The Capital of the Land of Fire, just before the war broke out on the Fire Country's borders...
After leaving the Daimyo's residence, the Daimyo led Uchiha Hikaru and Tsunade to the private quarters behind the mansion.
Once the maids had served tea, they quickly excused themselves and left. They knew this was a conversation between the Daimyo and his personal guests—ones of significant status. After years of service, they had learned when to step away.
The three of them sat on pale gold tatami mats around a lacquered table. Just as the Daimyo was about to speak, Uchiha Hikaru raised his hand, stopping him with a faint smile—and a flicker of coldness behind his eyes.
"After all, I'm your future grandson-in-law. It wouldn't be proper to let outsiders eavesdrop on family matters, would it?"
"What do you say, future Grandfather-in-law?"
Suddenly, a shadow darted across the rooftop. In the next instant, six figures landed around Tsunade and Uchiha Hikaru, surrounding them.
The leader was a man with medium-length black hair, clad in dark shinobi attire. A kunai was clenched tightly in his hand, and arrogance radiated from his posture as he stood behind the Daimyo, looking down on the pair before him.
"Hmph! We are the Twelve Guardian Ninja, personally selected to protect the Daimyo's life!"
"You're merely an assistant to the Hokage. What gives you the authority to dismiss us?"
"Kazuma, that's enough," a voice interrupted.
Asuma Sarutobi stepped forward, wearing his dark blue Konoha uniform under a tan flak jacket. His jaw was lined with a few days of unshaven stubble.
Though he had left Konoha years ago, he had never stopped keeping tabs on the village.
And the young Uchiha Hikaru before him—the man who had indirectly caused his father, Sarutobi Hiruzen, to fall from power—was no ordinary shinobi.
In both ability and cunning, Hikaru was far beyond the likes of these men.
The Daimyo raised a ceremonial fan to cover the lower half of his face and let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha~"
"My grandson-in-law is right."
"Kazuma, stand down."
Kazuma clenched his fists in frustration at the command. His lips parted, as if to protest further—
"Kneel."
The word cut through the air like a divine order.
Suddenly, a crushing wave of killing intent mixed with raw chakra descended from above like a mountain of corpses crashing down. Kazuma and the three other Guardian Ninja behind him were instantly overwhelmed.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
One after another, the four men collapsed to their knees, pinned down by the invisible force.
The Daimyo instinctively looked toward the source—and his eyes widened.
Uchiha Hikaru's eyes, once a dark onyx, now gleamed with the ominous, swirling patterns of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"So similar..."
For a moment, the Daimyo saw not a young shinobi before him, but a shadow from the past.
Uchiha Hikaru tilted his head slightly, his gaze ice cold as he stared at the four kneeling men.
"A dog that serves a master should know its place."
"Don't try to guess the minds of your betters."
"Don't take yourselves too seriously."
"I can always call up a few more Jonin from Konoha to replace you."
"Don't provoke gods just because you think you've grown teeth. Do you understand?"
None of the four dared speak.
"Bang."
The tatami beneath them sank another ten centimeters.
Kazuma, now trembling under the weight of the chakra pressing down on him, struggled to lift his head. He wanted—needed—to look the man in the eye.
But the moment their eyes met, all courage, all will, all pride—disintegrated.
What he saw wasn't a man.
It was death.
"I... I understand... sir..."
Uchiha Hikaru calmly lifted the teacup the maid had left earlier, blew gently across the surface, and took a sip.
"Acknowledging your mistakes is a virtue."
"You may rise."
As if responding to magic, the crushing pressure dispersed like mist in the wind.
The four Guardian Ninja staggered to their feet. Their legs, numb and shaking, barely held them—but they stood nonetheless.
Asuma and another of the Twelve Guardians exhaled in relief.
At the same time, Asuma couldn't help but feel a strange, growing respect for Uchiha Hikaru.
He had left Konoha because he couldn't stomach his father's actions. He had fled.
But this young man—barely older than he had been when he left—had stood firm, changed the course of the entire village, and earned the loyalty of even Tsunade, granddaughter of the First Hokage.
Even merchants and travelers coming from Konoha to the capital spoke of it with pride—how the village had become more stable, how crime had plummeted, how even the air felt lighter.
And now, with Lady Tsunade as the Fifth Hokage, things were thriving.
Uchiha Hikaru had done what Asuma hadn't. And he couldn't help but admire that.
"Grandpa? What do you think?"
Tsunade waved her hand in front of the Daimyo's face.
He blinked and came to his senses, clearly pulled from some deep, long memory.
"Forgive me... age catches up with everyone."
"Sometimes, when I see a face like that... it's easy to get sentimental."
Then he waved his hand, signaling the remaining Guardian Ninja to withdraw.
This time, no one dared object.
Tsunade, still curious about the Daimyo's earlier words, tilted her head.
"Grandpa... what exactly were you remembering just now?"
The Daimyo looked at her, and his face softened.
"Just now…"
"You reminded me of your grandfather—Hashirama."
"And the man who was always with him—Uchiha Madara."
"Back then, those two were inseparable."
"Honestly, if one of them had just been born a woman, maybe things wouldn't have ended the way they did."
"Maybe Madara wouldn't have betrayed Konoha."
Tsunade's face twisted in horror at the image forming in her mind. Uchiha Hikaru's lips twitched.
But the Daimyo was too deep in his nostalgia to notice.
He leaned in with a mischievous glint in his eye, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper.
"You know, I used to suspect... maybe Madara couldn't stand the sight of Uzumaki Mito."
"Maybe he felt betrayed—thought your grandfather had replaced him—and left the village out of jealousy!"
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