Minato Namikaze's smile deepened, a glimmer of understanding flashing in his eyes as he readily nodded.
"Exactly. A Hokage's duties are demanding, with an endless stream of work from morning to night. The chance to set that title aside for a while and share a drink with an old friend is something I've truly been looking forward to."
Something stirred in Fugaku's heart. He understood that Minato was making his position clear: tonight, he had come only as "Minato Namikaze," an old friend catching up. There would be no official business, no politics.
That gesture both showed respect for the Uchiha and eased any awkwardness that yesterday's incident might have left behind.
"Please, come in!" Fugaku's smile grew more genuine as he led Minato and his family into the house.
Many Uchiha watching from hiding clearly witnessed this warm exchange and unspoken understanding between their clan head and the Hokage at the entrance to the clan grounds.
The clan head had greeted him in person, the Hokage had offered an apology of his own accord, and the two had shaken hands, chatting and laughing easily.
All of this silently conveyed a powerful message: the relationship between the Uchiha and the Fourth Hokage was nothing like the tense, distant one certain ill-intentioned people had described. On the contrary, they seemed quite close and cordial!
The doubts and unease in many hearts quietly faded, replaced by a reassuring sense of shared pride.
Even Setsuna Uchiha, who stood hidden in the distant shadows watching it all in silence, relaxed his stern, rigid expression slightly, revealing something close to satisfaction.
He stroked his graying beard and thought, *Fugaku deliberately handled the matter lightly last night, taking the opportunity to let Naruko go. It looked as though he was favoring his son, but in truth,