Under the night sky, inside the Hokage building with flickering lights.
After approving the last docunt, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly raised his head and exhaled a puff of smoke. He gazed out the window toward the Senju Clan's direction. After a long pause, he murmured to himself:
"Tsunade, I hope you understand my intentions. The village needs stability. Kushina can remain with the Senju Clan, but she absolutely cannot have any ties with the Uchiha."
With a resolute gaze, Hiruzen believed that Tsunade would make a wise choice. However, when the thought of the Uchiha Clan crossed his mind, his expression gradually grew heavier.
"Uchiha Shirou, that genius shinobi, refuses to marry the daughter of a clan elder and instead entangles himself with others. Truly, he is ambitious for the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
In Hiruzen's eyes, Shirou's actions were an embodint of the will of the Uchiha Clan.
By involving Uzumaki Kushina, Hiruzen's intention was not only to remind Tsunade but also to further drive a wedge between the Senju and Uchiha Clans.
"I don't think anyone in the Senju Clan would stand idly by and watch as the power left behind by Lady Mito, ant to protect the Senju, is manipulated away by the Uchiha."
At this thought, Hiruzen revealed a rare confident smile. He had far too much experience dealing with powerful clans.
To pull them closer, divide them, and sow discord—a series of calculated moves. Few clans could withstand such tactics.
At this mont, he stood by the window, overlooking the entire Konoha. The territories of the Senju and Uchiha Clans were situated on either side of the Hokage building, one to the left and the other to the right.
Even after more than twenty years, this view remained as piercing as ever, causing Hiruzen to furrow his brows.
"The Uchiha Clan, with their uncontrollable power, is too dangerous and resides in the village's center. anwhile, the Senju Clan occupies the pri central area, yet their population has dwindled."
These scenes filled Hiruzen with lancholy. He still had much to do and could not leave a ss for his successors to clean up.
In his eyes, the Uchiha were too extre and represented an uncontrollable force. What made it worse was that the Uchiha Clan's territory was adjacent to the Hokage offices, right in the village's core.
As for the Senju Clan, they were a different story. Despite their decline, they still occupied a massive and prosperous area, severely hindering the village's current developnt.
Konoha was at its peak era, whether in terms of military strength, economy, or population. All resources and interests had already been divided.
This was why Hiruzen felt troubled. Finally, he sighed deeply.
"Perhaps it's ti to have a serious talk with Tsunade. To beco the Fourth Hokage, one needs more than fa; one also needs love for the village."
At this mont, Hiruzen was proud. He was not yet the aging hero of later years.
Under his leadership, the village had grown into the strongest in the ninja world. If he could lead Konoha to victory in the Third Great Ninja War and secure a deal with Tsunade to gain the pri areas held by the Senju Clan before stepping down, his reputation for both military and political achievents would reach an unprecedented height.
"Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka, I hope you won't disappoint either."
As if recalling sothing, Hiruzen's gaze pierced through the darkness, looking toward the distant lands of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
Currently, in Konoha, since Tsunade inherited the Senju na, many clans have ford subtle alliances.
The Senju, Uchiha, Hyūga, Abura, Hatake, Kurama, and other clans had aligned their interests with Tsunade.
However, throughout Hiruzen Sarutobi's many years as Hokage, he employed various strategies—alliances, divisions, and suppression. Apart from the nurous civilian shinobi, he had also gathered a faction of allied clans.
At the core of Hiruzen's faction, led by the Sarutobi Clan, were the Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, and a few others.
Forget about the claims of neutrality. Have you ever seen a truly neutral party be entrusted with significant power or beco a Jonin squad leader? Neutrality is an illusion. When the dust settles, the first to be dealt with are always the so-called neutral elents.
...
The Abura Clan.
"Brother, the clan cannot allow you to act like this. If you place all our hopes on the Senju Clan, do you understand the consequences of failure?"
Abura Shibi looked grimly at his elder brother, the current leader of the Abura Clan and a renowned shinobi in the ninja world.
Abura Shikuro, the father of Abura Torune in the original story, was a legendary shinobi known as the previous generation's master of nano-scale poisonous insects.
At this mont, Shikuro looked at his cousin, Shibi, with a calm expression.
"Shibi, I understand your concerns. That's why, over the years, I've turned a blind eye to the Hokage faction's attempts to win over your branch."
Shikuro's straightforward revelation of this underhanded maneuver caused Shibi's face to change, his eyes behind his sunglasses avoiding direct contact.
"Brother... you knew?"
Seeing his cousin stamr, Shikuro let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"Lady Tsunade once said that the Hokage faction's most effective tactics against clans are drawing them in, dividing them, and driving wedges between them. It seems she was correct."
"You don't need to explain yourself. Since your loyalty lies with the Third Hokage's faction, I understand. However, I also hope you won't try to lecture with lofty ideals."
Both n were no longer children. They acted for the sake of their clan and understood each other's motives.
"The Abura may be a small clan, but we cannot place all our hopes on the Third Hokage. How old is he now? The selection of a new Hokage is inevitable…"
One clan, two voices. Though divided, they were preparing for the future.
Finally, Shibi lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "I understand."
Even the Uchiha, with their extre views, knew to maintain both hawkish and dovish factions within their clan. Other, more pragmatic clans followed the sa path.
The Abura's strategy was the sa as most other clans: to maintain two voices and hedge their bets. Even if they lost, they would not lose everything.
Although they wouldn't achieve massive victories, they could ensure the clan's survival and developnt.
In the original story, Shikuro lost, which is why his branch ended up in the Root organization, with his son being taken under Danzō's wing.
Even so, the Abura Clan continued to survive and develop.
The Uchiha Clan, on the other hand, had no choice. They were discriminated against and suppressed by the Third Hokage's faction. Even having the Inuzuka Clan in power would have been better than the current high-ranking officials.
...
Within the vast Senju territory, a luxurious mansion with steaming private hot springs.
"This is a special dicinal hot spring. It not only relieves muscle fatigue but also has the effects of a therapeutic bath."
Amid the white steam, Uzumaki Kushina, wrapped in a towel, soaked in the hot spring with only her head exposed. Her face was flushed, and her red hair spread out, blending with the water.
"Kushina, you're living the high life."
Leaning against the edge of the hot spring, Shirou rarely showed such a relaxed expression. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the rare mont of leisure.
After Uzumaki Mito's passing, this mansion was left to Kushina. However, she rarely visited.
The intricate barriers set up around the mansion made Shirou marvel at the wealth of the Uzumaki Clan. They truly lived up to their reputation as affluent and powerful.
"Kushina, I'll be visiting more often in the future."
Beside him, Mikoto, with her long black hair, also soaked in the hot spring. She revealed a look of contentnt as the three of them enjoyed this rare mont of peace.
"Although the ninja world is in chaos, don't forget to keep training even while relaxing," Shirou habitually reminded them.
Mikoto smiled and nodded, while Kushina glared at him fiercely, clearly annoyed.
"Sister Mikoto, I heard that your clan is facing so restrictions. Is it because of Sister Tsunade?"
Kushina hesitated for a mont before starting a conversation with Mikoto. While it seed like the two were simply chatting, it was clear that their words were ant for Shirou to hear.
Mikoto shook her head with a smile and said, "It's not exactly a restriction. Shirou says that in this ninja world, only power is real, and everything else is an illusion."
"Even the supre authority of the Hokage—what does it matter? Without absolute strength, it's all too fleeting. Either you live in fear, constantly worrying about who might harm you, or you avoid the struggle altogether. Without that kind of power, it's better not to even be Hokage."
Mikoto's teasing tone carried a hint of mockery in her eyes. It was obvious she was ridiculing the current Third Hokage.
For powerful clans like hers, being both utilized and feared by the village was a ridiculous contradiction. In essence, it was paranoia born from a lack of strength.
"Sister Mikoto, if you're short on money, I have so."
Kushina, her face shy, glanced at the ditating Shirou before softly nodding toward Mikoto.
Hearing this, Mikoto imdiately smiled teasingly. She casually grabbed the sake floating on the wooden tray in the hot spring, poured a glass for the two of them, and chuckled:
"I almost forgot—Kushina is Konoha's little rich lady."
Amid the teasing laughter, Kushina imitated Mikoto and raised her cup for a sip. However, her face instantly scrunched up, making it clear that she found the sake unpleasant.
"Not... not much. It's just that the inheritance from Uzushiogakure was quite substantial. It was originally ant for the restoration of the Uzumaki clan. But now, there are so few of us left, and it's not needed anymore..."
As she spoke, Kushina suppressed the bitterness in her heart and forced a determined smile before downing the sake in her cup.
"If you and Shirou ever need it, I can... I can give it to you. No! Let's just say I'll lend it to you."
Midway through her sentence, she quickly backtracked, as if afraid Shirou might think she was looking down on him. She insisted it was a loan.
But everyone knew that when Kushina said "lend," she ant "give."
Hearing this, Shirou, who had been soaking in the hot spring, felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He opened his eyes and looked at Kushina with a smile, saying:
"Thank you, Kushina. But we don't need it right now, so you should hold onto it for yourself."
Whether it was the alcohol or the heat of the hot spring, Kushina's face turned completely red.
Mikoto's eyes glead mischievously. She slowly swam behind Kushina and gently embraced her.
"Sister Mikoto, what are you doing..."
Kushina's soft voice ca as Mikoto leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Kushina, you're entrusting your little treasury to Shirou. I'm managing the Uchiha clan for Shirou. This way, we'll never be apart..."
"And besides, Kushina, don't you want to..."
Kushina's eyes widened in shock as she suddenly realized that, while soaking in the hot spring, the bindings on her body had co undone.
"Sister Mikoto..."
"Kushina, rember the last ti you asked Shirou to give you the curse mark while you were in the hospital bed? You forgot that the tallic surface of the lamp in the lab reflected everything perfectly. My Sharingan saw it all."
Upon hearing this, Kushina's eyes widened in disbelief. Her mind went blank as she realized that Mikoto had witnessed her giving Shirou a head.
Scenes of embarrassnt flooded her thoughts, and her face turned as red as a tomato, almost steaming. Mikoto, of course, took advantage of the situation.
"Kushina, don't you want to be Shirou's wings? We're both his wings, and we'll always be together..."
Under Mikoto's seductive voice, the two won slowly approached Shirou. In the water, Kushina's trembling hand was guided forward by another.
Suddenly!
Shirou's eyes widened as he looked at the two won.
"Shirou! I want to help you!"
In an unprecedented mont of boldness, Kushina, despite her shyness, summoned her courage. Staring directly at Shirou, she poured out her feelings.
"Shirou, if you need it, I have money. I have a lot of money. I can help you build your power so you can compete for the position of Uchiha clan leader."
Her straightforward words left Shirou speechless for a mont, but he also felt deeply moved.
Kushina may have been a bit love-struck, but when it ca to him, no man could resist her sincerity.
"Kushina, you're adorable. But Mikoto, your playful nature..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Shirou's pupils contracted as Mikoto swam to his other side, pulling Kushina along with her.
With Mikoto on his left and Kushina on his right, the bathrobes beneath the hot spring's surface had sohow co undone.
Beneath the water, the three were already bared to each other.
Feeling the two won's hands, Shirou, now fully composed, smiled warmly as the three of them leaned together in the hot spring.
"Kushina, I understand your intentions. But to , the position of Uchiha clan leader is neither here nor there. Even for Sister Tsunade, it's insignificant."
Shirou closed his eyes, enjoying the pleasure of his lower body. For now, Uchiha Fugaku seed to be the most likely candidate to inherit the title of clan leader.
However, Fugaku's indecisive and soft nature made him easy to sway. Any significant family decisions could be influenced by a little pressure.
The current clan leader was a slightly harder obstacle, but given the old man's declining health, it wouldn't be long before he stepped down.
The clan leader position?
He didn't even need to sche for it. Once the family's pressure was placed on Fugaku, the man would naturally back down.
"Fugaku Jonin, huh? I heard he recently had an arranged marriage with the daughter of another elite Jonin in the clan."
Mikoto analyzed with a smile, while Kushina, who had gone from blushing in embarrassnt to taking initiative, now had a look of excitent in her eyes.
"Shirou, tell what you need to do!"
Seeing Kushina's determination, Shirou seed to think of sothing. A smile appeared on his face.
"Kushina, there is sothing only you can do, sothing that perhaps no one else in all of Konoha is capable of."
Hearing this, Kushina's already flushed face turned even redder. Her heart pounded with excitent and nervousness.
Does he need ? Could it be... in front of Sister Mikoto...?
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