Upon hearing Ryōsuke's words, Fugaku believed him without the slightest doubt. He trusted that Ryōsuke would not lie to him.
He never expected that the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan were actually brother clans. Looking back, the countless wars they had fought over the years truly seemed ridiculous. The union between Ryōsuke and Tsunade could indeed thoroughly resolve the conflict between the two families.
'Ryōsuke's move is truly a noble act for the greater good.'
On the other side, Yatsushiro was equally shocked. To think the Senju and Uchiha were both descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. However, they hadn't just been opposing each other for decades; it had been centuries. A vast amount of time had passed since the era of the Sage of Six Paths.
Even if they shared the same ancestor thousands of years ago, so much time had passed that any brotherly bond had long since vanished. Why bother tracing things back to such a distant source? Currently, while the Uchiha and Senju were not mortal enemies, they were still rivals.
He truly could not understand Ryōsuke's decision to give up the race for the position of Hokage. Deep down, he was extremely unhappy.
But what could he do? Ryōsuke was currently the sole decision-maker in the clan. Even if he was dissatisfied, he could only keep it to himself.
Ryōsuke looked at the two of them. Yatsushiro's expression was a bit sour, but the decision would not be changed.
"If you two don't have any objections, I'm going back to rest."
Taking a nap after training was a long-standing habit of his. Yatsushiro hesitated, wanting to say something more, but Fugaku beat him to it with a face full of smiles.
"Since we are brother clans, we shall do as Ryōsuke says. We will leave the position to Tsunade this time, and our Uchiha Clan will not participate in the election."
"After Tsunade's term, our Uchiha Clan will have other opportunities to run. After all, this has always been our wish, and given the clan's current situation, we can afford to wait."
Seeing that Fugaku was being so sensible and not making things difficult for him, a smile appeared on Ryōsuke's face.
"Then it's settled."
"By the way, there is no need to leak the fact that Tsunade is my woman."
Since Tsunade had requested this of him in bed, he naturally had to agree. Fugaku and Yatsushiro could only helplessly comply. Ryōsuke then turned around and returned to his house.
Only then did Yatsushiro speak up, his expression looking quite grim.
"Patriarch, why did even you agree with Ryōsuke's idea?"
"This decision is clearly a massive mistake."
"Even if we are brother clans, how many generations has it been? Our relationship has long since faded. I believe the Uchiha and Senju are more competitors than anything else."
"The Uchiha Clan has been suppressed by the Senju for so long. We finally have a chance to suppress them in return. How can we just give it up?"
"They've already produced two Hokage, and now they're about to have a third. Our Uchiha Clan hasn't even had one yet."
"Ryōsuke doing this will make the clansmen feel somewhat disheartened."
He felt deeply wronged in his heart and chose to vent his frustrations. Fugaku, however, maintained a relaxed and composed demeanor.
"Yatsushiro, stop complaining. While Ryōsuke's move was outside my expectations as well, and it seems like the Senju are suppressing us by having three Hokage, this matter isn't necessarily bad. In fact, you could even say it's very good."
Yatsushiro was confused and bewildered. He didn't quite understand the Patriarch's reasoning. How could this be a good thing?
This was supposed to be the perfect opportunity to obtain the title of Fifth Hokage and for the Uchiha Clan to reach the top of the Leaf Village. If they missed out on the Fifth Hokage, the Uchiha would still just be in control of the Police Force—and even the Police Force's power had been diluted recently. Shouldn't he be angry?
He asked with some irritation, "What is your reasoning, Patriarch? Why do you say this is a good thing?"
Was the Patriarch so blindly trusting of Ryōsuke that it had reached this level? Ryōsuke was great at everything else, but Yatsushiro truly did not approve of this specific decision.
Fugaku said with a smile, "Yatsushiro, you still fail to see Ryōsuke's painstaking intentions."
"Losing the Hokage position is indeed a pity for our Uchiha Clan, and a long-standing wish remains unfulfilled. However, if Ryōsuke has conquered Tsunade, doesn't that mean Tsunade will be one of our Uchiha people from now on?"
"In that case, Ryōsuke will naturally be the man behind the Hokage."
"With Ryōsuke's strength and dominance, he will surely be able to control Tsunade."
"So, while the Uchiha Clan didn't run for the position of Fifth Hokage, in reality, we have already won the election in advance."
Hearing this, Yatsushiro's troubled expression began to shift, and a sense of joy gradually welled up in his heart. The Patriarch was right. If Tsunade became Ryōsuke's woman, she would naturally count as one of the Uchiha. His dissatisfaction vanished instantly, replaced by excitement.
"I didn't expect Ryōsuke to have such deep insight."
Fugaku looked at Yatsushiro, his lips curling into a grin.
"Not only that, but more importantly, as the sole heir of the Senju Clan, Tsunade becoming Ryōsuke's woman means the Uchiha Clan has effectively annexed the Senju Clan."
"Our former rival, the Senju, will likely come under the banner of our Uchiha Clan in the future. This is a historic moment of victory for the family."
"It is far more valuable than the Uchiha Clan simply producing one Hokage."
"Elder Yatsushiro, do you still feel aggrieved now?"
Yatsushiro's eyes widened. It really was just as Fugaku described. The Uchiha annexing the Senju would be a massive victory. Although the Senju Clan had declined somewhat, their name was still incredibly resonant. Moreover, it meant that in the long struggle between the Uchiha and the Senju, the Uchiha had emerged as the ultimate victors.
His mood improved dramatically, and he quickly said, "No, not at all!"
The weight in his heart was completely lifted.
Fugaku said solemnly, "So, have faith in Ryōsuke's decisions. Every step he takes has a deep meaning."
"He is the chosen one who will lead the family to glory."
Yatsushiro sighed in admiration. Reflecting on the clan's development over the past few months, the family would not be where it is today without Ryōsuke. Ryōsuke could indeed be called the clan's "Heaven-Chosen Son." Without him, they probably would have been wiped out by Danzō and the Third Hokage, and likely even slandered as traitors to the village.
He decided that from now on, he would never doubt Ryōsuke's plans again. Seeing Yatsushiro like this, Fugaku knew the Elder would likely follow Ryōsuke blindly in the future. He himself intended to do the same; by not having to use his own brain, he had become perhaps the most relaxed Patriarch in the clan's history.
Of course, certain follow-up matters needed to be arranged.
"Yatsushiro, remember to pacify those radical clansmen, and do not leak this specific news."
"Understood," Yatsushiro replied.
Even though they knew the reason behind Ryōsuke's decision, the rest of the clansmen did not. While most worshipped Ryōsuke, there were still some troublemakers who needed to be handled. The true reason couldn't be told to them, but it would be enough to let them know that Ryōsuke's actions were perfectly justified.