180 As Hokage, Uchiha Patriarch

The moment the Caged Bird Seal was lifted from countless branch house members all at once, it was impossible for the Main Family to turn a blind eye. 

Some members of the branch house had long grown accustomed to the invisible shackles they have in them, accepting the remote control that had loomed over their heads for generations. 

Breaking free from that control wouldn't be easy not completely, not yet. But even if the Main Family wanted to resist, what could they do?

The reality they faced was grim. The branch house, once subjugated, had now surpassed them in overall strength. 

Worse still, their once-reliable pillar of support, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had stepped down. 

In his place stood Hanyu Simu, the new Hokage, who openly backed the branch house.

Desperate, the Main Family sought allies among the other ninja clans, but times had changed. No one wanted to provoke Simu. 

The saying "A new official burns three fires" weighed heavily on their minds—who would be foolish enough to challenge a newly appointed Hokage? 

Only the Uchiha clan and the Ino–Shika–Chō trio still held some reservations. 

The rest? They had already pledged their loyalty to Namikaze Minato and were more concerned with keeping their heads down, hoping to avoid being dragged into Simu's line of fire.

As for the civilians? They had no sympathy for the Hyuga Main Family. 

Many secretly wished to see their wealth and power crumble, harboring resentment for their long-standing arrogance.

Left with no other choice, the Hyuga Main Family could only grit their teeth and accept reality. But submission was not their only problem. 

Now, they had to face the bold demands of the branch house and they were relentless.

"We are all descendants of the Hyuga clan. Why should you alone be entitled to the secret arts while we are denied?"

Among the growing list of demands, one stood out: the right to access the sacred library of the ancestral hall, where generations of knowledge on advanced Jūken techniques were kept. 

The branch house no longer spoke with bowed heads. They no longer begged.

They demanded what was rightfully theirs.

The once-mighty Hyuga clan was unlikely to rise again. The most probable future awaiting them was one of assimilation, slowly dissolving into the ever-growing strength of the branch house. 

But to Hanyu Simu, none of that mattered. The fate of the Hyuga clan was their own affair. If anyone needed to handle it, it was Lindy—not him.

By the time Simu returned to his office, the evening had deepened into night. 

The sky outside was already cloaked in darkness. Pushing open the door, he stepped in, holding two steaming bowls of Ichiraku ramen.

"I'm back. Thanks for your hard work. I brought you some Ichiraku ramen..."

But as his gaze swept across the room, he was met with an unexpected sight of Namikaze Minato, fast asleep at the desk. 

The mountain of paperwork that had been stacked high earlier was now neatly sorted, each document corrected and arranged in perfect order.

At the sound of the door creaking open, Minato stirred. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up, still groggy from sleep.

Simu immediately broke into a bright smile.

"You've worked hard. Come on, let's eat!"

He slid one of the bowls toward Minato. After all, the man had been buried in work all day, helping him without complaint. Treating him to a meal was the least he could do.

Minato blinked at the offering, then grinned.

"Ichiraku ramen, huh? Now that's a real deal."

With no hesitation, he clasped his hands together in thanks before diving in, devouring the noodles with evident hunger. 

Watching him eat so quickly, Simu felt a small pang of guilt. The man must have been starving.

Minato leaned back, patting his stomach in satisfaction after finishing both bowls of ramen. Wiping his mouth, he turned to Simu and asked, "How's the situation with the Hyuga clan?"

Simu, sprawled lazily on the nearby sofa, waved a hand dismissively. "Going smoothly. The Main Family won't be able to cause any trouble."

Minato nodded in relief. "That's good. The village will be more stable this way."

"Yeah," Simu muttered, stretching with a tired sigh. 

"I'm really exhausted these days. You should go home and get some rest."

Minato's expression twitched, several black lines forming on his forehead. Exhausted? 

He held back the urge to protest. 

"Excuse me, but haven't I been the one handling all the official duties lately?!"

Before he could voice his complaint, a firm knock interrupted them.

"Boom, boom, boom."

Simu, still lounging, casually called out, "Come in." His legs were propped up on the desk, showing no intention of moving.

The door opened, and in stepped his secretary—a kunoichi from the Yamanaka clan, Yamanaka Nao. 

She was a master of perception ninjutsu and the Mind-Reading Technique, making her invaluable in swiftly relaying Simu's orders across all departments with absolute precision.

With a slight bow, she greeted him.

"Hokage-sama, the patriarch of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Bakugo, requests an audience."

Simu finally lowered his legs from the desk, changing into a more calm position on the sofa. 

"Let him in."

As the doors opened, Minato quickly stood up from the Hokage's seat. 

He and Simu were close, and sitting there in private was no issue—but in front of outsiders, it was different. 

Maintaining Simu's authority as Hokage was important, even if Simu himself didn't seem to care. 

He always said that majesty is something you earn through action, not appearances. Still, Minato had his own sense of propriety.

Uchiha Bakugo entered the room with a steady stride. He was an elder, around the same age as Sarutobi Hiruzen, his presence carrying the weight of decades of experience. 

His sharp eyes briefly swept the room before he gave Simu a slight nod.

"Congratulations, Lord Hokage, on successfully bringing the Hyuga clan to heel."

As one of Konoha's noble families, the Uchiha had eyes and ears everywhere. Nothing within the village escaped their notice, especially not something as big as today's events. 

And beyond mere surveillance, the Uchiha Police Force had been directly involved, stepping in to mediate the Hyuga clan's conflict. 

They hadn't just watched from the shadows; they had played their own role in shaping the outcome.

Simu lazily lifted a hand and waved it dismissively. "This has nothing to do with me. It's an internal matter of the Hyuga clan. As long as no one dies, I won't interfere."

Uchiha Bakugo chuckled at Simu's carefree attitude. "Of course. It's just a coincidence that Konoha Hospital's medical technology is so advanced that the Hyuga branch members only needed a simple 'check-up' and suddenly, their curse marks disappeared."

Simu grinned. 

"Well, with Senior Tsunade in charge of Konoha Hospital, it's only natural that the results would be... effective."

Minato let out a long sigh. Listening to these two talk was exhausting. 

They were both masters of bending the truth in ways that made it sound entirely reasonable.

"Master Hokage, Patriarch Uchiha, if there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."

Simu waved him off with a smile. "Go, go. Get some rest. But don't forget to come in early tomorrow."

Hearing that last part, Minato almost tripped over his own feet.

Once Minato had left, Uchiha Bakugo's expression turned serious. "Hokage-sama, I'd like to know what plans you have for the Uchiha clan moving forward."

His voice carried a rare weight, a clear sign that this was not just small talk. "As one of Konoha's founding clans, the Uchiha have always carried the Will of Fire. We want to do more, to take on greater responsibilities and contribute to the village in meaningful ways."

Simu, still lounging, stuck out his little finger and casually picked his nostril, as if the weight of the Uchiha's future was nothing more than an afterthought.

Simu scoffed at Uchiha Bakugo's claim. 

The Uchiha always spoke of loyalty and dedication, but if their reputation weren't still recovering and they had a strong enough candidate, they'd probably be running for Hokage themselves by now.

"Alright, Patriarch Bakugo, let's not waste time with pleasantries."

Stretching, he got up from the sofa and casually dropped himself onto the Hokage's grand chair, making himself comfortable.

"Konoha's security force is already fully under Uchiha control. Isn't that enough?"

Bakugo's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. "Hokage-sama, please, let's not joke. You know exactly what the state of the police force is right now."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice carrying more weight. "The Uchiha's real request is simple, we want our ninjas in Anbu."

Compared to handling everyday civil disputes, Anbu was Konoha's true center of power. 

And with Root on the verge of being disbanded, there was an opportunity—one that the Uchiha weren't about to let slip by.

Seeing that the old fox had finally dropped the polite act and gotten straight to the point, Simu couldn't help but grin.

"That's easy to handle. I'm already planning some personnel adjustments," Simu said casually, tossing a list onto the table.

Uchiha Bakugo picked it up, his expression indifferent—until his eyes landed on the names. His brows furrowed. "What? You're putting the Sarutobi and Shimura clans in charge of the police force?!"

Simu nodded, leaning back slightly. His plan was simple: the former Anbu Minister, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, and his wife, Sarutobi Doma, would take over as Captain and Deputy Captain of the Konoha Police Force. The entire security force would now fall under the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.

This move wasn't just a shake-up—it was a deliberate shift. For years, the Uchiha had been the face of the police force, absorbing the village's frustrations and resentment. 

By transferring that responsibility, Simu would redirect that lingering hostility elsewhere. At the same time, this change would free up two key positions in Anbu, making room for a restructuring.

After all, Sarutobi Shinnosuke hadn't done anything wrong. Simply removing him outright would be unfair.

Uchiha Bakugo's sharp eyes narrowed. He was no fool he saw the trade-off immediately. "If you're stripping the Uchiha of their authority over the police force, then at the very least, the position of Anbu Minister should go to Fugaku."

Simu didn't even hesitate. He shook his head. "No. The Anbu Minister position belongs to Minato. The most I can offer the Uchiha is Deputy Minister—take it or leave it."

"If Patriarch Bakugo isn't satisfied, he's free to refuse the appointment and keep Fugaku as the captain of the guard," Simu said with a lazy smile.

Uchiha Bakugo narrowed his eyes, studying him for a long moment.

Simu didn't flinch he simply smiled back, perfectly at ease.

Finally, the old Uchiha let out a chuckle and shook his head. "Forget it. I'm sure Hokage-sama has his reasons. So be it."

With that, he turned toward the door, pushing it open. Just as he stepped out, he paused and glanced back.

"One more thing."

His aged eyes, softened by time, suddenly sharpened like a drawn blade.

"Take good care of Mikoto. If you don't, I won't let you off, no matter how old I am."

It was only then that Simu remembered—this scheming old fox wasn't just the Uchiha patriarch.

He was his father-in-law.

Caught off guard, Simu barely stopped himself from breaking into a nervous sweat.

He straightened up immediately, giving a deep bow. "I promise!"

Then, in a rare display of panic, he rushed over to help escort Uchiha Bakugo out.

"Take your time, Nao, please escort him."

Simu spoke with a rare trace of sincerity, his usual lazy demeanor momentarily set aside.

He wasn't a fool—this was his father-in-law. Even if Uchiha Bakugo was a shrewd old man, Simu knew better than to be disrespectful. 

In fact, just to be extra cautious, he waved to the nearby Anbu, signaling them to escort Bakugo home.

But before they could move, Bakugo snorted. "Hmph, I'm not so old that I need an escort."

Simu paused, then chuckled, raising his hands in surrender.

Bakugo, for his part, only shook his head, exhaling with something between amusement and resignation. He never thought a day would come when his standing relied on his daughter's relationship.

But Simu wasn't acting out of mere formality. His respect was genuine.

To him, Uchiha Bakugo as the patriarch of the Uchiha clan was just another man with power.

But as Mikoto's father?

That made him family. And family always came first.

.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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