Chapter 578: The Long-Standing Tradition of Uchiha Fatherly Kindness and Filial Piety

The second round of the election soon drew to a close; as expected, Uchiha Kagami won the race with an absolute advantage, securing the position of branch secretary.

"Congratulations, Kagami."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had missed out on the position of Hokage, was the first to come and offer his congratulations; he had already adjusted his mindset by this point.

Come to think of it, with a senior like Uchiha Izuna still in the village, how could a small fry like himself ever have a chance to lay a finger on the Hokage position?

"Hiruzen, don't be discouraged; you'll definitely win next time."

Kagami, having just finished accepting the congratulations of his clansmen, turned his head and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who still held a look of dejection in his eyes, and offered some thoughtful comfort.

"I'll take your word for it."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded lightly; he was not crushed by this defeat.

No child cries every day, and no gambler loses every day.

He was still young, and there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

The election for the new leaders of Konoha had temporarily come to an end, and the next step was to wait for the public announcement; during this period, the two new leaders needed to hold a meeting with the nobles led by the Daimyo to get to know each other.

"Phew, it's a good thing I lowered the odds for Kagami, otherwise I would have suffered a blood loss this time."

Outside the Hokage Building, Uchiha Gin, having finished the second round of betting, returned to the base and counted the banknotes in his hand, letting out a long sigh of relief with lingering fear.

The popularity of the branch secretary election was clearly lower than that of the Hokage, with far fewer people placing bets, and most of them were Kagami's fanboys and fangirls; being able to chase stars while making money, why not?

"I really don't understand you."

Beside him, Uchiha Hikari rested her chin on her hands, watching Uchiha Gin, who had fallen into the eyes of money, and shook her head with some helplessness.

"What's wrong with me earning some money to subsidize the household? Money doesn't burn your hands."

Uchiha Gin raised his head upon hearing this, just in time to catch a glimpse of the somewhat distracted Senju Itama, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Kid, what's wrong with you?"

"I have something on my mind."

At this moment, Senju Itama was still struggling with why the Hokage position had not fallen into the pockets of the Ninja Clan Alliance, as the people in the clan had said it would.

"Here, for you~"

Worried that Senju Itama might be depressed, Uchiha Gin rummaged through his pockets, pulled out a long-treasured lollipop, and tossed it over.

"This is..."

Subconsciously raising a hand to catch the flying object, Senju Itama looked at the lemon-flavored lollipop in her hand with a puzzled expression.

"This one has a strong kick; it can suppress whatever is on your mind."

Uchiha Gin pursed his lips, signaling her not to let his good intentions go to waste.

"Well, thanks for that."

Senju Itama rolled her eyes and backhanded the lemon-flavored lollipop back; she didn't like eating sour things.

"There should be a banquet tonight; time to feast again~"

Uchiha had won both titles, so they had to throw another big banquet; having just finished the banquet for Bai Mao's seventh day, this one was essentially a continuation.

Can't finish it, absolutely can't finish it~

"I won't go, but remember to pack me some soy-braised pork knuckle."

After the election ended, Senju Tōka, with a foul expression, was the first to leave with the Senju clansmen; whether out of a guilty conscience or not, she took quite large strides as she left—she really wasn't worried about tearing her crotch by taking too big a step.

The Ninja Clan Alliance withdrew from the Hokage Building while harboring suspicions of one another; this defeat was highly likely due to a mole in their midst.

Now, Sarutobi Sasuke looked at everyone as if they were a traitor.

The Uchiha jonin were the most relaxed, walking out of the Hokage Building in an orderly fashion while laughing and chatting, waving to the Uchiha clansmen who had been waiting outside for a long time.

"We won!"

"Start the feast! Start the feast!"

"Izuna-sama, why do you look so... calm?"

Kagami, walking side-by-side with Uchiha Izuna, noticed that the cousin who was about to take office as the top leader had no excitement or joy on his face, but rather a trace of weariness.

"Boring."

"Uh..."

Even though he had successfully succeeded to the position of Hokage that he had once dreamed of, the void in Uchiha Izuna's heart had still not been filled.

In his imagination, there should have been a white-haired stray dog following behind him.

"Congratulations, congratulations~"

Uchiha Gin appeared at the right moment, breaking the somewhat awkward atmosphere between the two.

"Cousin."

"Uncle Gin!"

Seeing Uchiha Gin, their expressions finally softened quite a bit.

"These are red envelopes prepared for you; don't complain that they're too small."

Smiling, Uchiha Gin pulled out two stacks of pre-prepared gifts and, without allowing any refusal, forcibly shoved them into their hands.

"Ah, this... how could I... thank you~"

The two had just wanted to decline, but were swayed by the heavy weight in their hands, and immediately accepted the red envelopes without leaving a trace.

"Little cousin, Fuyu is coming back today; you must tell him this good news yourself."

Uchiha Fuyu had been traveling for months for the family business, and according to the news sent back, he would return to Konoha from the Land of Waves tonight.

"That brat Fuyu, he's really becoming less and less of a homebody these days."

Mentioning his son, Uchiha Izuna's eyes finally regained some luster, and a look of pride appeared on his face unconsciously.

"So you two can have a good chat today."

Uchiha Gin recalled the scene when he last ran into Fuyu in the Land of Waves; for some reason, Fuyu had looked worried at the time, perhaps he had encountered some difficulties, so it would be perfect for his little cousin to offer some guidance.

As night fell, Uchiha entered party mode; the clan grounds were brightly lit, and the aroma of food and wine intertwined, extending throughout all of Konoha.

"Damn it!"

Senju Tōka, who was eating white porridge and pickles, greedily sniffed the fragrance in the air with an expression of enjoyment on her face.

However, as soon as she thought of the source of this smell, her face instantly turned gloomy; the speed of her mood swing was comparable to the peak of Chuan Zi.

"Damn curly-hair!"

Looking down at the meager dinner on the table, Senju Tōka cursed the culprit of her bankruptcy to high heaven in her heart.

If it weren't for that curly-haired person interfering, she would have already made a comeback, not only paying off her previous debts but also improving her life.

As for the Ninja Clan Alliance, they didn't even have time to eat; all the jonin who participated in the vote were ordered to gather together to undergo inspection by the Yamanaka clan one by one.

"Still can't find anything?"

Sarutobi Sasuke narrowed his eyes, looking at the statistical table handed over by the representative of the Yamanaka clan, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

"Our jonin have all been checked; except for a few die-hards of the Shimura clan who voted for Danzo, the other jonin all voted for the young clan leader Sarutobi."

"If there's no problem with us, then could it be..."

Stroking his goatee, Sarutobi Sasuke's narrowed eyes gradually widened, and a terrifying thought flashed through his mind.

Could it be that the Senju clan is a thief crying "stop thief"?

"Impossible, what good would that do them?"

But as soon as this thought arose, he quickly dismissed it; the Senju clan was the last to want to see Uchiha gain power, so it would be good enough if they didn't trip them up.

"Check again!"

The mole must have excellent disguise skills!

At the village entrance, Uchiha Fuyu, covered in dust, had just entered the village with his subordinates when he smelled a rich aroma, and his heart was immediately filled with great confusion; as he got closer to the clan grounds, this aroma became even clearer.

"Is this a welcome party for us?"

Uchiha Fuyu looked at the lively clan grounds, and couldn't help but feel a bit touched; the deep-seated feeling of grievance instantly vanished.

"Haha, Young Master Fuyu! You're finally back!"

A passing clansman spotted Uchiha Fuyu and immediately laughed as he came to greet him.

"What happened at home?"

It was not hard to guess from the clansman's expression that this banquet was not meant to welcome him; although Uchiha Fuyu felt a bit disappointed, he still asked.

"Good news, huge good news! No time to talk now, if you go late, there won't be any seats left!"

"Good news?"

Watching the back of the clansman as he walked away, the doubt in Uchiha Fuyu's heart grew heavier; could it be that his great cousin had finally gotten married?

"It's that brat Fuyu."

In the center of the clan grounds, Uchiha Izuna was drinking alone; Uchiha Gin, who was beside him, sensed a familiar aura, and when he turned his head to look, wasn't that his long-unseen eldest nephew walking over from afar?

"Greetings, Father, Great Cousin."

Uchiha Fuyu stepped forward to bow respectfully, but his curious gaze fell on the celebrating clansmen around him; he still didn't know why they were so happy.

"You've worked hard; since you're here, let's eat together."

Uchiha Izuna nodded, and Uchiha Fuyu did not stand on ceremony, sitting down beside his father and picking up his chopsticks to tuck in.

"Fuyu, there weren't any accidents on this trip, were there?"

Keenly noticing that his son's mental state was not very good, Uchiha Izuna asked with concern.

"There weren't any accidents, it's just..."

Uchiha Fuyu, his mouth full of delicious food, frowned; he did have something on his mind, but he didn't know whether he should say it or not.

"Just what?"

"Nothing."

Fuyou recalled the "ambiguous" behavior of the Land of Waves Daimyo, and his chrysanthemum tightened instinctively, but then he thought that the Land of Waves was an important partner of the Uchiha, and if he blew this matter out of proportion, he was afraid it would cut off the Uchiha's financial path.

"Fuyou, if you have something to say, just say it directly. Your father's status now is different from before; he can definitely back you up."

"Status? What status?"

Fuyou was stunned upon hearing this.

"Hokage, of course. You'll soon be able to live the life of a god, bullying men and oppressing women."

"Nani? Dad, did you hack the game?"

Looking at his father, who appeared calm and unruffled, Uchiha Fuyou couldn't believe it and wanted to slap himself twice to wake his brain up.

"Am I really that unbearable in your heart?"

Not expecting his son to look down on him, Uchiha Izuna was immediately displeased.

"No, no, I was just too excited."

How did he muddle his way into becoming the son of the Hokage? This was the strongest second-generation heir in the Hidden Leaf Village; from now on, he could walk sideways wherever he went.

Wait!

My dad is the Hokage, so what the hell do I have to worry about!

"Father, you must stand up for me~"

"Huh?"

Uchiha Fuyou immediately knelt before Izuna with snot and tears, recounting his experiences in the Land of Waves truthfully.

"Bang!"

"Damn Land of Waves, this is bullying me, the Uchiha, for having no one!"

Upon hearing that someone was coveting his son's chastity, Uchiha Izuna was so angry that he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan on the spot, his scarlet eyes filled with chilling killing intent.

"I'm going to go chop that old pervert in half right now!"

"Uh, little cousin, is there some kind of misunderstanding here?"

Uchiha Gin, who had also finished listening to his eldest nephew's explanation, had a very strange expression. Was his uncle being too enthusiastic?

"Misunderstanding? Once or twice would be one thing, but that old pervert not only touches my head every time he sees me, he also fusses over me and even tries to keep me with money!"

"This..." Could that possibly be pocket money from a grandfather to a grandson?

"Father!"

"You just wait, I'm going to go settle the score with him right now!"

His son had been wronged, so how could he, as a father, sit idly by? Uchiha Izuna even threw the matter of his Hokage inauguration to the back of his mind, preparing to set off immediately for the Land of Waves to seek revenge.

"Little cousin, don't be reckless. Your status now is not what it used to be."

Uchiha Izuna could basically be considered the Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village now; one move would affect the whole situation.

"Whoever wants to be Hokage can be."

Now that things had reached this point, Uchiha Izuna finally spoke the words that had been suppressed in the bottom of his heart for a long time.

"Big cousin, I said before that I can't order the white-haired one around; this Hokage position has no meaning to me at all."

"But the votes have already been cast, you can't just abstain, right?"

Uchiha Gin scratched his head and did not try to stop him.

As a sensible parent, he never forced his children to do things they didn't want to do.

Even if it was the Hokage, if his little cousin didn't want to do it, no one could force him.

"What does it matter if I voluntarily give it up? It's a pity that Kagami has already taken the position of branch secretary, otherwise I'd let him have some fun."

Uchiha Izuna had finally figured it out; the position of Hokage wasn't actually that important to him. What he valued was just that white-haired one who shared an office with him.

If that white-haired one wasn't in his Hokage office, what would be the point of being Hokage?

"Let me think, if you really give it up, then it'll be a bargain for Hiruzen Sarutobi~"

According to the election rules, if someone abstained, the next person in line could substitute, so Hiruzen Sarutobi, who received the second-most votes, would be considered to have won the resurrection match.

"Since that kid is a disciple valued by the white-haired one, what harm is there in handing the Hokage position to him?"

Waving his hand very generously, there was not a hint of greed for power in Uchiha Izuna's eyes.

Under the long-term indulgence of his two older brothers, Uchiha Izuna's desire for worldly things had dropped to freezing point; the gain or loss of the Hokage position couldn't affect him at all.

If he wanted power, he was the Uchiha deputy clan leader, below one person and above ten thousand.

If he wanted money, he had a house of gold.

"Are you really at ease handing the Hidden Leaf Village over to that bunch?"

Watching his little cousin who could pick things up and put them down, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow and continued to ask.

"This is your big brother's life's work, aren't you worried they'll mess things up?"

"Big brother once said that the Hidden Leaf Village was never the private property of any one clan; the position of Hokage should be held by those capable."

Uchiha Izuna shook his head gently. In the big family that was the Hidden Leaf Village, as long as you had the ability, you could take the stage.

"Besides, isn't Kagami still there?"

Of course, another reason Uchiha Izuna could safely walk away was the existence of Uchiha Kagami.

As the branch secretary, Kagami's power was on par with the Hokage, so he wasn't worried that Hiruzen Sarutobi would act to discard the donkey once the grinding was done after taking office.

"Oh my, there's really no helping you. Then in what capacity are you planning to go to the Land of Waves?"

Seeing that his little cousin's mind was made up to run away, Uchiha Gin didn't stop him anymore. Anyway, even a dog wouldn't want to be Hokage!

"The mission center always has missions for the Land of Waves; I'll just pick one at random."

The Hidden Leaf Village's mission center was still in Uchiha Izuna's hands, and his memory of those long-term missions was still very deep.

"Hmph! That old pervert, the Land of Waves Daimyo, who has no asshole for a son—if I don't beat the shit out of him, I'll call him Daddy!"