Ryu Uchiha. The name "Ryu" was one that Sakumo couldn't be more familiar with. How could it be otherwise? It was the name of their father, who had been dead for many years.
Ryu Hatake. Despite his death years ago, his name still came up in conversations among the older Konoha Shinobi. This wasn't because of his reputation but rather due to his two famous sons in the Ninja world—Hatake Tatsuya and Hatake Sakumo.
"After all, there's no need to flatter Sarutobi Hiruzen," Tatsuya muttered, the shock on his face lasting only a few seconds before he quickly analyzed the situation.
In the original series, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto named their younger son "Sasuke," after Sarutobi Hiruzen's father. It was a gesture meant to curry favor with Sarutobi Hiruzen or to show goodwill.
Yet, it did no good. The Uchiha clan was annihilated despite their attempts to show loyalty. Maybe it did after all Sasuke was the last loyal Uchiha left in Konoha.
But now, things were different. The once mighty Lord Third Hokage, who had once held the title of "the strongest Hokag" was now a shadow of his former self. He was no longer respected and had little influence left.
The only thing keeping him going was the search for his younger son, Asuma.
Without hesitation, Tatsuya turned his focus back to the present, dismissing thoughts of the past. The situation in Konoha had changed, and there was no point dwelling on old strategies or loyalties.
Naturally, Uchiha Fugaku didn't need to name his younger son to curry favor with Hiruzen. Instead, he redirected the gesture of flattery toward Tatsuya.
However, the name Uchiha was proposing felt odd. Besides, "Sasuke" would remain a "Sasuke," regardless of what they were called. The idea of calling someone with the same name as his father felt awkward to Tatsuya.
"Let him change his name; I think 'Sasuke' is good," Tatsuya said, taking a deep breath.
"Uh, I see. I'll tell Mrs. Mikoto," Shisui responded, obediently leaving to convey Tatsuya's decision to Fugaku and Mikoto, even though he didn't understand why Tatsuya rejected the proposal he thought was quite reasonable.
"I think this is good, isn't it? It helps to foster a better relationship between the village and Uchiha," Hatake Sakumo interjected.
Although not particularly politically savvy, Sakumo could sense the thin yet significant rift between Uchiha and the village. It wasn't hard to understand why. In the nearly 50 years since the village's founding, all three Hokages had come from the Senju clan. It was natural for the Uchiha, also villagers, to feel some imbalance.
"If you've come this far, you'll make peace with it. When something significant happens in the future, you can handle it," Tatsuya yawned, lying down in the aisle. He spoke lazily, "Rin, squeeze my head; Kurenai, help with my legs and pour me some tea."
The conversation drifted, and Tatsuya's casual demeanor belied the underlying tensions and changes happening within Konoha, signaling a time of transformation and challenge for everyone involved.
Seeing his brother's corrupt behavior, Sakumo twitched and left quickly, fearing he might lose his temper and want to hit him, even though he knew he couldn't win in a fight.
When Tsunade dragged her tired body home after a long day, she was greeted by the sight of Tatsuya lying with his head on Rin's knees, asking her to massage his temples. His feet were stretched out in front of Kurenai, who, with her increasingly charming features, was massaging his legs. Meanwhile, Terumi Mei was angrily peeling fruit for him.
Tsunade was furious. The old lady is going to hack this bastard to death!
"Yo Tsunade is back. Come and have some fruit," Tatsuya said, getting up to hug Tsunade and putting Terumi Mei's freshly peeled grapes into her mouth, treating her like a queen.
"Master Sakumo is enjoying himself. Will you need to change places to have these three girls serve you in two years?" Tsunade spat out the grapes with a "Bah," and asked with a sarcastic smile.
"It doesn't take two years; one year is enough."
Well, you can't say this; otherwise, Tsunade will demolish the whole house.
"Hey, yeah~"
That night, Tsunade made a murmur that was completely out of character for her typically fierce demeanor.
Smack!
Tatsuya slapped her on the back, irritated. "Be normal! What's wrong with you?"
Exhausted, Tsunade could only give him a tired glare before saying, "I don't want to be Hokage anymore. I'm exhausted! I want to go to the casino, drink, and eat barbecue!"
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Tatsuya slapped her several more times. In pain, Tsunade quickly begged for mercy and said with deep resentment, "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"
"You just got the position, and the Third Ninja War lasted three years! You've only been Hokage for a little over two years, and you're already giving up? You're hopeless!"
In the original story, Tsunade served as Hokage for several years, but here, she was burning out way too quickly.
"Cut it out. I'm exhausted from all the responsibilities, while you lounge around at home. It's not fair!"
Tsunade tried to suppress her frustration. This weight must be more than ten cats, right?
"If you're not up for it, the only candidates left are my brother and Minato, right?" Tatsuya mused.
Suddenly, a question came to mind. If there are no Uchiha-born personnel in the role of the Fifth Hokage, what will happen?
There's no doubt that some of them will feel a sense of unrest. However, it likely won't lead to the annihilation of the clan.
Even though Shisui is confident that he can reach Kage's level in the future, he still has a long way to go before he can become Hokage.
And if in an attempt to appease the Uchiha, the position of Hokage is deliberately handed over to Uchiha Fugaku, Tatsuya won't agree, and neither will the other major clans.
Sakumo, Namikaze Minato, and Tatsuya aren't interested in the Hokage position at all. Which strength and accomplishments will not surpass Uchiha Fugaku?
For comparison, the wise Nara Shikaku is a better match for Uchiha Fugaku. No matter how you look at it, it's not Uchiha's turn.
Meanwhile, in the next room...
The three girls held their cups in silence. After more than an hour, they had poured themselves a glass of water, and now, they were drifting off to sleep with slightly wilted expressions.
Every night, they would gather in the next bedroom, whispering and giggling as they spied on Tatsuya and Tsunade through a glass pressed against the wall.
Even though they knew this habit was bad for their health, they couldn't help it—it had almost become a tradition. Huh? How does it feel like traditional craftsmanship? The girl trio will never be absent from any action!
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