I am the new Hokage of Konoha.

In the dimly lit office, Shimura Danzo, known in the ninja world as the "Darkness of the Ninjas," sat in a chair, leaning on a cane.

Standing to the side was his most capable assistant, Ryoma Aburame.

"What has our new Hokage been busy with lately?" A cold and deep voice came from Shimura Danzo.

Ryoma Aburame adjusted his sunglasses and replied, "Just like before, aside from stamping documents at the Hokage Building and chatting with villagers after get off work, I've recently spent a lot of time on personal training. Because the Byakugan is present in the Kage's guards, our people can't get close enough to investigate, so we don't know what the Fourth Hokage is actually training for."

"If we can't find out, we can't find out," Shimura Danzo said calmly, then, as if remembering something, he snorted coldly, "He's just a greenhorn who rose to power by luck, relying on the name of 'Senju.' I suppose he now realizes how much free time he has as Hokage, so he can only expend his energy on training. Hmph! Hiruzen really has a good plan!"

Clearly, Danzo Shimura is still unhappy about not being able to become Hokage, and that Orochimaru, whom he recommended, also failed to become Hokage.

"Forget it! Let's put the Fourth Hokage matter aside for now. What's going on with Orochimaru lately?" Shimura Danzo slammed his cane on the ground, displeased. "The experiments I've given him lately are progressing much slower than usual. What's he thinking? Has he not yet recovered from his failure to become Hokage?"

"As for Orochimaru... he doesn't seem to be affected by his failure to become Hokage." Aburame Ryoma hesitated for a moment before stating his opinion. "On the contrary, he seems to be spending more time in the lab lately, although much of his research is outside the scope of what we require."

Danzo Shimura said coldly, "The resources Root gave him are not for him to use on his own. It seems I have to remind him personally."

"In addition, Orochimaru's experiments have required a large number of living people recently, which Root has not been able to meet. He personally went outside to bring back quite a few, and it seems that this matter has slipped up a bit and has already attracted some attention in the village." Aburame Ryūne added, as if he had thought of something.

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo frowned: "How could he be so careless? There are plenty of people outside the village if you need them. Why did Orochimaru have to make a move inside the village? Ryuma, send someone to suppress this matter first. As for Orochimaru... it seems we can't delay. I must go and have a detailed talk with him as soon as possible."

After saying that, Danzo Shimura stood up and walked towards the Root Laboratory.

"By the way, Kirigakure has been unstable lately. The conflict between the village's higher-ups and the bloodline limit families seems to be getting worse. Let's send another team of Root ninjas there. If there's an opportunity, we can add fuel to the fire in their conflict."

Danzo Shimura's figure had disappeared into the darkness, leaving only his ruthless voice echoing in the room.

"Yes!"

Aburame Ryoma calmly accepted the order.

Deeply embedded in the darkness, its roots constantly absorb nutrients from the leaf's main body, yet when facing external enemies, it will still fearlessly unleash its sharp sword.

This is an extremely sharp double-edged sword.

......

The Uchiha clan, also considered a double-edged sword and even a thorn in the side of the Konoha advisory group, was also quite lively at this time.

Nanga Shrine.

Every so often, the main ninjas from the Uchiha clan would come here to hold closed-door meetings and discuss important clan matters.

Today is no exception.

Inside the shrine.

Sitting in the first seat, Fugaku Uchiha frowned as he watched the noisy scene on either side of him.

The reason for this is simply that the clansmen are dissatisfied with the village's upper echelons.

Especially this time, in their view, the Uchiha clan contributed greatly and made great sacrifices in this third war. Not only did they lose the Hokage position that should have belonged to them, but their former nemesis, another Senju, also took the position.

It's worth noting that if you include the First and Second Hokage, the Senju clan accounts for three of the four heads currently on the Hokage Rock.

This must be incredibly difficult for those who co-founded Konoha with the Senju clan and are considered elders of Konoha.

As a result, the mood within the Uchiha clan is currently very volatile, and the power of the militant faction has surged.

While it's not quite to the point where, apart from a very small minority, most people agree to launch a bloodless revolution like it was six or seven years later, there are now faint signs of that happening.

Therefore, Fugaku Uchiha, as the head of the family, was very tired at this time.

Although he may choose a bloodless revolution in the future, it is more often due to the overwhelming public opinion that he cannot defy.

Essentially, he still hoped to resolve the conflict through a gentler approach.

Finally, after several hours of meetings, Fugaku Uchiha, exhausted, returned home and saw his son Itachi Uchiha standing blankly by the pond. He walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and said:

"Itachi, what are you thinking about?"

Fugaku Uchiha was always very satisfied and proud of his son, who had an exceptionally outstanding talent as a ninja.

"Father, I am thinking about ninjutsu."

It was the young Itachi who lied.

He was taken to the battlefield by his own father at the age of four and killed people with his own hands. At this time, he was pondering the question of "what is the meaning of life" that many adults would never consider.

Fugaku Uchiha was naturally unaware that his son possessed the potential of a philosopher at such a young age. He said with satisfaction, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," before stepping into the house.

Inside, Uchiha Mikoto, her belly already heaving, gently greeted her.

After a brief moment of tenderness between the couple, Mikoto Uchiha smiled and said, "I ran into Kushina on the street today. I didn't expect that she was pregnant like me."

After a slight pause, Fugaku Uchiha smiled and said, "Kushina is pregnant? It seems Minato is going to be a father."

In the previous great battle, he had joined forces with Minato Namikaze, and given the close friendship between Mikoto and Kushina, the two families had a pretty good relationship.

'It's a pity. If Minato had become Hokage, the Uchiha clan's situation would have been much better.'

Fugaku Uchiha suddenly had an idea.

Then, he remembered that Kushina was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, and during her childbirth period, it was possible that outside forces might take advantage of the situation.

But after a moment's thought, he gave a slight sneer.

The things I can think of, the higher-ups in Konoha can't.

I'm afraid that by then the latter will not only be wary of external enemies, but also of himself, the Sharingan user.

Mikoto, unaware of her husband's recent emotional journey, touched her stomach after recounting Kushina's story, and said expectantly:

"I wonder if Kushina and I are having boys or girls. If they're both boys, I think they'll definitely become best friends someday."

"Of course, they will also be an amazing pair of ninja partners." Fugaku Uchiha placed his hand on his wife's belly and smiled expectantly.

Chapter Eleven: The Wet Bone Forest

The Hokage's office.

The pungent smell of smoke filled the room.

Yunting does not smoke.

The only person in the entire Hidden Leaf Village who could smoke freely in his office was the highly respected Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Protection Plan?"

After taking the scroll that Hiruzen Sarutobi had specially handed him, Yun Ting opened it and looked at it, then said with a complicated expression.

So, has this day finally come?

Looking at the scroll containing the pregnancy information for Kushina Uzumaki issued by Konoha Hospital, Yun Ting thought of the Nine-Tails' rampage ten months later.

The countdown has now officially begun.

Across the desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffing on his pipe, said, "Kushina's pregnancy as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki is extremely important for Konoha. After all, during her weakest period, there's no guarantee that hostile forces won't come to sabotage her. If the Nine-Tails goes out of control, it will pose a serious threat to Konoha."

Yun Ting suppressed his thoughts and agreed, "Indeed, especially during childbirth, that's when the Nine-Tails is most likely to lose control."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded: "The most stringent protection will be in place at that time, but before that, the village will need to arrange more ANBU personnel to protect Kushina."

"Could we take Kushina to a secluded place where no one can find her and hide her away during her pregnancy? That way, we can avoid outside attention as much as possible. At the very least, those with ulterior motives won't know her due date, allowing her to get through that day with minimal risk," Yun Ting suddenly thought of an idea.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was somewhat tempted, but after a moment's thought, he hesitated and said, "Given Kushina's personality, I'm afraid it would be difficult for her to do."

Um...

Thinking about Naruto's reaction if he were confined to one place for ten months, given that Naruto inherited his mother's personality, Yun Ting decisively shook his head.

If that's the case, Kushina, nicknamed "Red Hot Chili Pepper," coupled with the fact that pregnant women are prone to anger and irritability, probably won't stay long before she turns her hideout to smithereens.

Never mind, let's just pretend he didn't say anything.

Yun Ting lowered his head again and looked through the list of ANBU protection chosen by Hiruzen Sarutobi in the scroll. Kakashi Hatake's name was on the list.

"Kakashi was someone Minato specifically requested to join after learning about the plan," Hiruzen Sarutobi explained, having observed the situation. "Minato hoped that Kakashi could find peace of mind while protecting Kushina and move on from his past trauma."

"Witnessing new life come into the world bit by bit is indeed a ray of warm sunshine that Kakashi, who is in despair, can hold onto tightly. The Third Hokage's personnel arrangements are very reasonable, and I have no objections."

As he spoke, Yun Ting signed his name next to Hiruzen Sarutobi's signature on the scroll.

Since it concerns the Jinchuriki, even though Hiruzen Sarutobi wields considerable power, he still has to explain this matter to the Fourth Hokage, Kumo-tei.

“In that case, I will instruct the Anbu to carry it out.” Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the scroll and stood up to bid farewell to Yun Ting.

Soon, only Yun Ting remained in the Hokage's office.

Unlike his clansman Tsunade, whose future desk would be piled high with documents after she became the Fifth Hokage, Yun Ting now has it much easier.

After quickly finishing the few documents, he got up from his chair and looked out the window behind him, but his real attention was drifting far, far away.

The Nine-Tailed Fox's rampage is imminent. In fact, he had considered whether to go to the Land of Rain and kill the mastermind before he arrived.

He didn't have this ability before, but now that he possesses Wood Release and has mastered many powerful Wood Release techniques, he is confident in it.

After all, Obito Uchiha was still just a kid in his early teens, and even with the Mangekyou Sharingan, his combat skills were still quite raw.

This can be seen from the fact that when Minato Namikaze fought him, he saw through his abilities in a short time and broke his right arm in one move, almost preventing him from escaping.

At this time, Obito Uchiha was far from reaching the level of strength that would shake the ninja world more than a decade later.

However, while Yun Ting's idea was good, it was basically impossible to realize.

His current status as the Fourth Hokage alone dictates that he cannot wander around recklessly.

Leaving aside the fact that they went to the Land of Rain, the impact and consequences of simply leaving Konoha Village were astonishing.

In addition, Obito Uchiha was not without help at this time.

Nagato, who possesses the Rinnegan, and Konan, whose strength should not be underestimated.

With the three of them working together, Yun Ting couldn't guarantee that he would be able to come out again after going in.

Although he knows Wood Release, he is not Hashirama Senju after all.

Therefore, all Yun Ting can do now is to continuously improve his strength while maintaining strict defenses.

However, even with the strongest protection, how effective would it be against an enemy with the power of space-time and the best infiltration ability in the ninja world?

Could it be that I was by Kushina's side the whole time?

Stop messing around!

It's understandable for a woman to have her husband by her side when she's about to give birth.