January 11, Year 20 of Konoha.
The winter wind blew cold across Miwacho as Akabane Hikari prepared to depart. In his hands was a thick document—the petition signed in blood by the townspeople. The signatures were uneven and sometimes messy, but each mark represented the anger and resentment of the people who had suffered during the recent turmoil.
With the petition secured, Akabane Hikari mounted his horse and began his journey toward the capital of the Land of Fire.
Uchiha Su personally accompanied him for a short distance outside the town.
Standing beside the road, Uchiha Su looked sincere and solemn as he spoke.
"Akabane-kun," he said earnestly, "once you arrive in the capital, you must impeach Senju Tobirama severely."
Akabane Hikari clenched the petition tightly in his hands.
"Rest assured, my lord," he replied firmly. "This trip to the capital will not be wasted. I will accuse him with everything I have. If I cannot make the Hokage lose a layer of skin, then I do not deserve the name Akabane!"
His voice was filled with conviction.
At this moment, Akabane Hikari truly hated Senju Tobirama.
In his mind, it was the Second Hokage's policies that had led to the invasion of Miwacho. Because of that disaster, he—once the proud mayor of the town—had been forced to flee in disgrace.
The humiliation burned inside him.
Ironically, he felt little hatred toward Uchiha Su, the man who had actually driven him away.
Instead, his resentment was completely directed at Senju Tobirama.
Human emotions were strange things.
After watching Akabane Hikari disappear into the distance, Uchiha Su turned and returned to Miwacho.
Not long after he entered the administrative office, Uchiha Nami approached him with a stack of documents.
"My lord," she said while frowning slightly, "we have finished checking the household registry of Miwacho."
Uchiha Su raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"The official registry lists 32,103 residents," she explained. "However, after conducting an actual headcount, we discovered that the real population exceeds fifty thousand."
She placed the documents on the desk.
Uchiha Su glanced at them briefly before leaning back in his chair.
"That's perfectly normal," he said calmly.
Nami blinked.
"Normal?"
"Of course," Uchiha Su replied with a faint smile. "Among the powerful families in Miwacho, who doesn't hide a few extra people?"
This was practically an unwritten rule.
It wasn't just noble families who did it. Ninja clans, families possessing Kekkei Genkai, and even wealthy merchants often concealed additional members from the official census.
Avoiding taxes, hiding talents, or protecting bloodline abilities—there were many reasons.
In fact, this practice was widespread throughout the ninja world.
"Arrange for these people to be relocated," Uchiha Su continued. "Send them into the Land of Water in batches. Make sure everything is done safely."
Uchiha Nami nodded and began taking notes.
"Where exactly should they be settled?" she asked.
Uchiha Su thought for a moment.
"Send them to the outskirts of the Hidden Mist Village."
He tapped the desk lightly.
"If I remember correctly, there's plenty of open land near the village. Forests, lakes, and unused fields… am I right?"
He knew the geography well.
Before this, while searching for locations to construct bridges and trade routes, Uchiha Su had traveled extensively throughout the Land of Water. He understood the terrain almost as well as a local resident.
"Yes," Uchiha Nami confirmed. "There is a large amount of open land. It will easily accommodate everyone we are relocating, with plenty of space remaining."
"Good," Uchiha Su said.
In truth, Uchiha Nami's role had gradually grown into something far more significant than a simple secretary.
She was essentially the chief administrator of the Hidden Mist's internal affairs.
After all, the official Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, hardly handled any paperwork.
Most of his time was spent dreaming about a glorious battle with Mu of Iwagakure.
To Gengetsu, paperwork was far less interesting than fighting.
Meanwhile, Genshi was responsible for broader administrative matters and frequently traveled outside the village.
As for the Mizukage's aide, Uchiha Setsuna, he was rarely present. He was always either on a mission or preparing for one.
In the end, most of the village's daily management fell onto Nami's shoulders.
Aside from a few days at the beginning—when Uchiha Su had helped clear a mountain of documents—the majority of the paperwork was handled by her.
Sometimes, when the workload became overwhelming, she would reluctantly summon Genshi for assistance.
Uchiha Su picked up the household registry and began flipping through it casually.
Page after page passed by.
Most of the names meant nothing to him.
But suddenly, his movements stopped.
His expression became slightly strange.
Among the countless surnames listed in the registry, one particular name caught his attention.
Namikaze.
Uchiha Su stared at the word for a moment.
The name felt oddly familiar.
It immediately reminded him of someone who would become famous in the future.
Minato Namikaze.
Of course, "Namikaze" wasn't an extremely rare surname.
But seeing it here still sparked his curiosity.
After thinking briefly, he closed the registry and looked up.
"Nami."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Bring the Namikaze family listed here to see me."
Uchiha Nami looked slightly puzzled.
To her knowledge, the Namikaze family was completely ordinary.
There was nothing remarkable about them.
Still, she did not question the order.
"As you wish."
Before long, the Namikaze family was brought into the room.
Leading them was a blond man in his early thirties.
He had a gentle and handsome face, and his demeanor was calm and polite. His bright hair and facial features faintly reminded Uchiha Su of Minato.
Behind the man stood a young woman, who appeared to be his wife.
"Are you Namikaze Yuto?" Uchiha Su asked.
The blond man nodded nervously.
"Yes, my lord. My name is Namikaze Yuto."
Although he tried to remain calm, there was clear tension in his posture.
He subtly positioned himself in front of his wife, as if shielding her.
The defensive gesture did not escape Uchiha Su's notice.
Uchiha Su's face darkened slightly.
What was that posture supposed to mean?
Did this man think he was some kind of villain who would snatch another man's wife?
He, Uchiha Su, was a respectable and upright young gentleman!
Suppressing his annoyance, Uchiha Su continued calmly.
"I noticed in your registry that you were planning to move to Konoha. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Namikaze Yuto replied.
"This decision was made some time ago. We had already registered our intention with Lord Akabane. We originally planned to leave soon after…"
He hesitated.
"But then the war broke out."
His expression turned uneasy.
"I heard that there are ninja everywhere outside the town. People say they capture anyone they see. No one knows where those people are taken."
He glanced nervously at Uchiha Su again.
"So for now, you've delayed your departure," Uchiha Su concluded.
"Yes," Yuto admitted quietly. "We were planning to wait until the war ended before leaving."
Uchiha Su smiled faintly.
"Tell me something. Do you have a son?"
Namikaze Yuto shook his head.
"Not yet. But my wife and I are trying."
"Hmm."
Uchiha Su leaned forward slightly.
"If you had a son, I could send him to the Hidden Mist Ninja Academy to study."
Yuto hesitated.
After a moment, he spoke cautiously.
"If possible… I would still prefer to go to Konoha."
His voice gradually became quieter.
"I don't really want to move to the Land of Water."
Uchiha Su sighed and shook his head.
"Konoha, you say?"
He suddenly adopted a serious expression.
"Konoha is not a good place."
Yuto blinked in confusion.
"The Hokage is muddle-headed," Uchiha Su continued solemnly. "The ninja clans are arrogant and oppressive. The political struggles are dark and vicious. Policies change overnight."
"The common people there suffer endlessly."
"Is… is that true?" Yuto asked uncertainly.
"Of course it is."
Uchiha Su placed a hand on his chest dramatically.
"We, the Uchiha, were once the most prestigious clan in Konoha. The largest ninja clan in the entire village."
"That position should have belonged to us forever."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The Second Hokage should have been my uncle."
"But Senju Tobirama used underhanded tactics to seize power."
Uchiha Su spoke these words without even blinking.
Technically speaking, once the Senju clan abandoned their surname, the Uchiha had indeed become the most prominent clan in Konoha.
So his words weren't entirely false.
Somewhere far away in Konoha, Senju Tobirama suddenly sneezed several times in a row, completely unaware that someone was slandering him behind his back.
Uchiha Su continued his performance.
"Otherwise, why would I—the young master of the Uchiha clan and a strong candidate for the future Third Hokage—leave Konoha and come to this small place in the Land of Water?"
He spread his arms slightly.
"Doesn't that seem strange to you, Namikaze-kun?"
Yuto thought for a moment.
Then he nodded slowly.
"That… actually makes sense."
"If someone abandoned such a great foundation and left their homeland, there must have been a heartbreaking reason."
He sighed.
Uchiha Su smiled inwardly.
The hook had been set.
"Namikaze-kun," he said warmly, "I feel that you and I get along very well."
"I admire honest people like you."
"Why don't you simply move to the Hidden Mist Village?"
Yuto looked surprised.
"I will give you a large house for free," Uchiha Su continued casually.
"I'll also arrange a good shop for you so you can start a business."
"And when you eventually have children, I will personally ensure that your child receives the best education."
He paused dramatically.
"And when your child grows up, I'll even find them a suitable spouse."
After all, with him around, Uzushiogakure would never be destroyed.
When the time came, he could simply persuade the elderly Uzumaki Ashina to abolish the ninja academy in Uzushiogakure.
Then all the Uzumaki children would study in the Hidden Mist instead.
The future would be bright.
Meanwhile, Namikaze Yuto felt as if he had stepped into a dream.
A free house.
A free shop.
Education for future children.
Even help arranging marriage in the future.
What kind of incredible opportunity was this?
He stared at Uchiha Su with wide eyes.
Finally, he clenched his fists.
"My lord," he said firmly, his expression filled with determination.
"What do you need me to do?"
His voice became resolute.
"I would go through fire and water for you, my lord!"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)