Uchiha Ran listened to the voices of his supporters and smiled.
"In that case, let us work together," he said, "to change the entire shinobi world and turn our ideals into reality. What we are about to do will be difficult—perhaps even arduous."
"On this brightly lit night in Konoha, I hope none of you forget what we say today," Ran continued, raising his right hand. "For the sake of a new era for Konoha, we must move forward together!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The three responded in unison, smiling at one another.
Their voices quickly drew the attention of nearby villagers. Several shinobi turned to look in surprise. Patrol members from the Uchiha and Hyūga clans soon approached, intending to investigate the disturbance.
What they saw left them stunned.
The clan heads of the Uchiha and Hyūga were chatting and laughing openly, their expressions relaxed and bright. They even clasped hands together as they spoke enthusiastically about working hard for Konoha.
Seeing this, the two patrolling shinobi exchanged glances. Imitating their clan heads, they stepped forward, clasped hands, and said:
"Please take care of me from now on, Hyūga Haru."
"Same here, Uchiha Gen," Hyūga Haru replied with a smile.
This simple exchange eased the tension between them. On their first patrol together, both had been a little reserved—Hyūga shinobi found the Uchiha intimidating, while the Uchiha felt the Hyūga were too quiet and distant. But after watching Hokage-sama and Hyūga Hiashi, and learning from one another, the distance between them naturally melted away.
At the Akimichi barbecue shop, Akimichi Chōza noticed a crowd gathering outside. He told his clansmen to watch the shop and stepped out to see what was going on.
When he saw his sworn brother Nara Shikaku standing beside Hokage-sama, their hands clasped together as they encouraged one another, Chōza couldn't help but grin.
Chuckling, he scratched his head and returned to the shop, raising his voice:
"To celebrate Hokage-sama's succession, all yakiniku will be thirty percent off! This promotion will last for one full week!"
Even with the discount, he would still make a decent profit. Besides, he was in an excellent mood.
"Ohhh!"
"Boss Chōza is amazing!"
"Long live Hokage-sama!"
Listening to the cheers, Chōza smiled warmly. He glanced back at the Hokage and Shikaku on the street, feeling a surge of pride.
It seemed he would have to serve this Hokage-sama well from now on.
He immediately thought of Yamanaka Inoichi. That man would definitely be thrilled to hear this news. Chōza summoned one of his people and sent him to the Yamanaka Clan to pass on the message.
---
Yamanaka Clan Grounds
Yamanaka Inoichi was playing with his daughter, Ino, affection clear in his eyes as he watched her laugh. Suddenly, a knock came at the door.
Inoichi raised an eyebrow. Visitors at this hour were rare.
"Clan Head," a Yamanaka shinobi said from outside, "this is a message from Lord Chōza."
"Come in," Inoichi replied calmly.
The door opened, and the shinobi knelt on one knee. In the shinobi world, hierarchy was still strictly observed.
"Rise," Inoichi said, gently patting his daughter's head. "What news does Lord Chōza bring?"
"Reporting, Clan Head," the shinobi said. "Lord Chōza reports that Nara Shikaku and Hokage-sama were seen encouraging one another openly in the streets. Their relationship has grown extremely close. From now on, the Akimichi Clan fully supports Hokage-sama."
Inoichi froze for a moment—then his face lit up with joy.
"Good. Very good!" he said. "Tell my brother that from this day onward, the Yamanaka Clan will obey Hokage-sama without reservation. If anyone dares disobey—"
His eyes sharpened.
"—I, Yamanaka Inoichi, will personally deal with them."
"Yes!" the shinobi replied firmly before leaving to relay the message.
Inoichi set Ino down and began pacing, his heart pounding with excitement. His unusual behavior startled her.
"Dad? What's wrong?" Ino asked worriedly. "Did something bad happen?"
Inoichi paused, then laughed, lifting her into his arms.
"No, no. Nothing bad at all," he said warmly. "In the future, our Yamanaka Clan may become one of Konoha's main pillars."
"Huh?" Ino pouted slightly. "Is that very tiring? Ino doesn't want Daddy to work so hard."
Inoichi chuckled and patted her head. "You can go play with Shikamaru and Chōji. If anything dangerous happens, hide behind Chōji. If you have questions, ask Shikamaru. You'll be fine."
"…Okay," Ino replied after a moment. Born into the Yamanaka Clan, she understood that being busy meant prosperity—idleness meant decline. Even if she wanted more time with her father, she knew this was important for the family.
Suddenly, Inoichi seemed to remember something. He whistled sharply.
In the next instant, a figure appeared before him.
"Clan Head," Fu Yamanaka said, standing straight. "Do you need me to carry out a mission?"
After returning to the Yamanaka Clan, Fu had not been ostracized. Instead, he was met with understanding and concern. Everyone knew the terror of Danzō Shimura and the Tongue Curse Seal. Acting against one's will under such control was something no one blamed him for.
Seeing Inoichi's gentle smile, Fu finally understood that the world was not as hopeless as he had once believed.
From that day on, he let go of his resentment and chose to truly serve the Yamanaka Clan.
The whistle was a signal Inoichi had personally taught him. Whenever it sounded, Fu would appear—no matter the task.
Now that the whistle had been blown, it meant something important.
Inoichi placed a hand on Fu's shoulder.
"Tomorrow, come with me to meet Hokage-sama," he said. "From then on, you will stay by his side. Do whatever he instructs you to do."
"I'll handle matters behind the scenes. You only need to focus on serving him well."
Fu was momentarily stunned. He had expected a dangerous mission, not this.
"Don't underestimate this responsibility," Inoichi said seriously. "If you do well, the Yamanaka Clan—and even the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance—will prosper for generations. If you fail, there are countless people eager to take your place."
Fu straightened and nodded firmly.
"I understand, Clan Head."
"Good," Inoichi said with a smile. "Get some rest. I'll take you to meet Hokage-sama tomorrow morning."
------
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