Terrifying Indeed, Fifth Generation!

A bustling commercial street.

"Lord Hokage?"

"Lady Tsunade!"

As Uchiha Xiu and Tsunade walked side by side, the reactions around them were intense.

A squad of Chunin, having just received war mobilization orders and been out purchasing ninja tools, had been lamenting that the higher-ups were finally acting like human beings—this time, instead of making them pay out of pocket for their own supplies, the village had proactively allocated funds.

Catching a glimpse of the two as they rounded the corner, their voices cut off abruptly.

They instinctively straightened their postures and offered respectful greetings, their gazes trailing the pair's backs until they vanished from sight.

In their eyes, beyond reverence, there was the curiosity of onlookers watching a spectacle.

"They're back, they're both back—the Uchiha and the Senju."

"We will surely overcome this crisis."

"That's right, and we'll make those surrounding nations pay, force them to cede land and pay reparations!"

From a purely political standpoint, the return of Tsunade, one of the Sannin, to Konoha served to stabilize public morale far more effectively than Jiraiya ever could.

Whether it was her status, her strength, or her past achievements, everything about her made the people of Konoha feel at ease.

By the roadside, a woman running a vegetable stall was shouting her wares, but the moment she saw Tsunade, a smile bloomed on her face:

"Lady Tsunade, Lord Hokage~"

—Although the big shots surely wouldn't remember, she knew clearly that her son, who had been critically wounded during a mission years ago, had only survived and avoided permanent disability because of the timely surgery performed by the medical team led by Tsunade.

Tsunade, who understood the woman's intentions but was too lazy to refuse, smiled and nodded, acknowledging the villager's goodwill.

"My Lady."

"My Lord."

All along the way, greetings rang out incessantly.

This was Uchiha Xiu's first time walking the streets to observe the public sentiment since taking office, and he looked the part.

The various propaganda slogans were all exactly to his liking.

In truth, the problem of unruly citizens was not unique to Konoha; it was severe in the other nations as well, where a culture of bullying was deeply ingrained.

In Sunagakure, even knowing that the One-Tail Jinchuriki Gaara had a penchant for killing in his sleep, the people of the Land of Wind still dared to crowd around and hurl insults at him.

They had achieved the bizarre feat of equal-opportunity bullying, regardless of time, place, or person.

Now, in Konoha, no one dared to do such things openly.

Because the members of the Uchiha Police Force could strike six times in a single second, beating the unruly citizens until they cried out, unable to stop.

In a good mood, Tsunade lifted the curtain of the noodle shop. "Hurry up and get in. I'm going to treat you like a fat sheep and fleece you for all you're worth."

The aroma of food rushed out to meet them.

Teuchi, seeing the two enter, widened his eyes, and then a smile bloomed on his face: "Lord Hokage, Lady Tsunade!"

"What a rare treat, please, have a seat."

Inside the small noodle shop, two ordinary Chunin wearing green flak jackets immediately quieted down, stopping their movements to pay their respects.

Uchiha Xiu nodded calmly at them and sat down at the counter next to Tsunade.

"It's been a long time since I've had this. Three bowls of miso chashu ramen, please, with double the chashu for all of them." Tsunade ordered with practiced ease, then glanced at Uchiha Xiu. "And you?"

"The same." Uchiha Xiu said gently to the somewhat nervous Teuchi, "Sorry for the trouble, sir."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all." Facing the Fifth Hokage, who was intentionally cultivating a down-to-earth image, Teuchi waved his hands hurriedly and turned to get to work.

Ayame, who was helping out, looked up to steal a glance every now and then.

The noodles were served quickly, steam rising from the bowls.

The two ate in silence, without any unnecessary conversation.

Behind the counter, Teuchi wiped a bowl while his mind couldn't help but wander—

The dignified and young Hokage, and one of the legendary Sannin, both from the two most storied clans, eating noodles in a commoner's shop.

Age shouldn't be an issue, right?

How much older is Lady Tsunade than the Fifth? Twenty years? Thirty? Legendary ninja are truly something else; their cultivation has reached the level of eternal youth.

Fifteen minutes later.

Outside Ichiraku Ramen, a short-haired, delicate-looking female ninja approached, holding a pink piglet in her arms.

"Boss, check please." Uchiha Xiu finished the last bite of his noodles and took out his wallet.

Tsunade had just finished her soup as well, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Shizune is here to pick me up, let's go." She stood up, her movements crisp and decisive.

Uchiha Xiu set down the money for the meal and stood up a few steps behind her.

By the time Uchiha Xiu left the noodle shop, Tsunade had already vanished into the distance with her little sidekick via Body Flicker.

"I have walked on thin ice my entire life; will I ever reach the other shore?"

Whoosh!

With his belly full and his mind wandering, Uchiha Xiu leaped toward the Hokage Building.

Inside the office.

Hyuga Hiashi, wearing a bitter expression, was buried in paperwork. When he saw a figure suddenly appear in the main seat, he hurriedly offered a greeting:

"Hokage..."

"Skip it. You've worked hard."

"Not at all, Fifth. It is no hardship. I step into the Hokage Building with a smile every day; the Anbu guards are all witnesses to that."

Suffering while pretending to be happy, Hyuga Hiashi dared not utter a single word of complaint, terrified that the position of advisor might be stripped away by the man before him.

He pointed to the sword on the desk, eager to change the subject:

"As you previously ordered, the Anbu retrieved the secret treasure, the Thunder God Sword, this morning."

"Acceptable."

Uchiha Xiu picked up the unique ninja tool and stroked it.

The personal blade of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama!

Renowned for containing lightning-natured chakra, the blade could release high-intensity electrical energy and was classified as one of the sharpest ninja tools in existence.

Crackle!

As chakra was channeled into it, dazzling lightning flashed through the Hokage's office, accompanied by a sharp, snapping sound.

The edge extended outward, reaching three times the length of a standard katana, and that was far from its limit, as Uchiha Xiu had only injected a trace amount of lightning-natured chakra.

"The blade has a built-in Lightning Release amplification effect. Even a standard strike carries high-voltage current. Not bad."

"Compared to Kirigakure's Kiba, which is superior?"

Hearing this, Hiashi quickly replied, "The Thunder God Sword relies on the wielder's chakra, while Kiba absorbs natural lightning directly. There is a fundamental difference between the two, but in terms of sharpness, the secret treasure Thunder God Sword is certainly superior. It does not lose to the Kusanagi Sword."

"A pity that the entire Kusanagi series was taken away by the rogue ninja Orochimaru," Uchiha Xiu shook his head. "Sarutobi Hiruzen was truly a spendthrift."

One blade could pierce the indestructible body of Monkey King Enma.

Another could be used as a Chidori blade.

"If I had possessed a suitable weapon sooner, I wouldn't have needed Earth Release: Earth Spear when I fought that duo of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Monkey King Enma. I could have killed them much faster."

As he spoke, Uchiha Xiu held the sword and lightly grazed his other wrist, which had turned dark.

A line of blood appeared instantly!

However, the blood did not spray out; it was immediately healed by the Hashirama Cells.

"..." Hiashi kept his head down, not daring to join the conversation.

That night was already water under the bridge; why was the Hokage bringing it up again?

The blame had been pinned firmly on the late Danzo, and it wasn't as if the dead man could crawl out of the underworld to defend himself.

Could he be warning me?

Yes, that must be it—this advisor hasn't been working hard enough!

I'll stay and work overtime tonight.

During this period of war preparation, the paperwork was indeed piling up.

"I've been training for a long time. I'm going to take a nap; you keep working."

With a flick of his wrist, Uchiha Xiu spun the sword, placed the satisfying Thunder God Sword back on the desk, and reclined leisurely on the Hokage's private lounge chair.

"Yes, my lord."

The workhorse Hiashi immediately hunched over his desk, tackling the unfinished paperwork—there were three massive stacks of it.

During their exchange, Hiashi noticed the new mark on Uchiha Xiu's brow, and his perception of the man was refreshed once again.

An S-rank forbidden jutsu, mastered in a single day!

The Fifth's talent was truly terrifying.

What would be the next goal for study?

Chidori.

Impure World Reincarnation.

Flying Thunder God.

Dead Demon Consuming Seal.

Eight Inner Gates: Gate of Death.

Or perhaps, creating something entirely new!