Masashi wasn't particurly eager to di Minato's house.

  A dihere meant aire evening gone, and his pns for a rexing night with some sake were down the drain.

  But on sed thought, he'd lost today. Without Fugaku's prized calligraphy piece to enhahe mood, it just wouldn't feel the same.

  Although Fugaku had dispyed his work, could Masashi take it? No way! Not that Fugaku would refuse, but it was a matter of pride.

  A real man stood tall, even i.

  For now, di was.

  Masashi gave Fugaku a parting gnce as he casually made his way door.

  Fugaku shook his head, gathered the scrolls scattered across the tatami, and carefully stored them in a newly installed hidden partment.

  Except for ohe addition, a fresh scroll.

  He kly how many scrolls he'd hidden. A suddera one? Clearly, Masashi had s in again.

  His methods of smuggling items were being increasingly subtle.

  Opening the scroll, he nodded in satisfa. It was as he thought—a ion.

  Maintaining a hobby, it seemed, wasn't easy.

  The Mangekyō was truly remarkable. With its power, the tides of battle could always turn unless Masashi's Sharingan advanced even further.

  "Work hard, brat. Otherwise, you'll never see my masterpieces again!"

  Still, the boy's development of Yang Release teiques was genuinely impressive. Another update this time, even.

  Satisfied, he stowed the scroll away and, hands behind his back, strode out of the courtyard.

  Outside, he spotted Masashi leading two figures, Hikari and Haku, out of the pound.

  Haku, being a child, showed little nervousness and more excitement. Hikari, oher hand, was visibly uneasy.

  Seeing her anxious demeanor, he decided to project the kindness of a seniure, ensuring she felt at ease within the Uchiha .

  With that thought, he approached and fshed his signature dignified, yet deeply reassuring "elderly benevolence" smile.

  "Don't be nervous. We're all family here."

  Hikari quickly bowed.

  "Fugaku-sama."

  She was so nervous, beads of sweat had already formed on her forehead.

  Ever since arriving in Konoha, she'd entered one high-ranking individual after another.

  "No need for formalities," Fugaku said, his smile growing even more benevolent. "You call me Uncle Fugaku. If that feels too sudden, just call me Leader, like Masashi does."

  "Fugaku-sama…" Hikari's cheeks flushed as she caught onto his implication.

  She stole a g Masashi.

  The White Ghost, however, seemed oblivious. He was merely clig his tongue, as though… evaluating Fugaku's smile?

  He was definitely holding back ughter.

  Hikari was certain this was Masashi's current thought.

  From her time at Kiri's weling hall, she'd learo decipher his expressions.

  Still… what a close retionship they had.

  As the daughter of the Yuki 's leader, she had never enjoyed such casual iions with her father.

  This must be the ease of the truly powerful.

  She admired it—not Masashi's strength, but his attitude toward life. It was something she longed for but cked.

  "It's getting te. Let's go," Fugaku said, taking the lead.

  Any longer, and he might just lose his temper.

  If reination were real, he was vinced Masashi must have spent his past life beiedly beaten up.

  Leaving the grounds, the group began the walk from the southern district to the northern one. Along the way, Fugaku decided it was a good opportunity to discuss matters and align their narratives.

  After all, certain things had to be addressed when they reached Minato's pce.

  "Masashi, a few issues arose while you were in Kiri. Some will require your attention."

  "Oh? What issues?"

  "First, Konoha will soon formalize a treaty with Iwa. You'll o take those two kids and represent Konoha as the official envoy to Iwa for the signing."

  "They're ag tough for a defeated vilge?" Masashi asked, feigning ignorance.

  "That's why you o go," Fugaku said. "Don't get impatient. There's no oer suited. Your presence will keep the Iwa ninjas in ched expedite the process. With the Mizukage here, the rear is secure, but Kumo remains unsigned, likely waiting to see how things unfold."

  "The Two-Tails is still captive. Are they giving up on it?"

  "Of course not. They've been feigning weakness, g poor ditions, and asking for deys. They've even paid 'maintenance' fees for the jinchūriki's care."

  Kumo was still the same—shameless.

  "I see what's going on."

  "Good. You know the situation. The Fourth Hokage will give you discretiohe treaty terms. Ha swiftly. Once Iwa is settled, Kumo won't be able to stall any longer."

  Masashi here was no way Kumo could hold out.

  Konoha's alliah Kiri and Suna, along with peace with Iwa, would isote Kumo, making it a clear target.

  ōnoki wouldn't hesitate to kick them while they were down, and Kiri—hungry for external resources—might join Konoha in arike against Kumo.

  A one-against-three sario? Kumo couldn't ha.

  Personally, Masashi wouldn't mind seeing Kumo take a hit. In the inal timelihey had been the ones kig Konoha when it was down.

  Back then, Konoha was far weaker, with only Suna as a nominal ally. It had lost the Fourth Hokage, the Sannin, the White Fang, and jinchūriki. Its lower ranks were depleted after the ails' attad renewed cshes with Iwa, leaving the vilge too exhausted for further flict.

  tinuing the fight would have revealed Konoha's true frailty.

  Kumo had predicted this, so they mercilessly struck.

  The arrogance of their envoy—a mere in-level ninja—showed their attitude. What was more, the envoy attempted to kidnap Hinata on his first night in Konoha!

  Hiruzen's response was timid, as were the Hyūga 's leaders, though uhe circumstaheir choices made sense for the vilge.

  In hindsight, they had reacted swiftly given Kumo's calcuted aggression.

  The result? Konoha lost a valuable elite like Hizashi, while Kumo suffered nothing but the loss of a disposable envoy.

  Konoha's sacrifices sihe Third War had bee Kumo's stepping stoo power, painting Konoha as weak and Kumo as strong.

  While much had ged now, Masashi's disdain for Kumo remained.

  After all, he'd poured his heart into Konoha.

  "Don't worry, Fugaku-sama. I'll make sure Kumo behaves."

  ---

  As the group arrived at Minato's house, the sounds of ughter and cheer could already be heard from within.

  Don't get the wrong idea—it wasn't because the house had poor soundproofing. It was simply that Fugaku and Masashi had exceptionally good hearing.

  As the sound of knog echoed, the door opened, but the first thing to appear was a small figure.

  Three-year-old Naruto was already filled with energy.

  The little guy charged out with a shout and tched onto his left leg with a loud spt.

  Masashi erplexed. He was just about to step inside.

  Wait, was his retionship with Naruto this good?

  Then, he saw Sasuke boung out eically. When Sasuke saw Masashi and Naruto ging to his leg, his eyes lit up, as if some strange switch had been activated.

  Another spt.

  Now there were two little kids, one ging to each leg, suddenly staring at each other and seemingly exging intense eye beams.

  Masashi frowned.

  With one hand each, he picked up the two tiny versions of Asura and Indra, carrying them inside alongside Fugaku. He could feel Fugaku's amused g the situation.

  "Hey! Fugaku, Masashi, e help!" Minato called out from inside, clearly setting up for a feast as he tidied up the table.

  Masashi first set down Naruto and Sasuke, who quickly scampered off to Mikoto, giggling and asking fs.

  He gnced ihe house.

  "Where's Karin?"

  "Oh, that child is so siderate. She's i helping Kushina."

  Minato spoke cheerfully.

  Seeing him still fussing over the table, Hikari, who had been following Masashi, quickly stepped up to assist.

  "o trouble yourself, Hikari. You and Haku are guests." Minato smiled, then turo Masashi with a knowing look. "Your new girlfriend is quite beautiful."

  Hikari's fastantly turned red, while Masashi's eyes widened.

  Wasn't this Hokage the one who signed off on her recruitment himself? How could he fet?

  Before Masashi could voice his pint, Kushina's loud voiterrupted him.

  "Dinner's ready! Dinner's ready!" She came out of the kit, carrying a rge pot of stew and signaling the start of the meal.

  Steam rose from the pot in the ter of the table as everyoled into their seats. The rich aroma of the stew filled the room as Kushina began serving.

  Naruto bounced in his chair, watg each dle of stew pour into the bowls, while Sasuke, trying to look like his father, kept fidgeting as he waited for his portion.

  "Naruto, sit properly," Kushina said, dling stew into bowls.

  "But Mom, Sasuke's not sitting properly either!"

  "I am!" Sasuke protested, straightening his back even more.

  Mikoto covered her ugh with a hand while Fugaku pretended not to notice their antics.

  "I eat more than you," Naruto decred suddenly, pointing his chopsticks at Sasuke.

  "Let's see!"

  Before either mother could intervene, both boys were shoveling rito their mouths. Sasuke, maintaining his Uchiha dignity for about three seds, matched Naruto's pace bite for bite.

  "Slow down, you'll choke," Minato warned.

  Right on cue, both boys reached for their water cups. Karin, sittio Naruto, quietly pushed his cup closer.

  The adults tiheir meal, passing dishes. Masashi noticed how Minato smoothly directed versation, keeping topics light while ensuring everyone was included.

  As they finished eating, Naruto and Sasuske shouted, "I won!"

  "Actually," Masashi said, "Karin finished first." He oward her empty pte.

  Both boys turo stare at the redhead, who blushed and seemed to shrink in her chair.

  "Wow! You are amazing!" Naruto recovered first, making her blush deeper.

  As they cleared the table, Minato started stag ptes. He flicked a pte toward the sink like a shuriken—it spun through the air before nding perfectly in the soapy water without a spsh.

  Not to be outdone, Masashi gathered cups in one hand and chopsticks in another. With a quient, he sent the cups spinning in a perfect arc. Eaded ly in the drying rack while the chopsticks dropped into their holder like senbon finding their target.

  "Show-offs," Kushina muttered, but she was smiling as she shooed the children toward the living room. Naruto and Sasuke were already rag there, while Karin followed at a more dignified pace.

  Mikoto and Hikari gathered with Kushina and the children, their ughter soon filling the house as some game began.

  "Shall we take that walk?" Minato suggested to Masashi and Fugaku, drying his hands on a towel.

  ---

  "Masashi, Fugaku must have already discussed this with yht?" he asked as they walked.

  "Yes, Fugaku-sama told me," Masashi nodded. He felt like he'd been pying delivery boy way too much tely. "I do have something to say, but... I'm not sure if I should."

  "If it's troubling you that much, maybe it's better not to say it. No worries, no trouble," Minato said early.

  "I'm not troubled at all, so I'll say it anyway." Masashi retorted firmly, tering his superior's words. "I think someone else should go. You 't keep pig on me. I only just got back from Kiri."

  "Well, you're the one who captured Deidara and Kurotsuchi, so they're more familiar with you. Besides, this was suggested by the Third Hokage. He said if we want the Third Tsuchikage to behave, we'll need someone who use Susanoo."

  "Isn't that terproductive? The Third Tsuchikage was once beaten up by Madara."

  "Then who do you think is suitable?" Minato asked, his eyes showing he already knew Masashi's eventual answer.

  "Well, obviously…" Masashi started to say a suddenly froze.

  After thinking it through, he realized that this really had to be handled by someone from the Uchiha .

  As the only active Third Kage left, ōnoki wasn't someone an average person could intimidate.

  Using brute force wouldn't work either.

  And in the Hokage's administration, apart from Minato himself, the only e-level person was Sarutobi Hiruzen.

  The ohriving Hokage fa now had only these two high-level batants remaining in the vilge.

  With the deaths of the White Fang and the dissolution of the Sannin, none of them were around.

  Unknowingly, the Uchiha 's top-tier bat power had surpassed the Hokage fa's on the surface.

  Masashi began to uand why Minato had grown closer to Fugaku over the past two years.

  While personal friendship art of it, the political reality likely pyed a signifit role as well.

  "So, what do you think?" Minato asked with a grin.

  "Fine, I'll go." Masashi sighed, though he began to refleternally.

  He felt that the Uchiha 's current atmosphere had grown a bit tant.

  The 's ninjas had moved from initial delight over their new "popurity" to taking it franted, and Masashi himself was no exception.

  He decided this wasn't a good trend and made a mental o discuss it with Fugaku ter.

  "Don't worry, it'll all be cssified as S-rank missions." Minato thought for a moment and added, "Also, if we resolve the matters with Iwa and Kumo in one go, Fugaku and I have agreed to ie the Aburame to the Police Force. Additionally, the Uchiha jonin will be giveion to join the jonin corps voluntarily."

  "Oh?" Masashi was surprised, gng at Fugaku, who nodded in firmation.

  "That's a bold move."

  "No, it's been a long time ing," Minato said seriously. "I want everyoo join hands and move past prejudices tied to their surnames."

  "Of course. No one wants to be at odds with their homend," Masashi agreed with Minato's vision, noting how carefully the Hokage had chosen his words.

  The internal flicts within Konoha had indeed eased signifitly i years, thanks to Minato's leadership style.

  Not just the Uchiha , but also the Hyūga, Aburame, and Inuzuka s had softeheir staoward the Hokage administration and were actively engaging in vilge affairs, both domestid external.

  This reminded Masashi of Ao's Byakugan.

  "About the Mizukage's ente this time…"

  "The Mizukage is quite bold and has earhe Hyūga 's favor. It's possible that the final agreement might include terms more favorable to Kiri."

  "Will there be an alliance?" Masashi asked.

  "It's uain for now. If Konoha allies with Kiri, it might strain our retionship with Suna. After all…"

  Minato didn't finish, but both Fugaku and Masashi uood.

  Konoha was currently being from its alliah Suna, using it as a key source of resources.

  If Kiri couldn't provide enough value, Konoha likely wouldn't form an alliance.

  "So, when am I heading to Iwa?"

  "No rush. We'll wait until we've finalized matters with Kiri."

  Masashi calcuted and figured he'd have about a month of vacation.

  "Then I'll prepare well."