Hiruzen was instantly dumbfounded. Just moments ago, the conversation was still about shopping and eating, everything perfectly normal. How did it suddenly jump to his new daughter-in-law arriving?
"No, no, this is too sudden!"
Miya, seeing her son's unpromising appearance, immediately snapped: "What do you mean, 'no'! I didn't say you had to get married next year, I said in the next two years!"
Hiruzen saw his mother getting angry and immediately wilted, muttering softly: "Even if it's two years from now, I'll only be twenty-one. There's no rush to get married, is there?"
"Yes, yes, yes, you're not in a hurry, but I'm afraid your deadbeat father won't live to see you get married."
Sasuke, who had been watching the drama unfold from the side, was suddenly mentioned and still hadn't quite reacted. He was just enjoying the show; how did the conflict spread to him?
Miya rolled her eyes at Sasuke, then continued: "This deadbeat father of yours is never home, and every time he comes back, his face is pale. He must be sneaking off to peep at some women's bathhouse!"
"At this rate, I'll be thankful if he lives another year or two. I advise you to learn how to manage the clan sooner rather than later, or you'll be in a mess."
Good heavens, this barrage of attacks left Sasuke dizzy. He was in the prime of his life, strong as an ox. Although the wind had blown away his last strand of hair, he wasn't going to die in the next two years, was he? Hiruzen, however, understood. His mother was clearly telling him to get married quickly, but in secret, she was mocking his father for constantly peeping at women's bathhouses and not coming home. Hiruzen naturally condemned his father's actions verbally, but his body was honest. Otherwise, Biwako wouldn't have caught him red-handed.
Seeing his mother's outburst, Hiruzen felt that if he wanted to peep at women's bathhouses, he needed to be more sophisticated. Preferably, the kind where he could see everything from the comfort of his home. That way, even if he didn't leave the house, he could still enjoy the beautiful hot spring scenery—how delightful!
As he mused, a lewd grin spread across Hiruzen's face. Miya saw it and immediately knew this boy was up to no good. She slapped Hiruzen squarely on the head! It knocked Hiruzen clean out of his reverie and back to reality.
Sarutobi Sasuke, for his part, thought: 'Since you've already hit your son, don't hit me too.'
But in the end, he couldn't escape the beating either. Enduring for so long was Miya's limit; today, she definitely had to teach these perverted father and son a lesson.
The clan member who had intended to report on clan matters, upon hearing the mistress educating the clan head and young clan head from outside the door, wisely departed. He could only sympathize with the clan head for two more seconds. It was laughable; anyone who dared to incur the mistress's wrath at this time would probably also be dragged into the house and thoroughly beaten. Throughout the Sarutobi clan compound, the wailing sounds were incessant. To preserve the clan head's dignity, everyone very tacitly pretended not to hear, busying themselves with their own affairs.
About an hour later, the sounds from inside the house finally stopped. Miya pushed open the door, carrying a small basket, and went out onto the street. Only the bruised and battered father and son remained in disarray inside.
They seemed to have been discussing the Oyashirō clan earlier, hadn't they? How did it end up like this? Looking at his bruised and swollen face in the mirror, Hiruzen thought, 'Koharu is definitely going to laugh at me tomorrow, and how am I supposed to see Biwako looking like this?'
He could only ask Koharu for medical assistance. However, after such a beating, Hiruzen's resolve only strengthened! He absolutely had to find a way to peep at bathhouses without being discovered!
Unlike his son's "fighting spirit," Sasuke wore a face full of sorrow. This woman's hands were too heavy, always aiming for the face. How was he supposed to show his face tomorrow? He had an appointment to drink tea with Oyashirō Tsuki tomorrow, alas. It seemed he could only go to Lady Mito for treatment. Donning a bandit-like hood and changing into ordinary clothes, his entire demeanor instantly shifted. Taking advantage of the few people in the compound right now, he quickly ran out. Only Hiruzen was left in disarray: "This old man is too skilled, isn't he?" From his fluid, practiced movements, it was clear how many times his father had been beaten by his mother.
However, Hiruzen couldn't be bothered with such thoughts. He was solely focused on his grand plan, a plan that would forever free him from violence!
Sasuke, meanwhile, had swiftly arrived at the Senju clan's entrance, moving with such agility that he was almost undetected. Those who did catch a glimpse only saw an afterimage, unable to make out who it was.
"I am Sarutobi Sasuke. I have something to discuss with Hashirama-sama." After showing his token to the Senju clan guard at the gate, the ninja, still somewhat skeptical, allowed Sasuke to enter. Clearly, he didn't quite understand why the Sarutobi clan head would come dressed like this to see the clan head.
He smoothly made his way to Hashirama's door and knocked. Hashirama opened the door and saw Sasuke, looking like a bandit, and was momentarily stunned for a second or two. Though he quickly recovered, his expression remained somewhat stiff, forcing a strained smile: "Sasuke... come in quickly." Who could understand opening the door right after a nap only to see a bandit-like figure standing at your doorstep? Judging by Hashirama's reaction speed, this wasn't Sasuke's first time.
"Miya certainly has a heavy hand."
Sasuke waved his hand: "It's nothing serious. I mainly made her angry, and if I didn't get a beating, I'd feel bad. This way, I feel much better." Regarding Sasuke's outrageous statement, Hashirama concluded that everyone had their unique quirks. While he didn't understand it, he also didn't respect it.
Once inside, Sasuke didn't remove his hood, mainly fearing he might scare Hashirama and Mito. He would just receive treatment with the hood on; it was better for everyone.
"Did you go to the Oyashirō clan at noon? How did it feel?"
To Hashirama's question, Sasuke honestly replied: "Oyashirō Tsuki, the clan head, is a man of etiquette and quite humble. The conversation was rather pleasant."
"However, the clan's strength is truly too weak. I wonder when they will recover." Hashirama nodded upon hearing this: "Indeed. I didn't expect you to be the first to befriend the Oyashirō. I thought it would be the Ino-Shika-Chō."
Sasuke chuckled: "Shikato is too cautious; he wouldn't be the one to stick his neck out. Since you, Hashirama-sama, personally brought them back, I figured nothing bad would happen, so I just went with money."
"Hahaha! Shikato's mind works differently from ours. Can't blame the man for being careful—he's strategizing for three clans at once, after all." The two continued chatting as they moved into the living room.
Mito was playing a game with Tsunade, making Tsunade laugh continuously. Seeing the "bandit" enter the room, she had no particular reaction. She simply covered Tsunade's eyes first, fearing she might be scared.