Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 273: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

Following the Hokage succession ceremony, Konoha's prosperity not only remained but flourished even more.

Not only did merchants from various nations stay, but even the emissaries and ninjas from the other great ninja villages lingered.

The emissaries claimed they still had unfinished missions, while the accompanying ninjas were reluctant to miss the chance to gather intelligence on Konoha.

But the true reason lay in what was to come ten days later in Konoha.

Between the territories of the Senju and Uchiha clans, a brand-new castle stood tall, bustling with life today.

Surrounded by blooming cherry blossom trees, a red carpet stretched all the way to the Hokage Rock.

"Look! What a luxurious wedding!"

"This is undoubtedly the grandest wedding in the ninja world..."

"You don't understand. This wedding, though extravagant, is making a massive profit..."

A knowledgeable Konoha ninja excitedly explained that despite how extravagant the wedding seemed, it was earning far more than it cost.

"Profit? From a wedding?!"

Many Konoha ninjas were stunned. It had already been revealed that the Hokage succession ceremony was deliberately delayed to boost the village's economy.

Now this wedding was also for the village? The sentiment moved many to tears.

Through both deliberate and subtle messaging, the Hokage succession ceremony and the lavish wedding established the image of a Hokage who fought tirelessly for Konoha.

"Look, the three grand gates of the castle are opening!"

"Congratulations!"

"Long live the Hokage!"

Amid the cheers of countless Konoha ninjas, the enormous golden gates representing the Senju, Uchiha, and Uzumaki clans slowly opened.

Senju Tsunade, Uchiha Mikoto, and Uzumaki Kushina—three women who were legends in both lineage and strength—appeared before the crowd in wedding dresses.

"Tsunade-sama!"

"Princess Kushina!"

"Mikoto-sama!"

The wedding was held with the utmost grandeur. As the golden gates opened, figures representing each clan emerged, receiving the blessings of countless Konoha ninjas.

The members of the Uchiha and Senju clans, in particular, radiated pride.

Meanwhile, emissaries from other villages maintained polite smiles, though their private thoughts were anyone's guess.

Some ninjas from other villages, however, couldn't hide their envy and muttered, "Konoha's Hokage is too lucky! Any one of these women would be a prestigious match, yet he managed to marry all three!"

"Uchiha Mikoto... She's the daughter of the Uchiha clan's strongest elder, controls the powerful police force, and has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Uzumaki Kushina... Konoha's Jinchūriki and a princess of the Uzumaki clan. After the fall of the Land of Whirlpools, the treasure for its restoration is said to be in her possession. That castle? She funded it herself without using a single coin from Konoha!"

"Senju Tsunade... The granddaughter of the First Hokage, a legendary medical ninja, leader of the Senju clan, and rumored to have awakened Wood Release..."

Hearing these details, emissaries from other nations were consumed with jealousy.

"This Hokage... He didn't just marry three women; he secured Konoha's future!"

"With the strongest clans—the Senju and Uchiha—on his side, along with the restoration treasure of the Uzumaki clan, not to mention their beauty, power, and wealth... He has it all!"

From a distant tree, Jiraiya watched the grand wedding unfold, his heart breaking. He stared wide-eyed, crying out bitterly:

"This is unfair! Konoha's most beautiful, powerful, noble, and wealthy women were all taken by Uchiha Shirou!"

Beside him, Minato Namikaze tried to hide his embarrassment. After all, Jiraiya was his teacher.

Orochimaru, however, rolled his eyes at Jiraiya and scoffed coldly, "Idiot."

"What do you mean, Orochimaru!?"

Jiraiya glared at him, but Orochimaru's gaze was fixed on Uchiha Shirou amidst the crowd. Orochimaru licked his lips with disturbing anticipation and rasped excitedly:

"I can't wait to see what kind of children will be born from the union of the Uchiha and Senju, or the Uchiha and Uzumaki, or from two Mangekyō Sharingan users..."

Jiraiya's jaw dropped in shock at Orochimaru's words.

"Are you serious!? I'm heartbroken here, and you're thinking about their kids!?"

"Jiraiya, do you even understand anything?" Orochimaru retorted dismissively.

In the entire ninja world, aside from the deceased Uchiha Madara, no one anticipated these unions more than Orochimaru, who saw them as the most valuable research material in the ninja world.

"Big sister, you're the most beautiful today."

"Congratulations, Tsunade-sama!"

"Mikoto-sama looks stunning today."

"Look at Kushina-sama, she's so gentle today..."

Under a sky filled with scattered cherry blossoms and amidst countless blessings, the three brides in their wedding dresses walked down the red carpet, their faces glowing with happiness.

"Sister Tsunade, you're so beautiful today," Kushina complimented.

Tsunade, dressed in an elegant white wedding gown and radiating rare gentleness, nodded with a smile. "Kushina, you're stunning too."

"Mikoto is also gorgeous today," Kushina added.

Mikoto smiled gently, happiness evident on her face. She never expected this day to come. When she decided to support Shirou, she thought she would forever remain a woman behind the scenes. She never imagined she would wear a wedding dress.

"Let's go."

Outside the castle, a fairytale-like carriage awaited, pulled by a pure white horse. The carriage was white and gold, adorned with intricate carvings.

Standing before it, waiting for the three brides, was Uchiha Shirou.

Amidst the cheers and blessings of countless ninjas, Kushina and Mikoto exchanged glances before playfully pushing Tsunade forward.

Caught off guard, Tsunade let out a small cry as Shirou stepped forward and swept her up into his arms.

"Tsunade, your heartbeat is racing."

The usually dignified and poised Tsunade showed a rare look of panic and shyness for the first time. Although hidden well, her stiff arms and frozen demeanor gave her away as Shirou gently placed her onto the carriage. It wasn't until then that she came to her senses.

When she finally reacted, Shirou had already stepped out of the carriage. Senju Tsunade couldn't help but glare at him, but unbeknownst to her, that single glance was full of charm in the eyes of onlookers.

"Kushina..."

In the next moment, amidst Kushina's laughter, she went against their agreement and pushed Mikoto forward instead.

As Mikoto looked on in surprise, Kushina whispered, "Sister Mikoto, thank you."

It was only then that Mikoto noticed the misty sadness behind Kushina's smile. In Konoha, besides Tsunade and Shirou, Mikoto was the kindest person to her.

Mikoto was also her very first friend in Konoha.

"Kushina?"

Under Shirou's astonished gaze, Uzumaki Kushina simply showed a girlish smile, her eyes signaling something unspoken.

"Shirou, I'll wait for you." Just one gentle sentence revealed everything. At that moment, Shirou took a deep breath and then showed a heartfelt smile before scooping Mikoto into his arms.

"Shirou!"

In his arms, Mikoto's eyes were filled with dazed happiness.

"Mikoto, thank you for your support all these years."

It wasn't a dramatic declaration, just a simple statement. But to Mikoto, it meant more than a thousand words.

When Mikoto was placed in the carriage, she smiled and nodded gently at Tsunade, who sat in the center.

"Sister Tsunade."

That one title immediately established Tsunade's position, and Tsunade responded with a gentle smile and a nod.

Below, amidst the crowd's exclamations, Kushina, with a blissful smile, didn't wait for Shirou. Instead, she rushed to him directly.

"Shirou, I told you before, I'll build the biggest, most beautiful castle in the village. That will be our home!"

Kushina hadn't changed—her playful and lively personality shone through. This time, she threw her arms around Shirou's neck and pouted with a haughty expression.

"This time, I'm being very generous. Forget about Sister Tsunade, even Sister Mikoto is more useful than me."

Her demanding look for a reward made Shirou smile. Without hesitation, he leaned down, and in that instant, the usually playful Kushina blushed deeply in front of everyone.

"Shirou, I was just joking—"

Before she could finish, there was a soft sound of surprise!

After a gentle kiss, Kushina's face was as red as her hair. Only then did Shirou lift her and place her onto the carriage.

"Long live the Hokage!"

"Congratulations, Hokage-sama!"

Amid countless blessings, Shirou drove the carriage, pulled by three strong, pure white horses, along the red carpet toward the Hokage Rock. This scene was etched into the eyes of everyone in Konoha.

Among the crowd, Senju Nawaki sighed as he watched the spectacle. "I never thought my sister could have such a tender side. But at least someone can rein her in."

Thinking about his sister's temper, Senju Nawaki couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

Elsewhere in the crowd, a group of Hyūga clan members stood divided between the main and branch families.

To outsiders, it might seem like Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hizashi—the heads of the main and branch families—were having a cordial conversation. But in reality, their smiles were strained and insincere.

"Brother, thank you."

"Be more cautious in the future. Last time, secretly sealing the branch family's Caged Bird seal was too careless. Now that you're the clan leader, act accordingly."

It was clear from their conversation that Hyūga Hiashi, the head of the main family, had long noticed the issue but chose to remain silent, even secretly covering for his younger brother.

Hyūga Hizashi smiled and nodded. "Brother, this time, you should also take the opportunity to get rid of those old fools. I believe the main family will improve."

With the loss of the branch family's control, the main family experienced a period of chaos. Originally, Hyūga Hiashi was supposed to step down, but the branch family elders had caused such a ruckus that even the entire village knew about it.

The Hyūga elders' greed had forced the branch family to take risks, and the two brothers had taken advantage of the situation to gain control over both the main and branch families.

"Still, with the Senju, Uchiha, and Uzumaki clans, we Hyūga—descendants of the Sage of Six Paths and possessors of one of the three great dōjutsu—can't afford to lose our reputation!"

Hyūga Hiashi frowned as he spoke, and Hizashi nodded solemnly.

"Indeed. After all, our bloodline is noble, and the commoners' marriages can't compare to Hokage-sama's."

For a moment, the two brothers silently contemplated their plans, but ultimately they both sighed in resignation.

It wasn't that the clan lacked suitable women, but producing someone who could match the beauty and strength of the three women now beside Uchiha Shirou was far too difficult.

"Brother, after we return, we must focus on cultivating talent—it's never too late! Lord Shirou is only in his twenties now."

As the Hyūga brothers secretly resolved not to fall behind, other major clans in Konoha were also quietly plotting their next moves.

The wedding took place atop the Hokage Rock, making it the most grandiose wedding in Konoha's history.

Under a shower of cherry blossoms, the beauty of Konoha was on full display. The unique atmosphere of the village amazed dignitaries and emissaries from across the ninja world.

"Iwagakure's emissaries congratulate the new Hokage on his wedding! As a gift, we present a chakra blade, 100,000 explosive tags, and rare gemstones..."

As the wedding celebration reached its peak, Senju Nawaki enthusiastically led the gift procession. The extravagant gifts from Iwagakure left many other villages stunned.

What the hell!?

Iwagakure was going all out! Did they think this was their Tsuchikage's wedding?

The other emissaries exchanged glances before gritting their teeth. They couldn't afford to disgrace the reputation of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.

"Sunagakure's emissaries congratulate the new Hokage on his wedding! We present a rare chakra-infused artifact unique to the Land of Wind..."

"Kirigakure's emissaries..."

"Land of Fire nobles..."

As the gift announcements continued, each subsequent offering grew more extravagant. These gifts weren't just from individuals—they represented entire nations and villages.

Among the crowd, Senju Nawaki was stunned by the spectacle.

"Kakashi, is this why you told me not to mess up the announcements?"

Beside him, Kakashi gave him a sidelong glance. If not for Nawaki's strength, Kakashi would have called him an idiot on the spot.

From Nawaki's perspective, Iwagakure's gift list had been much shorter when it was first written. How had it suddenly multiplied tenfold?

"Kakashi."

Just as Shisui hurriedly tugged on Kakashi's sleeve, the sweating Iwagakure emissary approached, glaring at Kakashi as he recorded the revised gift list.

"Jōnin Kakashi Hatake, that wasn't what I sent back then!"

Faced with this questioning, Kakashi Hatake, under the concerned gaze of Shisui, remained calm and composed. Without so much as a blush, he casually pulled out the gift ledger.

"Let me take a look first. Oh, it wasn't? Then I must have written it wrong. I'll fix it now."

With an indifferent expression, Kakashi picked up his pen, ready to cross out a long list of items on the gift ledger. Just as he was about to call out loud, the Iwa ninja envoy rushed forward and covered his mouth in panic.

"Stop! Jōnin Kakashi, no! You didn't write it wrong. I drank too much earlier and misspoke..."

At that moment, the envoy from Iwagakure turned pale with frustration. If Kakashi were to announce it loudly in front of so many people from the ninja world, it would not only embarrass him personally but also disgrace Iwagakure as a whole.

"Really? Are you sure I didn't misremember?"

"Positive!"

"But why do I remember that I might have written it wrong? After all, if the ledger doesn't match later, Lord Hokage will hold me accountable."

The Iwa envoy gritted his teeth, glaring at the shameless Konoha ninja in front of him, but he could only lower his voice, not daring to let anyone else overhear.

"You didn't misremember! All the gifts from our Third Tsuchikage are on their way!"

"So I was mistaken after all. Alright then, once the gifts enter the Land of Fire, Konoha will arrange a full ninja escort to ensure their safe delivery."

Kakashi nodded in apparent realization, his tone serious and respectful toward the envoy from one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.

This scene made the envoy grit his teeth so hard he almost broke them. What an utter lack of trust! Did Konoha think they would default on their promises?

Meanwhile, standing to the side, Nawaki and Shisui were utterly stunned. Their wide eyes and buzzing minds could barely process what they had just witnessed.

There's a way to handle things like this?

In the end, while the Hokage's wedding was extravagant and costly, it turned out to be a major profit!

And yet, Kakashi Hatake maintained his calm demeanor, as if this was all standard procedure.

At just fifteen years old, Kakashi had already mastered the art of scheming and manipulation, wielding it with incredible finesse.

It had to be said—he truly had the makings of a Hokage. This level of talent was something that couldn't be taught.