As Though It Were Yesterday

Not just the Hokage, the other four Kage are basically the same.

Even Uchiha Obito, in order to properly assume the Mizukage, had to diligently fulfill the basic duties of Mizukage. Is it that easy to assume the Mizukage? Not to mention 007, 997 is the bare minimum.

The Five Kage are five ninjas who stand at the pinnacle of the Ninja World; their lives can be fully summarized in one sentence.

Get up earlier than the rooster, sleep later than the dog, eat worse than the pig, and work harder than the ox!

This statement is not an exaggeration at all; just take Senju Tobirama routine as an example.

Every morning before dawn, I have to get up to brush my teeth, rinse my mouth, take a shower, and change clothes. Then I go to the office to review the documents that were sent in the previous afternoon. I eat breakfast around this time, so I don't care about the taste or how fancy they are.

Because he had to examine each document meticulously, he had to rest his eyes in between, so it usually took him until nine o'clock in the morning to finish reviewing them.

Then comes the listening to reports from various departments, mostly involving the review of specific projects that require his decision-making. The time spent depends on the number of topics, so by the time he finishes the meeting, it will be at least 11 o'clock.

Thinking he could finally eat? Eat my ass! He still needs to have a special meeting with the higher-ups in the ANBU, and they've been waiting outside the meeting room for ANBU.

By the time he finished everything, it would be 12:30 at the earliest, but he had to go to work at 1:00 in the afternoon, so he only had half an hour. He would grab a quick bite to eat and then take a nap on the sofa for about ten minutes as his lunch break.

In the afternoon, it was time to go out and run errands, such as checking on administrative departments to fill in any gaps, inspecting progress at the Ninja Academy, and checking on mission completion at the ANBU.

After a full day of routine work, I won't be able to leave work until at least 10 p. m.

But he still had experiments to do, so he didn't get home until 1 a. m., completely missing his prime time for sleep.

Meanwhile, Senju Muzoku was already fast asleep, embracing a girl.

Therefore, the Kage are like cattle and horses for the Hidden Leaf Village!

Uchiha Shingen firmly believed that only someone with a brain like his was kicked by a donkey would want to become a Kage, regardless of which Kage it was.

One by one, the dishes were served. Namikaze Minato warmly invited everyone to sit down. Uzumaki Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto were holding two little devils, their enjoyment of the children far exceeding their interest in eating.

The meal was quite pleasant.

After finishing their meal, the man and woman each chose to enjoy their own hobbies.

The two chosen ones continue to provide amusement for their mother.

The three men, who were clearly superfluous here, were first assigned to cleaning, and then the women sent them out for a walk.

After leaving the Hokage residence, the three of them took a walk to digest their food.

As the most bustling area of Leaf Village, the streets were teeming with people, brightly lit, and filled with a festive atmosphere.

This scene filled Namikaze Minato with genuine joy.

It wasn't until Uchiha Shingen asked him curiously, "Lord Hokage, why haven't you been working overtime these past few days?"

Namikaze Minato's face stiffened for a moment, then he forced a strong smile.

"It's okay, I have several days of paid leave, I've taken them all in these few days."

Wow! No wonder he's the Hokage, able to take public holidays whenever he wants!

Uchiha Shingen decided to slightly retract his earlier statement.

Being a movie star does offer some perks.

For example, giving yourself a leave slip.

Uchiha Fugaku glanced at Namikaze Minato, then at Uchiha Shingen, and didn't bother to speak.

Anyway, it's not him who's embarrassed; besides, hasn't he been embarrassed enough times before?

It's good to have someone else.

The three grown men fell silent and walked for a while.

Finally, Namikaze Minato broke the silence.

"Um, Shingen, I have a question for you."

"Lord Hokage, tell me."

"Oh, don't be so formal, just call me by my name." Namikaze Minato wasn't used to being addressed as "Lord Hokage" in his own time; it made him feel like he was still working overtime. "Do you know anything about Lord Wu Zu?"

"That's a bit difficult to answer," Uchiha Shingen sighed. "I think I know a little about it."

Do I understand myself? That's a big question.

As the saying goes, the person who understands you the least is yourself.

"The records of Lord Wu Zu within the clan are actually incomplete," Uchiha Fugaku added.

He wasn't surprised that Uchiha Shingen knew about Senju Muzoku, after all, he was a frequent visitor to the clan's library.

The Uchiha Clan has a huge amount of black material with Senju Muzoku.

"Is that so..." Namikaze Minato thought for a moment, "Actually, my understanding is not comprehensive either. The ones who understand Lord Wu Zu the most should be the Third and the older generation."

They know absolutely nothing.

Uchiha Shingen silently complained to himself.

He was already the principal back then.

If you really want to say who truly understands him, there are probably only a handful of people.

"However, Lord Wu Zu was one of the most important figures in the founding of the village, so many people do have their own ideas about his legacy," Namikaze Minato said to Uchiha Shingen. "Therefore, Shingen, although some people may be impatient, they are not necessarily all up to no good. You must know that Wu Zu had many admirers back then."

A worshipper? I've never heard of that.

Uchiha Shingen was shocked.

Do those people have masochistic tendencies?

"Let me give you a heads-up first." Namikaze Minato, seeing Uchiha Shingen's shocked expression, was very satisfied, feeling that he had conveyed his idea well. "Elder Murasaki of the Hyuga Clan asked me to extend an invitation to you."

"Ah?"

She has invited you to visit the Hyuga Clan.

Holy crap! So Murasaki is still alive!? Because I never heard of such a person from the Hyuga Clan in my second playthrough, I thought she had long since passed away.

I hope I don't... slap him again!?

Oh, he's Uchiha Shingen now, then it's alright.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Like Yesterday

Unlike the Uchiha Clan, which occupies a larger area, has its Hyuga Clan territory in the northern district.

Of the eight great ninja clans, only the Uchiha Clan are not located in the northern district.

However, like the Uchiha Clan, the Hyuga Clan Compound was also designed with isolation, and it was located in the western part of the northern district.

The Hokage Building designated this area under the Hyuga clan's Hyuga Clan, initially with the idea of using the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan to create an extra security perimeter for free.

This idea was very successful.

The Hyuga Clan's territory is so remote that even villagers rarely venture near it.

If the Uchiha Clan Compound are connected to the Police Force and prison, causing villagers to subconsciously stay away, then the Hyuga Clan Compound are avoided because the atmosphere of that traditional, powerful clan is so strong that people feel inexplicably serious when walking around, and therefore are unwilling to approach.

But that only applies to the area near the front entrance.

Because it is adjacent to the wasteland to the west, the Hyuga Clan Compound has ample room to develop their territory, and their buildings are all single-story.

In terms of architectural style, the central building, which always faces south, is the core, with various non-open-air corridors and bridges arranged to connect the secondary buildings, which are arranged around the main building.

It has a strong traditional Chinese style.

The Uchiha Clan often uses the phrase "too much trouble."

The Hyuga Clan is definitely the clan with the most rules in Hidden Leaf Village.

However, the Hyuga Clan played by themselves behind closed doors, and everyone just felt sorry for the hardships of being part of a large family, without thinking that the Hyuga Clan putting on an act.

It was already the afternoon of the second day when the Uchiha Clan arrived at the Hyuga Clan Compound.

In his second playthrough, he didn't interact with the Hyuga Clan much, except during the battles with the Mist Ninja, when he often went on missions with the Hyuga Clan ninjas.

Byakugan is really useful...

As soon as Uchiha Shingen arrived at the entrance of the Hyuga Clan Compound, someone came to greet him.

Seeing far ahead truly allows for seamless integration.

The Hyuga Clan members were very polite, but this politeness was different from what I experienced in the first time around; it seemed much more sincere.

To be fair, Hyuga Clan has quite a few comrades-in-arms.

Not far into the Hyuga Clan Compound, we came across one.

"Shingen, long time no see." A Hinata ninja walked over, smiling broadly.

"Ah, it's you, Masashige. Why are you being so polite?" Uchiha Shingen felt a sense of kinship upon seeing the newcomer. "Why didn't you go to the Land of Hot Water with your brother before?"

Hyuga Masashige was one of the Hyuga ninjas who frequently partnered with Uchiha Shingen during the Third Shinobi World War. He also had an older brother named Hyuga Masanari.

However, Uchiha Shingen and Hyuga Zhengjiu.

"I have other things to do." Hyuga Zhengzhong Masashige affectionately placed his hand on Uchiha Shingen's shoulder. "Come on, I'll take you to see the elder."

With Hyuga Zhengzhong, a Jonin, the original Hyuga Clan reception staff voluntarily stepped aside.

While the system of the Main Family is criticized, it is not entirely a master-servant relationship. Even members of the branch family, as Jonin, have their due status.

Of course, when problems arise, the distinction between the Main Family will still be apparent.

However, as a member of the branch family, Hyuga Zhengzhong still gives a very good impression. At least in this person, there is no negative energy of complaining and blaming others. He is positive, energetic and cheerful.

Soon, the two arrived at a large house.

The house is single-story, with the ground floor supported by wooden pillars to keep it off the ground, and the roof is made entirely of thick wooden planks and covered with ceramic tiles.

Climb the wooden steps, walk around the corridor, and finally pull open a painted sliding door.

"The elder is inside. She specifically requested a private meeting, so I won't go in with you," Hyuga Zhengzhong a smile.

"Okay, don't go away yet. Let's grab a couple of drinks after we're done."

"Okay, by the way, the elder has a bad temper, so you'll have to take on more responsibility."

She has more than just a bad temper...

"Don't worry, I'm known throughout the village for respecting the elderly and caring for the young." Uchiha Shingen waved his hand and went into the house.

He spotted the woman sitting in front of him immediately.

Hyuga Ziji Sarutobi Hiruzen, but not by much.

But one thing is certain: she is better preserved than Sarutobi Hiruzen. At least as the youngest princess of the Hyuga Main Family, she was always the one who needed protection, because her irritable father was a doting father.

In the first playthrough, all Hyuga Clan was that grumpy old man who treated Senju Muzoku like he was no longer an eye or a nose.

Time has left its mark on Hyuga Ziji.

Her skin was well-maintained, but her once petite face and delicate features had changed a lot. Crow's feet had crept into the corners of her eyes, and her once bright eyes had lost their liveliness. Over the years, they had become heavy with worry. Her hair had turned gray, and her lips were tightly pursed beneath her high nose, showing that she was somewhat nervous.

Uchiha Shingen walked to the cushion in front of her and knelt down, his expression unchanged, but his feelings were very complicated.

The glory days of the past seem like yesterday.

The image of that weeping figure as she left involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

"Shingen," Hyuga Ziji spoke, her gentle voice sounding somewhat hoarse, "Rumor has it that you found his burial place."

"That's a misconception." Uchiha Shingen shook his head. "It's just an armory."

"Arsenal... that's definitely a term he likes to use." The word "Hyuga Ziji. She looked closely at the boy before her. " Shingen- kun isn't even twenty yet, is he?"

"It'll be soon," said Uchiha Shingen.

Logically, since the other party was an elder of the Hyuga Clan, he should have used a respectful title, but...

It's so disgusting.

However, since he's an arrogant Uchiha Clan, it doesn't matter if he's a little impolite.

Only now, those dark and embellished aspects of the Uchiha Clan that he had always portrayed seemed like a good thing to him.

"Shingen, the Impure World Reincarnation technique was something he put a lot of effort into. There's no other way to undo it except through his methods. Why did he leave such a loophole?"

"I don't know, maybe he came to terms with it before he died," Uchiha Shingen tried to concoct a reason. "Once someone's dead, they stop causing trouble."