Fleeing from Konoha-Chapter 543 - 73: Mire and Shion

When he returned home, it was just about dusk.

In the morning, he met with Yagura to discuss a simplified plan for the future. Then, they had lunch together, and he sent Yagura off from the Land of Demons.

After all, Yagura’s identity is sensitive; even though this visit to the Land of Demons is an official mission, a prolonged stay might arouse some people’s suspicions.

When dealing with the power of the Five Great Nations, Hakushi remains very cautious and doesn’t dare be careless.

Then, he worked for half the afternoon—well, not really half the afternoon; by three-something, he’d already taken care of everything.

Three years ago, when he first came to the Land of Demons, governance was a mad scramble for Hakushi, but once everything got on track and subordinates each took up their posts, distributing work properly, time became much more manageable.

In the two-tiered detached villa, Raidenmaru lay in the courtyard’s pet house guarding the door, and Tianyu was busy with housework while the Water Dragon God leisurely swam in the pond with its size reduced.

With three clones always guarding the house, it made Hakushi feel more at ease. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Upon entering the house, Hakushi did not see Ruri; only Ayane was sitting in the living room, and Tianyu was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner.

"Welcome back, Hakushi-kun. You’ve been coming back quite early these days."

Ayane, who was sitting on the sofa, said with a smile.

"It’s because matters on that end can be handled well by the people below. I really don’t want to keep those good-for-nothing subordinates who only eat and don’t work."

This was Hakushi’s view.

The abilities of subordinates vary, as do their focus areas, which is something that can’t be changed, but having a sense of participation is an important experience.

With a sense of participation, people will feel a sense of recognition.

"By the way, is Ruri not home?"

"Ruri went to Aunt Miyako’s place; she said she won’t be back tonight. Asuka and Ichihime were taken over there too."

Ayane answered Hakushi’s question.

The Asuka and Ichihime she referred to are Hakushi and Ruri’s children.

Following the idea of sons taking the mother’s surname and daughters taking the father’s in combination, their names became Uchiha Asuka and Chiba Ichihime.

Unlike Ichihime, who was a natural anomaly, Asuka, as the eldest son, was no different from an ordinary Uchiha infant.

Speaking of which, if Ichihime’s anomalous talents could be considered normal, the Uchiha Race’s bloodline would be astoundingly terrifying.

Hakushi nodded understandingly, not pursuing further questions.

"So, tonight it’s just the two of us, and Hakushi-kun can bully me however you like."

Ayane displayed a slightly mischievous smile filled with a hint of flirtation, seeming to deliberately tempt Hakushi into crime.

After Ruri left, Ayane couldn’t restrain the unrest in her heart and body.

"We’ll discuss that tonight; right now, my stomach feels empty."

Hakushi gave a wry smile; tonight would be another day of public service, hoping Ayane wouldn’t carry on too late.

"Tianyu is already cooking over there. Speaking of which, it’s been quite peaceful outside recently. Konoha seems to be having a smooth go of it too. I really feel like heading over to fan the flames some more, so Konoha’s new leaves can blaze even brighter."

Ayane was quite concerned about matters on the Konoha side.

First, the Hidden Sand retreated from the Konoha battlefield, then Hidden Rock was reluctantly forced to sign a ceasefire agreement with Konoha, leaving only Hidden Cloud in a standoff with Konoha.

Given Konoha’s recent momentum, Hidden Cloud might not gain any advantage over Konoha.

"You shouldn’t act recklessly at this moment. There’s more important work I need you to do next. Konoha’s war damage has been tremendous. Even if they defeat Hidden Cloud, in the coming years, they won’t have the capacity to deal with us."

That’s because Konoha will soon plunge into an incredibly complex political strife, unable to unify even internally, let alone extend external deterrence.

From the intelligence Kakashi transmitted back, Hakushi already knew that Root Leader Shimura Danzo was moving in the shadows.

Adding into account the wartime handling issues of the Uchiha Race and the Hyuga Clan, it was enough to give those under the Third Hokage a headache for a good while.

"What about the Land of Water?"

Reluctantly, Ayane stifled her impulsive intentions.

"Yagura spoke with me this morning. He needs some more preparation time on his end. For now, all the Land of Demons needs to do is develop steadily according to the plan and avoid getting sidetracked before the formal action begins."

Hakushi replied to Ayane’s query.

"If I remember correctly, the next action should be dealing with the Land of Wind, right? That country full of sand, is it really necessary to make a move?"

Ayane didn’t have a good impression of the Land of Wind, recalling it internally as nothing but sand, essentially a barren land.

"I’ve quietly sent people to scout. There are critically needed resources there for the Land of Demons. However, before moving against the Land of Wind, some obstacles en route need to be cleared, and I’ll complete those arrangements shortly."

Ayane believed that Hakushi could handle all these tasks effectively. This man never disappointed her since childhood, except in one certain matter.

Thus, she didn’t worry for Hakushi any longer.

Tonight was a rare world for just the two of them. Ayane stopped asking work-related questions that were a buzzkill.

Having enjoyed the sumptuous dinner prepared by Tianyu, she accompanied Hakushi in the study for a while. Then, they headed to the bedroom for a delightful night experience.