After some intervention by the Hokage, the originally tense atmosphere finally eased.
The main house no longer dared to act recklessly against the branch house members still marked with the Caged Bird Seal, fearing that the rest of the branch house might retaliate and spark a civil war.
On the other hand, the branch house ninjas who had already had the Caged Bird Seal removed didn't want to provoke a desperate reaction from the main house either.
In the end, both sides could only leave things unresolved for now.
However, the conflict between the main family and the branch house remained.
It was only temporarily suppressed.
Just one day after this confrontation ended, Konoha Hospital launched a new initiative—
The Ninja Medical Examination Program.
Lady Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, personally introduced the program to provide free medical checkups for ninjas in need.
You could even meet Katsuyu, the "Medical Angel of the Battlefield"!
Over the years, Katsuyu had saved countless lives on the front lines and was trusted and admired by ninjas everywhere.
Of course, most people still associated Katsuyu with the Fourth Hokage.
After all, only Hanyu Simu had the terrifying chakra reserves necessary to summon Katsuyu consistently.
That was also one of the key reasons why Simu had earned the deep trust and support of so many ordinary ninjas within just a few years.
From the very first day, the hospital was packed with people lining up for the checkups.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Minato was once again forcefully seated in the Hokage's chair by Simu.
"Minato, I'm leaving all these documents to you. I need to head over to the hospital today to oversee things."
Minato looked at the towering stack of paperwork in front of him and felt his scalp go numb.
With Shikamaru gone for some time now, there was no one left but Minato to handle this.
He looked puzzled.
"Why are you going to the hospital? Do you even know medical ninjutsu?"
Simu just grinned.
"You don't understand. Lasers are a great treatment for cataracts."
Minato's confusion deepened.
"...What the hell is a cataract?"
"In any case, you handle things here."
Before Minato could object, Simu vanished on the spot.
Even the Anbu assigned to protect him couldn't keep up with his movements.
They could only chase toward Konoha Hospital, based on Simu's last words.
Minato stared at the now-empty spot where Simu had stood, then looked at the mountain of paperwork in front of him.
He rubbed his temples hard and sighed.
Being trusted by the Fourth Hokage should be a great honor…
But why did it feel like he had just become a glorified assistant?
"Am I the Hokage, or are you?!"
Minato complained in frustration.
Simu, of course, ignored his annoyance.
In a flash, he arrived at Konoha Hospital.
Naturally, he didn't create this medical program for no reason.
The real purpose was to further investigate the Hyuga clan's situation.
During the examination process, all the participating ninjas were separated into groups.
Under Simu's arrangement, those from the Hyuga branch house were listed as having "eye problems" and directed to the treatment rooms in the back.
There, they encountered a doctor in a white coat.
"Lie down. It'll be over quickly."
The Hyuga branch house members seemed to guess what was about to happen.
Some lay on the bed with barely hidden excitement.
Though they tried to control their breathing, their nervousness was still obvious.
Simu sighed and had no choice but to knock the man out with a clean chop to the neck.
Then he extended his palm, activating Observation Haki to locate the Caged Bird Seal.
A short, rapid flash lit up the room—and the cursed seal on the Hyuga's forehead instantly turned into a dull brown scar.
A small, chubby Katsuyu in blue slid off Simu's shoulder.
Her soft, squishy body emitted a gentle green glow.
The scar on the Hyuga's forehead quickly peeled away. His forehead looked completely normal again—like the cursed seal had never existed.
"Done," Simu said casually.
Simu tugged at his gloves.
A nurse came in and pushed the unconscious patient out.
Then the next one followed...
Today, Simu's Sparkling Fruit had awakened.
With his abilities, such an operation was incredibly smooth—the entire process took less than a minute.
After all, it was just: walk in, lie down, knock out, flash of light.
Problems that countless medical ninjas couldn't solve seemed almost trivial for Simu.
"You really are a freak,"
Tsunade said, staring at Simu in amazement.
He wasn't a medical ninja, yet he could do things that even trained professionals found difficult—thanks to his strange abilities and terrifyingly sharp insight.
Though she still felt a little uneasy because of Orochimaru's shadow, Tsunade had begun to accept this new Hokage.
After all, Orochimaru was a traitor who had killed his comrades—there was no forgiving that.
Crossing her arms under her chest, pressing up her impressive curves, Tsunade asked directly:
"But I'm curious. Why are you doing this?"
"Is it because of Rei?"
From Tsunade's point of view, there was no real reason for the Hokage to go this far.
As Hokage, Simu didn't need to involve himself in the internal affairs of the Hyuga clan.
Regardless of what kind of resentment the branch house held, under Simu's overwhelming pressure, the Hyuga clan would still remain loyal to Konoha.
Even giving minor support to the main family would ensure their allegiance.
On the other hand, helping the branch family remove the Caged Bird seal could put Konoha's Byakugan at risk of being stolen by other villages.
From a political standpoint, it was completely unnecessary.
So, the only reason she could think of was Rei of the Hyuga branch house.
Otherwise, why would a newly appointed Hokage risk stirring up unrest in Konoha just a few days into his term?
Simu stroked his chin, puzzled.
"Does Tsunade really think I'm that much of a playboy?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes and snorted.
"Do you want me to list how many girlfriends you've dated at the same time?"
Simu gave an awkward laugh.
He really couldn't refute that.
After all, monogamy was still the standard in the world of shinobi.
This situation of his was... unusual.
Not just among Hokage—none of the other Kage across the Five Great Nations had ever been in a similar position.
Though, among nobles and daimyo, it was surprisingly common.
Before he knew it, Simu's thoughts drifted off.
He coughed and brought the conversation back.
"Rei is part of the reason, yes,"
he admitted without hesitation.
"But the real reason is—"
He paused, scratching his head with a slight, embarrassed smile.
"I just think... there shouldn't be so many people suffering in this world."
Tsunade's teasing faded.
She looked at him, her expression turning serious.
"Why do you think that way?"
she asked softly.
Simu shrugged.
"Look at us. Ninjas have incredible abilities—we can build dams, reclaim land, develop technology. There's so much good we could do."
"So why waste all that on fighting?"
That had always been Simu's biggest question.
To him, most conflict stemmed from competition over limited resources.
But ninja were powerful enough to create resources—yet all he saw was endless fighting, just to survive.
Projects that should take ninja a day could take ordinary people months or years—and cost countless lives.
Tsunade quickly pointed out the flaw in his reasoning.
"But if one nation stops fighting, the others won't. If you work hard to build, someone else will just come and take it from you."
"You hit me, I hit you—it's a never-ending cycle. That's the ninja world."
"That's why our progress has completely stagnated."
Simu nodded.
"Exactly. That's why there needs to be a strong enough force—whether it's by killing or deterrence—to end it all."
"To rewrite the rules."
Tsunade's lips parted slightly, astonished.
"You mean... you want to unify the entire Shinobi World?"
She asked the question almost in disbelief.
Not even her grandfather, the First Hokage, had achieved that.
Simu smiled faintly.
"When a land stays divided for too long, it must unite. And when it stays united for too long, it must divide."
"If the Shinobi World is destined to unify eventually... why can't that person be me?"
His eyes gleamed with terrifying ambition.
Tsunade was stunned.
And in that moment, she finally understood why Simu wasn't worried about the Byakugan being leaked.
A man with the power and will to unite the entire Shinobi World wouldn't be concerned with something as small as the risk of a stolen dojutsu.
For some reason, Tsunade felt compelled to ask:
"What about after unification?"
Simu looked at the branch house members in the treatment room, then gestured toward the distance—to the oppressed civilians and slaves suffering under the rule of the nobles.
His gaze grew firm.
"After that, I want everyone to live like real human beings."
Tsunade was speechless.
She had traveled far, seen many things, and witnessed more than enough suffering.
But never had she imagined a world any different from the one they lived in—a world of cruelty and chaos.
Yet this man...
He spoke of a different future.
A new path.
A dream to change the world.
To completely rewrite it.
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