Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

After having a free meal at Gin's house, Fugaku planned to go back to his lodgings to change out of his dirty clothes from the sparring session, so he could look his best before his date with Mikoto.

Unexpectedly, Uchiha Setsuna was also at home. Judging from his pleasant conversation with Uchiha Ryuzaki, something good must have happened.
"Elder Setsuna, I have delivered the things you asked me to give to Uncle Yin."

Remembering the task the other party had given him, Fugaku stepped forward and said...
"Thank you, young master Fugaku."

Uchiha Setsuna nodded. He had considered visiting in person, but having been tricked by someone before, he decided to use someone else to deliver the promised reward.

"Young Master Fugaku, what's going on?"

Uchiha Roza, standing to the side, looked at Fugaku, whose clothes were tattered and torn, and his aged brows furrowed slightly.
Fugaku Uchiha has been enrolled at the Ninja Academy for some time now, and judging from the feedback from the teachers, this heir to the clan head is not a well-behaved individual; he has frequently gotten into fights and caused trouble at the academy.

"This happened when I was sparring with Uncle Yin. I'll go change it now."

Upon hearing this, Fugaku quickly explained, not wanting to be misunderstood by his future grandfather-in-law. He then turned to Uchiha Ryōza, whose expression had softened, and asked...
"Elder Lü Cha, where is Mikoto?"

"Some of Mikoto's classmates came looking for her, but they've already gone out."

"who is it?"

Upon hearing the word "classmate," Fugaku Uchiha instantly became alert. Who on earth dared to interrupt his date with Mikoto?

"A silly, clueless kid, and a pair of brothers who roll their eyes."

"hateful!"

With such obvious features, how could Fugaku not guess? He immediately rushed back to his room to change his clothes, determined not to let Mikoto be taken advantage of by any other wild boar besides himself.

"Seeing that young master Fugaku is so energetic, I feel relieved."

Watching Fugaku Uchiha's hurried departure, Setsuna Uchiha said with a smile,
"Since Lord Izuna has entrusted young master Fugaku to my care, I will naturally not neglect him."

Uchiha Lucha raised his teacup, took a sip, and spoke in a very calm tone.

"Elder Lü, you've worked hard."

"Ah! Elder Shana has it so hard. Not only does he have to manage clan affairs, but he also has to take care of the pig farm and the meat processing plant. If it were me, I would probably have collapsed from exhaustion long ago."

Uchiha Ryōza initially disapproved of Uchiha Setsuna leading his clansmen in engaging in side businesses.

Most of the clan members now have regular jobs. Working in the Konoha Police Force is a very rigorous department that requires the full dedication of every member.
However, he received a secret order from the Land of Waves, requiring him to proactively help Uchiha Setsuna establish a pig-farming empire.
To help the newly established pig farm overcome its difficulties, the Land of Waves even sent a pig farming tycoon.
As it turned out, this was indeed the right thing to do. After the first batch of adult pigs were sold, the Uchiha pig farm made a fortune.
Not only were the losses incurred due to the previous unannounced and direct inspections recovered, but each member of the clan also received a wealth of benefits.

As a result, everyone now praises Uchiha Setsuna's wisdom and prowess, and the Grand Elder's approval rating is unlikely to decrease in the coming years.

"Elder Lü Cha, this is your share."

Uchiha Ryuzaki's seemingly genuine words pleased Setsuna greatly, so he smiled and pulled a scroll from his robes, pushing it towards him.
"Thank you."

Having contributed to the pig farm, Lü Cha immediately put down his teacup with a smile and, without any hesitation, pocketed the scroll containing the fresh pork.

"By the way, what's the reaction from the Shimura clan?"

Today, pork produced by the Uchiha clan sells well throughout the country and is even exported overseas. As a former pork giant, the Shimura clan cannot simply allow their competitor to grow stronger.

"You don't need to worry about that, I have someone backing me up."

Uchiha Setsuna smiled mysteriously; he was no longer afraid of the Shimura clan's malicious competition.

"Is that you?"

Uchiha Lucha raised an eyebrow, gestured three with his hand, and the meaning was quite clear.
"Yes, but not entirely."

He didn't deny it, nodded for a moment, then shook his head.
The fact that Uchiha pork could circulate freely in the market without encountering any difficulties from quarantine and inspection departments is largely thanks to the Third Hokage.

But besides this temporary backer, there was another unspoken sugar daddy, Mom.

"You should still be careful. Just because the Shimura clan hasn't made any moves yet doesn't mean they won't in the future."

Uchiha Ryōzachi knew very well that the reason the Shimura clan was not making any moves was because they were waiting for someone.

"Hmph! You think I'm afraid of that big-butt brat? Let him come at me!"

Even though Danzo had immense influence in Konoha and a secret, intimate relationship with the Third Hokage, Setsuna still didn't take him seriously, despite Danzo being nearly ten years younger than him.
“You are not in a position of power. Danzo is an advisor and elder to the higher-ups, while you are just the acting captain of the guard. A higher rank can crush a lower one.”

Uchiha Ryuzaki's concerns were not unfounded. Danzo was notoriously petty in the village, and given how much flesh Uchiha Setsuna had cut from him, he was unlikely to let it go so easily.

"Tsk! If only another Hokage could emerge from our Uchiha clan, the entire Hidden Leaf Village would become our personal fiefdom."

Upon hearing this, Setsuna's expression darkened; he now deeply missed the days when Madara Uchiha was still in power.
Back then, the Uchiha clan could practically roam freely in the village. People like Sarutobi and Shimura didn't even dare to raise their heads when they saw him.
The only one who dared to raise his voice at the Uchiha clan was the white-haired man who had already died a heroic death.

"Another Hokage from the Uchiha clan? That's probably going to be difficult."

If it weren't for Uchiha Kagami holding down the fort, with all the rotten apples left in Konoha, it would be questionable whether they could even preserve the Uchiha name.
Take the Senju brothers next door as an example. Only a few years after the Senju brothers were gone, even their surnames were changed.

"It all depends on human effort. Once all the conditions are met, Konoha will be transformed."

Uchiha Setsuna, on the other hand, was full of confidence. With his pig farm, which was making a fortune every day, as his foundation, he was already envisioning a bright future for the Uchiha clan.

"Elder Lu, don't you want to see both thrones in that office occupied by people with the surname Uchiha?"

In the past, Uchiha Ryōzashi would have been at least tempted, if not moved, but now he remained silent.

Is it really meaningful to fight for that position?

After his trip to the Land of Waves, he had long since transcended his current perspective, his vision no longer confined to the small Hidden Leaf Village, but rather to the broader sky belonging to the Uchiha clan.

At the entrance of Konoha Village

Four short figures, walking together, stood in a row in front of the huge Snow King standee, their eyes fixed on the scrolling menu on the sign, their small brows furrowed in worry.
"It's so hard to choose, Mikoto, I want to drink all of them."

Rope Tree looked at the display picture, which was exactly the same as the real thing, and swallowed hard. But after touching his empty wallet, he shook his head in disappointment.
“But my grandmother only gave me a thousand taels of pocket money, five hundred of which were borrowed by my sister.”

"So, you only have five hundred taels in your pocket right now, which isn't even enough to buy a glass of lemonade, right?"

Upon hearing this, Hiashi Hyuga immediately showed a disdainful expression.
We all agreed to come over for some sweet drinks, but you can't even afford one cup. Can you please not come to these kinds of gatherings next time?

Rope Tree blushed slightly. He had lived a good life before; back in the capital of the Land of Fire, he could drink milk tea one cup at a time and then throw it away. It was just that his family had fallen on hard times and they were a little strapped for cash now.

It's all Grandma's fault for hearing that nonsense about raising daughters with plenty and sons with meager resources, which caused his allowance to drastically decrease, leading to him being ridiculed by others.
"If we're going to do a group order," he said, pointing to the group order promotion on the sign, looking expectantly at Hizashi next to him.
Because he had previously stood up for Hizashi, the two had a very good relationship, and Nawaki was hoping that this new friend could help him.

"it is good"

"Hizashi, do not do anything that would damage the honor of our clan. Our Hyuga clan has not fallen to such a state."

Hiashi glared at his younger brother who had spoken up, his threatening expression clear.
Group buying is so embarrassing!
It's just a glass of sweet water. He can treat us. When has the Hyuga clan ever been short of money?

"But Rope Tree, he..."

Unaware of what her brother meant by "Japanese fare," she instinctively shrank back, her little face filled with embarrassment.
Since ancient times, loyalty and righteousness have been difficult to reconcile. On one side was his brother, and on the other was his friend, leaving the young boy unable to make a decision and caught in a dilemma.
"Hiashi is malicious!"

Mikoto, having witnessed Hiashi's autocratic behavior, stood with her hands on her hips, glaring angrily with her big, watery eyes.
"Uh"

Hiashi, who had just taken out his wallet, blushed slightly upon hearing Mikoto's words. Under the girl's righteous gaze, the usually composed Hiashi was momentarily at a loss for words.

No, I just wanted to.

"Hey! You four brats, if you're not buying anything, don't block the store entrance."

Just then, a loud, carefree voice rang out behind the four children. The person speaking sounded very mature, but the voice itself didn't sound very old.

"Sorry, we'll move aside right away."

Realizing she had caused inconvenience to the other guests, Mikoto quickly bowed her head in apology and pulled aside the rope tree blocking her way.

"Huh? When did the Uchiha clan have such polite children?"

The newcomer caught sight of the clan crest behind Mikoto, and his previously impatient tone suddenly changed, as if he had seen a ghost.
"You're... Jiraiya's older brother!?"

Rope Tree, pulled aside, looked up at the speaker, blinked a few times, and then a look of surprise appeared on his face, clearly recognizing the person's identity.

"Oh, you're Nawaki! Long time no see, it's been about half a year, hasn't it?"

Only then did the other three little ones seriously examine the person in front of them.
The other person was about fourteen or fifteen years old, very tall, with messy white hair on top. He wasn't particularly handsome, but he had a rugged, masculine look.
Wearing a white outfit with an exotic flair and carrying a small backpack, he looked like he had just returned from outside.

"My sister said you went to a very powerful place to cultivate, is that true?"

Upon seeing his long-lost acquaintance, Nawaki immediately launched into a long-winded conversation, excitedly looking Jiraiya up and down, whose physique and demeanor had drastically changed, his little face full of questions.

"That's a long story. I have an appointment with someone. Let's go inside and talk."

Jiraiya looked up at the sky. There was still some time before the gathering started, so he patted Nawaki's head and invited him.

"My treat."

"That's great! But..."

Upon hearing that someone would pay the bill, Rope Tree jumped for joy, but when he saw his classmates beside him, a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.
"Thank you for always taking care of Nawaki. Let's have a drink together!"

Jiraiya, instantly understanding Nawaki's hesitation, laughed heartily and extended an invitation to the curious Mikoto and the others.
"Great!"

"Rope Tree, who is he?"

Looking at Jiraiya walking ahead, Mikoto asked in a low voice, while the Hyuga brothers beside her also pricked up their ears.

"He was my sister's teammate, but he went away to cultivate for a while recently."

Rope Tree Sister's teammate?
The three were taken aback. They knew that Nawaki's sister was a disciple of the Third Hokage. Didn't that mean that the white-haired man in front of them was also one of the Hokage's disciples?

"Phew, it's been so long since I've been here. Nothing has changed at all."

Upon entering the Honey Ice Cream shop, Jiraiya looked around with a nostalgic expression. After leading the four children to an empty seat, he pushed the menu towards them.

"Order whatever you like, drink with confidence."

"Thank you, big brother~"

Mikoto smiled sweetly and thanked them very politely.
"Thank you."

The Hyuga brothers exchanged a glance and obediently nodded to Jiraiya. They were indeed from aristocratic families, but in front of the Hokage's direct disciples, their status wasn't necessarily superior.
The four quickly ordered their desired sweet drinks, and while waiting, Nawaki started pestering Jiraiya with questions.
"Brother Jiraiya, are you coming back now? Are you leaving again?"

"I'm not leaving for now. My cultivation has hit a bottleneck. It's better to continue learning from my teacher and broaden my horizons."

Jiraiya shook his head. His studies at the Holy Land hadn't gone smoothly. He had barely grasped the basics of refining and utilizing Sage Power, and it wasn't enough to support him in actual combat.
Fortunately, he is still young and has a long road ahead of him. He should take it one step at a time and make his way through the path of the ninja.

"Oh, right, now that you're back, what about Orochimaru?"

Suddenly, Nawaki mentioned another name. Upon hearing this, Jiraiya's lips curled into a complex expression, seemingly resentful yet also tinged with worry.

"He should still be alive."

However, before he could finish speaking, the people present felt a strange, eerie wind sweep by, and they instinctively shrank back. Jiraiya's eyes lit up, and his complex expression instantly transformed into undisguised joy.

"Orochimaru!"

"I didn't expect you, the last one to arrive, to be here so early."

A soft, feminine voice rang out, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a slender, tall figure that had appeared at the table sometime earlier.
The other girl had long, jet-black hair that other girls envied, and her exposed skin, though pale, was so delicate that not a single pore could be found.
Her appearance possessed a delicate beauty that defied masculinity, leaving Mikoto and the others, who did not know Orochimaru, completely astonished.

Seeing Jiraiya's excited expression, Orochimaru's narrow eyes, adorned with purple eyeshadow, narrowed slightly, and a half-smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Jiraiya, your vigilance is even worse than that of those frogs."

He stood there for so long, and the other person didn't even notice. It seems that his choice was right. A tree dies when transplanted, but a person thrives. Don't force yourself into a circle that isn't yours.

"You stinking snake, can't you give me any face in front of the children?"

Hearing his friend's teasing, Jiraiya felt a little embarrassed, but he still pulled out a chair next to him and invited him to sit down.
"You're the second one; the others haven't arrived yet."

After Orochimaru took his seat, the two began to chat familiarly about their studies, interspersed with occasional jokes and some "intimate" physical contact.

Mikoto, who witnessed this entire scene, had a gleam in her eyes that seemed to sparkle with gossip.
Finally, after seeing Jiraiya snatch Orochimaru's iced Americano and take a big gulp without any hesitation, she couldn't suppress her gossipy nature and asked a soul-searching question in an innocent, childlike tone.
"Brother Jiraiya, is this older sister your girlfriend?"

"Pfft!!!" (End of Chapter)