Early the next morning
With his wife Tsunade's help, Uchiha Kō put on the Hokage Haori Hokage hat. He opened the door, the warm sunlight shining on him, and a contented smile appeared on his face. He turned to the side and said, "Wife, I'm off!"
Tsunade stared at Uchiha Kō, somewhat mesmerized. His imposing figure, coupled with the divine robe bearing the inscription "Fourth Hokage," was truly captivating. Moreover, his face seemed like a piece of exquisite jade meticulously sculpted by the heavens, handsome and refined.
"Okay, I'll be there in a bit, good luck!" Tsunade snapped out of her reverie and cheered Uchiha Kō on, her eyes sparkling and her lips curving into a smile. The girl-next-door vibe made her even more charming.
Uchiha Kō nodded and walked outside. The wind blew his divine robes, and a smile appeared on the young man's face. He looked ahead with confidence, certain that the policy he was about to propose would be accepted and agreed upon by everyone.
Tsunade watched Uchiha Kō until his figure disappeared from sight before returning to the villa. She took a shower, changed her clothes, and dressed smartly before heading out the door, swinging her legs as she walked towards the Hokage Building.
Handsome!
As the Hokage, and a young and promising Hokage, Uchiha Kō always arrived an hour before the meeting to rehearse with Nara Rokumei and find out how much the new policies had changed, so that he could promptly address the questions from other attendees during the meeting.
When he arrived at the Hokage Building, Nara Rokumei and Hatake Sakumo were already waiting there. Upon seeing Uchiha Kō, their eyes lit up. "Lord Hokage!" *2
Uchiha Kō nodded to the two of them. "You've worked hard. You've come to the Hokage Building an hour early to keep an eye on this immature Hokage."
"Serving the Lord Hokage is my duty!" Nara Rokumei bowed deeply.
Hatake Sakumo wasn't as smooth-talking as Nara Rokumei in dealing with people. He scratched his head and smiled, "Me neither!"
Uchiha Kō laughed heartily. "Let's go, you two. Let's have a quick meeting beforehand to finalize the agenda for the upcoming meeting." He opened his arms, put his arms around the shoulders of Hatake Sakumo and Nara Rokumei, and walked inside.
After the group went inside, the security guard closed the door to the Hokage Building, standing there dutifully looking into the distance with a solemn expression.
Uchiha Kō led the two towards the Hokage Office, but Hatake Sakumo said, "Lord Hokage, my duty is to protect Lord Hokage personal safety, so I won't listen to this. I'll guard the door for you."
Uchiha Kō shook his head. "Sakumo, let your subordinates handle these matters. As one of the village's top shinobi, why should you listen to this little meeting?"
Upon hearing Uchiha Kō's words, Hatake Sakumo no longer refuted them, but nodded. However, before entering the room, he summoned his capable henchmen to guard the office building and instructed them to stop everyone except Lady Tsunade, no matter who they were.
Upon receiving the order, the two men gripped the hilts of their samurai swords and stood facing each other.
After Hatake Sakumo entered, Uchiha Kō chuckled, "Sakumo, come and try this rock tea, a tribute from the Land of Earth. It's good for your health."
Hatake Sakumo stepped forward and saw three cups on the table: one for Uchiha Kō, one for Nara Rokumei, and the last one should be his. He felt a warmth in his heart. "Thank you for your kindness Lord Hokage- sama."
It's important to know that not just anyone can drink Uchiha Kō's tea. Hatake Sakumo was only able to drink it because of Uchiha Kō. Besides, what kind of tea you drink isn't important; what matters is who you drink it with.
Drinking tea with Uchiha Kō, even ordinary tea leaves taste like top-grade! He's a master!
"We're all on the same side, no need to be so polite." Uchiha Kō waved his hand, and after watching Hatake Sakumo take a sip of tea, he smiled and said, "How is it? Delicious, isn't it! This tea is extremely rare in the Land of Earth, only about ten catties a year, and this year, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth gave us eight catties as an apology!"
"I'll get you some later." Uchiha Kō showed no sign of heartache, as if the rock tea was nothing more than a pebble on the roadside in his eyes.
Upon hearing about the production volume and rarity of this rock tea, Hatake Sakumo was about to refuse when Nara Rokumei, whose hand was hidden under the table, tugged at his pants. His expression remained unchanged as he praised, "Excellent tea, excellent tea indeed! Lord Hokage, I wonder if this subordinate..."
Uchiha Kō rolled his eyes at him, annoyed. "You! You're the one who knows what's good for you! Don't worry, you'll get your share!"
Hatake Sakumo was taken aback, while Nara Rokumei used his right hand, hidden under the table, to slide across Hatake Sakumo's leg and write a word on his thigh with his index finger.
"Receive." As a Kage Level shinobi, Hatake Sakumo possessed incredibly sharp senses. After receiving Nara Rokumei's message, he took a deep breath. "Thank you, Lord Hokage. I'll accept your thanks then!"
"Yes! That's more like it, Sakumo. You must remember, you are the leader of the Anbu, and also my most capable right-hand man, just like Lu Ming. Unlike the others, you are different." Uchiha Kō could see Nara Rokumei's subtle movements with both his Soul Perception Technique and Mangekyō Sharingan.
However, he did not stop him. Instead, he tacitly approved of Nara Rokumei's actions and observed Hatake Sakumo's choice. Only when he saw that Sakumo accepted it did he show a smile.
"Moreover, you are a special being who serves me and only obeys my orders, just like Lu Ming. In other words, you, me, and Lu Ming are all on the same side. There's no need to be so polite among family!" Uchiha Kō said meaningfully.
Sometimes, being arrogant, aloof, and trying to protect oneself is not a good thing. There is nothing wrong with blending in with the crowd, but whose light you blend in with and whose world you blend in with is very important.
Don't make the wrong choice, or you'll be close to being kicked out of the circle.
"Yes, Lord Hokage, I understand!" Hatake Sakumo stood up and bowed. He wasn't stupid; he naturally knew that Uchiha Kō was trying to recruit him and tell him that they were on the same side, so he shouldn't distance himself from him.
Uchiha Kō smiled. "From now on, just like Lu Ming, when no one else is around, you'll call me Owl-kun. And you don't need to call me 'subordinate' anymore; I'll call you Sakumo!"
This cup of tea was delicious; it instantly drew Hatake Sakumo his side, completely imprinting him with his own mark.
Nara Rokumei continued drinking his tea. He knew that his actions couldn't be hidden from Uchiha Kō, but it was precisely because Uchiha Kō tacitly approved that he wasn't stopped.
"This is delicious~ Lord Owl, good tea is hard to find, and a true friend is even harder to come by. This is a good thing, but looking at the time, let's get down to business! The meeting is about to start, and this is the proposal I came up with yesterday. Please review it." Nara Rokumei took a stack of papers from the filing cabinet in the Hokage Office and placed them on the desk.
Uchiha Kō also dropped his previous amiable expression. "Let's all take a look! If there's anything lacking, we can point it out together, or you can also bring it up if you think there's anything inappropriate."