"Of course, I allow it," Fugaku gritted his teeth and squeezed the words out through his teeth.
Even if he knew that Kaze was deliberately provoking him, so what?
Currently, the Uchiha clan held an awkward position in Konoha. They simply couldn't afford to offend the Hokage faction behind Kaze.
For the sake of his clan, he had to compromise and endure humiliation...
"Wish you happiness, Fugaku!"
While Fugaku was having these bitter and indignant inner thoughts, Kaze stepped forward and hugged him.
"Eh?"
Fugaku was stunned, his arms hanging limply by his sides, looking a bit lost.
Could it be that the 'good friend' Kaze had been talking about... was actually him?!
There was a moment of silence. The entire wedding venue was deathly quiet.
"Great! Let's thank this friend for his blessing to the newlyweds!"
The emcee, true to his professional training, was the first to react and led the applause.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
The venue was immediately filled with thunderous applause. Many Uchihas looked ashamed.
They had mistaken this sincere well - wisher for someone coming to cause trouble...
"It seems not all Shimuras are jerks," an Uchiha murmured.
Other Uchihas also voiced their opinions.
"I admit I was a bit loud just now. When the banquet starts, I'll go and offer this guy a toast."
"As expected of big brother Fugaku. He can set aside the clan's prejudices and become close friends with the young clan leader of the Shimura clan."
"Such an enviable friendship. I hope my buddy can come on stage and give me a heartfelt hug at my wedding."
Indeed, hugging the bride at a wedding was a provocation, but hugging the groom became an enviable friendship.
With Kaze's bold move, everyone's attention at the scene was focused on him and Fugaku.
It was as if they were the real stars of the day.
Meanwhile, Mikoto, the bride, was left in the cold at her own wedding.
"Kaze Shimura..."
Mikoto bit her lip gently, a complex look on her face.
She found that Kaze Shimura had a special ability. No matter the situation, he could always make her seem unnecessary. Even at her own wedding!
[Selection successful. Congratulations to the host for unlocking [Mangekyō Sharingan Progress Bar]. Current progress: 10%.]
After receiving the system's prompt, Kaze let go of Fugaku and said with a smile,
"Alright, I've given my blessing. I'll take my leave now."
Fugaku was in a daze throughout.
It wasn't until Kaze stepped off the stage that he came to his senses and quickly looked at Mikoto, who was looking dejected.
"Mikoto, listen to me. I have nothing to do with him..."
"Alright, finally, let's jointly wish the two newlyweds a long and happy marriage, a blissful union, and may they have children soon!"
The scene was in total chaos. The emcee didn't hear Fugaku's whisper behind him at all and loudly announced the next part of the wedding banquet.
Fugaku: "..."
[The world where only Mikoto and Toyo are hurt has been achieved.]
"Kaze Shimura, do you know what you were doing just now?"
After Kaze sat down again, Sarutobi Nagare beside him, with a smile on his face, leaned over and questioned Kaze in a low voice.
"Of course I know. You don't need to butt in," Kaze replied indifferently.
"Good, very good," Nagare nodded, gave Kaze a deep look, and then said nothing more.
Kaze continued to chat and laugh with Kaori, not taking Nagare's words to heart at all.
The only truth is to make himself stronger. He simply doesn't care what others think.
If someone really pisses him off, he'll just defect from the village. Damn it, he'll turn into Pain and cause a ruckus.
"It seems the intelligence is accurate..."
Neither Nagare nor Kaze knew that all of their actions just now had been witnessed by someone.
That person had been secretly observing them for a long time. It was also this person who invited them to the wedding banquet.
He is the current head of the Uchiha clan - Toyo Uchiha.
Soon, the wedding banquet came to an end.
The guests left one after another. The Uchiha clan members tidied up and returned to their clan's territory.
"Father."
Fugaku didn't spend the wedding night with Mikoto in the bridal chamber. Instead, he went to his father Toyo's room.
"My son, I've got good news for you," Toyo waved his hand, motioning for Fugaku to sit down, and said with a smile.
"The previous intelligence is accurate. Judging from what I saw today, it's quite evident that Kaze Shimura and Sarutobi Nagare have a long - standing feud."
As an old fox, he could naturally tell whether the two young fellows were just pretending or showing their true feelings.
"This might be an opportunity for our Uchiha clan," Toyo sighed with emotion.
"Father, do you mean...?" A glint flashed in Fugaku's eyes.
"Right. Once these two come to power, their two families are very likely to be at odds with each other," Toyo said slowly.
"If our Uchiha clan chooses to back one side and stirs up some trouble in the process... we might be able to replace one of them and pull our Uchiha clan out of the current plight."
Fugaku frowned, pondering over his father's words, and then asked, "Father, if that day really comes, which one should we choose, the Shimura clan or the Sarutobi clan?"
Toyo patted his son's shoulder, looked at him meaningfully, and said, "Don't you already have the answer in mind? Why bother asking me?"
Fugaku was taken aback: "Father, I..."
Toyo resumed his smiling expression and waved his hand, saying, "Well, you can make your own call. After all, the Uchiha clan will be yours in the future."
"I'm old. It's time for me to step down."
"From now on, whether the Uchiha clan thrives or declines is none of my business. You'll be the one to call the shots."
After a long silence, Fugaku bowed deeply to Toyo.
"Dad, I get it. Don't fret. I'll definitely lead the Uchiha clan to prosperity."
Inside the office of Root, which belonged to Tanzō.
Tanzō put down the documents in his hand, rubbed his temples, and fell into deep thought.
Not long ago, he joined hands with Orochimaru to secretly restart the research on the power of the First Hokage.
And Orochimaru truly lived up to his reputation as a genius.
The experiment, which had previously failed to make any progress, actually advanced with Orochimaru's impetus.
Orochimaru was very smart. He shared all the results he achieved without reservation in exchange for more support from Tanzō.
After getting Orochimaru's experimental results, Tanzō conducted some private research behind Orochimaru's back.
The conclusion drawn from the research left him deeply confused.
"Why the hell are there Hashirama cells in my old body?!"
That night, Tanzō thought a great deal.
He recalled that when he was a kid, his father once boasted that his mother was a well - known beauty in the neighboring villages.
Even Hashirama Senju, one of the two great heroes of the Warring States period, had admired his mother, but in the end, it was his father who won her heart.
"Could it be..."
[I hear the raindrops falling on the green grass~]
"Could it be that Master Tobirama took me in just after one look at me?"
The more Tanzō thought about it, the more something seemed off.
Could it be that Master Tobirama recognized me as his grand - nephew right away?
Could it be that I should actually be called Tanzō Senju?
Tanzō's state of mind was shattered.
<><><><><><><><>
~ 80+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
p-atreon.com/Tansnovel
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
~ Every 50 Powerstones = 4 Bonus Chapters on the weekend!