Hatake Kakashi understood that what Uchiha Ryun was handing him was not merely a sage art technique but a form of legacy, entrusting Konoha's future stability onto his shoulders!
And as the son of Hatake Sakumo and the disciple of Namikaze Minato, the future of Konoha was something he was inherently destined to strive and work for, so this did not make him feel pressure but instead a sense of honor and confidence.
Hatake Kakashi knelt on the ground, raising the scroll with both hands: "Uncle Hokage bestows this sage art upon me, and i will certainly not fail your expectations, vowing to protect our Konoha Village and the ninja world with my life, never tarnishing the name of Konoha!"
Uchiha Ryun smiled and nodded, while Hatake Sakumo, looking at Kakashi who resembled him eighty percent, suddenly laughed: "Kakashi, remember, a man must keep his word! Do not disappoint your uncle's expectations of you!"
Kakashi replied with a serious expression: "Yes! Father!"
Uchiha Ryun patted Kakashi's head, a smile at the corner of his mouth: "Kakashi, before you start training, come to my house for a meal first!"
After saying this, Uchiha Ryun hooked his arm around Hatake Sakumo's neck, and the two walked ahead chatting and laughing, with the others following behind in a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.
Upon arriving at the Hokage's villa, Uchiha Ryun took out an electronic keycard. The door had been renovated by Orochimaru, incorporating some 'scientific enhancements,' making it so that the defensive strength of the Hokage's villa door now could not be breached even by Kage-level powerhouses.
Those present watched with some envy. After Uchiha Ryun swiped the card, the door opened. Uchiha Ryun led the way, and several people entered the villa. Uchiha Ju was off school today and training in ninjutsu at home. Hearing the door open, her eyes lit up—Father was back!
There were three keycards for the house: one was hers, one was her mother's, and the other was her father's. Father had said he was going to the Earth Department for meetings and to inspect the people's livelihood a while ago. He should be back now.
"Daddy!" Uchiha Ju ran over and threw herself into Uchiha Ryun's arms. Uchiha Ryun laughed heartily: "Rou Rou, be gentle, you're twelve now, a big kid already!"
Uchiha Ju was simply the apple of Uchiha Ryun's eye. Not only was she beautiful, but her talent was high, and most importantly, she knew how to act cute. Every time she acted cute, Uchiha Ryun couldn't help but dote on her.
Everyone present watched the interaction between this father and daughter with affectionate smiles, especially Hatake Sakumo. Seeing Rou Rou, he said: "Rou Rou, come here. Your Third Uncle brought you some gemstones and a necklace from the Earth Department!"
As he spoke, Hatake Sakumo took out three boxes. These were carefully chosen for his eldest niece. Upon hearing this, Uchiha Ju immediately left Uchiha Ryun's embrace and said with a smile: "Thank you, Third Uncle. You shouldn't have spent so much!"
Hatake Sakumo laughed: "As long as the little princess likes it. As for money, your Third Uncle has plenty!" This wasn't Hatake Sakumo bragging. Although his wealth couldn't compare to Uchiha Ryun's, he was still quite well-off.
He was just usually more low-key. Seeing this, Uchiha Ryun curled his lip. Just a few worthless stones! However, he only said this in his heart.
He also knew the value of those gems. The main reason he thought this way was because his daughter had been called away before he could hold her for long, making him a little jealous!
Uchiha Ju opened the boxes. Ruby, sapphire, and a string of obsidian necklace. Her eyes lit up: "Thank you, Third Uncle. Isn't this a bit too precious?" Uchiha Ju's face showed some hesitation as she looked at her father.
Uchiha Ryun didn't speak but looked at Hatake Sakumo instead. Hatake Sakumo spoke up: "Rou Rou, your father just gave your cousin a huge gift. Compared to your father's gift, these things are nothing!"
Uchiha Ju looked at Uchiha Ryun in confusion. A huge gift? What gift? What about mine?
Uchiha Ryun naturally understood his daughter's meaning and smiled: "Rou Rou, you already possess it. It's the chakra refinement technique Father usually teaches you!"
Uchiha Ju's eyes widened. Was this thing really that precious? "Is it this?" After saying this, Uchiha Ju circulated her chakra, causing it to surge dramatically, and purple sage markings appeared on her body.
Kakashi's pupils contracted. His cousin had just activated the technique and already reached Kage-level strength? Damn, was it really that awesome?
Uchiha Ryun nodded: "Not bad. It seems you have fully mastered it!" Uchiha Ryun was quite optimistic about his daughter. She possessed the combined bloodlines of the Senju and Uchiha clans.
He just needed to wait for Orochimaru to develop a substitute for the Sharingan, then have him replicate a pair for her and transplant them into Uchiha Ju, and she would awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan!
"By the way, Rou Rou, aren't you about to graduate? Once you become a shinobi, do you have a team? How about joining your cousin's team!" Kakashi quickly extended an olive branch. Uchiha Ryun did not refuse but watched this scene with a smile.
His daughter had talent and was being invited. As a father, he was certainly happy to see this!
Kakashi was about to leave the Anbu to lead a team. As the Anbu captain, he naturally had the qualifications to choose his own students.
Uchiha Ju shook her head: "Thank you for the invitation, Cousin, but Rou Rou has already chosen a sensei!" Hearing this, Uchiha Ryun's heart skipped a beat. No way! He looked at Uchiha Ju.
However, Uchiha Ju stuck out her tongue at Uchiha Ryun: "The sensei I chose is Uchiha Itachi. As for classmates, they're not finalized yet, but most likely there will be Uchiha Sasuke!"
Uchiha Ju's words made Uchiha Ryun's heart sink. The corner of his mouth twitched. He remembered that team assignments were made three days ago. At that time, he had intended to have Uchiha Ju assigned elsewhere, but his train of thought was interrupted by the Earth Department's livelihood meeting.
As a result, when he returned, his daughter had already been chosen as a student by that long-haired guy Uchiha Itachi. The team assignment list had probably been issued and posted for two days now! Dammit!
Although he had the power to intervene in team assignments, he didn't want to use his authority for such matters. He gritted his teeth. Uchiha Ju blinked, seemingly unaware of the severity of the situation.
Hatake Sakumo let out an awkward laugh: "Ah, Itachi~ Indeed, he is already a shinobi who can stand on his own. Even if I fought him, a slight mistake could lead to defeat!"
Of course, that was false, but to save face for Uchiha Ryun, he had to say it! Kakashi frowned. Was Uchiha Itachi that powerful? He'd have to go PK him later!
"So who's the third person on your team?" Uchiha Ryun asked helplessly. Since it was a done deal, there was no point dwelling on it, so he simply asked.
Uchiha Ju shook her head: "I don't know yet! Because Itachi-nii usually handles these things for me!"
Uchiha Ryun felt like he had punched cotton. He was so frustrated! So he gave Danzo a call. Danzo had returned from Kirigakure two years ago and resumed his position as academy principal. But today his hands were itchy, so he was currently teaching students ninjutsu.
Adhering to the principle of not being distracted during study time, he hung up without even looking. This left Uchiha Ryun speechless. He stared at his phone, unable to recover for a long time! Damn, Danzo hung up on me? Could it be he has another... dog? No, another person!
He called again. Finally, Danzo frowned. Who is so annoying? Calling while I'm teaching students. He looked at the phone screen and saw the number was 001. His expression changed, and he quickly answered: "Hello~ Hokage-sama, hello, hello. Ah, I was just teaching students ninjutsu!"
Uchiha Ryun inquired about the team assignment situation. Danzo smiled and said: "I was just about to report to you, but you were in the Earth Department for meetings and your phone was off, so I planned to wait until you returned."
"Mm. I want to know who my daughter's teammates and sensei are." Uchiha Ryun's tone softened considerably. Knowing Danzo was teaching students ninjutsu, he felt gratified.
A strong youth makes a strong nation. It seemed Danzo had taken his words to heart.
Danzo chuckled: "Hokage-sama, your daughter's sensei is Uchiha Itachi. Her teammates are Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Karin."
Uchiha Ryun was taken aback. Oh? Uzumaki Karin, huh? Not Haruno Sakura! That was interesting. However, he felt that Uzumaki Karin and Uchiha Sasuke were quite a match.
Whether in terms of bloodline, background, or talent! Uzumaki Karin surpassed Haruno Sakura by several streets!
"Alright, Danzo, you've worked hard, our great Konoha Academy Principal!" Uchiha Ryun teased. Danzo quickly said: "Hokage-sama, please don't say that. If not for your leadership, Danzo wouldn't have the status he has today."
"Hokage-sama, rest assured. The direction your finger points is the path Danzo will advance on!" Danzo said.
Uchiha Ryun laughed heartily, couldn't help but sigh. Danzo was so adorable. He didn't know why some people always painted him as the 'shadow bearer.' He was clearly a good person~
After some small talk, Uchiha Ryun hung up the phone, then looked at Uchiha Ju: "Alright, it's settled. Your other teammate is called Uzumaki Karin, a female genius of the Uzumaki clan. Remember to get along well with her."
Uchiha Ju nodded. This was the first time she would have a female shinobi as a teammate. It really was something to look forward to.
At this moment, Tsunade, hearing the voices, came out. Her face was full of joy. She had wanted to throw herself into Uchiha Ryun's arms, but seeing that the people present weren't just her husband and Rou Rou, she restrained herself.
"Husband, you're back!" Tsunade's "husband" was filled with longing. Uchiha Ryun looked over, his gaze gentle. After all these years, Tsunade was still as beautiful as when they first met.
He smiled and nodded: "Wife, I'm back!"
The two looked at each other across the room. The 'dog food' between them seemed to have pierced through dimensions, making everyone present feel how sweet it was.
Everyone present bowed respectfully upon seeing Tsunade: "Greetings, Hokage-sama's wife!"