"His name is Kiba, right?"
"Yes. Kiba of the Hidden Rain Village. His reputation has reached all the great nations over the years."
"..."
No sooner had they sat down than they felt eyes turning toward them, accompanied by a flurry of conversation.
Xia Le's expression remained unchanged, while Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan looked slightly taken aback.
"The Hidden Rain Village has a new Kage?!"
Fugaku beckoned, and a tavern attendant immediately approached. "Two jin of sake."
Then he looked up at Yahiko. "Word of Kiba has spread for some time, but to the Five Great Nations, the Hidden Rain Village is little more than a speck."
"Especially after Hanzo died and Xia Le crushed much of the village's strength, it became even less worthy of attention!"
"Most of the time, the Hidden Rain Village serves as a battleground between nations, as well as a buffer in their relations."
He paused.
"Still, any man who could bring the Hidden Rain Village to this state in just a few years is certainly a very capable Kage."
At this, he sounded rather wistful.
The Uchiha Clan had spent so many years in Konoha, yet not a single member had ever served as a Kage.
And the word "Kage" had become an obsession for Fugaku. Countless times, he had imagined becoming Hokage as an Uchiha and leading Konoha, step by step, toward greater strength.
To that end, he had even secretly drawn up numerous ideas and plans.
Back then, as long as Xia Le was there, an Uchiha becoming Hokage had been a very real possibility.
But now, none of that mattered anymore.
The sake arrived just then, and a cup was placed in front of each of them.
Fugaku silently poured himself a drink, then tipped his head back and drained it.