Naruto: I'm really not an evil scientist!

But then I thought, by the time Yakumo is old enough to fight, he should have already taken care of Tsuchiko-san and Kita-chan's troubles...

That's good too. If all the problems can be solved in their generation and the village can enjoy lasting peace, that would be a wonderful thing.

"I'm so sorry, I really didn't know you were having a women's gathering here. I suddenly remembered something and came back early... I hope I didn't disturb you?" Hiruko said apologetically, but her eyes were full of tenderness.

"How could that be, Lord Hiruko? If anyone has been disturbed, it is we who have disturbed you."

One of the ladies quickly spoke up, and the others nodded in agreement.

"That's good……"

As Hiruko spoke, taking advantage of Temari's inattention, she secretly pulled Nonou and Rumi Uzumaki close to her, her face beaming with a happy smile, as if she had the whole world.

Even at relatively relaxed and private women's gatherings, the ladies are still very particular about seating arrangements. It is a kind of etiquette and rule that is ingrained in their bones, and they will not allow the slightest mistake.

Temari, a girl who is usually carefree and may seem a bit heartless to others, must sit firmly in the main seat at a special occasion like the girls' gathering.

This is not only a symbolic respect for her identity, but also an unwritten tradition formed by the women's association over the years, a tacit understanding that can be grasped without words.

However, at this moment, Hiruko made a seemingly insignificant but actually quite profound and outrageous move.

He gently pulled Nono and Rumi Uzumaki, two women who were incredibly important to him, to his side, giving them their own place beside the main seat.

This small action, however, was like throwing a pebble into a calm lake, creating ripples.

The ladies present were all thoughtful and understanding people. They saw this and instantly understood the deeper meaning.

Many minor incidents that might have arisen from seating arrangements were tacitly overlooked, and the women's association continued its discussions smoothly, like a gentle stream.

Hiruko wasn't particularly interested in women's association activities, but since she was there and surrounded by such a lively and cheerful atmosphere, she couldn't help but chat for a bit longer.

"Lord Hiruko has been incredibly busy lately..." A lady broke the brief silence with a smile, steer the conversation toward Hiruko.

“Yes, that’s true…” Hiruko nodded slightly, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

He felt that now might be a good opportunity to confide in these wise ladies and share his innermost thoughts.

So, after a moment's thought, he revealed his purpose: "These grass dumplings are a rare and valuable thing; perhaps we can make a good business out of them."

Now that the village is growing larger, expenses are rising accordingly, so we have to be careful and meticulous in every aspect..."

Hiruko was certain that with the intelligence and keen insight of these ladies, they would surely understand the hidden meaning in his words.

This is indeed the consistent style of Beiruhu – he always cares about others and thinks about the benefits for everyone, and others will naturally appreciate his kindness, so everyone is in harmony and the village can develop in a harmonious and stable manner.

However... it seems the ladies have taken it a little too far.

Mikoto Uchiha and Lady Hyuga exchanged a glance, their eyes meeting in the air as if having a silent conversation. Gradually, they seemed to "understand" everything.

Hiruko, which industry are you going to "target" next?

"Is it better to withdraw from the grass dumpling industry first, lest we be slaughtered in bloodshed!" After all, the impact of some of Beiluhu's previous decisions has forced the ladies to be cautious, for fear of accidentally stepping on a landmine.

Meanwhile, the moonlight, like water, quietly spilled into the secluded courtyard of the Uchiha clan, draping everything in a silvery veil.

Hiruko gently pushed open her door. As the door slowly opened, the candlelight inside flickered slightly, as if welcoming its master's return.

The moment he stepped into the room, he found his wife, Uchiha Mikoto, sitting by candlelight, intently and seriously looking at the account book.

As the matriarch of a large clan, managing accounts and finances is an essential skill, especially for ninja clans like the Uchiha. The men often have to fight outside for long periods of time, so the management and operation of the household can only be left to the women.

Judging from Mikoto's slightly smiling expression, it was clear that her income this month was quite substantial.

Following Hiruko's strategic vision, the Uchiha clan did not blindly purchase large amounts of real estate and shops within Konoha, but instead chose a more suitable and forward-looking business approach.

With the continuous increase in foot traffic in the Konoha commercial district, revenue has far exceeded previous levels, presenting a thriving scene.

It seems that everyone will have a more relaxed time during the Lunar New Year this year and will be able to enjoy a prosperous and peaceful holiday.

Mikoto noticed Hiruko's arrival, immediately put down the account book in her hand, looked up at him gently, and said softly, "Lord Hiruko, you've worked hard."

"Hmm..." Hiruko took the tea that Mikoto handed him, took a small sip, and the warm tea slowly spread in his mouth, as if it also took away some of his fatigue.

He gently took off his haori and casually draped it aside, slightly relaxing his tense mind.

Now, Hiruko is practically living openly in the Uchiha clan's territory at the home of the clan leader's wife.

"How was your work today?" Mikoto asked with concern, her eyes filled with tenderness and worry.

"Well, nothing special, just the same old stuff... There are always people who don't understand the situation, so we just teach them a lesson." Hiruko frowned slightly and said slowly, his tone tinged with helplessness.

The Uchiha clan now primarily assumes the duties of the Konoha police.

This job sounds glamorous and prestigious, but in reality, it's both hard work and prone to offending people.

Needless to say, the daily patrols were a constant occurrence. As Konoha continued to grow stronger, various conflicts began to emerge – conflicts arose between large and small clans, and even among ordinary ninjas.

Chapter 278 The Harem King

When there are many people, you'll find all sorts of temperaments.

During previous wars, people's feelings were perhaps a little better—after all, in the midst of war, no matter how much of a scoundrel you were, you could still be killed in action the next day, and people wouldn't even have a chance to experience how scoundrel you were.

But now that the war has ended, those contradictions that were temporarily shelved and hidden during the fighting are like floods that have been breached and spread unchecked, and can no longer be concealed.

Such heinous acts as bullying men and women are unlikely to occur in Konoha, after all, Hiruko has always maintained a zero-tolerance attitude in this regard, and her methods are tough and ruthless.

The Hidden Leaf Village's Anbu is not a place where you can joke around or be perfunctory. Anyone who dares to cross the line will be severely punished.

But all sorts of other unpleasant things keep popping up, like some small families using both overt and covert means to sabotage each other in order to compete for limited resources.

Ordinary ninjas would hurl insults or even fight each other over trivial matters.

As one of the founders of Konoha and also serving as a police officer, the Uchiha clan naturally had no choice but to step in and handle this matter.

Once or twice is fine; those troublemakers, out of respect for the Uchiha clan, will swallow their anger and stop bothering them.

However, after this happened many times, the relationship with other large families became delicate.

Often, large families don't care about financial losses; it's simply a matter of saving face.

However, the Uchiha clan upheld justice and couldn't give them that face, which made some of the major clans very unhappy.

"Is that so?" Hiruko said calmly.

Although he used the Transformation Jutsu to transform into Fugaku for fun, he was ultimately not Uchiha Fugaku and too lazy to take on these responsibilities. He would just hand them over to Shisui in a few days.

Mikoto seemed a little worried. She frowned slightly and said softly, "But this can't go on forever... After all, we're all Konoha ninjas, we'll see each other all the time, won't we..."

Mikoto tried to persuade Hiruko, hoping to find a better and more harmonious solution so that everyone in Konoha could get along peacefully.

A certain wave seems to be coming.

But as a woman, she couldn't control so many things; she could only do her best to do what she could.

It's common knowledge that Hiruko enjoys playing with others.

But he's not inviting anyone now, clearly intending to hog the food, so it's best not to bother him.

Being his enemy... usually means a terrible death.

"Yes," Mikoto replied.

Hiruko stopped speaking and just stared blankly at the dark night sky outside, his eyes somewhat deep.

In Mikoto's memory, Hiruko had always been a rather quiet person, and her current behavior was not much different from usual.

Hyuga Hizashi walked steadily into Hyuga Hiashi's room.

The interior is simply and elegantly furnished, with moonlight streaming through the windows and casting patches of silvery light on the floor.

"Brother, you were looking for me?" Hyuga Hizashi asked softly, his voice tinged with doubt.

"Sit." Hiashi Hyuga smiled and gestured for his younger brother to sit down. Then he stood up and gracefully poured his brother a glass of wine.

The wine swirls gently in the glass, releasing a delicate aroma.

Under the cool moonlight, the two brothers leisurely sipped their wine and chatted casually, their conversation gradually shifting from everyday trivia to recent events in Konoha.

During the conversation, the topic naturally came up with what Mrs. Hinata had heard at the women's gathering.

"Brother, I heard from my sister-in-law that the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, seems to be interested in starting a grass dumpling business?" Hyuga Hizashi broke the silence first, bringing up the topic.

Hiashi Hyuga's expression was grave, and he frowned slightly as he slowly said, "It is true. I only learned about it from your sister-in-law when she came back."

Hyuga Hizashi, however, didn't seem to care. He took a sip of his sake and said nonchalantly, "I thought it was something serious... If the Fifth Hokage wants to run a kusa-dango business, then let her do it. What does it have to do with us? Our Hyuga clan doesn't need to get rich from this kusa-dango business."

Although the Hyuga clan was not one of the founding clans of Konoha, they joined early and, thanks to their powerful strength and unique Byakugan techniques, have always been among the most influential clans in Konoha.

During this period, he also accumulated considerable wealth through various business activities and missions.

Although the Fifth Hokage clearly disliked the large clans competing with ordinary people for profits within Konoha and had been trying to guide the influence of these clans overseas, the cooperation between them had been relatively pleasant.

Under the leadership of the Fifth Hokage, the Hyuga clan did indeed reap considerable benefits from these actions, so everyone was more willing to listen to him.

Hyuga Hizashi thought to himself, since the Fifth Hokage has said so, it wouldn't hurt to give him face. He was even a little gloating, wondering who the Fifth Hokage was planning to harm this time.

However, Hiashi's expression remained solemn. He gently put down his wine glass, looked into the distance with a deep gaze, and slowly said, "No, it's not because of this... The Fifth Hokage has managed Konoha very well, and everyone can feel that."

Under his rule, Konoha flourished, and the lives of the ninjas became increasingly stable.

I'm just worried...what about ten years from now?

Ten years from now, when the peace order ends, the five great ninja villages will inevitably clash. This is a consensus reached by all those with foresight.

In that cruel ninja world, peace is always fleeting, and the shadow of war always looms over the hearts of every ninja.

"Brother, do you mean you think Konoha will lose?" Hyuga Hizashi asked, slightly puzzled.

In his view, Konoha is now powerful, with many excellent ninjas and a wise leader like the Fifth Hokage, and should not lose the war easily.

"It's not simply a matter of winning or losing."

Hiashi Hyuga shook his head slightly, his eyes revealing a deep worry. "The world today is no longer just about fighting and killing. The Fifth Hokage's economic tactics have been quite effective."

Through the development of commerce and trade, he not only enhanced Konoha's economic strength but also increased Konoha's international influence.

What I'm worried about is the future of our Hyuga clan.

"In the future?" Hyuga Hizashi still didn't quite understand what his brother meant.

Originally, during this time period, the incident of the Cloud Village stealing Hinata, the young lady of the Hyuga clan, should have occurred. At that time, the Cloud Village was willing to take risks in order to obtain the Byakugan secret technique of the Hyuga clan.

But now Hiruko almost tore the Hidden Cloud Village apart. He dealt a heavy blow to the Hidden Cloud Village's arrogance with thunderous force, making the Hidden Cloud Village dare not provoke Konoha so easily again.

This will naturally not happen again, since no one wants to give Konoha such a strong excuse to declare war again.