HSU: Ch. 344

Watching Minato seriously declaring he wanted to retire, Masashi felt like he'd just witnessed something absurd. Minato, barely just over forty, was finally shameless enough to start slacking off.

Are his supplements not working anymore? Or is the pressure at home not enough?

"Hokage-sama, you're slacking." His face was expressionless. "Have you forgotten what you said during your inauguration ceremony?"

Minato's serious expression immediately faltered.

That was an inauguration speech. How could you call it just something he "said"?

Masashi was being way too cheeky.

"Masashi," Minato switched into that familiar tone. "My dream has already been fulfilled."

"Hokage-sama, have your supplements not been strong enough?" Masashi shot him a sharp look. "Dreams never come true. That's why they're called dreams, aren't they?"

"No, no, no, my dream really has come true... Since it's my dream, I know best whether it's fulfilled or not. So now it's time to look to the next generation."

"Naruto and the others aren't even married yet. The next generation isn't ready." Masashi said. "The kids haven't grown up. It's the Hokage's duty to protect them until they do."

"Well said!" Hiruzen looked on approvingly. "Hearing that puts me at ease."

"Even if you want to retire, the Shodaime and Nidaime won't agree." Masashi pointed at Minato. "Since you took office, you've been diligent and responsible, pouring all your energy into the job. You've finally achieved such remarkable results. This is the time to keep up the momentum! How can you grow discouraged and talk about stepping down? I won't allow anyone to covet your position. Just tell me, who is it? I'll go take him out right now! As the ANBU Commander, eliminating enemies of the Hokage is my duty! I guarantee it'll look perfectly natural. No third person will know."

"No, no, there's no one plotting against me. I really should retire. I've already thoroughly discussed this with the Shodaime, Nidaime, and Sandaime." Minato earnestly insisted. "And besides, I've realized that ANBU work doesn't suit you. It's a waste of your talent."

"Hokage-sama!" Masashi's voice shot up instantly. "If you say that, I must object. It's all for the village. There's no such thing as 'suitable' or 'not suitable'! My abilities are nothing. Please say no more. I'll serve as ANBU Commander until you retire!"

ANBU had finally gotten on track, and his workload had greatly decreased. Now someone wanted to take this peach from him? Dream on!

He would stand his ground. No one could make him budge.

"Madara has left the village, and I now have substantial evidence that he is collaborating with Nagato and Orochimaru. If you step down now, the impact will be enormous!"

"Is that true?" Hiruzen immediately shot upright.

Nagato was a darkness created by him and Danzō. Orochimaru too. Madara was a remnant of the previous era, capable of toppling Konoha by himself.

At this moment, Konoha had to remain stable. It could not be delayed.

"Minato, we can't stall anymore." Hiruzen said. "Delaying further will harm the village."

Minato gave a solemn nod.

"Once I step down, I'll immediately take charge of this matter," he said firmly.

He even looked a bit excited. He had been Hokage for over ten years and had only left the village once, to fight in a war.

Was that acceptable behavior?

"Hokage-sama." Masashi interrupted Minato's fantasy. "I've been in charge of this case the whole time. Switching people midway would be troublesome. As you know, Madara is a ninja born and raised during the Warring States period. People of that generation work very fast."

"Don't worry. I'm fast too." Minato said confidently. "I was excellent at intelligence work back in the day."

That part was true.

"All right. If you insist, I'll reserve my opinion." Masashi had already decided whom he would visit tonight.

Minato had many supporters. They might not help him with overtime, but they would not accept Minato retiring this early.

At the same time, as the ANBU Commander, he also possessed the authority to voice objections. Once the serious business was finished, he stepped aside, allowing Kaguya and Minato to face each other again.

"Since both you and the Sandaime are here, let me formally introduce her. This is Kaguya-hime, a descendant of the ancient Ōtsutsuki clan. By bloodline, the Hyūga clan originates from the Ōtsutsuki, so in terms of lineage, her position is extremely high."

"Ōtsutsuki..."

As one of the greatest ninjas of his time and nicknamed the "Professor," Hiruzen was among the most knowledgeable and well-read people in the shinobi world. He had seen the name Ōtsutsuki only in very ancient mythological texts, vague descriptions with no clear explanation of what they actually were. But he truly had no idea the Hyūga originated from that clan. Still, given what he knew about Masashi, he was sure Masashi would never randomly pick some obscure mythological surname to pretend it was an ancestor.

No one from the Uchiha clan would ever do something that tacky.

"Does the Hyūga clan acknowledge this claim?" He once again felt that living long meant seeing everything sooner or later.

"I've already met with Hiashi. Judging from his reaction, I believe he accepts it." Masashi replied.

To be fair, the only clan that would even still have records of the Ōtsutsuki, at least in Konoha, would be the Hyūga. As for the Uchiha, even in myths they were never connected to the Ōtsutsuki.

The idea that the Uchiha and Hyūga might be relatives came only from the Three Great Dōjutsu, and mostly served to argue, from a different angle, that the Uchiha were the strongest.

"This is..." Hiruzen felt his worldview expanding dramatically.

Minato, however, didn't think that deeply. While Masashi and Hiruzen were chatting on the side, he had already stood up to welcome Kaguya. After all, those pale eyes of hers made him feel right at home.

But when he extended a hand, Kaguya clearly had no intention of shaking it.

"You are the ruler of this village?" she asked again.

She could forgive him for not answering earlier. After all, Masashi had been speaking to him first. Even though he'd said a whole lot of irrelevant nonsense, since she already intended to take Masashi into her service, she would not interfere with his actions.

"Konoha belongs to everyone who lives here. I simply serve the people."

Kaguya raised a brow.

The rebellious tone was strong. Her hands were beginning to itch.

"You possess one of the greatest powers in this village. Do you not even have the confidence to command them?"

"You overestimate me." Minato showed his sunny smile.

Ah, so that was it. He understood now.

He'd had a feeling something was off about her. And after hearing her speak, it finally clicked. He hadn't truly left Konoha in far too long. Born in the village, he had embraced the Will of Fire more deeply than any of his peers. And this conviction hadn't come from textbooks. It came from his own experiences.

His ordinary origins, remarkable talent, loving family, and naturally radiant disposition were the most obvious highlights of his character.

In the original timeline, if he had been the protagonist, he likely would've surpassed Naruto, even without being Asura's reincarnation. Starting as a prodigy, Minato, before and after becoming a ninja, stood out among his peers, earning admiration from comrades, teammates, and villagers. Through countless missions, he conducted a thorough, hands-on investigation of the entire world. He reached the conclusion that outside of Konoha, there existed no such thing as even relative equality. Rich robbed poor, poor robbed rich, unrestrained desires crushed any natural compassion, and justice, already fragile, was crippled. Outside Konoha's seemingly healthy system, people lived in a world built from greed, ambition, and malice.

They were born into cruelty, and thus became cruel.

As Hokage, he had long since forgotten how truly awful the outside world was. So it was only natural that someone like Kaguya would have paid a heavy price and embraced the supremacy of power. Even though he intended to step down, at this moment he was still Hokage, and so he needed to represent Konoha and welcome her properly.

"Kaguya-hime, welcome to Konoha." Minato smiled gently. "You will find this place completely different from the world outside."

---

All the way from leaving the Ninja Academy until now, Masashi hadn't seen a single parent. He had no idea where they had all gone. As for Yosuke, both Minato and Hiruzen said the fight was no big deal and even praised Masashi for raising him well. After less than a month of school he was already going on a rampage. Clearly, Konoha had a bright future.

So in other words, a blatant conspiracy!

He could see it clearly now. All that talk about a parent-teacher meeting was fake. This was just a pretext to call him over and make an official announcement. To nail him firmly to the village, so that the Hokage election could proceed without worrying about the ANBU Commander being absent.

If they didn't announce it publicly, he could still make excuses. But now that they'd announced it, he couldn't run anymore. Konoha, once such a simple and honest village, was now full of schemers everywhere he looked. But more surprising to him than any of this was Kaguya's behavior.

Many of the countermeasures he had prepared became unnecessary.

At this moment, he was walking along the street with Kaguya. Even though night had fallen and this wasn't a commercial street, there were still many pedestrians, and lights shone brightly on both sides. The strong sense of everyday life almost covered up the true nature of this place. It was originally a military base. Konoha's level of prosperity had already opened a generational gap between it and other places. Ten years ago, at this hour, Konoha's nightlife had been limited to the commercial streets of the North and South Districts.

But after "friendly demolition" and replanning, Konoha had become much closer to the urban planning of modern cities. The commercial streets still existed, but they were no longer unique. Now it made more sense to refer to Konoha as a collection of commercial zones.

The new North District, spreading outward from the three major landmarks: the Hokage Building, the Ninja Academy, and the Konoha Hospital, was the most obvious example.

People of Konoha no longer needed to deliberately go to the old commercial district to enjoy nightlife.

"Kaguya-hime, what do you think of this village?" Masashi asked.

"Other than being noisy, it is not bad," Kaguya replied.

In her life, she had never experienced this sort of mundane liveliness. The Ōtsutsuki clan pursued the evolution into greater life forms, pure to an extreme, leaving little room for humanity. Wherever they went, only chaos remained.

She was already considered gentle among her clan, but even when she was worshipped as the Rabbit Goddess, her way of life had been extremely religious and rigid. Seeing different worlds and the lives of various mortals and gods through Masashi's memories had given her patience, but only under special circumstances.

In the past, she would never have been interested in watching such things.

"I recall that Asura's current reincarnation is also in this village. Why have I not seen him?"

"He's probably out on a mission." Masashi had been busy lately and hadn't paid attention to Naruto's or Sasuke's mission schedules.

Kaguya did not comment.

She had seen the previous Asura reincarnation with her Byakugan, but "previous" meant he no longer possessed Asura's chakra. He wasn't even a living being. Not even considered a proper spirit. To her, such tools didn't even count as real consciousness, so she naturally didn't care.

"And what about Indra's reincarnation?"

Asura was hopeless. He followed that unfilial son around even to death. But Indra was a good grandson. Unfortunately, she had already been imprisoned at the time and couldn't support him.

"If you didn't see him earlier, he must also be out on a mission."

"I see. Then let us go see Hamura's descendants." Kaguya was a bit disappointed, and the two cowards she saw earlier in the day came to mind.

Compared to the rebellious ones, cowards were still preferable.

"Sure." Masashi nodded. "I was planning to visit the Hyūga clan anyway."

With their goals aligned, Masashi headed straight for the Hyūga clan grounds in the southern district with Kaguya.

The South District, once considered the "outskirts" of the ninja clans of Konoha, was now nearly as prosperous as the North. The green space that had separated the two districts had been largely reduced due to urban expansion, and the buildings now formed vast continuous blocks. The once-clear boundaries were now difficult to define. The major clans in this district were the Uchiha and the Hyūga, and from the perspective of living convenience, the Hyūga benefited the most. Their estates were not located near the prison.

When Masashi and Kaguya arrived at the entrance of the Hyūga compound, Hyūga ninjas were already waiting for them. Tonight, many people in the village would be busy with visits. The Hyūga had long prepared for Masashi's arrival.

Both publicly and privately, the Hyūga clan and Masashi had many matters they needed to discuss.

"Masashi-sama, the clan head and the elders have been waiting for quite some time." The Hyūga ninja waiting at the entrance greeted him warmly.

Like many others, he already viewed Masashi as the Hokage-to-be. Everyone in the Hyūga clan understood one thing very clearly: no Hyūga would ever become Hokage.

As long as the main and branch house system existed, there could never be a Hokage with the surname Hyūga. A Hokage could respect Hyūga traditions, yes, but any Hyūga who upheld and practiced that system could never become Hokage. So the Hyūga's hope for the Hokage had always been simple: they wanted a Hokage who stood close to the Hyūga.

And among all outsiders, the one with whom the Hyūga had the best relationship was Masashi. Right now, the entire Hyūga clan was eagerly waiting for Masashi's formal nomination.

Their hands were itching to cast their votes.

Under the enthusiastic guidance of the Hyūga ninja, Masashi met Hiashi and the elders of the Hyūga main house. This building brought back memories. Back then, when he accompanied Fugaku to gather votes, they had also sat in this room.

"Masashi." Hiashi and the main house elders sat neatly on the tatami. When they saw Masashi and Kaguya, they all rose to show respect.

"Good evening," Masashi said with a smile.

After exchanging greetings, they all sat down.

Except Kaguya, of course. There was no way she was going to greet the Hyūga one by one.

The elders' gazes fell on Kaguya. Their eyes were full of curiosity and anticipation. Becoming an elder of the main house was the highest rank a Hyūga could attain in their lifetime. From a career standpoint, there was nowhere higher to go. So they began to pursue something else, a place in the clan's history. The best way was to contribute to the clan, finding methods that could ensure the clan's continued prosperity and even make it stronger.

And regarding the Ōtsutsuki, people had sought them out before.

"Kaguya-hime, there are no beds or chairs here, so perhaps..." Masashi gently attempted to advise her.

It seemed that, in the mindscape, Kaguya had never used a kneeling posture.

She had only two modes: lying horizontally or standing vertically.

"Mother." Black Zetsu spoke from within Kaguya's sleeve. "He speaks the truth. People here do sit like this."

Kaguya looked at the tatami beneath her feet. No bed and no sofa, quite primitive. But since Zetsu said so, she didn't mind.

Then, with a sweep of her sleeves, she sat down, immediately emanating the aura of a ruler descending upon the world. And this aura was so natural that the Hyūga felt no sense of abruptness. If anything, they believed she had suppressed most of her divine presence instead of releasing it freely.

And they weren't wrong.

Kaguya had always viewed herself as an observer from outside this world. To her, the Hyūga in front of her were just NPCs. But Black Zetsu suddenly speaking startled the Hyūga. Only then did they realize that this woman seemed to have someone hidden inside her sleeve.

And he was calling her "mother."

Their first thought was: She married and had a child so young?!

But then they noticed, her sleeve didn't look large enough to hold a person.

"There's no need to be surprised," Masashi explained. "This is my old friend Black Zetsu. His life was elevated because of Kaguya-hime, becoming a higher form of existence. You can understand it from the perspective of Yin-Yang Release."

This was the most appropriate explanation.

As a Yin-Yang Release creation, Black Zetsu's rarity came from possessing a true self, unlike the mindless White Zetsu.

Masashi also wanted the Hyūga to treat Black Zetsu as a real person.

"Yin-Yang Release, the legendary art?" One main house elder immediately began breathing in large gulps of air.

The others' gazes burned with intensity.

Before Yin-Yang Release, most modern ninjutsu was mere decoration. Indeed, the true power of the Hyūga was hidden in history. As it should be. The Three Great Dōjutsu, three great, meaning they should stand on equal footing. It made no sense for the Byakugan to be clearly inferior.

The elders looked at Masashi. Even though he had expected this reaction, seeing it in person still made him want to complain endlessly. They were all Byakugan, sure, but they were not the same thing at all.

Kaguya's eyes could even directly see reincarnation chakra.

"Ahem." Masashi cleared his throat, pulling their attention back. "The reason I came tonight is because I have something I wish to discuss with the Hyūga."

"Masashi-sama, no need to say more." A main house elder spoke with great firmness. "The entire Hyūga clan supports you as the Fifth Hokage!"

To the Hyūga now, Masashi, who had brought Kaguya-hime back, was the clan's true ally. The matter of choosing a Hokage didn't even need discussion.

"You misunderstand." Masashi's expression turned serious. "In fact, I hope the Hyūga can also help persuade the Fourth Hokage. Please advise him not to consider stepping down."

The moment these words left his mouth, every Hyūga present, including Hiashi, froze. This scenario was something they had never expected.

Because Masashi not becoming Hokage? That's impossible!