Qingguang-kun, I Even Deceived Lord Hokage Just to Be Alone with You

"Uchiha Qingguang, son of Kagami Uchiha, disciple of the Second Hokage; Lord Hokage's adopted son; former top student of the Ninja Academy; a thirteen-year-old genius jonin; and the village's Smiling Executive Officer." Shikaku Nara subconsciously added, giving Minato a detailed introduction.

With so many identities piled onto him, Minato's mind went blank. Wasn't that a bit too many titles?

Beside him, Mikoto proudly lifted her chin.

"Not bad, kid from the Nara family. You know quite a lot about your senior."

"Could it be that you're also his fan?"

Shikaku nodded somewhat stiffly. If he dared say no, this Uchiha girl would probably target him, wouldn't she?

Better to avoid trouble when possible.

Not only Mikoto, but even Nawaki nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. "My sister told me that Lord Hokage supposedly gave Senior Qingguang his name, hoping he would bring warmth and hope to the village like sunlight on a clear day."

"Not long ago, he even taught me a Water Release ninjutsu."

Nawaki had completely forgotten Orochimaru's contribution and remembered only Qingguang.

Suddenly, Nawaki felt a faint chill down his back. A pale hand landed on his shoulder.

"Nawaki, don't forget about your teacher, okay?"

Nawaki turned around, the corners of his mouth twitching twice. He nodded with an awkward grin. "Teacher Orochimaru has taught me plenty of experience too. How could I forget? Hahaha~"

Tsunade, who had arrived late, burst into laughter at the sight. Then she headed toward Hiruzen Sarutobi's table with Orochimaru.

"You lot, remember to eat more. That way, we won't need to make dinner tonight."

Last time, Qingguang had brought only one jar of wine for three people to share, so she had not been able to drink to her heart's content.

Today, she had to enjoy herself properly—then go home and sleep the moment she finished drinking!

Kushina opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she only smiled awkwardly and could not bring herself to speak.

Still, she knew that Tsunade would definitely drink herself senseless today, and she and Nawaki would have to support her home afterward.

The wedding's opening ceremony soon came to an end, and Yashiro was invited onto the stage by Qingguang.

Inuzuka No appeared at the other end of the red carpet leading to the ceremonial platform, hand in hand with his daughter, Akiya.

Surrounded by flowers, Akiya looked utterly pure in her white, rosy-cloud-like kimono. Her face overflowed with a blissful smile, and through the veil before her, her gaze locked onto the man she loved.

Before Qingguang, acting as their officiant, the newlyweds exchanged vows of eternal devotion and entrusted their lives to one another.

At the sight, a tear slipped from the corner of Kurama Saiun's eye, as though mourning the love she had once lost.

While everyone else celebrated, she quietly departed.

Only the flowers on either side of the ceremonial platform remained as proof that she had been there.

Once the wedding had concluded perfectly, Orochimaru silently approached Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Teacher Sarutobi, what should we do about the clan heads of those other Ninja Clans? Do you need me to gather them together?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head slightly, his tone somewhat cold. "Ignore them. They're a bunch of opportunists who care only about their own clans' interests. They do not have the village's welfare at heart at all."

This was especially directed at Sōki Hyuga, the current clan head of the Hyuga Clan.

Using the protection of the Byakugan as an excuse, he had used the Caged Bird Seal to control the branch family, while the main family never went out to carry out missions.

The main family's orders to the branch family even took precedence over him, the Hokage.

If not for the Byakugan's tremendous strategic importance to Konoha, he would have long found an opportunity to deal with that clan properly.

Noticing Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze, Orochimaru's lips curled slightly. "Teacher Sarutobi, are you thinking about the Hyuga Clan?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not deny it and nodded. "With Qingguang in the Uchiha now, everything is developing in a positive direction."

"With a great war imminent, the Hyuga Clan had best behave as obediently as they did when Teacher Tobirama was in charge."

"During this time, help me keep a close eye on them. Do not allow them to have any dealings whatsoever with the Kaguya Clan of Kirigakure."

As early as the Warring States Period, the Hyuga Clan and the Kaguya Clan had been close relatives and maintained friendly relations for generations.

That should not have mattered much. The Senju Clan had once had close relatives as well, and had maintained friendly relations with the Uzumaki Clan for generations. Even Mito Uzumaki, wife of the First Hokage Hashirama, had come from the Uzumaki Clan.

When the Land of Whirlpools had been destroyed, Mito Uzumaki had been devastated and had even considered asking Konoha to intervene.

But since they had not chosen to join Konoha back then, they were not part of Konoha. Some ties from the past should not have continued.

Yet the Hyuga Clan had remained in contact with the Kaguya Clan to this day. Most crucially, the Kaguya Clan was now Kirigakure's bloodline-limit clan!

That was what Hiruzen Sarutobi found most intolerable.

In a sense, the Uchiha were a double-edged sword. They might wound their wielder, but they could still be controlled.

The Hyuga Clan's actions, however, were like a concubine in the inner palace defying orders, meddling in politics, and committing adultery with an enemy nation. He could not tolerate it.

If not for the Byakugan, he might even have wanted to wipe out the entire clan.

"I understand, Teacher Sarutobi. I'll help you keep a close watch on them."

Orochimaru agreed with Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts as well.

After all, at the moment, he was only a Shadow Clone.

The original body was with Qingguang-kun.

"Qingguang-kun, it truly wasn't easy arranging a private meeting with you. I even had to use a Shadow Clone to deceive Teacher Sarutobi."

Behind the ancestral hall of Naka Shrine, Qingguang's figure was reflected in Orochimaru's brownish-yellow snake eyes.

"Orochimaru-senpai, what did you want to see me about?" Qingguang's face remained expressionless, but his tightly clenched fists had already thoroughly betrayed his anger.

"You should have verified what I told you by now, correct?"

"If I'm not mistaken, only the Sharingan from one corpse remained intact. The other two pairs were destroyed by Iwagakure shinobi, weren't they?"

Qingguang's eyes reddened as three tomoe emerged in his eye sockets. "What else could it be? Are you saying Lord Danzo would lie to me?"

Within his scarlet eyes, the jet-black, gleaming tomoe were as beautiful as exquisitely carved jade, making Orochimaru sigh inwardly. This was simply a perfect artwork.

"As expected, the Yin Release Chakra in your Sharingan has grown considerably stronger than before. My guess was correct."

"So what?" Qingguang continued.

"Nothing. But why don't you take a look at this first?"

Orochimaru turned his wrist, holding two glass bottles between the fingers of his right hand, each filled with pale green nutrient fluid.

Inside were also two pairs of grayish-red Sharingan. However, the tomoe within those Sharingan looked like unpolished jade covered in dust, bearing a layer of grayish-green haze as well.

"Although the tissue in these two pairs of eyes has completely necrotized, you should still recognize what they are, shouldn't you?"

"Qingguang-kun, are you willing to believe me now?"

At that instant, the tomoe in Qingguang's pupils spun rapidly, and a line of crimson bloody tears slid down his cheek.

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