After Uchiha Kiyoshi whispered in his ear about the purpose behind Ryun's actions, Hyūga Hizashi reacted quickly and said, "Thank you, Hokage-sama, for standing up for me. You prevented me from going down the wrong path."
Ryun glanced at Uchiha Kiyoshi with a half smile. Uchiha Kiyoshi scratched his head and chuckled. The main reason was that he and Hyūga Hizashi had worked together for a long time, and the two were quite in sync.
Earlier, when Hyūga Hizashi insisted on killing Tsuchibutori Kenji, it gave him quite a scare. He was just about to speak up to stop him, but who knew that Hizashi had both righteousness and public opinion on his side? What was he supposed to do then?
Try to persuade Hizashi? Wouldn't the villagers worry about their own safety if he did?
Not persuade him? If he didn't, this incident would become a lifelong stain on Hizashi's record. If someone were to use it against him in the future, citing his immaturity as a reason, it would be nearly impossible for him to advance.
But now it was fine. The Hokage-sama had personally stepped in, not only protecting Hyūga Hizashi but also easing the villagers' concerns and raising his own standing in their hearts.
Three birds with one stone. As expected of the Hokage-sama!
Ryun shook his head. "Don't be so impulsive in the future."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Hyūga Hizashi replied promptly.
Ryun reminded him, "By the way, don't forget to claim the bounty. After all, this guy was worth quite a bit." Ryun pointed at the pool of blood and water on the ground.
Then, he took Tsunade's hand and left the scene. Hyūga Hizashi and Uchiha Kiyoshi were responsible for cleaning up the bloodstains, while the villagers voluntarily brought brooms, buckets, and mops to help.
Hyūga Hizashi watched Ryun's retreating figure, feeling deeply moved. The Hokage-sama was truly far-sighted and cared for his subordinates. He would follow the Hokage-sama for life!
With this thought, Hyūga Hizashi's gaze grew resolute. He took a deep breath, made up his mind, and then lowered his head to continue cleaning the blood.
Ryun held Tsunade's delicate hand as they walked down the street. Suddenly, Tsunade asked, "Ryun, you were protecting Hyūga Hizashi, weren't you?" She smiled.
"Yeah, that's right. People like him are rare. He could be of great use in the future. If I didn't help him today, it would be difficult to promote him later," Ryun said thoughtfully.
"See, Ryun is such a gentle person," Tsunade said with a blossoming smile, resting her head on Ryun's shoulder. She looked every bit the well-bred lady, smiling without showing her teeth.
Ryun asked himself, was he gentle? Perhaps only a little fool like Tsunade would think he was a gentle person.
Or maybe he was only gentle with the woman he loved and loyal, capable subordinates. As for enemies and criminals, he had always suppressed them with swift and severe measures.
After all, the number of lives he had taken was at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand. How could someone like that be called gentle?
If you asked the shinobi of Sunagakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, or Kirigakure to describe Ryun, they would first check if any Konoha shinobi were nearby, afraid of giving Konoha a reason to send troops against them.
"Tsunade is probably the only one in the entire shinobi world who would think Uchiha Ryun is gentle," Ryun thought with a slight smile, looking at the beauty beside him like a painting, feeling happy.
Tsunade held onto Ryun's arm as the two walked down the street, chatting and laughing. They looked at the bustling streets with smiles on their faces.
Thanks to policy support, financial subsidies, and a steady supply of goods, Konoha's commercial district offered a wide variety of foods, clothing, drinks, and jade from all over the world.
The standard of living for Konoha's villagers had increased fourfold compared to when the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, passed away. Now, it wasn't that everyone was wearing gold and silver, but they could all afford to eat meat every day.
Ryun couldn't help but reflect that sometimes becoming prosperous was simple: develop commerce. If they only relied on the meager income from agriculture, they would never become rich, not even in several lifetimes.
Later, the two bought some jade, enjoyed delicious food, and had a fulfilling day. This wasn't just because they were about to get married and were in a joyful mood, but also because they had material security.
Both of them were wealthy, so when they saw something they liked, there was only one word: buy.
Shopping brings joy—this wasn't just an empty saying.
When it grew dark, Ryun walked Tsunade home, only to find that Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha were also at the Senju clan compound. The two were chatting happily with Mito Uzumaki and the Senju brothers.
The moment Ryun and Tsunade stepped into the compound, everyone looked their way.
"Well, if it isn't the bridegroom and bride returning?" Izuna Uchiha was the most irreverent, though it was also because everyone present was familiar, so he didn't need to put on a facade.
Ryun sighed helplessly. "Grandpa, how old are you? Why are you still so improper?"
Izuna Uchiha scoffed. "You're about to get married, yet you're out shopping with your bride every day. And you're criticizing me! The wedding is the day after tomorrow. Have you booked the venue? Bought the candy and wine?"
Ryun was taken aback. His grandfather seemed to know a lot about these things!
Madara Uchiha smacked Izuna on the back of the head. "Stop your nonsense. Ryun is the Hokage. He's busy with so many things every day. When would he have time to think about these details? The reason we're here is to discuss these matters. Why are you always pressuring the kids?"
Izuna felt wronged. Ryun broke out in a cold sweat. "Is this Hokage busy? Does he have a lot to do? It seemed like Madara was scolding Grandpa, but was he actually criticizing the two of them?" Ryun muttered to himself.
"Alright, alright, Madara. The day after tomorrow is a joyous day for both the Senju and Uchiha clans. Don't resort to violence. The kids are watching. Aren't you ashamed?" Hashirama Senju interjected to stop them.
He couldn't help but feel dazed seeing this scene. He never imagined that something he could only envision in fantasies or dreams had become reality because of Ryun's presence.
Madara and Izuna had stayed. His younger brother was by his side. Mito was with him. Konoha was growing stronger and more prosperous.
If this was a dream, he hoped heaven would never let him wake up. Hashirama sighed inwardly.
Madara Uchiha glanced at Hashirama, crossed his arms, and snorted. Well, there was another tsundere!
Tobirama Senju watched the scene, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. But soon, his mood settled again.
"Maybe we should ask the children for their opinions. You parents shouldn't just talk among yourselves and decide everything," Tobirama interjected.
Ryun looked surprised. Unexpectedly, the most rational among the five elders was the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, Tsunade's great-uncle.
Only then did the others realize that it wasn't their wedding. What if the arrangements they made weren't to the children's liking? What would they do then?
They turned to the couple. "What are your thoughts? We should listen to your opinions."
Tsunade's face turned red. "I'll listen to Ryun. Whatever he says goes!"
Tobirama's mouth twitched. How had his great-niece become so thoroughly wrapped around Ryun's finger? She agreed with everything he said. They might as well hand the Senju clan compound over to Ryun!
If Tsunade heard that, she would probably think it over carefully and then decide, "Well, that doesn't sound too bad. Let's do it!"
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📖 Like the story? Read 120 chapters ahead!
🔗 patreon.com/atomelectron
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━