Five months had passed since Himari Hyuga and Shikaji Nara Sarutobi made their union official.
They already lived together—Kaji was fast, and he'd been hungry for a long time. When Himari gave him the chance, he devoured it.**
As a Chūnin, Himari trained relentlessly under Kaji's guidance, and he even encouraged her to learn medical ninjutsu—something she'd taken to with surprising skill.
Now, they sat together, finishing breakfast in comfortable silence.
Himari knew all too well the weight of Kaji's responsibilities in the war.
"Relax," he murmured, stroking her hand. "They'll only call me if a tailed beast-level emergency pops up. I've been away too long already."
Himari stole a kiss and smiled sweetly.
"The Academy just started," Kaji mused, sipping his tea. "The little ones have barely begun free training. At this age, theory is deadly serious—that's why most don't graduate until they've mastered it completely."
Himari nodded. "I was thinking… we should buy a tea set and some nice furniture for that empty spot in the garden. Maybe even add a roof, make it a proper relaxation area."
Kaji glanced at the open space and grinned. "Yeah… that'll be really nice."
News of Kaji and Himari's union had spread like wildfire through Konoha.
Many clans sighed, realizing they'd missed a golden opportunity.
The most frustrated? The Senju and Uchiha.
The Senju had assumed Tsunade, as Kaji's elder sister, would guide him toward a "proper match."
The Uchiha? They hadn't even gotten a chance.
The Hyūga, however, rejoiced. With this marriage, the Hokage faction had effectively absorbed them—and they accepted willingly.
Some called it fate—a chance encounter that led to something unshakable.
Meanwhile, the new generation had begun their journey:
The Academy had opened not long ago, but Kakashi Hatake (now 6) had already been fast-tracked into ANBU—thanks to his father's influence and his own monstrous talent.
Himari leaned against Kaji, watching the garden.
"Think we'll ever get used to this? The peace?"
Kaji smirked. "Doubt it. But I'll enjoy trying."
And for the first time in years… he meant it.
-----
Nawaki crept through the dawn-lit streets of Konoha like a man walking through a minefield. At fourteen, he shouldn't have to live like this—but ever since those two demon spawns, Asuma Sarutobi and Mido Shimura, had declared him their primary target, his life had become an endless gauntlet of humiliation.
"Chakra sensors active... weight distribution calculated... even the damn ants look suspicious..."
His foot touched what appeared to be perfectly normal dirt.
SPLAT.
The explosion of stench was impressive.
Nawaki stood frozen, his dignity dissolving faster than the filth now dripping from his hair.
"HOW?!" he howled at the uncaring sky. "I used every counter-surveillance technique! I—" A whiff hit his nose. "Oh gods, is that fermented?!"
From a nearby rooftop, two small figures exchanged a fist bump.
Mission Complete.
Asuma: "Operation complete. Target never saw it coming."
Mido: "Tomorrow, we upgrade to cat feces."
They skipped to the Academy, innocent smiles plastered on their faces.
Asuma and Mido had been trained well. Kaji's rules for their "special operations" were ironclad:
No civilian casualties (low-traffic areas only).
One-hour activation window (or the trap was deemed a failure).
Academic pranks required instructor approval (hence their current "educational" project—breaking Obito Uchiha's concentration).
A spitball struck Obito square between the eyes.
"Gah! Was that... my Sharingan awakening?!" He whipped around, only to freeze when Rin giggled at him. His cheeks burned. "Worth it."
Unseen, Asuma smirked.
Phase One: Complete.
-------
Meanwhile, in a tastefully furnished Hyūga-Sarutobi household:
Himari sipped her tea, watching Kaji scribble notes for his upcoming Elite Nutrition Clinic. Five months of marriage had done wonders for her—both in skill (she could now heal a stab wound in under ten seconds) and, well... other areas.
"You're staring," she noted.
"You're distracting," he countered, eyes lingering just a second too long on the way her training shirt clung to—
"Focus, Shadow Monarch." She flicked his forehead. "Your brother's turning the Academy into his personal playground."
Kaji shrugged. "Asuma's just... enthusiastically applying advanced tactics."
Himari sighed. She'd married a menace.
--------------
At a secluded teahouse, Kaji found himself across from Fugaku Uchiha and a miniature shadow—Itachi, age three, already observing the world like it was a puzzle to solve.
Fugaku cut straight to the point. "The clan grows restless. The Hokage's favor eludes us, and the military faction—"
"—needs hobbies," Kaji finished. "Fugaku, my man, you're overcomplicating this. Between me, Orochimaru, and Tsunade, the only thing shaking Konoha will be Jiraya's next 'research' budget request."
He leaned in. "Your problem? The Uchiha are bored. Solution?" A grin. "Open a dojo. Charge 10,000 ryō per Sharingan-corrected mistake."
Fugaku's teacup halted mid-air.
"You'd... monetize our kekkei genkai?"
"I'm monetizing common sense. The Yamanaka charge for therapy, the Nara sell strategy consultations—why should the Uchiha fight for free?"
It was beautiful. It was profitable. Fugaku's eyes gleamed with the holy light of capitalism.
Kaji studied the serious three-year-old before him. Itachi hadn't spoken once during the entire conversation with Fugaku, but those dark eyes missed nothing.
"You've been quiet, Itachi-chan," Kaji said, crouching to the boy's level. "Do you understand what we're discussing?"
Itachi's tiny fingers tightened around Fugaku's sleeve. "I... understand a little," he admitted quietly. Then, with sudden boldness: "But when Father called you 'Shadow Monarch'... what did he mean?"
Fugaku opened his mouth to scold the impropriety, but Kaji laughed. With a flick of his wrist, a perfect shadow replica of Itachi materialized beside them.
The real Itachi gasped as his double mirrored his every twitch. When he experimentally raised a hand, the shadow did too—then lunged.
What followed was the most intense toddler brawl Konoha had ever witnessed. Tiny fists flew, kicks were attempted (and mostly missed), until finally—the real Itachi overbalanced.
Instead of falling, though, the shadow clone caught him, steadying him before dissolving into smoke.
Kaji ruffled Itachi's hair. "That answer your question?"
Itachi's eyes shone like stars. "Big Brother Kaji... is amazing."
As Kaji melted into the walls, Fugaku whispered:
"That's why they call him the Shadow Monarch."