That night, Raizen drank Hiashi Hyuga under the table.
A tipsy Raizen was led back to his room by Big Hinata to rest for the night. It wasn't until after breakfast the next morning that they finally left the Hyuga compound. As they walked away, Hiashi's expression was one of pure gloom. He had intended to get Raizen drunk to test him, only to end up passed out himself.
"Father, why does that Big Hinata-nee look so much like Sister?" Little Hanabi asked, watching their retreating figures.
Hiashi didn't answer immediately. He glanced at the thirteen-year-old Hinata beside him and asked, "Hinata, do you like that Raizen brat?"
"Ah!—" Hinata froze, a deep blush creeping over her face as she lowered her head. "Father... why would you ask something like that so suddenly?"
Seeing her reaction, Hiashi understood perfectly. This Hinata definitely had feelings for that kid too!
"Father, I like Brother Raizen! He's so handsome!" Little Hanabi cheered.
"You are not allowed to like him! He's a notorious flirt. None of you are allowed to like him," Hiashi barked, his face hardening.
"Blehh! I like Brother Raizen anyway!" Hanabi stuck her tongue out at her father's stern face and sprinted away.
"You—!" Hiashi's face turned green with frustration at his mischievous younger daughter.
"Father, Hanabi is just joking. Please don't be angry," Hinata comforted him.
"And you? Do you also like Uchiha Raizen?" Hiashi pressed.
"I... I like him a little bit..." Hinata whispered, her head bowed.
"What a disaster!" Hiashi groaned in exasperation.
"Father, why won't you let us like Brother Raizen? He's such a good person," Hinata asked, genuinely confused.
Hiashi huffed. "I just don't like the look of him. He irritates me."
"Then why did you invite him for dinner and let him stay the night?"
"I..." Hiashi was momentarily speechless. "Can you really not see it?"
"See what?"
Hiashi sighed. "Big Hinata is you, just grown up. And she's married to that brat. When she comes to visit her family home, how could I not let her stay? Even if she's from a different timeline, I knew at a glance that she was the daughter I raised."
"What?" "Big Hinata-nee is... me?" "How is that possible?"
Hinata stood there, jaw-dropped and utterly bewildered.
"I have no idea what's so good about that kid that so many women want to marry him," Hiashi grumbled as he walked away, leaving the stunned Hinata in his wake.
Big Hinata-nee is me?How?I... I married Brother Raizen?
The news left Hinata dazed for a long time. No wonder she felt such a connection to her. She was looking at her own future.
The Hokage's Office
Raizen, now free for the day, headed to the Hokage building to gather some intel.
"Sister Tsunade, look at you, busy as ever!" Raizen said with a grin, taking a seat across from her.
"Oh? To what do we owe the honor of a visit from the Great Clan Head?" Tsunade teased. "With so many wives at home, you'd better be careful, Raizen-kun!"
"You don't need to worry about that, Sister," Raizen laughed.
"Is that so? I highly doubt everything is 'fine' given the numbers," Tsunade said skeptically.
"If you don't believe me, you're welcome to conduct a personal inspection anytime," Raizen said, giving her a wink.
"Are you flirting with me, my dear Little Brother?" Tsunade replied with a playful smile.
"Sister Tsunade is so beautiful, any man would be moved," Raizen countered.
"Tch, I don't believe a word of it!" Tsunade's heart fluttered with joy, even as she feigned disbelief. "Anyway, speak up. What are you here for? I have a mountain of paperwork and no time for idle chatter."
"Sister, it's nothing major. I just wanted to ask if that Naruto from the other timeline is still at Mount Myōboku."
Tsunade's brow furrowed. "Why are you asking about him?"
"He appeared in my clan grounds out of nowhere; I wanted to get some clear answers from him," Raizen improvised.
Tsunade gave him a long look. "You're too late. That Naruto and those toads vanished from Mount Myōboku. It was like they were never there—gone without a trace."
"Is that so? What a shame." Raizen put on a look of disappointment.
"Where exactly were you for that entire month?" Tsunade asked suddenly.
"Me?" Raizen smiled. He knew she was suspicious. "I was handling business abroad. Sister, you know I have a massive empire. Even with the Ninja Cats managing things, I still have to make the big decisions personally."
"Really?" Tsunade stared at him, clearly unconvinced.
"On my word. Truer than pearls," Raizen grinned.
"Fine. I'll believe you for now. Anything else? If not, please leave; these documents won't sign themselves." Tsunade looked at the stack of files with visible misery.
Seeing her struggle, Raizen offered a suggestion. "Sister Tsunade, why don't you hire some assistants?"
"Delegating the small stuff would cut your workload in half. For instance, village brawls or civil disputes don't need the Hokage's attention. Let subordinates handle the trivia. You should only deal with high-level matters like shinobi deployments and major crises."
Tsunade's eyes lit up. She stood up abruptly. "Why didn't I think of that!?"
"Shizune! Get in here!" she shouted toward the outer office.
Shizune hurried in, glancing at Raizen before turning to Tsunade. "Yes, Lady Hokage?"
Tsunade scooped up a massive pile of files and dumped them into Shizune's arms. "From now on, you handle these civil disputes. Don't bring them to my desk anymore."
"Only life-or-death matters or shinobi mission deployments come to me. Everything else is yours."
"What!?" Shizune gasped in shock. "But Lady Tsunade, you are the Hokage! I can't do this!"
"Of course you can. That's an order," Tsunade said with forced authority. She waved Shizune away toward the secretary's room.
As Shizune left, she shot a resentful glare at Raizen. She had heard his suggestion from the hallway; her workload had just tripled because of him. Raizen could only scratch his head awkwardly.
The Revelation
With the paperwork gone, Tsunade stretched luxuriously.
"Raizen-kun... tell me. Those three members of your Military Police Force—where did you find them? Why is there zero records on them in the archives?"
Raizen chuckled. "Sister Tsunade, even though you're the Hokage, I don't believe you have the authority to manage Uchiha personnel."
Tsunade turned serious. "In the past, the force was entirely Uchiha. The village trusted your clan, so we didn't interfere. But now, it's just you. Those three are outside hires. It's not that I don't trust you, but I have to ensure no foreign spies have infiltrated the village. For the sake of safety, I need to know who they are."
"They are people you know, Sister. Rest assured, they pose zero threat to the village."
"People I know?" Tsunade frowned. Every registered ninja was accounted for. She couldn't think of anyone who had gone to work for the Uchiha.
Seeing her frustration, Raizen leaned in and whispered three names into her ear.
"I have things to do, so I'll be going now, Sister." Without waiting for her to process the shock, Raizen walked out.
"How... how is that possible?"
Tsunade stood paralyzed with shock for a long time before snapping out of it and chasing after him.
"Lady Tsunade! Where are you going?" Shizune yelled from her window as she saw her master sprint away. There was no reply. Shizune stomped her foot. How cruel! She dumps her work on me and goes off to have fun!
Seeing is Believing
Tsunade caught up with Raizen on the street. "I need to see them for myself at the Police HQ," she demanded.
"Sister, don't you believe me?" Raizen smiled.
"I need to see it to believe it, you little rascal! Now take me there!" She grabbed Raizen's arm and practically dragged him toward the HQ.
Inside the building, three masked men were sitting at a table discussing logistics. When Raizen and Tsunade entered, they stood immediately.
"Captain!" They saluted Raizen. After a brief hesitation, they bowed to Tsunade. "Lord Fifth."
"Sakumo... Hizashi... Dai..." Tsunade's voice trembled. "Is it really you three?"
The men looked at Raizen. He gave a small nod. One by one, they removed their masks.
"Long time no see, Lady Tsunade," Sakumo Hatake said with a faint smile.
"Lady Tsunade," Hizashi Hyuga added.
"Lady Tsunade, I'm honored you still remember me!" Might Dai said, scratching his head. Before his death, he had been a perpetual Genin; being recognized by a Sannin was the ultimate honor.
"You're really alive...?" Tsunade stepped forward and placed a hand on Sakumo's shoulder. The pulse was real. The body was warm.
"We owe our lives to the Captain," Sakumo stated. "The Captain bestowed a second life upon us," Hizashi echoed.
Tsunade stayed and talked with them for a long time. When she finally left, her gaze was fixed firmly on Raizen. He simply smiled, pretending not to notice the intense curiosity and calculation in her eyes.
The Scheme
From that day on, Tsunade became a daily visitor to Raizen's house.
This made Shizune deeply suspicious. Did Lady Tsunade fall for Raizen's wealth? After all, Raizen's 'High-Reward Child Recruitment' mission was still posted on the village bulletin board.
Tsunade was flat broke after paying Raizen back, and the village's budget was currently being poured into reconstruction after the Sand/Sound invasion. She hadn't even drawn a salary yet. With her drinking and gambling habits, she needed money—fast.
One afternoon, after finishing her work early, Tsunade stretched. "Come, Shizune. Accompany the Hokage to the Uchiha estate."
"Lady Tsunade, why do you go there every single day?" Shizune asked tentatively as they walked. "You haven't... you haven't actually signed up for that mission, have you?"
"What mission? What are you talking about?" Tsunade stopped and tapped Shizune's forehead.
"Then why the daily visits? You never used to go there. Ever since Master Raizen visited the office, you've been like a woman possessed, running there every day." Shizune rubbed her head.
"High-reward recruitment..." Tsunade murmured. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head. She turned to Shizune with a burning gaze. "Shizune... do you like Raizen?"
"Ah!" Shizune's face turned bright red. "W-where did that come from?"
"Do you like him or not?" Tsunade pressed.
"Well... Master Raizen is very handsome. I suppose I like him a little bit..." Shizune whispered.
"Good! Then it's decided!!!" Tsunade laughed boisterously, her eyes shining with a predatory glint.
"Decided?" Shizune asked, blinking in confusion. "Lady Tsunade... what exactly is decided?"