Ch 235 : Black Shadow

Inside the Hokage Residence.

"Why is Naruto crying again? Is he hungry?"

"I just fed him."

"He's not hungry. Sasuke hit him."

"Why is Sasuke so mischievous?"

"Natsu, go change the bedsheets. Sasuke wet the bed again."

"Oh, I'll do it right away."

Ayano sat on the couch in the living room, her belly slightly protruding, leisurely watching the women bustling around, all preoccupied with taking care of the children.

During her pregnancy, she had once again regained the pampered lifestyle she once enjoyed—no longer needing to do any housework, having everything done for her, and even being able to boss others around.

And since everyone knew she was pregnant, they tolerated her behavior.

With several young children in the house now, things had become much more chaotic, filled with endless trivial matters every day.

However, the relationships between the women had actually become more harmonious.

When Kushina first moved in, there had been a subtle tension among them.

Although they spent every day together, there was always an underlying unease in their hearts.

Now, the children had become a kind of bonding agent between them.

Makoto returned from the Hokage office after finishing his work, listening to the noisy commotion inside the house.

"I'm a bit hungry. Is dinner ready?"

Ayari came out from the inner room, shot him a glare, and said, "Who has time to cook for you? Can't you see everyone's already exhausted? None of us have even eaten yet."

Makoto glanced at Ayano sitting on the sofa with her pregnant belly and Natsu holding and comforting Sasuke.

Ayano seemed like she wanted to get up. "I can cook if—"

Ayari lightly kicked her and said irritably, "No need for you to play the good guy. Let this bastard do it."

Makoto sighed helplessly. "Alright, alright, I'll do it. You all just rest."

Young children were a handful.

He spent most of his time outside the house just to avoid listening to their constant crying.

With three kids in the house, once one started crying, the others would immediately follow, making it unbearably noisy.

Only when they were quiet did they seem adorable—but those moments were rare.

Makoto discussed with Ayari, "How about we hire another servant for the house?"

"What kind of servant?"

"I see that Natsu is quite busy on her own. We could have Akiri return to help with household chores."

"You just want another woman in the house, don't you?"

"…So, what do you want for dinner?"

Makoto was a skilled cook—Ayari had known that for a long time, having tasted his cooking before.

However, ever since Makoto became the clan leader, he rarely cooked anymore.

The few times he did step into the kitchen, it was usually to indulge in some peculiar play.

That night, he prepared a grand meal, but at the dining table, only he and Ayano remained seated throughout.

Ayari, Kushina, and Mikoto had to take turns eating since someone always needed to look after the children.

In another month or so, when Ayano gave birth, the household was bound to become even more chaotic.

With the children demanding so much attention, the women in the house were growing increasingly exhausted.

Seeing this, Makoto ordered the clan to deliver lunch to their home every day, hoping to ease their burden a little.

At night, Makoto held Ayari as they slept.

For now, she was the only one he could share a bed with—Kushina and Mikoto each slept with their own child, and Ayano was too far along in her pregnancy.

Thankfully, little Neji was older now and could sleep in his own room.

Compared to his two younger brothers, he cried far less.

"Grow up quickly, little ones, so your mothers can finally get some rest."

Makoto sincerely wished for that in his heart.

.......

The next day

The method for extracting Tailed Beasts, which Makoto had previously asked Tobirama to research, had finally shown some progress.

However, according to Tobirama, the method would only work on Kushina.

Since she was from the Uzumaki clan and possessed an exceptionally strong life force, she could withstand the process.

On the other hand, forcibly extracting a Tailed Beast from Rin or Yugito would still be too dangerous.

After some thought, Makoto instructed Tobirama to continue his research but did not rush to remove Kyuubi from Kushina just yet.

As for Tsunade, the job assigned to her was at the hospital—a mere excuse to keep her in the village.

Otherwise, if she were allowed to act as she pleased—coming and going whenever she wanted—she would just return to cause trouble and then leave again as if it had nothing to do with her.

There was no way things could be that easy.

That woman had never liked him, but Makoto had plenty of ways to slowly deal with her.

........

Inside the Hokage's Office.

"You want to apply for the jonin assessment?"

Makoto looked at the young man before him.

He had short, slightly wavy black hair and wore Konoha's green combat uniform.

His forehead protector was neatly in place, and on his sleeve was the Uchiha clan's flame fan emblem.

Shisui knelt on one knee, respectfully saying, "Yes, I am fully prepared and hope that you will grant me this opportunity, Lord Hokage."

Makoto chuckled. "Shisui, I'm well aware of your consistent performance. Many of the Jonin who have worked with you have spoken highly of you in my presence."

Shisui remained humble, replying, "It's all thanks to the guidance of my seniors."

Leaning forward slightly, Makoto rested his chin on one hand as he studied the young man closely.

"You mentioned before that you wanted to join the Crown, didn't you?"

At these words, Shisui's expression showed a trace of excitement.

He lowered his head and said, "Yes, Lord Hokage. Becoming a Crown Guardian and serving as your right hand has always been my goal."

Makoto smiled. "Once you officially become a Jonin, I will give you that opportunity."

"I will give it my all!"

.....

Northern Border of the Land of Fire.

A squad of soldiers arrived in a small town and posted two notices in a crowded area.

The townspeople immediately gathered around.

They were two wanted posters—for Konoha's S-rank rogue ninjas, Namikaze Minato and Jiraiya.

The notices briefly listed their crimes against the village, stating that they were extremely dangerous individuals.

A bounty was offered for any information leading to their capture.

"The Yellow Flash actually escaped?"

"Isn't Jiraiya one of the Legendary Sannin? How did he become a rogue ninja?"

"Probably like Orochimaru—none of them are any good."

At the back of the crowd, a man in a brown cloak stood silently, gazing at the two notices.

His attire resembled that of a traveling merchant.

Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, he quietly turned and left.

"Oh? You're a rogue ninja now, Minato."

A voice suddenly whispered in his ear.

There was no one around, yet his shadow writhed beneath him, as if speaking.

"Not only has Hyuga Makoto taken the Hokage's seat and the woman you loved, but now he's put a bounty on your head. He's taken everything from you."

"You hate him, don't you, Minato?"

"You despise him, don't you?"

Minato showed no surprise or shock at the voice, as if he had expected it.

He simply adjusted his hood and replied in a low, gravelly voice, mimicking the accent of a Sunagakure native.

"Shut up. Say another word, and I'll kill you."

"Heh heh heh… Shouldn't you be killing Hyuga Makoto instead? Why kill me? He's the one who's your real enemy."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Just shut up!" Minato growled under his breath.

But the voice didn't stop.

His shadow continued to shift and writhe beneath him.

"You really are like a stray dog now, Minato. Instead of running, why don't you think about…"

"How to obtain the Rinnegan? Only then can you take everything back!"

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