Chapter 28 (Patreon)

That was precisely why Roy had chosen a time when Danzō was away from the village to have Kushina meet with Fugaku.

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi was using the Telescope Technique to observe how the Uchiha were handling their duties when Kushina and the other two women appeared within his crystal ball.

The sight caught him so completely off guard that he inhaled a mouthful of smoke from his pipe and nearly choked himself unconscious.

“Is that Kushina?”

By the time he stopped coughing, the three women had already disappeared from view. Hiruzen hurriedly adjusted the image in the crystal ball until he found them again.

“It really is her…”

He stared at Kushina for a moment before letting out a relieved sigh.

“It seems allowing Kaorui to live with her was the right decision.”

Kushina had completely changed the way she dressed. Her new appearance made her seem youthful and full of energy.

To Hiruzen, it was a clear sign that she had finally begun to emerge from the grief caused by Minato’s sacrifice.

He no longer needed to worry that Kushina’s emotions might spiral out of control and destabilise the Nine-Tails sealed within her.

At that same moment, Kaorui leaned closer to Kushina and whispered a warning.

“Lady Kushina, I feel as though someone is secretly watching us.”

Although many people on the street had turned to look at them, the sensation of being openly observed was completely different from someone spying on them from the shadows.

The instant Kushina heard Kaorui’s warning, her crimson hair began to rise despite the complete absence of wind.

This was her first time wearing such an outfit outside.

She had been comfortable enough at home, but being stared at by so many people on the street had already made her slightly uneasy. Learning that someone was secretly spying on her immediately ignited her temper.

She wanted nothing more than to drag the culprit out of hiding and teach them a lesson.

“What happened? Who angered her?”

Seeing Kushina on the verge of erupting through the crystal ball, Hiruzen immediately became nervous.

If she lost her temper in the middle of the street, there was no telling how many innocent people might become involved.

He remained completely unaware that his own surveillance was the reason for her anger.

Fortunately, Roy was following beside Kushina.

He stepped closer, gently rested a hand on her shoulder, and whispered a few calming words. Only then did her raised hair slowly settle back into place.

Later, inside a private room at Yakiniku Q, Roy revealed who he believed the culprit had been.

His answer nearly sent Kushina into another rage.

At first, she refused to believe that the Third Hokage had been spying on them.

Although Hiruzen’s leadership had become increasingly confused and indecisive over the years, Kushina still regarded him as a fundamentally decent man.

Besides, considering his age and position, secretly using a ninjutsu to stare at women walking through the village would be far too indecent.

“You know what Minato’s teacher is like,” Roy reminded her. “Jiraiya spends his time spying on women’s bathhouses. People often take after the person who taught them.”

The moment Jiraiya was mentioned, Kushina immediately began to believe that Hiruzen might truly have been responsible.

She understood Jiraiya’s personality far too well.

In the past, she had repeatedly warned Minato not to learn any of his teacher’s disgraceful habits.

Thinking about Jiraiya inevitably reminded her of Hiruzen’s other two students.

Tsunade was both a heavy drinker and a compulsive gambler, while Orochimaru spent money on his experiments as though it had no value at all.

Money, alcohol, and women—the three temptations shinobi were warned against.

All three of Hiruzen’s students had fallen prey to at least one of them.

If only one student had turned out that way, it could have been dismissed as coincidence. With all three of them, however, it was difficult not to question the teacher who had raised them.

After they returned home, Nonō Yakushi eventually departed.

Kaorui carried the two children into the bedroom, leaving Kushina and Roy alone.

Kushina hesitated for a moment before asking in a quiet voice, “Roy-kun… you won’t become like the Sannin, will you?”

Hearing the concern in her voice, Roy immediately raised a hand and declared solemnly, “I, Roy, stand firmly against gambling and drugs.”

Kushina was just about to relax when she suddenly realised that something was missing from his answer.

However, after thinking about it again, she decided it was only natural.

Roy was young and healthy. It would have been stranger if he felt no attraction toward women at all.

More importantly, he had always respected her wishes.

Even when she had been emotionally vulnerable and almost completely defenceless, he had never tried to force himself upon her.

That alone proved he was nothing like Jiraiya—or the Third Hokage, if Roy’s suspicions were correct.

Roy had merely been making a joke, but when Kushina failed to respond, he began to feel slightly uncomfortable.

“Roy-kun, this must have been difficult for you.”

Her sudden words left him confused.

Before he could ask what she meant, Kushina continued.

“I’ll sort out my feelings as soon as I can. When I do… I’ll give myself to you completely.”

Roy finally understood what she was trying to say.

He took several steps forward and gently pulled the guilt-ridden woman into his arms.

“You don’t have to force yourself,” he said softly. “Your hands are already quite skilled at helping me relieve the pressure, so it isn’t as though I’m suffering that badly. We can simply let things happen naturally.”

However, the more considerate Roy was, the more guilty Kushina became.

She already felt that she had come to him with a heart and life shaped by another man, unable to offer him the same untouched devotion she had once given Minato.

Despite that, Roy continued to treat her with patience and understanding.

At that moment, Kushina almost wished she could ask him to move in with her immediately.

But Minato’s face and voice were still vivid in her memories.

If she remained haunted by thoughts of Minato while sharing herself with Roy, it would be unfair to both of them.

Rather than giving Roy a body and heart divided between two men, Kushina wanted to wait until she could stand beside him with complete sincerity.

Only after she had truly let go would she devote herself to him wholeheartedly.

Elsewhere, Fugaku Uchiha was listening to a report from one of his most trusted clansmen.

During the Konoha Military Police Force’s meeting, Fugaku had ordered everyone to handle disputes more flexibly, smile more often, and stop treating civilians with such coldness.

However, he had no idea how seriously the officers would follow those instructions.

Now, he was finally receiving his first report.

Depending on how well the changes had been implemented, Fugaku could adjust his orders accordingly.

“Overall, the new approach has already improved the civilians’ impression of the Uchiha,” his confidant reported.

The man looked at Fugaku, both the clan head and commander of the Military Police Force, with unmistakable admiration.

“After the disputes were settled, the civilians did not curse us behind our backs as they usually do. They found the sudden change in everyone’s attitude strange, but they only discussed it among themselves. There was no real hostility.”

He hesitated briefly before adding, “However, none of our officers are particularly good at smiling. Their expressions were extremely stiff.”

“That is only natural,” Fugaku replied with a sigh. “The change was sudden. Everyone will need time to adjust.”

Inwardly, he felt deeply grateful to Kushina.

She had given the Uchiha clan an opportunity to change their future.

Fugaku was not the only one secretly observing the Military Police Force’s new approach.

Itachi Uchiha had also been hiding nearby, silently watching one mediation after another.

That evening, during dinner, Itachi decided to speak openly with his father.

He admitted that he had been investigating the situation ever since he accidentally overheard part of his parents’ conversation on the night Fugaku returned home late.

Fugaku stared at his son in surprise for a moment before asking, “Then tell me, Itachi. Do you believe ordering the clan to change its attitude toward law enforcement was right or wrong?”

Fugaku knew that his son was exceptionally intelligent.

Itachi did not view the world like an ordinary child. Even the Third Hokage had once remarked that Itachi possessed the wisdom and perspective of a Hokage despite his young age.

“I don’t know whether it was completely right or wrong,” Itachi answered honestly. “But I believe this is a good direction for the clan.”

He paused before continuing.

“If we remain patient and continue treating the villagers properly, their view of the Uchiha will gradually change. The relationship between the clan and the village may no longer remain as tense as it was before.”

Fugaku nodded, looking at his son with visible pride.

“Itachi, I want you to continue observing the members of the Military Police Force in secret. If anyone returns to treating civilians coldly or abuses their authority, stop them immediately and report the matter to me.”

“I understand, Father.”

Itachi accepted the task with a serious expression.

Until now, he had constantly wondered how the Uchiha clan’s situation could be changed.

He had never expected his father to be the one who finally took the first step.

Although the changes had only just begun, Itachi could already see a faint glimmer of hope.

He refused to allow anyone to destroy that positive development.

Mikoto had expected Fugaku to become angry after learning that their son had secretly investigated his actions.

Instead, father and son had calmly spoken with one another and begun working toward the same goal.

Watching them, Mikoto could not help but smile with relief.