko. However, there’s going to be a lot of opinions about me from here on out. Before I ask you to do anything I want to know what opinions you have on my leadership.”

The sigh that followed did not speak well to Suzume. Kazuhiko relaxed his stance, turning his head to the side. Suzume looked back at him to get a better read of what he might be thinking. “The world has changed a lot in a very short time, Lady Kazekage. One thing has stayed the same; the necessity of quick decisions. I’m nowhere close to knowing the pressures of being Kazekage, nor the calculations needed to make such decisions.”

”That’s not answering my question.”

A single chuckle came through. She had caught him, and he knew it was useless for him to have even tried dodging the question. He turned back to face her, looking straight into her eyes. Now here comes the real answer.

“I would’ve done things a bit differently. Involved a few more people. But that doesn’t matter because at the end of the day, your decision worked. We’re here. Suna is here. And the threat is extinguished.”

Suzume smirked. The man knew how to talk politically, and while having a good point, too. ”Well, thank you for being honest,” she cleared her throat. ”Now, I need your skills yet again. Rumors that there are some unregistered weapons being sold here. Investigate where this black market is hiding. Only investigate.”

Kazuhiko bowed his head. “Yes, Lady Kazekage.”

He turned and walked out of the office. Suzume’s secretary replaced him at the door frame. “Ready for your next appointment, ma’am?”

”Yes, send him in.” Suzume shuffled some papers, pulling up the files needed for her next meeting. This one was with a Special Jounin who had recently climbed the ranks in the village while she had been away. Her secretary stepped aside for the shinobi to enter and would then close the door behind him. Busy day, this one.