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"The situation on the eastern front is a bit grim. If the Cloud ninja decide to initiate a decisive battle, we might be at a disadvantage. Fortunately, Yōichi has severely intimidated the Cloud ninja recently, and it's still unclear whether they have the guts to start a war."
Hiruzen spoke with his hands crossed in front of his chin, addressing all the Jōnin present in the room.
This Jōnin meeting had fewer ninjutsu demonstrations than usual, as many Jōnin had been dispatched to Kikyō Castle and the eastern front, leaving only those ready to head to the battlefield at any moment.
The situation at Kikyō Castle had stabilized. Even the use of the One-Tails Jinchūriki had not been enough to conquer the castle, which meant that the Sand ninja were losing their grip on the initiative in the battle.
Though Yōichi's summoned bear could not be controlled to join the battlefield directly, it at least ensured the safety of Kikyō Castle. Leaf was now poised to go on the offensive, with Danzō having brought back news from the Rain ninja and hurried discussions with Leaf.
"Next, as long as we defeat the Cloud ninja on the eastern front, Leaf can maintain its status as a victor in the Second Shinobi World War, attracting a slew of commission tasks in the days to come and facilitating rapid village development."
"Hiruzen, should we send the Two-Tails Jinchūriki back to the village?" Koharu asked, concerned about the risks of keeping the Two-Tails at the frontline, especially if it were to be recaptured by the Cloud ninja.
After a moment's hesitation, Hiruzen replied, "Yōichi plans to personally oversee the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, and he has assured us that he will handle the A and B teams. Sakumo has also said there's no problem, so..."
Everyone understood the implication of his words: they wouldn't be getting it back.
Yōichi had previously snatched the artifacts from Cloud ninja, which were clearly strategic transportation ninjutsu tools that could store much more than a scroll and should ideally be in the village's possession.
But Yōichi had shown no intention of handing them over, not even considering a trade.
Homura frowned and said, "He's unwilling? We're talking about the Two-Tails here, there's never been a precedent for allowing personal oversight. What is he planning?"
"Let's wait and see," Hiruzen interrupted Homura, knowing the discussion was veering into dangerous territory, potentially maligning a Leaf hero if word got out to the frontlines.
"There might be sudden changes at the front, and then the Two-Tails Jinchūriki could prove crucial."
His words served as a defense for Yōichi, but even then, Hiruzen felt a twinge of frustration having to cover for Yōichi's monopolization of such a strategic asset.
"Let's focus on the Stone ninja instead. They hold a grudge against the Cloud, and both villages have been actively expanding their armories in recent years. I think we might be able to..."
Hiruzen considered using an alliance with the Rain ninja as a strategy to deal with the Cloud by potentially redirecting the Stone ninja's animosity towards them.
The alliance was a long shot since the Stone was one of the Great Five Ninja Villages and would not ally with another village unless it was clearly losing the war.
It was worth trying to shift the Stone's animosity, though.
After extensive discussion in the Jōnin meeting, it was decided to pull back the Leaf ninja from the borders of the Grass and Fire countries and then go into hiding.
Creating the illusion of withdrawing forces to concentrate on dealing with the Cloud, when in fact, the ninja were still there, just pulled back slightly. If the Stone received this news, they might react in one of three ways: do nothing, attack Leaf alongside Cloud, or take advantage of a fierce battle between Leaf and Cloud to strike back at Cloud and claim their share.
Most Jōnin believed the Stone would choose the third option, and even if Stone initiated war against them, they could respond and support quickly.
After the decision, Hiruzen sent people to carry out the plan.
As the meeting ended, Danzō finally spoke up to Hiruzen, "Hiruzen, you should have been firmer. By giving in, we can't even get the Two-Tails back now. Tobirama-sensei was wrong to appoint you as Hokage!"
Slap!
Hiruzen slammed his hand on the table, his face cold as he retorted, "Danzō, I am the Hokage. You just need to fulfill your duties in the Root. The rest isn't your concern!"
"Hiruzen, what do you mean by that? Not allowing Danzō to speak his mind? What are we here for, then?" Koharu huffed coldly and stood up, leaving the room.
Homura also stood, sarcastically adding, "You'd better argue in front of everyone next time, since you've already embarrassed yourself."
After he left, only Danzō and Hiruzen remained in the room. Danzō, not planning to stay any longer, remarked before leaving, "You're not Tobirama-sensei."
And with that, he left the Hokage's office.
Haunted by recurring nightmares of being hung and beaten by Hiruzen and waking up sore even when visiting the Rain village, Danzō had tried every barrier but to no avail.
After consulting with several ninjas skilled in genjutsu and mental techniques, he confirmed it was indeed just a dream, reflecting perhaps his subconscious thoughts.
Knowing it wasn't someone else's doing, Danzō grew increasingly resentful of Hiruzen's passive leadership, lacking the decisive action seen during the Second Shinobi World War.
And to think Hiruzen even came into his dreams to beat him.
Although he also dreamed of Homura and Koharu, it was Hiruzen who spent the most time hitting him in those dreams. Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu all felt the same—they were metaphorically beating each other up every day, hence the mutual disdain.
The earlier meeting was endured only because it was necessary. Once the Hokage's office was left with just the four of them, they couldn't contain their disdain any longer and started trading barbs.
Once everyone had left, Hiruzen picked up his smoking pipe, lit it, and took a slow puff, as if speaking to the air, "I am the Hokage."
————————————
When Fugaku returned home, he coincidentally arrived at the same time as Mikoto, and they greeted each other as they entered the house.
However, Fugaku suddenly felt a sense of estrangement. Isn't it odd for spouses to greet each other like strangers when they return home?
"Fugaku, did the meeting go on until now?"
"Yes, the Jōnin meeting discussed many things... Oh, Mikoto, you could have attended too. I've neglected this matter for quite some time."
Feeling a growing distance between them, Fugaku engaged Mikoto in more conversation than usual. Indeed, Mikoto had previously passed the Leaf Jōnin exam but had gradually stopped taking on ninja tasks due to domestic responsibilities.
"Today, we mainly discussed operational matters. The situation on the eastern front might not be good because Yōichi captured the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, so the Cloud might initiate a decisive battle sooner."
Mikoto trembled slightly at the mention of Yōichi's name, paying less attention to the rest of the conversation, only catching that there might be a major battle involving Yōichi.
"Will there be danger there?"
"Once the war starts, how could there not be danger? Nobody is exempt."
Fugaku didn't notice Mikoto's pale face as he sat down on the tatami to continue, "If the war goes poorly, I might also have to lead our clan into battle."
"Could Yōichi-kun also be in danger on the battlefield?"
"Are you talking about death? Mikoto, indeed, that's a possibility if he were to die..." Fugaku paused, then a thought crossed his mind—if Yōichi died on the frontline, wouldn't that mean Mikoto, who was currently in charge of certain clan matters, could take over completely? Although the Second Elder also had a chance, Mikoto was now the most suitable to oversee these businesses.
Under his leadership as the clan head, it could potentially lead to better development for the clan.
"Mikoto, going forward... Mikoto?"
Fugaku looked up to find that Mikoto, who had just been at the doorway, was no longer there.
Instead, the helper walked in, carrying a cup of tea for Fugaku, saying, "Clan leader, it seems Lady Mikoto just went back to her room. She looked a bit unwell.
And she didn't have an appetite earlier; she asked me to put away her portion of the meal."
"I see, she must be very tired. Let her rest well."
Fugaku nodded, acknowledging the hard work they had all been putting in recently, which was hardly less demanding than his duties in the police force, probably just exhaustion.
"Thank you. Recently, please don't let Itachi disturb Mikoto while she's resting."
She nodded, "I understand, Clan Leader. Itachi-kun is very well-behaved, much more so than my daughter. He's already thinking about becoming a ninja to share your burden."
"That's good to hear." After all, he's my son!
Fugaku didn't say the last part aloud to avoid sounding boastful, but that was indeed how he felt.
Although he hadn't had time to deal with Itachi recently, Fugaku believed his son would become a great ninja within the Uchiha clan.
"Clan leader, shall we have lunch? It's ready."
"Alright, let's have lunch then."
In another room, Mikoto felt uncomfortable. Hearing about the possible danger to Yōichi had left her feeling tight in the chest, a sensation that hadn't eased.
'That was just a dream, it has nothing to do with reality.'
Though she kept reassuring herself, Mikoto couldn't shake the unease in her heart. She suddenly felt that everything in the real world was so dull. If only she could stay in the dream world forever.
A considerate husband, caring about her son Sasuke.
After praying for the frontline in her heart, Mikoto, feeling tired, wanted to rest for a while, partly hoping to enter the dream world where she could let go of her irritation.
"Mother, would you like something to eat for lunch?"
The sudden sound of the sliding door and a child's inquiry startled Mikoto, who then stood up to look at the door: "Sasuke-."
However, seeing Itachi, Mikoto quickly recovered her composure and said, "Sorry, Itachi, I'd like to rest for a bit."
"I understand, Mother. Have a good rest."
After Itachi closed the door and left, he was left wondering, as he walked away, who was this 'Sasuke' his mother had called out?
————————————
The battlefield with the Cloud Village continued to demand high-intensity purging and reconnaissance missions, now almost three months ongoing.
On the last day the Master of Dreams ability was to disappear, Yōichi felt reluctant to let it go, but he stuck to his routine: training, allowing Mina to research, helping Kushina extract the Nine-Tails chakra, and spending a day and a bit more as a husband with Mikoto.
But on that final day, he let slip a piece of information, hinting that they might no longer meet in dreams, which made the usually assertive Mikoto panic, thinking Yōichi wanted a divorce.
However, after Yōichi shared some news about the dreams and comforted her in their marital bed, the only thing Mikoto felt afterwards was satisfied exhaustion.
When the dream ended and Mikoto awoke, she quietly went to wash up, her heart filled with contentment and a slight regret about the shortness of time.
But one phrase from the dream stayed clear in her memory, 'until the war ends.' Just thinking of these words made Mikoto feel warm all over.
Gulp, gulp.
After submerging herself in the bathtub, Mikoto thought, 'Did Yōichi-kun also have the same dream? Is that why he said that to me? After the war, is he going to come for me?'
Thinking of the intense marital life in the dream, which still hadn't satisfied her, Mikoto's body became even more sensitive.
After the ability ended, Yōichi drew a relatively ordinary power.
Enhanced smell and vision.
It was almost like turning him into Inuzuka Kiba and Hyūga Neji.
The sudden enhancement of smell without prior training was a nightmare for Yōichi; various scents rushed into his nostrils, even affecting his abilities.
Initially, Yōichi even wore two nasal strips to relieve the symptoms, but as he grew accustomed to the ability, it finally began to assist him.
The vision enhancement was also modestly helpful, allowing him to see the legs of ants on the ground clearly but without x-ray vision.
Helpful, but limited, and Yōichi still preferred relying on Daiki and Kira. The abilities he drew were just weaker versions of theirs.
After drawing these two abilities, the superpower roulette suddenly changed.
It wasn't a massive change, just a branch appeared. Now the superpower roulette offered two choices.
The first was unchanged, as before, randomly drawing one superpower a month.
The second added a feature allowing the accumulation of draw opportunities; three opportunities could be exchanged for fifteen days of a previously used power.
Uchiha Yōichi chose the second option without hesitation. He had drawn several very useful abilities before; although it meant only using them for fifteen days every three months, being able to select them directly was far more beneficial than random draws.
He remembered a year when he hadn't drawn a single useful ability; sometimes, when your luck is bad, it's truly terrible.
Only after choosing the roulette upgrade did Yōichi learn that this upgrade would take some time.
(End of Chapter)