"Cooperation can be discussed, but what about trust?"
Hiko asked bluntly.
"Trust is the foundation of everything. After all, the two clans still compete in several industries. Even if we say we'll cooperate, it's not easy to genuinely gain the other's trust—be it for the Hyuga or the Uchiha," he added.
Trust is not built overnight.
There are only two paths to it—mutual interests or marriage.
And as it stands, the Uchiha and Hyuga don't share any aligned interests. It's already fortunate they're not stepping on each other's toes. Speaking of common interests? That's just empty talk.
As for marriage? That's outright laughable.
The Uchiha wouldn't oppose it, but the Hyuga would never agree to it.
And even if marriage was on the table, it would require a show of sincerity.
No wonder the Uchiha would only accept a member from the Hyuga branch family. But even that would stir the elders. They'd be the first to oppose it.
The Uchiha wouldn't mind marrying someone from the main family, but the Hyuga elders wouldn't allow it.
Their bloodline was already rare and carefully protected—offering one of their few heiresses into marriage? That would be a scandal.
Currently, neither route—common interest nor marriage—was viable. Hiko could see that clearly.
After pondering it for a while, Hiko sighed and said helplessly:
"Patriarch Hyuga, it's not that I haven't considered this, but building trust between the Hyuga and the Uchiha would require either shared benefits or a marriage alliance."
"But as things stand, neither of these options are within reach. So discussing cooperation now would be premature, wouldn't it?"
Attempting cooperation now would only lead to frustration. Hiko didn't have time to entertain something so fragile.
Pulling the Uchiha out of political quicksand was far more urgent than chasing an unlikely alliance.
"Unless… Patriarch Hyuga is truly willing to—"
Hiko stopped mid-sentence. He had been about to suggest Hyuga Hinata be offered in marriage, but swallowed the words.
It wouldn't be appropriate to say something like that in front of little Hinata, even if political marriages were a norm among clans. It was better not to speak it out loud if it could be avoided.
Besides, if Hyuga Hiashi understood what Hiko was getting at, that would be enough.
As for the exact arrangements—who would marry whom—those were matters for the clan heads to discuss.
"So then, farewell."
Before turning to leave, Hiko smiled and gave Hinata a slight wink.
"I hope that next time, little Hinata will have the courage to greet her senior properly."
"Ah?"
Hinata, dazed through most of the conversation, stood up suddenly:
"Y-Yes! Senior, I won't let you down!"
Her face was beet red, clearly overwhelmed.
Hiko turned and left.
Hiashi stood in silence for a moment, then glanced sideways at his daughter.
"Well? Are the Uchiha really as frightening as you once thought?"
Hinata hesitated, then softly replied:
"I… I feel that senior is a good person."
After all, he had stood up for her when she was about to be scolded. And even before leaving, he encouraged her. She'd rarely received such warmth before—it made her heart swell.
Her family had always expected too much of her, always imposing strict standards.
"I see..."
Hiashi nodded thoughtfully.
"Let's go. I hope you can face your own shortcomings and keep your promise. The next time you see him, don't shrink away."
"Yes, Father! I won't let you down."
"Mm."
Hiashi responded perfunctorily and turned to leave first. Deep down, perhaps he envied Fugaku.
If possible, he wanted to say something like, As expected of my daughter.
But he couldn't bring himself to say that.
Because Hinata always fell short of his expectations.
---
Hiko wasn't sure if Tsunade had left the house, so on his way back, he picked up some food—just in case the gluttonous woman who didn't even like washing her feet was starving again.
As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Tsunade sprawled bonelessly across the sofa, her clothes half-draped, her appearance completely messy.
"..."
Thankfully, he had foresight.
Putting the groceries down, Hiko asked curiously:
"Did you wash your clothes last night?"
The faint scent wafting from her outfit said otherwise. Konoha's legendary princess was even sloppier than some elders.
Maybe this is why Jiraiya liked her? A shared sloppiness?
Horrifying thought.
"Forgot. I'll wash them tonight."
Tsunade didn't even look up from stuffing her face. Washing clothes was far from her priorities.
Finally satisfied, she clapped her hands with a content sigh.
"I'm full. I still have errands to run, so I'll take off."
"You what?"
Hiko's eyes widened.
"You're still planning to come back again?"
Tsunade blinked innocently:
"Well, yeah. You brought me back. My house isn't habitable. Shizune's not back. I have no money. If I don't stay at your place, where else would I go?"
"I could just give you—"
Hiko started to say he'd give her money if she'd just leave—but Tsunade had already disappeared.
Great. Before the Uchiha crisis was even resolved, he had an extra moocher in the house.
Luckily, Jiraiya and the others were returning today.
Once Shizune was back, Tsunade would have no more reason to freeload.
That thought helped Hiko calm down a bit.
As he began tidying up the mess Tsunade had left behind, he muttered under his breath.
She was an expert in making a mess, but asking her to clean? That was like asking her to climb a mountain barefoot.
It was a wonder this woman had never been married.
Who could tolerate her?
Shaking his head, Hiko resumed washing dishes and clearing the living room.
---
Meanwhile, Tsunade had left for a walk.
Jiraiya, true to his word, arrived back in the village—bringing Shizune and Itachi with him.
Hiko and Tsunade had disappeared again, so Jiraiya could only pray they'd returned to Konoha.
Otherwise, explaining things to the Third Hokage would be a nightmare.
"You guys find a place to rest. I'm going to report to the old man. With Tsunade's debt alone, he might pass out."
And with that, Jiraiya vanished.
Shizune stood at the village gate, dazed.
She hadn't returned to Konoha in years. Her home was long abandoned, and now she had no idea where to go.
"Is something wrong, senior?"
Itachi, sharp as always, noticed her hesitation.
"Well..."
Shizune sighed.
"I don't really have a place to stay. I don't know if Tsunade-sama returned, and..."
She shrugged helplessly.
Itachi paused.
He couldn't just leave her alone, but he also had to report to the Police Force. Taking her along wasn't an option.
"How about I treat you to dinner and then take you to Captain Hiko's house?"
After a quick moment of thought, Itachi recalled that Shizune and Hiko were acquainted.
Why not let the captain deal with this?
Whether Tsunade was back or not, Hiko surely would be.
"I'd like that. I'm starving anyway. Let's head to Hiko's place first."
With the decision made, Shizune followed Itachi.
---
They walked deep into the village until they reached a far corner. Shizune blinked in surprise.
"I didn't expect the Uchiha clan to be relocated to the edge of the village. They used to live right in the heart of it."
Itachi: "..."
Senior, your intel is a bit outdated.
That move had happened years ago. And his father was still criticized for it.
It wasn't a topic Itachi liked to talk about.
Soon, the two arrived at Hiko's house.
Itachi knocked politely.
"Just come in."
Came Hiko's voice from inside—he was still mopping the floor.
As the door opened, the shadows of two visitors stretched across the floor.
Looking up, Hiko immediately recognized them.
"You brought her here?"
He raised an eyebrow.
Tsunade was already asleep in one of the rooms—now Shizune was back too?
That'd be the cherry on top.
Shizune's eyes lit up as she caught Hiko's tone.
"Hiko… You mean Tsunade-sama is here? At your house?"
This was great news.