Chapter 122: Tsunade Returns to the Village
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However, when Neji saw Hiashi Hyuga appear at the doorstep of Uchiha Fugaku's house, Neji knew that this dream-like period was coming to an end.
Yet, after following the Clan Head back to the Hyuga household, Hiashi Hyuga suddenly stopped Neji.
"Neji, come with me," Hiashi Hyuga said.
Although Neji was full of confusion, he still followed Hiashi Hyuga's footsteps.
The two walked one after the other into the quiet room within Hiashi Hyuga's home.
After they sat down facing each other, Hiashi Hyuga got straight to the point: "Neji, the Fifth Hokage intends to take you as his disciple. Therefore, the clan will remove the Caged Bird seal for you."
As soon as Hiashi Hyuga's words fell, Neji instantly froze on the spot. He hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise to come so suddenly. During his time staying at Sasuke's house, Sasuke would occasionally mention his teacher. In his description, the Fifth Hokage Uchiha Douhuan was a powerful and wise person. And now, this very person had proactively offered to take him as a disciple.
More importantly, the clan would actually help him remove the Caged Bird seal, the thing he hated so intensely.
"Why me?" Neji asked, puzzled. Such a good thing as the Hokage taking a disciple, no matter how you looked at it, shouldn't fall to a Branch House member like him.
"Lord Hokage values your talent," Hiashi Hyuga stated. "Before removing the Caged Bird for you, there are some things it's time to tell you."
With that said, Hiashi Hyuga took out a last letter from his bosom and handed it to Neji: "This is the last letter left by your father. I originally planned to give it to you when you were older."
"Father's last letter?" Neji took the letter from Hizashi, opened it, and began to read.
A long time later, Neji put down the letter, speechless for a long while. He had originally thought his father was forced by this Caged Bird seal and thus had no choice but to become the Clan Head's scapegoat.
But he hadn't expected there to be another hidden story behind his father's death.
"Alright, take off your headband. I will remove the Caged Bird for you. As for what you want to do in the future, that will depend on yourself," Hiashi Hyuga said. "Also, although Lord Hokage will teach you other ninjutsu in the future, do not neglect the clan's Gentle Fist style."
"Yes." Neji, his eyes red, nodded and removed his headband.
...
A few more days passed, and Uchiha Douhuan brought Sasuke to the Hyuga clan compound. For the Hyuga clan, known for its rigid adherence to tradition and etiquette, accepting a disciple was naturally not as simple as Sasuke's case. The Hyuga clan made extensive preparations, and the entire ceremonial process took a full morning.
"Teacher." Neji respectfully bowed to Uchiha Douhuan. Only at this moment did he meet Uchiha Douhuan for the first time.
Uchiha Douhuan smiled, waved his hand, and spoke, "No need for excessive formalities, Neji. Do you have any goals for the future?"
"Goals?" Neji was taken aback upon hearing this. His greatest goal previously was to surpass all his Main House peers as a Branch House member, thereby proving himself and seeking justice for his father. But now, having learned the truth about his father's death, and with the Caged Bird he once hated gone, when asked this question by Uchiha Douhuan, he really didn't know how to answer.
"Hehe, no need to rush the answer," Uchiha Douhuan chuckled. "You're only eight years old; you have plenty of time to figure out this question. If you have doubts regarding your training in the future, feel free to come find me anytime. However, the real teaching will only begin after you've clearly thought about what you want to do in the future."
"I understand," Neji nodded.
...
Time passed like this for over a month. Within this month, under Yamato's expedited work, a palace complex rivaling the scale of the original Fire Capital's Imperial Palace rose steeply on the northeast side of the village. However, under Uchiha Douhuan's deliberate arrangement, even the most important and tallest building among these palaces, the main hall used for court assemblies, was three inches shorter than the Hokage Tower.
As the news of the official relocation of the capital to the Hidden Leaf Village spread throughout the Land of Fire, numerous merchants also flocked to Konoha. Furthermore, the nobles from the Fire Capital successively arrived in Konoha, establishing properties here. As a result, the village experienced a significant wave of development.
With the influx of these nobles and major merchants, the village naturally underwent significant changes.
The most significant change among these was the sharp rise in the Security Department's reputation.
As everyone knew, under the coddling of the previous few generations of Hokage, the arrogance of the Hidden Leaf Village's troublesome citizens far exceeded the average level across the Land of Fire. Although the most prominent among them had already been locked up in the Security Department's prison, just waiting for Kakashi to finish matters in the Fire Capital before being assigned to the Samcheong Re-education Corps for dual physical and mental education, most of those remaining were no easy targets either.
So, initially, when those nobles and major merchants entered Konoha, these troublesome citizens didn't take them too seriously. After all, they weren't even afraid of ninjas, why would they fear these 'stinking outsiders'?
However, the noble lords were not ones to indulge them.
A rather representative incident occurred when a street vendor operating without a permit blocked a nobleman's carriage with his stall and also offered the nobleman some 'cordial' greetings. What welcomed him directly was the iron fist of this nobleman's affiliated samurai bodyguard.
This outcome was already due to the noble being a newcomer from the Fire Capital and considering Uchiha Douhuan's influence. Back in the Fire Capital, encountering such a situation, the samurai under his command would have directly used the person to test their blades.
In the end, when the person was beaten to within an inch of his life, it was the patrolling Security Department ninjas in the village who arrived promptly, stopped the incident, and issued punishments to both parties.
There were many similar incidents, which gradually led to the villagers' target of hatred shifting from the Security Department to these outsider nobles.
After all, although the Security Department would hit people, it was only as a last resort after warnings were ineffective. But the samurai under these nobles truly resorted to violence at the slightest disagreement.
Regarding this, Uchiha Douhuan was actually happy to see it happen. These troublesome citizens in the village needed professionals to teach them a lesson for it to be professionally appropriate. Otherwise, how would his own benevolence be apparent?
On the other hand, while the arrival of these nobles and major merchants spurred the entire village's economic development, it was also accompanied by gradually rising prices.
Uchiha Douhuan had long expected this. As the new capital of the Land of Fire, it was normal for prices to rise after the influx of numerous nobles and major merchants. However, what dissatisfied Uchiha Douhuan was that after these nobles and major merchants made money, they didn't think at all about how to give back to the village, merely hoarding all the money. Only a few, like Gato, were more sensible, knowing that after making money, they should increase investment within the village to repay Lord Hokage's favor.
Uchiha Douhuan watched all this coldly. Once these people had fully established their roots in the village, it would be time to deploy the tangible kunai to rub against the intangible big hand (i.e., use force/policy against hoarded wealth/economic power).
But before that, Uchiha Douhuan had another matter to handle.
At noon this day, Uchiha Douhuan also received a report from the guards at the village gate: Tsunade had returned to the village.
Not long after, Tsunade arrived at the Hokage Building with her disciple Shizune. After announcing herself, she strode into Uchiha Douhuan's Hokage office.
Upon entering the Hokage office, Tsunade first surveyed the changes in this office she hadn't stepped into for several years.
After seeing the sword rack and Jirai placed in the most conspicuous position in the office, Tsunade's eyes flickered slightly. However, when she looked up and saw the four large characters 'Zhèng Qīng Rén Hé' (Government Honest, People Harmonious) hanging above the sword rack, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Lady Tsunade, barging directly into someone else's office like this is somewhat impolite," Uchiha Douhuan said somewhat helplessly.
Only then did Tsunade turn back to look at Uchiha Douhuan. This wasn't their first meeting. During the Third Great Ninja War, after the battle where Uchiha Douhuan activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, it was Tsunade herself who had treated his injuries. However, Tsunade hadn't expected that when they met again, Uchiha Douhuan would already be sitting in this office, wearing the Fifth Hokage's robes.
"You've done a nice job with this office, at least better than the old man's time," Tsunade strode vigorously into the office, pulled up a chair, and sat down in front of Uchiha Douhuan's desk.
"If Lady Tsunade likes it, your office can be decorated like this in the future as well," Uchiha Douhuan stood up, went to the curio shelf at the side, fetched the tea set, and started heating water.
"You have such elegant hobbies? Wouldn't have guessed," Tsunade said, crossing her legs. The last time they met, the ten-year-old Uchiha Douhuan was covered in blood. When he was carried off the battlefield, although already unconscious, he still tightly gripped his Jirai. For Tsunade, it was hard to reconcile the young god of slaughter she had seen before with the gentle and refined Fifth Hokage before her now.
"Lady Tsunade jests," Uchiha Douhuan chuckled lightly, brewing a cup of tea for Tsunade.
Tsunade casually picked up the tea and drank it down in one go. Only then did Uchiha Douhuan begin to ask, "Has Lady Tsunade seen the document I asked Lord Jiraiya to bring you? Are you prepared to return to the village and take up a position?"
"I've seen the document. However, I don't plan on staying in the village for now," Tsunade replied. "I came back this time just to see what kind of person could push the old man and that old lecher Jiraiya into such a pathetic situation. Now that I've seen you, indeed, your reputation is well-deserved."
"Is that so? Can you tell me the reason?" Uchiha Douhuan ignored Tsunade's teasing. Tsunade was different from Jiraiya. Tsunade was the bona fide granddaughter of the First Hokage. Coupled with her contributions to medical ninjutsu, almost every ninja in the village had benefited from her kindness. Her prestige in the village was terrifyingly high.
(End of Chapter)
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