Projection magicians starting from the Uchiha clan

"It's probably because you're not a taijutsu-type ninja, Fugaku-kun. Physical strength isn't your strong point. But for you, the effect it provides isn't actually that strong."

Orochimaru observed Fugaku's actions and began recording data.

"In reality, the current limit of the armor's enhancement is for ordinary taijutsu-type Jonin. It has no effect on stronger ninjas."

Fugaku carefully considered his current strength and speed and found that his improvement was not significant. He had only noticed it before because his strength had stagnated after activating the Mangekyou Sharingan.

He was just about to use the ninjutsu engraved on his armor when Orochimaru stopped him.

"Get out of here. Don't use ninjutsu here," Orochimaru said sternly.

"Okay." Fugaku slunk away from the lab.

Upon arriving at the training ground, Fugaku began testing the recorded ninjutsu.

"Then let's try the left hand first." As he circulated his chakra, a huge fireball appeared in his hand.

"So it's a Great Fireball." Fugaku threw the fireball at the target, and it exploded.

"Then the right hand." The lightning transformed into the shape of a wolf. With a thought, Fugaku sent the lightning wolf charging at the target, then it exploded into electricity.

"Thunder Beast Chasing Fang? It's also a C-rank ninjutsu."

"Where's my left foot?" Fugaku stomped his left foot on the ground, and Earth Release chakra surged from the ground, causing an earthen wall to rise up.

"Earth Release: Earth Wall, it even has defensive ninjutsu." He couldn't help but exclaim, feeling surprised by the functionality of the armor.

"Finally, it's the right foot." He kicked up his right foot, and a huge wind blade shot out from his foot, tearing the earth apart.

After briefly familiarizing himself with the armor's performance, Fugaku fell silent. If the previous ninja gun could only threaten a genin...

However, the current chakra armor, if worn by a Chunin, would be enough to kill a Jonin. Jonin are few in number in each ninja village and are the core strength of the village, but the number of Chunin far exceeds that of Jonin.

Is the emergence of this weapon really a good thing? Fugaku couldn't make a judgment. His only consolation was that Iori was one of his own.

Chapter 147 The Succession of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze

Fugaku appeared at the laboratory door, having just completed testing the new armor, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Orochimaru noticed Fugaku's return and asked, "How does it feel? Is it easy to use?"

Fugaku paused for a moment, avoiding the question, and instead asked, "Lord Orochimaru, how much did this armor cost?"

"It's still very expensive now, around 50 million taels, not including labor costs."

Orochimaru licked his lips and said with some helplessness, "Although prototypes are never made without considering costs, this number is indeed too high."

In the main story, Asuma's head was worth 35 million ryo, and the cost of a suit of armor was roughly equivalent to one and a half Asuma's.

It's important to know that Asuma was an elite Jonin, one of the former Twelve Guardian Ninjas of the Land of Fire, and the son of the Third Hokage.

A kill has a high premium; even an ordinary Jonin wouldn't be nearly as expensive.

Orochimaru continued, "This armor incorporates a large amount of chakra-conducting metal, and the sealing runes used require mastery of both sealing techniques and the magic runes taught by Iori-kun."

"The high cost is due to the lack of suitable alternatives."

"It is indeed expensive, but it is worth the price," Fugaku said with some emotion.

The strength and speed of a taijutsu-type Jonin, along with his C-rank ninjutsu that can be used instantly without hand seals, are enough to defeat a Jonin in the hands of a Chunin who has rich combat experience but is limited by his talent and cannot continue to grow stronger.

"Lord Orochimaru, please give me ten sets of this armor." Fugaku, being wealthy and generous, readily paid the price equivalent to fifteen Asuma's heads.

"There's no rush now. Let's wait for Iori-kun's decision," Orochimaru said, waving his hand.

"I remember he mentioned that other countries had also researched similar chakra armor. He said he would wait until he got the samples or data to see if he could improve it or reduce the cost."

"Then we will consider mass production, since the cost is indeed high and we can't afford to waste it."

"Alright, it seems it will take some more time." Fugaku reluctantly took off his armor; he had grown to love the convenience it offered.

Orochimaru took a scroll from the cabinet and handed it to Fugaku.

"What is this, a sealing technique?" Fugaku asked疑惑地问道 after opening the scroll.

"Yes, this is a sealing technique to recharge the chakra armor and battery. Once you learn it, the armor will be in its complete form," Orochimaru said.

Fugaku put the scroll away and suddenly asked, "Isn't Lord Orochimaru going to attend the Fourth Hokage's inauguration ceremony?"

While Iori and the others were engrossed in their experiments, Minato was out campaigning for votes.

After Iori chose to support him, the Jonin from both the Uchiha and Senju clans voted for him.

Thanks to the efforts of his teammate Akimichi Tou, Minato secured the support of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and his teammate Inuzuka Jacques also brought him a Jonin vote from the Inuzuka clan.

In addition, there was the support of Hiruzen Sarutobi himself and the Sarutobi faction he led.

Minato received almost unanimous approval in the Hokage vote at the Konoha Jonin Conference.

Needless to say, Minato, a commoner ninja with a distinguished military record and an approachable personality, was elected with a high number of votes in the village election.

Just yesterday, Minato, led by the Third Hokage, went to the Daimyo's castle in the Land of Fire to pay homage to the Daimyo.

Today marks their return and their official inauguration.

"Ha, why bother watching this monkey show? Iori-kun can't wait twenty years. Minato is just a transitional phase."

Orochimaru said with a cold laugh that he did not hate Minato, but he could not forget the betrayal by his teacher, the Third Hokage.

"Although I don't know what Iori-kun will do, or whether Minato-kun will die a violent death, he certainly won't be the Hokage for long."

"When I realized that Iori-kun's goal was to become Hokage, I consciously gave up the position. I think you, who have been defeated before, should understand this deeply."

"Yes, that suffocating feeling of facing a god, if possible, I would like to face it a second time." Fugaku covered his eyes and smiled bitterly. Even now, thinking about it, his eyes still felt a phantom pain.

"You may leave now. I need to continue my research, so I won't entertain you any longer." Orochimaru gave him the order to leave, as he didn't want to waste any more of his research time.

"Then I'll go first." Fugaku nodded slightly, and his figure gradually disappeared at the door of the laboratory.

He was going to the plaza to wait for Minato Namikaze's speech and the ceremony for his succession as Hokage.

-----------------

Above the Hokage Building, Minato Namikaze stood on the high platform, his figure appearing exceptionally tall and straight in the sunlight.

The villagers slowly gathered in the square, their eyes filled with anticipation. Although Shuimen's rise to power had been orchestrated by three generations of people, it was still a popular choice.

Minato stood atop the building, took a deep breath, and began his inaugural address to the villagers of Konoha.

"Today, I have been chosen as the Fourth Hokage of Konoha. This is not only an honor, but also a heavy responsibility. I will shoulder the responsibility of protecting Konoha."

"Konoha's future path will not be smooth sailing; we will encounter many difficulties and obstacles."

"But please believe me, no matter how great the difficulties we encounter, I will stand firmly on the front line and fight alongside you."

"I will inherit the will of the Hokage and dedicate everything I have to Konoha."

As Shuimen finished speaking, thunderous applause and cheers erupted in the square.

After the three Hokage's twenty-year reign ended, Konoha welcomed a new Hokage, the young Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

After the crowd dispersed in the square, the water gate slowly walked back into the building from the high platform.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was waiting for him in the Hokage's office.

"Minato, how does it feel to become Hokage?" the Third Hokage asked with a smile, puffing on his pipe.

"I feel both happy and heavy, as if the weight of the entire village is on my shoulders. Third Hokage, thank you for your support. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have become Hokage so easily."

Minato looked at the Third Hokage and said gratefully.

"Minato, you may be facing an unprecedentedly difficult situation. Uchiha Iori is a dangerous man. You cannot trust him too much. The Hokage position cannot fall into the hands of the Uchiha."

The Third Hokage exhaled a smoke ring and earnestly stated that he did not object to the Uchiha clan integrating into the village or even holding high positions, but he would never accept the Uchiha clan succeeding him as Hokage.

“Third Hokage, Iori and I are still young. I have plenty of time to see his true character,” Minato said firmly, shaking his head.

“If he is really not suitable, I will turn against him and not support him to become the fifth generation. But if he is suitable, I will not reject him because of his bloodline.”

"Minato, you'll regret this," the Third Hokage sighed, speaking with a sense of helplessness.

"Third Hokage, I am now the Hokage, and I will take responsibility for my decision," Minato said resolutely.

Chapter 148 The Post-Three Generations Era

After Minato succeeded as Hokage, Konoha Village ushered in a rare period of peace.

Sunlight bathed Konoha Village, its golden rays filtering through the treetops and dappling the busy villagers.

The children's laughter was crisp and melodious as they chased and played in the streets, carefree, as if the shadow of war had never shrouded this land.

Not long ago, on a quiet night, Iori happened to encounter Kakashi dressed in ANBU attire.

Although he wore a mask, his silver-white hair, the dagger on his back, and the fact that only one eye was open completely betrayed him.

"Kakashi, long time no see. Are you alright?" Iori asked, looking at him. Although he already had the answer in his heart, he still wanted to get confirmation from Kakashi.

"I'm sorry, senior, I have a mission to complete and cannot say more," Kakashi said indifferently. His voice was calm and still, like a stagnant pool, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Iori didn't ask any further questions, but simply watched Kakashi's figure gradually disappear into the distance.

[Minato became Hokage, Kakashi joined the Anbu and turned into this state; it seems Rin Nohara is dead, and the chosen ones Naruto and Sasuke should be born soon.]

[I wonder how Obito will deal with me? Even if he's an idiot, there's still Black Zetsu to help fill in the gaps, and not just me, but also Shisui and Fugaku.]

[If we three aren't lured away, Obito's plan to destroy Konoha will never succeed.]

After a moment's thought, Iori withdrew her gaze and slowly left.

After a long while, on the deserted street, a white figure slowly rose from the ground.

"What a man without any weaknesses." Bai Jue scratched his head in distress. He had been staring at Yi Zhi for a long time, but because he was wary of Yi Zhi's perception ability, he had not dared to get too close.

However, based on the intelligence gathered from current surveillance, Iori is a powerful fighter who is proficient in immortal arts and sealing techniques, and can also heal herself and teleport.

He was a monster among monsters, completely without any flaws. Black Zetsu even thought that even a fully victorious Madara Uchiha might not be his match.

Just before Madara died, he wanted to launch a surprise attack on Iori and try to take him to hell, but Black Zetsu tried his best to dissuade him.

The concern was that Iori might use sealing techniques to seal Madara's soul during the battle, causing the subsequent resurrection plan to fail.

"It seems we can only try to lure him away. Fortunately, he's not the Hokage, and fortunately, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura never trusted him."

White Zetsu muttered to himself before diving back underground and disappearing into the night.