Because of his prosthetic technology, every disabled shinobi in the village owed Hiruko a debt of gratitude. This web of influence granted him a significant political standing; otherwise, "Old Man Third" wouldn't have bothered asking for Hiruko's opinion regarding the succession of the Fourth Hokage.
However, with those "old fogies" in the council constantly meddling, Hiruko's public reputation was... well, complicated.
Looking at the young Itachi, Hiruko's thoughts suddenly drifted to Mikoto Uchiha. Back then, his own fame had been negligible, while she had been far too dazzling.
If one were to trace the origins of Hiruko's renown, it began during the Second Great Ninja War. As an old classmate and persistent suitor, he had thrown his full weight behind Tsunade, helping her establish a sophisticated medical ninja system. He had also contributed a suite of bizarre and unique medical tools that drastically increased the survival rate of Konoha's shinobi.
Combined with the unique techniques he developed later, his reputation within Konoha was actually quite decent. Eventually, he managed to squeeze a hefty research budget and a fully equipped laboratory out of the village high-ranking officials. From that moment on, he retreated from the bloody, life-wasting front lines. He dedicated himself entirely to scientific research, almost never appearing before the public again.
By the time he resurfaced, it was with his prosthetic technology, restoring mobility to the village's wounded veterans. Consequently, unless they went looking for him, the younger generation of ninja barely knew who he was—though most of the older generation remembered him well.
As for Itachi Uchiha, Hiruko felt no real animosity toward him. To Hiruko, the people and events of this world were both intimately familiar and entirely foreign. He refused to let the "plot" of his past life dictate his thoughts on characters or events; he didn't care about "narrative consistency" or stereotypes.
After all, his own involvement had already changed the Ninja World beyond recognition.
Take Orochimaru, for instance. To the world, he was a mad scientist, but in reality, he still cared deeply for his comrades. Danzo wasn't just a mindless troublemaker either; without his maneuvering, the Third Great Ninja War wouldn't have been resolved so efficiently. Nor was Danzo just a fool with a big wallet; he had his own intricate schemes regarding Hiruko.
Even the Third Hokage wasn't as soft as Hiruko had once imagined. As Hokage, he possessed remarkable grit; when the battlefield demanded sacrifice, he could make the call without hesitation. The title "Shinobi no Kami" was well-earned.
And then there was Tsunade. Her "heart" was as expansive as ever—both figuratively and literally.
Thinking of her, the image of her younger brother, Nawaki, flashed through Hiruko's mind. He had been a sweet kid, and the memory brought a pang of sorrow. In his pursuit of Tsunade, Hiruko had gotten along quite well with the boy. Despite all his precautions and efforts to prevent the tragedy, he still couldn't stop Nawaki's death; only the location of the incident had changed.
In this godforsaken world, weakness is a sin. Nawaki's cause of death was simply being too weak. According to Orochimaru, the boy had stepped into an enemy trap; in an instant, his internal organs were reduced to a bloody pulp. There was no time for medical intervention; he died on the spot. It happened so fast that even someone of Orochimaru's caliber couldn't intervene, forced to watch his own disciple slip away.
Nawaki's death shattered Tsunade, sending her into a downward spiral of alcohol and gambling to numb the pain. Orochimaru, too, became increasingly cold from that day forward, acting as if he had seen through the vanity of the mortal world.
Hiruko, however, remained suspicious. He felt Nawaki's death was far too convenient for the village elders. After all, Orochimaru and Nawaki were only on a simple bandit-culling mission meant for training; such a catastrophic "accident" shouldn't have happened. Orochimaru wasn't that careless.
But the past was the past. With no living witnesses left, Hiruko had no way to pursue the matter.
Hiruko and Itachi meandered toward the dessert shop. The odd pair—one tall, one small—eventually crossed paths with Mikoto Uchiha, who was returning from a heart-to-heart with Kushina Uzumaki.
Mikoto spotted Itachi instantly. She waved and hurried over.
"Mother!" Itachi called out.
"Lord Hiruko," Mikoto said, bowing respectfully.
"Mikoto Uchiha? If I recall, you're Fugaku's wife," Hiruko said.
"I am, my Lord," she replied gracefully.
Mikoto was currently sporting a slight baby bump, radiating the unique charm of a gentle, expectant mother. "Elegant and refined"—no words fit the beautiful woman before him better. She was a mother now, and every gesture exuded a maternal warmth and traditional virtue that the "beauties" Hiruko had collected thus far simply didn't possess.
Truly, someone else's wife always seemed to have a different kind of allure.
'Dammit, I'm being ruled by instinct again!' Hiruko cursed inwardly, quickly reining in his wandering gaze.
"So... you're expecting again?" Hiruko asked.
"Yes, Lord Hiruko," she replied softly.
"Little guy, congratulations! You're about to have a little brother," Hiruko said, ruffling Itachi's hair.
"Ah!" Itachi looked dazed for a moment.
Mikoto smiled and stepped forward, gently stroking her son's face. She pulled Itachi toward her, resting his head against her belly. "That's right," she said softly. "You're going to be a big brother."
Listening to the rhythmic pulse of life within his mother's womb, the world in Itachi's eyes suddenly brightened. It was as if the grey, suffocating atmosphere of death that had haunted him was suddenly filled with blooming flowers.
Seeing her son in good hands, Mikoto soon took her leave. Hiruko was a person of immense importance in the village now; having Itachi associate with him was hardly a bad thing.
True to his word, Hiruko brought the "unlucky" kid to the dessert shop. He practiced his usual lack of moderation, ordering a hundred sticks of tri-color dango and four strawberry sundaes.
"Eat up! Sweets always bring happiness. You should remember this feeling."
He half-jokingly pushed a plate of dango and a sundae toward the stiff, hesitant Itachi. Then, with practiced ease, he began devouring the food himself.
Lady Mikoto really does have a stunning figure, Hiruko thought, his mind wandering. A shame she's married. Back then, I was just a nobody; I never had the chance to get close to the high-and-mighty Uchiha clan.
As he ate, his mind drifted back to the first time he set foot on a battlefield. He remembered Mikoto Uchiha leading her kin, tearing through the enemy ranks. He could only watch from a distance as that "Blood-Stained Rose" bloomed amidst the carnage.
"Truly beautiful..." he muttered.
"Uncle? What's 'truly beautiful'?" Itachi asked, looking up from his sundae.