Visiting the Hokage

Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, eyeing the dossier on Uchiha Kō with a faint smile. Just as he set the papers down, a clansman rushed in to report.

"Re-report, Hokage-sama! The Uchiha Clan Head has arrived with a young man to pay a visit."

Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen froze for a moment before rising to his feet. "You say... you say the Uchiha Clan Head is here?" He set aside his pipe, straightened his posture, and furrowed his brows. Why would they visit in the middle of the night?

"Show them into the main hall first; I shall be there shortly." With that, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately changed into a more formal kimono.

He then made his way to the main hall, where Uchiha Hirotomo and Uchiha Kō were already seated in the guest chairs. Whether by design or coincidence, they had taken the two most prominent seats.

Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, then let out a hearty laugh. "Hahaha! For the Uchiha Clan Head to grace my Sarutobi compound with a visit truly brings great honor to this humble dwelling!"

Uchiha Hirotomo glanced at Uchiha Kō, and upon receiving a nod, began to recite the words they had discussed earlier.

"Hokage-sama, you are too kind. Uchiha Hirotomo has long admired you and wished to pay a visit, but the war was urgent and I was caught up in affairs. Now that things have finally eased, I have brought a promising youth of our clan to pay our respects." Uchiha Hirotomo's words were elegant and logically sound.

Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally noted the silent exchange between Uchiha Hirotomo and Uchiha Kō, but he chose not to point it out; some things were better understood in silence.

"Oh, Clan Head Hirotomo, what are you saying? I am but a newcomer here, serving as Hokage for the first time without much experience. I shall need to rely on the Uchiha clan's support," Sarutobi Hiruzen probed.

Uchiha Hirotomo was taken aback; they hadn't rehearsed this. He looked toward Uchiha Kō, who stood up, pulled Uchiha Hirotomo with him, and bowed to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Hokage-sama, you are too modest. You are the Hokage, the supreme leader of this village. It is we, the Uchiha, who hope to receive the Hokage's guidance. Furthermore, the Uchiha are willing to fully support every decision you make."

Uchiha Kō did not fall for the trap; instead, he cut straight to the point, signaling the Uchiha clan's alignment with Sarutobi Hiruzen. Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned, then flushed with excitement as he hurriedly helped Uchiha Kō and Uchiha Hirotomo back up.

"Oh, quickly, quickly, get up! Clan Head Hirotomo, Kō, what are you doing!" A smile spread across Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes. This was a good thing! With the premier clan of Konoha siding with him, the other ninja clans would surely follow suit without much trouble.

"Someone, bring tea for our two guests! Honestly, you lot have no sense of propriety!" As he spoke, he helped Hirotomo and Kō back to their seats.

The Sarutobi servants scrambled to brew tea; these were distinguished guests indeed!

As Sarutobi Hiruzen helped Uchiha Kō back to his seat, he patted him on the shoulder with an inscrutable smile.

Uchiha Kō offered a faint smile in return. Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was about to return to his own seat, Uchiha Kō used a ninjutsu scroll to summon a ninja tool pouch, which he then handed over to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Hokage-sama, this is a complete set of ninja tools we traded for from the Ninja Cat Clan. I heard your eldest son has already entered the Ninja Academy, so please accept this small token of our sincerity." Uchiha Kō extended the pouch.

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned. "This... I cannot accept your gifts. You are my guests; I should be the one treating you well. Take it back."

Uchiha Kō persisted, "Hokage-sama, you have secured a brilliant victory for Konoha. You have worked hard, and we simply wish to express our gratitude. Please, accept it."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke righteously, "Protecting the villagers is the Hokage's duty. What is this for? Take it back!" He pushed it away again.

Uchiha Kō played his trump card. "Oh, Hokage-sama, this is the sincerity of the Uchiha clan. We have nothing else, but we have plenty of high-quality ninja tools. When we heard the young master was starting school, we sent over our newest and best batch so he could test them out. It's also a way of saying thank you for the help the young master has given us!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at Uchiha Kō. This kid was a talent. He was clearly giving a bribe, yet he framed it as if his own son had helped them. And by mentioning they had plenty of high-quality tools, was he implying they would supply him with gear?

After a moment of thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed. "Haha, then I shall thank you, Kō, and Clan Head Hirotomo on behalf of my son."

Uchiha Kō quickly replied, "Hokage-sama, please don't say that. I believe young Shinnosuke will become a pillar of Konoha and a powerhouse in his own right!"

This barrage of flattery made Sarutobi Hiruzen roar with laughter, and he patted Uchiha Kō's shoulder repeatedly. Beside them, Uchiha Hirotomo fell into deep thought; perhaps Uchiha Kō was better suited to be the Clan Head than he was.

Shortly after, the Sarutobi servants brought three bowls of tea to the Hokage, the Uchiha Clan Head, and Uchiha Kō. Just as the three of them took a sip, a man suddenly rushed in. It was the same Sarutobi clansman from before. "Re-report, Hokage-sama, outside..." He stopped when he saw Uchiha Hirotomo and Uchiha Kō, falling silent.

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned and said, "Clan Head Uchiha and Kō are our own people. Speak freely!"

Uchiha Kō and Uchiha Hirotomo rose to bow, and Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled, gesturing for them to sit and listen.

"Yes! Hokage-sama, the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans are here to visit!" As he spoke, he glanced at the two Uchiha men.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was delighted. The Ino-Shika-Cho had remained neutral, neither supporting nor opposing him. Now that all three had come together, his old friend Torifu Akimichi must have put in a good word!

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up and said to Uchiha Hirotomo and Uchiha Kō, "You two, wait a moment. I shall go receive the three clan heads, and then we can all discuss matters together!"

"As it should be!" Uchiha Hirotomo smiled. Uchiha Kō sat to the side, sipping his tea. He had guessed that the Ino-Shika-Cho were coming to declare their allegiance. Hmph, regardless, my Uchiha clan was the first to pledge support, and in terms of influence and strength, we are far more important.

As Uchiha Kō expected, it wasn't long before the three clan heads entered the hall, chatting and laughing behind Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Upon seeing who they were, Uchiha Hirotomo gasped. Torifu Akimichi, a member of the Second Hokage's guard, along with Yamanaka Unkai and Nara Rokumei—these three were the current generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho.

He then glanced at Uchiha Kō. No wonder this guy had insisted they visit overnight. Uchiha Kō, however, didn't even blink, continuing to sip his tea.

Sarutobi Hiruzen then introduced them to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. "Ah, I forgot to mention, tonight is truly a good day. The Uchiha Clan Head and an outstanding youth of their clan have also come to visit."

Sarutobi Hiruzen said this deliberately, wanting to see the reaction from both sides.