Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 146
🕑 Added 2025-01-19 14:53:13 +0000 UTCAt long last, the second Uchiha Snow and Ice Festival was officially announced with great fanfare.
The staff had already begun setting up at the location of the first festival.
This time, it was undoubtedly happening—no delays or cancellations.
The Uchiha clan's promise of hosting an annual festival had remained unfulfilled for years, as Konoha was rarely at peace after the Nine-Tails incident. Furthermore, the main organizer of the event, Masashi, had been constantly away, busy with various matters.
Thus, villagers began to jokingly believe that when the Uchiha clan actually held the festival, it would signify true peace in the village—because it would mean Masashi was no longer running around fighting battles.
Now, with a new year upon them, the villagers were filled with hope and held high expectations for this year's Snow and Ice Festival.
The setup process was not kept secret; it was open to the public. Some fans even visited the site and discovered that a stage was being constructed for a theatrical performance.
Word of this spread quickly, and excitement swept through the village. Everyone was thrilled and satisfied.
"As expected of Masashi-sama—his creativity knows no bounds. He would never disappoint us."
The women of the marketplace began dressing even more beautifully, eagerly awaiting the day when they might catch a glimpse of Masashi.
Unfortunately, rumors had it that he was deeply immersed in artistic pursuits and hadn't appeared yet.
While the women felt regret, they also admired him even more. After all, nothing was more attractive than a man dedicated to his work!
Shopkeepers also lamented the missed opportunity to seek business advice from him, as it was widely known that Masashi had a talent for trade.
For example, people had once referred to their establishments as "teahouses." But one evening, Masashi, after a drink, gave them a lecture: "You're not running a brothel—you're operating a tavern! A place to enjoy drinks and watch performances! Even if the drinks are expensive, that's still completely different!"
The history and foundation of Konoha had always ruled out the possibility of allowing actual brothels.
Everything in the village served the growth of the ninja corps. Civilians were welcomed to increase the pool of potential ninja recruits. Free trade was encouraged to harness the Land of Fire's economic resources, ensuring the villagers' material needs were met. And nightlife was permitted to a certain degree to cater to their mental well-being.
However, clear boundaries existed. These boundaries had been established as far back as the Second Hokage's era.
Karaoke and dance performances were allowed—after all, women loved beauty, and men loved women. These were basic human desires. But any organized illicit activity? That would bring immediate repercussions.
Back then, the Police Force had not yet been formed, so it was the Hokage Advisor who personally handled such issues. The Advisor was infamous among the ninja clans for being ruthless, but to the villagers, he was seen as a great benefactor who eliminated questionable organizations the moment they appeared.
During the Third Hokage's time, Konoha's commercial sector underwent rapid development. Even so, those boundaries remained firm. And as a key figure in Konoha today, Masashi's words were taken seriously by all merchants.
As a result, the commercial district became far more regulated than before.
The Hokage's office was pleased with all of this.
Even Masashi's once-controversial private life was now viewed more favorably by the leadership. As they got to know him better, they realized he was, at his core, a remarkably upright individual.
Well, mostly upright. He did have one indulgence—teasing the Uchiha clan leader about personal hobbies.
Fugaku, meanwhile, had become one of the most approachable and well-loved advisors in Konoha's history.
To the older generation, including Hiruzen, he was reminiscent of Kagami, though he was even more relatable to the villagers. If Fugaku were to set up a table in the middle of the street and call for paper and ink, the entire street would gladly join him.
His popularity was off the charts.
As the Snow and Ice Festival drew closer, the Uchiha clan became increasingly busy.
Masashi, as the chief organizer, spent his days alternating between his training and secluded meetings with clan members to finalize the plans.
Meanwhile, rumors continued to spread.
One particularly intriguing rumor claimed that he was searching for voice actors.
At first, nobody knew what that meant. When they found out it referred to performers for voiceovers, it drew even more interest. People swarmed the police department, hoping to volunteer.
In short, Konoha had not experienced such widespread joy in a long time.
Even though the festival had yet to begin, it had already surpassed the Hokage's expectations.
Minato was in an exceptionally good mood.
As someone privy to the details about the voice actors, he couldn't help but praise Masashi for his brilliant idea. It was a truly extraordinary addition to the program.
His only regret was that one of the key characters in the play had already left Konoha and severed ties with the village. This left him feeling melancholic.
But when he thought of another individual, his spirits lifted. Perhaps this opportunity could help that person heal. After all, there was no greater validation than the recognition of the villagers.
Ultimately, wasn't that the root of everything?
Gazing at the documents on his desk, Minato, for once, felt like slacking off.
He wanted to practice his voice acting so he could fully immerse himself in the role during rehearsals. After all, as Masashi had explained, being a voice actor wasn't just about reading lines—it was about conveying emotions and touching the audience's hearts.
Such a noble task aligned perfectly with his duties as Hokage!
From today onward, don't call him Hokage—call him Konoha's Strongest Voice Actor!
After all, awards would be handed out for this. If he didn't win, wouldn't he be ridiculed at home?
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," Minato said.
The door opened, and Masashi's head poked in.
Seeing Minato's clearly unproductive state, he smiled and stepped inside, holding a thick stack of scripts.
"Hokage-sama, could you take a look at these scripts?"
"Masashi, can we do this tonight?" Minato asked. While he had just been contemplating taking a break, the sight of the hefty script made him want to finish his work first.
"There's no time tonight—I need to work on the stage setup," Masashi replied, handing over the stack of papers. "Don't worry, it'll be quick."
You said the same thing yesterday… Minato thought, reluctantly taking the script and beginning to read.
This was already the eighteenth revision.
As Minato immersed himself in the script, Masashi sat on the sofa, leisurely finishing an entire pot of tea.
"Should this part be adjusted?" Minato finally said, sitting down next to Masashi and pointing out an overly dramatic section. "This part feels awkward—too overdone."
"Hokage-sama, the audience hasn't experienced that battle firsthand. Some embellishment and simplification are necessary… Oh, but yes, that part is a bit much. Let's tweak it again."
The two of them dove into a detailed discussion.
---
After painstakingly revising the script, they finally realized it was almost nightfall.
Minato silently cursed his bad luck as he glanced at the intimidating stack of documents on the desk, his mood plummeting.
"Damn it! Kushina said she had a surprise for tonight!"
This was a total disaster.
On the other hand, Masashi was quite satisfied. He felt the script was perfect now.
They could start the rehearsal tonight.
"Hokage-sama, how about we..." He was about to extend an invitation when he noticed Minato looking dejectedly at the desk.
"Why don't you use a shadow clone to handle the paperwork?"
At least show some respect for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Even Tobirama rarely used his main body to deal with paperwork.
Who used their real body every night to process documents until midnight?
Before coming here, Masashi had seen Kushina leaving a certain lingerie shop. That shop's bestsellers were part of their "Winning Series."
Don't ask him how he knew that—every man had his secrets.
Originally, Masashi planned to have Minato use a shadow clone to accompany him for the rehearsal. But now he abandoned the idea, figuring it was more important for the Hokage to get into the habit of delegating paperwork to his clones.
"Sigh, I just feel more at ease doing it myself."
"Alright, but I strongly suggest you head home on time today and leave a shadow clone here." With that, Masashi packed up his precious script, said goodbye to Minato, and left.
Upon leaving the Hokage Building, he returned to the Uchiha compound first, intending to find Haku.
The sibling pair, Hikari and Haku, had surprisingly applied to officially take on the Uchiha surname, and their request was approved during a clan meeting.
Apart from Masashi's influence, the Ice Release also played a significant role in this decision.
Initially, the Uchiha clan didn't think highly of Ice Release—until Masashi used it during the Nine-Tails incident to summon a giant creature.
As for the siblings officially joining the Uchiha clan, everyone welcomed them wholeheartedly.
Though their decision was a bit unexpected for him, it was their choice, and he respected it—he certainly wouldn't oppose it. It was, after all, the best outcome.
Because of this, he now took great care of Haku, considering him a true personal apprentice.
The best way to mentor a disciple is through immersion—integrating training into everyday life.
How did Masashi master his Ice Release so thoroughly that he could conjure anything with just a clap of his hands? By showcasing it in the very first Ice and Snow Festival!
As for Sand Release, if Haku had the aptitude, Masashi would teach that too. He'd teach it to any child in the clan who could learn it. But before that, he planned to demonstrate his new jutsu to everyone.
After all, mixing substances into sand wasn't rocket science.
While his chakra couldn't generate magnetism to naturally absorb metals from the earth, that wasn't a problem. The unique environment of the Land of Wind is what made the Iron Sand so effective. The Third Kazekage wouldn't be able to use Iron Sand as freely in the Land of Fire.
That was the inherent limitation of the Iron Sand Technique.
But such environment-dependent techniques aren't ideal.
The true strength lay in Sand Release itself.
Just as he was approaching Hikari's house, Masashi heard a voice.
"Masashi, where are you rushing off to?"
Turning around, he saw Fugaku standing at his door, watching him.
"I'm off to find Haku, Fugaku-sama." Masashi walked over and took a sniff.
No ink scent.
He wasn't secretly playing with calligraphy? That's not like you!
This clan leader always found ways to slack off and play with his calligraphy—it was almost a habit at this point.
After all, during the time with the Great White Snake Sage, Fugaku's mischievous nature had been exposed.
What an expression he had back then! Completely broke character—his image was ruined.
"What are you sniffing around for?" Fugaku hid his hands behind his back, subtly rubbing his fingers together.
"Nothing much. Did you buy new clothes?" Masashi observed, "The patterns are quite regal."
Fugaku didn't believe a single word.
"It's just a piece of clothing." He glanced at the neighboring house. "Don't rehearse tonight. Delaying the Ice and Snow Festival for a few days won't matter. Come with me to the training grounds."
"Isn't Tetsuka around today?"
"What does this have to do with him? He's been at the construction site recently." Fugaku's composure cracked slightly at the mention of Tetsuka. "Don't bring him up. I've got something important to discuss with you."
"Alright." Masashi held up his script. "Should I leave this at your place?"
"Mm. Go ahead."
As Masashi entered the house, he shamelessly showered Fugaku's wife with flattery, making Fugaku snort and look away, pretending not to see.
After a while, Masashi ran back out.
"Let's go." Fugaku, as curt as ever, took the lead.
Masashi quickly followed.
"Fugaku-sama, what's up with you today?"
"This is how I always am."
"No, no, no. Usually, you're not this… uh…"
"What do you mean 'this' and 'uh'? Speak clearly!"
The two gradually disappeared into the distance.
---
The door to Fugaku's house opened again. Itachi came out holding Sasuke's hand. They were heading to Shisui's place to play.
Behind them, Mikoto trailed, offering a string of reminders.
"I know, Mother," Itachi said helplessly. Was he the type to bother Shisui?
"Mother, where are Father and Masashi-nii going?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"Mm, they have something very important to do," Mikoto said, lovingly patting Sasuke's head. "Don't be naughty, alright? Listen to your brother."
"I'm the most well-behaved!" Sasuke declared proudly.
"Yeah, right. You and Naruto are the most troublesome. Karin is the quietest," Mikoto said with a laugh, poking her younger son's nose. "Go on, have fun."
Watching her sons happily leave, her smile faded slightly.
She had a general idea of what her husband was planning.
If things went as expected—and as everyone believed—Masashi would undoubtedly become the next clan leader.
If that were the case, his personal matters couldn't be delayed any longer.
Moreover, an Uchiha clan leader could not marry someone from outside the clan. Though this rule might seem unnecessary, it served its purpose.
She glanced at the house next door, thought for a moment, and walked over.
