Chapter 59: You Want a Wife or Not?

Although Tsunade had spoken in a low voice, the two people present still heard her clearly.

After exchanging a smile, Mito Uzumaki turned to Uchiha Hikaru and said:

"You should head over to the Uchiha compound. For them to hold back this long before coming to find you... that's already impressive."

Uchiha Hikaru nodded at her words. Everything had been taken care of, and he indeed had some free time now.

Today was the day Mito Uzumaki officially became Hokage, and the Ninja Academy had given everyone the day off.

In fact, within a week of that, Hikaru had already started attending classes again—by sending a shadow clone.

Toki Chi's lectures were full of practical material, useful to an average ninja.

But clearly not suited for Uchiha Hikaru.

To him, that time would be better spent reading through Senju scrolls or studying Tobirama's notes.

As for the people he'd been keeping an eye on—

Orochimaru, like him, had started sending a shadow clone to school after mastering the technique.

His real body would sometimes train on its own, or sit with Uchiha Hikaru to discuss ninjutsu.

Nonō Yakushi truly lived up to her future title as a spy—her social skills were off the charts.

Not only had she maxed out her relationships with classmates in just a month, she somehow even got Mito Uzumaki to agree to let her move into the Senju estate. No one quite knew how she pulled that off.

Unfortunately, she didn't have Orochimaru's talent, so her real body still had to attend class.

What Hikaru couldn't understand was why she always gave him a strange look whenever his clone went to class with her.

As for Jiraiya, Uchiha Hikaru already had plans.

Soon, he'd 'guide' Jiraiya to Mount Myōboku to discover his destined path.

Mount Myōboku was the best teacher Jiraiya could ever have.

Sending him there early would help Jiraiya grow stronger—

And also let Uchiha Hikaru confirm whether the Great Toad Sage's prophecy was truly infallible.

Over the past month, Hikaru had also inquired about the White Fang and learned he had already graduated.

This left him feeling slightly regretful.

But then Hikaru remembered what kind of person Sakumo Hatake was, and chose not to interfere in his development.

Sakumo Hatake was certainly strong, but honestly... blindly loyal.

He knew something was off with the rumors, yet never resisted Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others—instead, he chose to express his discontent by taking his own life.

Of course, that kind of personality might be influenced by his family's legacy.

The Hatake clan used to be a samurai clan.

That might explain why Sakumo's character leaned toward obedience—he couldn't bring himself to oppose his lord, the Hokage.

So once Uchiha Hikaru became Hokage, the White Fang would naturally become his loyal subordinate.

And the White Fang was fully capable of reaching the level of a Kage-class ninja on his own.

For someone without a bloodline, that was pretty much his ceiling.

So there was no need for Uchiha Hikaru to interfere at all.

As for Tsunade—she had undergone quite a transformation this past month. She stopped whining about taking time off.

Every day she quietly completed her training, and would even come ask Hikaru questions when she got stuck.

Even her favorite pastime, gambling, was now just something she barely dabbled in. It made Uchiha Hikaru see her in a new light.

Everything was moving in a positive direction. Hikaru had enjoyed a peaceful and productive month.

Now that the Uchiha Clan needed him, it was just a minor matter in his eyes.

It was also a good opportunity to check out how things were going internally in the clan.

After bidding farewell to Mito Uzumaki and Tsunade, he made his way to the home of Uchiha Ang.

Yes, the current head of the Uchiha Clan was Uchiha Ang.

The previous clan leader had been severely injured by Danzo and was no longer able to serve as a shinobi.

Combined with Mito Uzumaki taking office and the clan's contributions during the Danzo incident, the village's attitude toward the Uchiha had undergone a sharp turnaround. The Dove Faction had fully taken control.

Thus, Uchiha Ang naturally rose to become the clan's new leader.

By the time Uchiha Hikaru arrived, both Uchiha Ang and Uchiha Noboru had already been waiting for a while.

To them, even though Hikaru was just a child, he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

No one knew the power of the Mangekyō better than the Uchiha themselves.

In the clan's history, every Mangekyō wielder had been among the very strongest.

So even though Hikaru was young, he could no longer be treated as just a child.

That's why, when they saw him approach, they were already lined up to welcome him.

Uchiha Ang stepped forward with a broad smile and said:

"Hikaru-kun, welcome back to the Uchiha. Come, let's talk inside."

With a nod from Hikaru, he led him to the reception room.

Once the attendants had placed down snacks and tea and quietly exited, Uchiha Ang continued:

"I won't beat around the bush. The reason I asked you here, Hikaru-kun, is to confirm something."

"The symbol of Uchiha power—the Mangekyō Sharingan. Have you awakened it?"

Uchiha Ang's bluntness didn't surprise Hikaru.

People liked to say the Uchiha were emotionally intense, but honestly—they were just straightforward.

So he didn't reply. Instead, the next second, sealing jutsu spread out to cover the entire room.

Uchiha Ang stared in stunned silence.

A Uchiha using sealing techniques this well—just what clan are you from, really?

And it had only been a month or two since Mito Uzumaki took Hikaru in.

Yet this sealing technique felt even stronger than Mito's own.

Behind him, Uchiha Noboru remained silent but now stared at Hikaru with sharp caution.

But the next moment, what they had dreamed of appeared before their eyes.

A pair of Mangekyō eyes—so close to the Rinnegan in appearance—opened in front of them.

Looking at the small figure in front of them, they were momentarily dazed.

Dazed by the impact Uchiha Hikaru brought—someone likely unmatched in the past and perhaps never to be seen again.

After confirming the sealing jutsu had fully covered the room, Hikaru finally activated his Mangekyō.

After all, you had to guard against fire, theft, and Uchiha Madara.

He didn't have Mito Uzumaki's sensory prowess, so he wasn't about to risk anyone eavesdropping.

Seeing the two men frozen in awe, Uchiha Hikaru cleared his throat and said:

"It's true. I've awakened the Mangekyō. Is there something you'd like to say, Clan Head Ang?"

The two men snapped out of it at the sound of his cough. After hearing Hikaru's words—

Uchiha Ang didn't know what to say.

He had expected this before coming.

But now that it was confirmed… he still didn't know what to say.

Should he ask Hikaru to return to the Uchiha Clan? Or hand over the clan leadership?

In the end, Uchiha Ang's mind spun, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out something that made Uchiha Hikaru nearly choke on his own breath.

"You want a wife or not?"