Hokage Building
Hiruzen's POV
I looked down at my unconscious friend—bloody mouth, missing teeth, and a faint imprint of Tsunade's punch. I couldn't help but sigh. Danzo really had to say something that insane about Reika and her kid.
Honestly, Reika and Tsunade might dislike each other, but those two have a strong bond. If one were in danger, the other would show up swinging. It's kind of like my bond with Danzo... except now I'm not sure who's more insane—him or Reika.
"Fox!" I called.
An ANBU agent dropped from the shadows, kneeling before me. "Yes, Hokage?"
I took a puff of my pipe. "Take Danzo to the hospital and make sure they give him the best treatment. Tell them to bill it to the Shimura clan. Then inform the clan they'll be reimbursed through Root's operational budget."
"Yes, my lord!"
I watched as Fox grabbed Danzo's unconscious body and flickered away toward the hospital.
Turning back to the room, I sighed. "Tsunade, did you have to hit him that hard? Danzo may be extreme, but sometimes he has good ideas."
Tsunade scoffed, flopping down onto the couch and crossing her arms. "The lunatic wanted to jeopardize the entire village! You and I both know even if you said no, he'd start scheming anyway!"
"You're not wrong," I admitted. "Wouldn't be the first time he went behind my back."
Jiraiya gave me a look. "Old man, why do you even tolerate him? He's more trouble than he's worth."
I puffed again. "Simple. He has his uses. He handles the darker missions. No matter how crazy he is, he's still... useful."
Jiraiya sighed. "He's a bomb waiting to go off."
"I can handle him," I assured. "I know how to rein him in when I need to."
Tsunade grumbled, "I hope so, because next time he proposes some village-destroying plan, I'm making sure he stays in the hospital for life."
"Noted."
"Hiruzen!" Homura and Koharu's voices cut through.
"Hm?" I turned to them. Honestly, they had such low presence I forgot they were even in the room.
"What is it?"
They looked horrified.
Koharu snapped, "Tsunade just punched Danzo into unconsciousness and you're brushing it off!?"
Homura nodded. "Just because she's your student doesn't mean your bias should influence you. She shouldn't be allowed to act with impunity!"
Bias?" I scoffed. It's my bias that gets your clan projects funded and money in your wallet!
I coughed. "You're right. Tsunade, due to your unauthorized punishment of Danzo, I'm assigning you two tasks."
She raised an eyebrow. "Unauthorized, huh?"
I cleared my throat and looked out the window.
"First: you're to heal Danzo's mouth and teeth—free of charge. Nothing else."
Tsunade smirked. "Got it, old man. But you know, healing these things takes time."
"Take your time," I said, meeting her eyes. "Danzo needs to be hospitalized as long as possible. Only the best treatment for my friend."
Koharu cried, "What about his cranial damage? The fees aren't cheap!"
Exactly why Root's budget will bleed for this idiocy.
"Koharu, let the hospital bill be a reminder to Danzo: some things should never be said—especially those that could harm the village."
Her mouth dropped. Homura rubbed his forehead.
"Understood."
I nodded and turned back to Tsunade.
"Your second task: I want you to build a connection with Reika's kid. Observe him. Talk to anyone who's interacted with him. Try Kushina, if they've met. Reika will likely show up eventually, and the kid might tag along."
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
She sighed. "Fine. But this will take time. How long do I have?"
"From the moment he enters the Academy until graduation. I want this to be a slow process. Observe how he interacts with peers."
"Why me, though? Why not Jiraiya or Orochimaru?"
I gave her a look.
"Hey! What's with that face?"
I sighed. "Tsunade, despite your rivalry with Reika, you're the only one who can approach her kid without her going feral. If it were Orochimaru, she'd be suspicious."
Orochimaru chuckled. "True. I imagine she'd set me on fire first."
I turned to Jiraiya. "As for you... given your perverted nature, she'd set your balls on fire and throw you out of the village."
Jiraiya turned pale. "Hey! I'm not that bad!"
I opened a drawer and pulled out a binder full of reports about Jirayia research .
"Three days ago, a man with long white hair was caught peeping at the hot springs' female section. Escaped capture. Description: tall, mid-tier looks."
I looked at Jiraiya. "Ring a bell?"
He coughed. "Could've been Sakumo! He also has white hair!"
I deadpanned. No one believed that.
"Well, I'll bring it up with Sakumo. I'm sure he'll love to hear someone's impersonating him and he will do his best to capture him while giving him a beating."
Jiraiya grimaced. "Old man, we should focus on Reika and her kid instead!"
Trying to change the subject won't save you, boy.
I glanced at Tsunade—clenched fist, murderous glare. Good luck, son.
"So, Tsunade. You see why it has to be you."
"Fine. But like with Danzo's treatment, I'm taking my time."
"Understood."
Just then, Wolf entered and handed me a scroll. "Lord Third. All the intel we've gathered on Reika's son and her husband."
I opened it.
Scroll Report
Name: Kurogami Uchiha
Alias: Reika's Child
Gender: Male
Clan: Uchiha
Appearance: Deep black hair, black eyes, 4'1", slightly tan skin. Considered cute by many housewives.
Observations:
Not well-liked in the clan; father considered a "waste." Murmurs of mutt often said about him.
Isolated from other clan children. No friends.
Rarely leaves the compound. Often seen training in his backyard—approx. five times a week.
Chakra nature: unknown. Presumed Fire and Lightning, like his mother.
Name: Unknown
Alias: Reika's Husband / Healer / Traveling Businessman
Gender: Male
Clan: None (Civilian)
Appearance: Black hair, purple eyes, 6'3", tan skin. Considered a heartthrob by the female population.
Observations:
First seen at village gate with Reika's squad.
Credited with saving them during an ambush using advanced medicine.
Popularized foreign foods: pizza, French fries, milkshakes. Earnings go into Kurogami's bank account.
Frequented the library. Obsessed with religious/mythological texts, especially Sage of Six Paths.
Hired Reika's team for long-term missions abroad.
Sighted in several nations, including Rain, Lightning, Water, Whirlpools.
Extremely popular with kunoichi. Multiple seduction attempts. Many screamed "I'll have your babies!"
Numerous assassination attempts from jealous men—neutralized by Reika's team.
Built a manor inside the Uchiha compound for Reika and their child (materials and workers unknown). Royal design. Purple flames.
Disappeared five years ago—no record of exit. No sightings since.
Hiruzen's POV
I closed the scroll and sat back, contemplating.
Tsunade asked, "Well? What did it say?"
I sighed and tossed it to her. "Read it for yourself."
She read it, passed it around. I turned to the window, deep in thought.
Kurogami seemed isolated—good in a way. No clan arrogance infecting him. Only Reika's influence remained... that was the wild card.
But his father… why isn't his name listed?
I know I've heard it before. Hell, my wife wouldn't stop talking about him! If Asuma didn't look like me, I'd be suspicious!
"Well?" I asked. "What are your thoughts?"
Jiraiya chuckled. "Kuro's isolation might keep him humble, away from the clan arrogance nature infecting him. As for Reika's husband… I'm kind of glad he's gone. Women wouldn't even look at me when he was around."
Orochimaru mused, "His isolation feels deliberate. Possibly Fugaku or the elders had a hand in the isolation. Reika was considered a prize due to her prowess in combat and the purity of her bloodline. To lose her to a civilian…"
Tsunade nodded. "Probably Fugaku. He tried to court her, brought her flowers and romantic items, and she used them for target practice. She even called him a diehard simp once."
I stroked my beard. "So either the elders or Fugaku caused the isolation."
"But what do you think of the info, Tsunade?"
She shrugged. "He just seems like a kid who trains a lot. No strong opinion."
So… none of them noticed it either.
"If I recall, Tsunade, you said Reika's husband was handsome?"
She blushed. "So what!? Reika used to rub it in my face! There's no guy in the Land of Fire who can compete with that! He look like he was sculpted from the gods!"
I laughed. "Try worrying your wife cheated with him, then get back to me."
Tsunade pouted "Fair."
"Homura? Koharu?"
Homura sipped his tea. "The boy deserves the village's warmth since his clan won't provide it, perhaps embrace the village will of fire. As for the husband… my wife's dead, so I have no such concerns."
Bastard!
Koharu frowned, side-eyeing Tsunade. "Kurogami should still be watched. Reika's influence is unknown. As for her husband... it's a shame such a handsome man fell for her. We move on."
I nodded. "Wolf!"
She knelt. "Yes, Hokage?"
"You were vice-president of Reika's husband fan club, right?"
She trembled. "Yes… my lord."
"Do you remember his name?"
She trembled and shook her head. "No, my lord."
"Dismissed."
He vanished.
I turned to the others. "Do any of you remember his name?"
Silence.
Pale faces. Frowns. Confusion.
"Four S-rank shinobi can't remember the name of the man who married one of our most dangerous kunoichi? You remember the First Hokage's wife—but not his?"
Tsunade clenched her fists. "I swear she told me before!"
Jiraiya paced. "I heard it! Women told me I wasn't half as handsome. So why can't I recall!?"
Orochimaru laughed, eyes gleaming. "Fascinating! Someone erased his name from all our minds! What kind of jutsu is this!?"
Koharu was speechless. Homura stared into his teacup with look of horror.
Tsunade looked at me with concern. "What are you planning?"
I sat on my chair smoking from my pipe thinking for a while. Than I leaned forward.
"What can I do? He's been gone five years. Reika either knows and is pretending to forget—or she genuinely doesn't remember and knows why. And I can't justify a mind probe. The Yamanaka wouldn't support it—it'd break clan trust over such a small problem of forgetting a name."
I took a deep breath. "We play it slow."
"Tsunade, connect with the kid. See if he knows. Jiraiya, dig into other villages—maybe they know his name. Orochimaru, develop a jutsu for retrieving block memories. Collaborate with the Yamanaka clan."
I turned to the elders. "Ask around your clans—but don't tell Danzo. That's an order. We don't need him poking a hornet's nest."
Everyone nodded.
"Good. If that's everything, you're—"
Knock knock.
"Lord Hokage, it's Fugaku. I'm here about the Reika incident at the shopping district."
Ah. The simp has arrived.
(Images here):