At the same time, traveling through time, starting from subverting the war at the top

Chapter 138 Are you sure you're not mistaken about something?

"Greetings, Fifth Hokage!"

Nara Shikaku turned to Lin Mo and led the way in kneeling in obeisance.

The Yamanaka clan and the Akimichi clan, who were closest to the Nara family, followed closely behind.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza exchanged a glance, walked behind Nara Shikaku, knelt down, and shouted the name of the Fifth Hokage.

Today, Konoha Village is in decline, with the Senju, Uchiha, and Sarutobi clans disappearing one after another.

The three clans represented by the "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio are the most powerful clans in the village. In addition, Nara Shikaku is the captain of the Konoha Jonin team. In terms of status and prestige, he can definitely be ranked among the top three in Konoha today.

With them taking the lead, the rest of the people also knelt down, ready to welcome their new Hokage.

The duration was neither too long nor too short, exactly three minutes, just as Nara Shikaku had promised.

In Lin Mo's view, Nara Shikaku is not only highly intelligent, but also has first-class strategic judgment and decision-making abilities.

Being able to detach oneself from personal emotions immediately, focus on the future of Konoha and even the entire Land of Fire, and find the best option.

No wonder that in the original story, Shikaku was able to succeed the Fourth Raikage as the commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Ultimately, having strong personal capabilities is the foundation of everything.

Faced with absolute power, all political strategies and conspiracies seem so ridiculous.

Danzo spent his whole life scheming for the position he wanted, but others were begging Lin Mo to take it.

Just because others are begging Lin Mo to take the position, does Lin Mo have to accept it?

"Are you sure you're not mistaken about something?"

Lin Mo looked at the Konoha members kneeling in front of him, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said with a smile.

"Sir, is there any other question?" Nara Shikaku raised his head, looked at Lin Mo, and asked cautiously.

"Who said I wanted to be Hokage?" Lin Mo said with a smile.

Nara Shikaku was stunned for a moment before realizing that Lin Mo had indeed never said he wanted to become Hokage.

But in their view, it's not something that can be difficult for them to do without.

Is there anyone in Konoha who doesn't want to become Hokage?

That position represents unparalleled glory and power.

Konoha Village, despite having "village" in its name, is actually a city, with its main urban area alone covering nearly 40 square meters.

While it's all just a joke, the Hokage of Konoha is not someone that some village chief from later generations can simply emulate; they are completely different concepts.

Moreover, he was also the highest military leader in the entire Land of Fire.

Similar to a military region commander in a country, but with a high degree of independence and autonomy.

Therefore, after hearing Lin Mo's words...

Not only Nara Shikaku, but everyone present showed a look of astonishment.

After the initial shock came panic.

If Lin Mo is unwilling to become Hokage, wouldn't that mean the village will be left without anyone to protect it?

Is Konoha destined to end?

"From now on, the Hokage will become history," Lin Mo said.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed drastically. They thought Lin Mo had gone back on his word and was about to destroy Konoha Village again.

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit awkward, Nara Shikaku had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward to ask, "I am too foolish to understand what you mean, sir."

Let alone Nara Shikaku and his group, even people like Shimura Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen have too limited vision.

Their vision was always confined to a single "village" or place; at best, they could not escape the realm of ninjas. Lin Mo, on the other hand, aspired to longevity and transcendence.

How could he possibly care about this insignificant Hokage? He wants the whole world.

It's not just about "Earth," where the five major powers are located.

Just like the pirate Lin Mo's final scheme, after "awakening," Lin Mo truly wanted to turn the entire Naruto world into resources for his cultivation.

So let's start with the Land of Fire.

"This abnormal relationship between the ninja village and the nation needs to change," Lin Mo said.

Nara Shikaku was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening and his face showed an expression of utter shock.

"Sir, what do you want?"

"Yes, it's what you think."

Nara Shikaku spoke up, "But if Konoha declares independence, it will immediately be subject to economic sanctions by the daimyo."

"Economic sanctions?"

Lin Mo glanced at Nara Shikaku, then looked at the crowd with a mocking smile.

"You are ninjas, not beggars. If you want something, why don't you go and get it yourself? Why do you need to wait for others to give it to you?"

Despite possessing such formidable military power, they ultimately reduced themselves to being dogs who had to be subservient to others.

Aside from the eras of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, Konoha was always overshadowed by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Even the selection of the Hokage requires the approval of the Daimyo.

The most important reason is money.

Konoha is a ninja village and it doesn't engage in production.

Whether it's training new ninjas, manufacturing weapons, developing medical systems, or researching various technologies, all require funding from the daimyo.

If the village ninjas only rely on the money they earn from taking on missions daily, it's simply not enough to keep the entire village running, let alone now that it's a peaceful era with even fewer missions.

Especially in times like these, Konoha becomes increasingly reliant on the Land of Fire. In extreme cases, without government funding from the Daimyo, they might not even be able to pay their staff's salaries. Not all ninjas in the village are on missions.

"Also, Shikaku, you've got one thing wrong. It's not that Konoha is going independent, but that Konoha is going to take back what belongs to it."

"The Land of Fire has no need for useless daimyo; this country should be in the hands of truly powerful people."

Lin Mo's gaze swept across the faces of everyone present, causing cold sweat to pour down the faces of the Konoha ninjas.

After a while, Lin Mo withdrew his gaze and said, "I will be going to the capital of the Fire Kingdom in the next few days."

"Those who are willing to follow me can stay, and those who are not will be given the opportunity to leave. However, you'd better go far away, because in the future, your family may not have a place to stand in this country."

"On behalf of the Nara clan, I am willing to follow you to the death, my lord!" Nara Shikaku was the first to declare.

At this moment, Nara Shikaku was unsure whether he had made the right decision to call Lin Mo back, as he had only intended for Lin Mo to protect Konoha.

Now, in the blink of an eye, they've turned into wanting to follow him in launching a coup and rebelling against the country.

This is a matter of life and death that could potentially lead to the extinction of the entire clan.

Having come this far, Nara Shikaku had no other choice.

Moreover, he trusted his judgment of people.

Unlike recommending Lin Mo to be Hokage, what we're about to do is "treason"!
This is a heinous crime punishable by death and the extermination of the entire family.

Not everyone is as decisive as Nara Shikaku. Some of them planned to feign agreement with Lin Mo, this jinx, and then secretly lead their clansmen away.

(End of this chapter)