"Oh, and regarding the SenjuI won't be fighting them for any credit."
Although his relationship with Tsunade was excellent and he was constantly thinking of ways to win her over, Ronglin knew that business and personal matters had to be kept strictly separate.
Back then, hadn't those elders thought Sunagakure would be an easy opponent to defeat?
Hadn't they been terrified that he would rack up too much military merit and prestige? Fine. Now, he wouldn't take a single scrap of it; he would simply sit back and watch them perform.
Ronglin refused to believe that after performing such monumental service in the war against Kirigakure, he could still be outmaneuvered in certain political circles.
If he still couldn't win those arguments, he would simply have to laugh it off. The village needed his strength now, but he knew countless eyes were watching him from the shadows.
The contributions he had made during the war against Kirigakure were staggering when added up. If he were to rush off to another battlefield to scoop up even more glory, it would undoubtedly spark fear and wariness in many people.
When it was time to be assertive, Ronglin never hid his light under a bushel, but when it was time to be discreet, he wasn't about to stick his neck out.
Let whoever wanted to go, go. He had already gained more than enough. Not to mention, he stood to gain plenty of benefits from the upcoming negotiations with Kirigakure. Since that was the case, why go out of his way to make himself an eyesore to the higher-ups?
"Sigh..."
A look of helplessness spread across the Third Hokage's aged face. "Fine. Since you want to rest, then take some time off."
In the end, the Third Hokage could only nod in agreement. It was his own fault for accepting the favors offered by the Hyuga, the Shimura, and the Senju, choosing to slight Ronglin in the process. Now, it was time for him to taste the bitter fruit of that decision.
"I shall take my leave."
With a slight nod, Ronglin turned and left the Hokage's Office, heading toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.
He didn't care what the Third Hokage thought. Sunagakure and Iwagakure could be someone else's headache.
If he remembered correctly, the war between those two villages wouldn't end until Konoha Year 47. That meant there were still two and a half years left. In two and a half years, it would finally be time for him to truly "wake up."
"I'm such a scatterbrain. I forgot to apply for my resignation from the Anbu. Forget it, I'll deal with it another day. It's not like they need me for any missions right now anyway."
Walking down the road, Ronglin suddenly remembered he had forgotten to ask the Third Hokage to let him retire from the Anbu. Patting his forehead, he decided to save it for his next request.
Because of the war, the streets of Konoha lacked their usual bustling energy, appearing somewhat desolate. No matter where one went, the air was filled with endless talk of the conflict.
"Look! It's Lord Uchiha Ronglin."
"You're right! Lord Ronglin escorted the war prisoners back to the village today."
"Hmph! Seeing those Hidden Mist prisoners makes my skin crawl. It's a shame the Anbu won't let anyone take revenge!"
"Tell me about it. What a buzzkill. I really wanted to pelt them with rotten eggs, but I was stopped. It's a waste; I'd prepared them so early."
"Brother, you have the right idea!"
"Heh, it was nothing special."
As Ronglin walked down the street, waves of discussion followed in his wake. Quite a few people stepped forward to bow to him proactively. In their hearts, he had earned it; he was the Hero of Konoha.
"But have you heard? It seems the village higher-ups are targeting the Uchiha clan and Lord Ronglin."
When people discuss the war, someone is bound to leak the words spoken by the Third Mizukage before his death. Most people found the news hard to believe. Although the members of the Uchiha clan could be incredibly arrogant and full of themselves, they hadn't been known for oppressing their comrades or killing indiscriminately. Why would the village target them?
"I heard it from my cousin who just got back from the front. During the fight against Kirigakure, Lord Ronglin had a major falling out with the Hyuga clan. He refused to step in at first, only joining the fray after Konoha had already suffered significant losses."
"But why?"
"Why else? Because the Hyuga and Shimura families teamed up to screw Lord Ronglin over! They had him recalled from the battlefield just to prevent him from earning more military merit."
"What! Such a thing happened? How could the Hyuga and Shimura be so despicable? Lord Ronglin is our hero!"
"Who knows? If it wasn't for Lord Ronglin, heaven knows how long this war with Kirigakure would have dragged on. Whether we would have even won is another story entirely. The Hyuga and Shimura have really let us down."
"Pah! I never imagined they were that kind of people!"
The same story told by a thousand mouths becomes a thousand different versions. Very quickly, thanks to the "disclosures" of certain individuals, the reputations of the Hyuga and Shimura clans were dragged through the mud. Meanwhile, Ronglin's image among the villagers grew taller than ever, and their admiration for him deepened significantly.
Listening to the various rumors, Ronglin was laughing inwardly. He didn't know exactly who had leaked the information, but if he found out, he would have to give them a proper thank you.
He wondered just how ugly the faces of Hiashi Hyuga and Danzo Shimura would look when they returned to the village and heard these rumors.
"...You! You're back!"
When Ronglin arrived home, Diqin Uchiha, who had been waiting anxiously, saw him. Her eyes reddened instantly as she ran up and threw her arms around him, bursting into tears.
"You idiot! Do you want to scare me to death? Why would you take such a risk? Charging into the enemy camp alone! Attacking an entire base by yourself, and capturing a Tailed Beast alone! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? If something happened to you, what would I do?"
Diqin Uchiha, who had once suffered from a bit of a "princess complex," had turned into a pitiable, weeping girl. Her temperament had undergone a massive change.
If her older sister hadn't forbidden her from leaving, Diqin would have waited at the village gates to meet him.
When the news from the front lines reached them, Diqin had nearly fainted from fright. Others went through a decisive battle and suffered countless casualtieseven the Grand Elder had sacrificed himselfyet Ronglin was always doing these terrifying, heart-stopping things.
This girl...
Ronglin was momentarily stunned. It took him a moment to recover, and then he gently patted her back with a smile. "Am I not back safe and sound? With those weaklings from the Hidden Mist, how could they possibly lay a finger on me?"
In truth, making a girl cry was easy, but comforting one was quite a challenge.
"Pfft!"
Diqin couldn't help but let out a tearful laugh. She shot him a reproachful look. "You and your smooth talk. What if you had been surrounded?"
"Actually, I was always surrounded."
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