𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑳𝑳 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝒀𝑶𝑼 | 𝑲.𝑰𝑵𝒁𝑼𝑲𝑨 [2]

The head of the clan

The sun was beginning its descent, casting a golden hue over the Sarutobi compound. Inside the grand study room, Ruka Sarutobi sat at a massive wooden desk, cluttered with an overwhelming array of papers. The room was richly decorated, but today it felt more like a cage to Ruka, who stared at the papers with a look of quiet despair.

She had been released from the hospital by Tsunade, who had insisted she take time to recover, but Ruka knew that the responsibilities awaiting her would not allow for much rest. As the heiress of the Sarutobi clan, she had to dive straight back into her duties, and the stack of documents before her was a testament to that.

Ruka sighed heavily, running a hand through her disheveled hair. Her normally sharp features were softened by exhaustion, and the dark circles under her eyes spoke of sleepless nights spent worrying about her clan and her village. Her gaze fixed on a particularly daunting pile of papers—reports, clan matters, and strategic plans—all demanding her immediate attention.

"Why did it have to be this way?" Ruka muttered under her breath, her frustration palpable. "It's not like I'm not used to paperwork, but this is ridiculous."

She flipped through the pages with a practiced hand, but her frown deepened as she scanned the contents. "And to think I'll be handing this mess over to Konohamaru one day. He's terrible with paperwork. Can you imagine the chaos he'll bring to the clan?"

The thought of her younger brother, Konohamaru, taking over as the head of the Sarutobi clan in the future was both amusing and troubling. She admired his spirit and determination, but the way he approached tasks with a sense of casual disregard for detail made her shudder. The mere thought of him buried under a pile of documents like she was now was enough to make her smile wryly.

Konohamaru had always been impulsive and energetic, qualities that made him a natural ninja but not necessarily the ideal candidate for managing the clan's administrative affairs. Ruka had spent countless hours trying to drill the importance of organization and meticulousness into him, but her efforts had often been met with a shrug or an enthusiastic but poorly executed attempt at tidiness.

"Well," Ruka said with a resigned tone, "I suppose it's not my problem to worry about right now. If Konohamaru wants to lead, he'll have to learn how to deal with the paperwork."

She glanced out of the window, the sun casting long shadows across the compound. The view was beautiful, but the weight of her responsibilities felt heavier than ever. Her gaze softened as she thought of Konohamaru's bright smile and boundless energy. Despite her grumbling, she knew she would do anything to see him succeed, even if it meant enduring countless hours of paperwork.

Ruka straightened her posture, her resolve hardening. "Alright, let's get this done. The sooner I finish this, the sooner I can get back to doing what I do best."

With a determined sigh, she began to sort through the papers, her fingers moving with practiced efficiency. The room, once filled with her frustration, slowly transformed into a place of quiet concentration. Ruka was reminded of the importance of her role and the future she was shaping for her clan and her brother.

As she worked, the evening grew darker, and the shadows of the compound seemed to deepen around her. The paperwork was daunting, but Ruka knew she had the strength and perseverance to handle it. After all, she was a Sarutobi, and the legacy she carried was one of resilience and leadership.

In the quiet of the room, as the sun set and the stars began to emerge in the night sky, Ruka continued her work, her spirit unbroken. She knew that the path ahead would be challenging, but she was ready to face it with the same determination that had always guided her.