I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 221 Kakashi completely gives up

In the sweltering summer, cicadas chirped loudly from the treetops.

"Lord Hokage, this is the latest intelligence development from the police department."

Inside the Hokage's office, Kakashi Hatake calmly reported everything he had discovered, head bowed. He was absolutely certain about the facts; everything he had found was true.

The Third Hokage, who was sitting upright, had increasingly severe age spots on his face. His hair had turned white, and even his beard was white. At this moment, he looked exactly like a frail old man.

"Kakashi, thank you for your hard work."

Looking at the information in Kakashi's investigation record in his hand, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a ring of smoke, then frowned and revealed a solemn expression.

In just over half a year, the police department developed far faster than he had imagined, attracting many ninjas to join, and the overall strength of the police department increased by nearly half.

At the same time, the Uchiha clan also withdrew nearly half of its personnel from the police department. These elites were all used to maintain the clan's business and build the clan, which has led to the Uchiha name becoming increasingly well-known in the Land of Fire.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned as he looked at the shocking report, while Kakashi Hatake, head bowed below, remained silent, a chill running through him.

The former Third Hokage, now an old man in his twilight years, still holds the position of Hokage. The matter of the Fire Temple has not yet been resolved, causing a rift in the relationship between the Daimyo and Konoha. But at least the matter has come to an end.

The chaotic situation in the border region of the Land of Whirlpools has gradually stabilized. With the emergence of the bloodline rebellion ninja force led by Mei Terumi of the Mist, they are now entrenched in the Land of Whirlpools.

Konoha was playing the role of stirring up trouble from the sidelines, secretly supporting the Kirigakure rebels. Now that Kirigakure was in disarray, it had no time to fight Konoha.

Meanwhile, which of the ninja villages like Kumogakure and Iwagakure is easy to deal with? Seeing the internal strife that broke out in Kirigakure, they were afraid that this force would be quickly quelled, so they secretly supported it instead.

Therefore, the repeated suppressions by Kirigakure not only failed to wipe out this force, but also allowed Mei Terumi's rebel army to stabilize its momentum. Now, they are simply gathering their strength and waiting for an opportunity to counterattack the village.

The turmoil in the ninja world represents the resolution of the biggest friction on Konoha's borders. Therefore, although there are still minor frictions on the borders of various parts of Konoha, things have become relatively stable.

Over the course of half a year, Konoha gradually stabilized. However, to Kakashi's dismay, there was not a single sign from the village that it was going to elect the Fifth Hokage.

"Sandaime-sama!"

Clinging to the last shred of hope, Kakashi raised his head and calmly gazed at the Third Hokage. Hiruzen Sarutobi also looked up at Kakashi with a puzzled expression.

"Kakashi, is there anything else you want to report?"

"Third Hokage, recently, with the village stabilizing, there seems to be talk in the tavern about recommending the Fifth Hokage."

Kakashi concealed his expression well at this moment, as if he were testing whether this was the Third Hokage's doing.

However, the Third Hokage was stunned when he heard this. The Fifth Hokage! For a moment, his eyes became somewhat unfocused. Yes, it was time for the village to elect a Fifth Hokage, but who was the candidate?

Who can inherit his Will of Fire to stabilize the village?

Jiraiya was unrestrained and unruly, while Tsunade was willful and irritable. If Tsunade were to become the Fifth Hokage, she would inherit the domineering nature of the Senju clan, and her first act would be to consolidate power. This would inevitably lead to conflicts with the Anbu, Root, and other departments.

The village has just stabilized, and he absolutely does not want to see any turmoil now.

"Kakashi, I understand."

Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed with melancholy, realizing that there was no one left who could inherit his Will of Fire, and felt somewhat dejected.

However, Kakashi's last glimmer of hope was shattered at this moment. He now saw it very clearly: the so-called Will of Fire had long since become the Third Hokage's personal political ideology.

The Will of Fire! The great dedication that the Third Hokage often talks about, yet he cannot accept even the slightest disagreement from others. To put it bluntly, he is a dictator of will, and he becomes more and more dictatorial as he gets older.

"Lord Third Generation, I shall take my leave now."

Looking at Kakashi, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with a relieved expression. "Kakashi, be careful. The village is gradually stabilizing now, so you don't need to rush things at the police department."

"yes!"

As Kakashi walked out of the Hokage's office building, one eye looked up at the bright sunlight, but his heart was ice-cold.

"The Third Hokage has become so engrossed in the Will of Fire he has woven that he cannot tolerate even the slightest imperfection."

Kakashi's calm mind also gave him unique political insights. He clearly understood that Konoha was not lacking candidates for the Fifth Hokage, but rather that the Third Hokage would not allow anyone to cross his bottom line.

Everyone has their own unique understanding of the so-called Will of Fire, but the Third Hokage wanted the next Hokage to completely inherit his will. Isn't that too domineering?

"Slightly weaker than your Will of Fire, and you're considered an unstable factor, bringing turmoil to the village? Why are you so sure! Can't it bring a better tomorrow?"

dictator!

Kakashi sighed with emotion as he walked towards the police department and disappeared into the street.

However, Kakashi's probing today made the Third Hokage sense a conspiracy, and he immediately summoned the village's high-ranking officials to discuss the matter.

Conference room in the Hokage's office building.

After Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura arrived, the three of them calmly looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, wondering what major event had brought them all together.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked at his three friends, lowered his Hokage hat, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said hoarsely, "According to intelligence, the police department is preparing to nominate the Fifth Hokage."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, the one who reacted most fiercely was Shimura Danzo, whose sinister eyes were filled with rage.

"Damn it! They're wolves in sheep's clothing!"

Slamming his fist on the table in anger, Shimura Danzo roared, "The Uchiha's ambitions are too great! Not only has the Uchiha clan's strength increased dramatically with the expansion of the police department, but now their ambitions have grown to the point that they're eyeing the Hokage position! Arrogant!"

In Shimura Danzo's eyes, the Uchiha clan dared to set their sights on the Hokage position because of their blind confidence in the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Koharu Utatane frowned and said in a deep voice, "The Uchiha clan produced a terrifying Mangekyou Sharingan user. Coupled with Uchiha Yoru's current methods and even his reputation, especially among the younger generation, he certainly has the qualifications to talk about the Fifth Hokage."

Koharu Utatane was speaking the truth. The village has now experienced a generational gap. Going back to the era of the Legendary Sannin, only Jiraiya and Tsunade have the ability to participate in the Hokage selection. Down to the next level, only the eighteen-year-old Uchiha Yoru possesses Kage-level strength, especially his unknown Mangekyou Sharingan ability, which is a trump card.

There's a significant gap in this group; there isn't a single ninja around thirty years old with Kage-level combat power – it's a complete gap.

"The Uchiha clan is ambitious; we can't let them succeed. Besides, what the village needs right now is stability!"

After a long silence, Mitokado Homura uttered these words, and the three of them immediately fell silent.

In the past few years, they had personally experienced the rise of a new Hokage, and their power and prestige as a group of elderly high-ranking officials were completely impacted.

Upon assuming power, the Fourth Hokage began cultivating his own strength. It's important to remember that the Third Hokage also existed, and the Hokage's power was limited.

Both Hokage are alive, and the Third Hokage still holds power. So where does the new Hokage's power come from? Isn't it just a share of the power held by everyone else?

After all, the pie is only so big. If the third generation gives up more rights, they also need to give up some in return.

At the same time, watching one's power and prestige gradually eroded is a disheartening experience for anyone; it's human nature.

Looking up at his three old friends, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke and said hoarsely, "The Fourth Hokage is gone. Now that the village is gradually stabilizing, we do need a young new Hokage."

"No way!" Upon hearing that Hiruzen Sarutobi was considering stepping down again, Danzo Shimura angrily slammed his fist on the table in opposition.

Whoever takes over will be younger than the third generation. How will he outlive them? The third generation is so old now, it's finally given him a chance to outlive them. How can he miss this opportunity?

The other three looked at him as if to say, "Your opposition, Danzo, is quite strong."

Danzo Shimura snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, "The new Hokage represents a transfer of power, which will bring turmoil, especially giving the Uchiha clan an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

"If the Uchiha rises to power, Konoha will face unprecedented upheaval. If the Uchiha fails to take power, they will not be unwilling to stir up trouble. Sarutobi, now is not the time to re-select the Fifth Hokage. What the village needs is stability."

Danzo spoke with an air of righteous indignation, but the three men shook their heads at the sight. Who didn't know what was going on in Danzo's mind? He was afraid that the new Hokage's rise to power would affect Root.

After all, not everyone is a third-generation heir, so they can let you run wild like that. Not only is the power of the Root comparable to that of the Dark Division, but they are also aware of some of the evil research being conducted, yet they pretend not to see it.

After all, Danzo's starting point was also for Konoha's sake, and they knew this, which is why they pretended not to see it.

Koharu Utatane nodded solemnly in agreement with Danzo's point of view, "Sarutobi, once the Fifth Hokage is selected, only Jiraiya and Tsunade will be able to overpower the Uchiha."

Jiraiya and Tsunade! These two names made everyone frown.

Tsunade was the last person they wanted to accept, for no other reason than that! In name only, once Tsunade took power, they really couldn't do anything about her.

My grandfather was the first generation, my second grandfather was the second generation, they all have the blood of the Senju clan, and I am the princess of the Land of Fire. With all these identities, can they keep me in check?

Moreover, given Tsunade's fiery temper, any criticism they might offer would likely only result in a rebuke.

Others might think it's a bit much to scold them, but if someone else reprimands them, no one can gossip. Who has a bigger background than them?

To put it bluntly, in their hearts, Tsunade is a shrew who can't be messed with; if she criticizes them, they can only blame themselves.

Therefore, the candidate is Jiraiya!

At this moment, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged a glance and nodded to each other. However, Jiraiya was their last choice. No matter who came to power, their interests and rights would be harmed.

More importantly, those who have held power for years, like the Third Hokage, have a dictatorial mentality: only by following their direction can the village remain stable, and any recklessness will only cause turmoil.

"Hiruzen, Onoki of Iwakage has no intention of stepping down yet. I don't think it's time for the so-called Fifth Hokage."

"That's right. What the village needs right now is stability, and we can't leave the Uchiha clan's instability to the next generation. If we don't handle it well, it will all be our fault."

Koharu Utatane's last words immediately made Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression harden, and even Danzo Shimura snorted coldly.

They all had their own pride. In their generation, the Uchiha clan posed such a great threat, but they lacked the ability to do so and had to hand it over to the next generation.

Isn't this a veiled criticism of their incompetence?

This is also what Hiruzen Sarutobi finds most unacceptable; he cannot tolerate having left such a huge cancerous threat to the village during his political career to the next generation.

"The village may be in turmoil soon."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's resolute tone immediately made everyone understand what he meant. Danzo Shimura simply sneered, "Root will react."

"No!"

Looking at Danzo, even a fool could tell what this guy was up to. Hiruzen Sarutobi's face showed a confident expression.

"Danzo! Send someone to the Uchiha clan and ask the new clan head how the investigation into the Fourth Hokage's death during the Nine-Tails' attack is going!"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, demonstrated the true meaning of "old ginger is spicier."

Take the initiative and directly point out that your Uchiha clan is a suspect in the Nine-Tails incident a few years ago. The previous clan leader, Fugaku, investigated for so long. Now that there's a change in leadership, what have you found out?

While issuing a warning, it also cautioned the ambitious new head of the Uchiha clan that if he wanted to compete for Hokage with his Mangekyou Sharingan, he should first clean up the mess left by the Nine-Tails.

"Hiruzen, it's dangerous for the Uchiha clan to have this idea!"

After the matter was resolved, Koharu Utatane revealed a look of apprehension. The Uchiha clan had been a thorn in their side for a long time, and now their counterattack and ambition made them even more uneasy.

Danzo Shimura, who considered the Uchiha clan to be the greatest threat, revealed a sinister look. "That's right. The Uchiha clan is an extremely dangerous existence. Now, with the Mangekyou Sharingan, their arrogance and conceit will continue to put the Uchiha clan in danger until the influence of the Mangekyou Sharingan is dealt with."

Kaleidoscope! That's what they all fear.

It's not just their individual abilities that are terrifyingly powerful; the impact they bring is enormous. Especially considering that the Uchiha clan itself is an extreme family.

In the eyes of the Uchiha, the Mangekyou Sharingan was equivalent to invincibility, since Wood Release had become extinct.

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(End of this chapter)