The Uchiha Clan's Sun

"If we can catch some loess this time, things will be much better!"

Orochimaru's experience was indeed much richer than Minato Namikaze's, and he discovered the crux of the problem before Minato did!

Minato Namikaze looked somewhat serious as he began to wonder if it was too late to grab the yellow earth!

Seeing this, Uchiha Jin comforted him, saying, "Minato, don't worry too much. Whether it's the internal issues of Konoha's compensation, subsidies, post-war reconstruction, and defense deployment, or the issues of negotiating with other major ninja villages, it all boils down to one word: 'money'!"

"With enough money, all problems will be solved!"

Minato Namikaze pondered this carefully and realized that it seemed to be just as Uchiha Jin had said.

Konoha's internal problems can be attributed to spending money, while its external problems can be attributed to needing money!

If Konoha can secure enough money from other countries as a victorious nation, it can resolve its internal problems and deliver a perfect result.

Uchiha Jin continued, "And problems that can be solved with money aren't really problems! I already have a preliminary idea, but I'll discuss the specifics when I get back to the village and see how things go!"

Minato Namikaze nodded. He had absolute trust in King Uchiha. Since King Uchiha said he had a way, then there would be no mistake.

Orochimaru suddenly spoke up, "By the way, Itachi and I won't be going back to the village with you this time. You should go back first!"

Uchiha Jin was taken aback upon hearing this, then seemed to realize something and looked at Uchiha Itachi beside him.

He remembered that Orochimaru seemed to have a research base near the Tenchi Bridge.

Orochimaru didn't hide anything and explained, "I have a secret laboratory nearby. The experiments on Itachi have reached a critical point. I want to wait until the experiments on him are completed before returning to the village, otherwise a large amount of experimental data will be lost!"

Uchiha Jin and the others didn't say much after hearing this, but simply told Orochimaru to be careful.

Once all the Konoha ninjas had assembled, Uchiha Jin and the others did not linger and led the way towards the Land of Fire!

Chapter 233 An Unpleasant Guest Arrives!

Shortly after the Konoha ninja withdrew, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Onoki, arrived at the Tenchi Bridge with two thousand Iwagakure troops.

Ōnoki floated in mid-air, looking down at the corpses of Iwagakure ninja scattered on the ground below, his expression extremely grim.

Ever since learning of the defeat at Kikyo Mountain Fortress, Onoki has been extremely anxious. He has urgently gathered two thousand troops from Iwagakure and rushed to the Land of Grass to help the defeated Iwagakure ninja retreat!

That's over two thousand Iwagakure ninja! His son, Kyoto, was among them!

Onoki skipped almost all unnecessary procedures and discarded any cumbersome steps that would slow him down! But he didn't expect that even though he rushed as fast as he could, he was still a step too late!

Judging from the current situation on the ground, the battle has only lasted for about an hour at most.

With over two thousand Iwagakure ninja wiped out in just over an hour, it's no wonder Onoki's expression was grim!

"report!"

Just then, several Iwagakure reconnaissance squad members rushed back from the opposite jungle and shouted Onoki's name from the ground.

Onoki's figure slowly descended, and he spoke in an icy voice, "Speak!"

The Iwagakure reconnaissance ninja said in a deep voice, "We tracked them all the way to the border of the Land of Grass, and found that the Konoha ninjas had retreated back into the Land of Fire and were building a defensive line on the border!"

"Also, it seems another batch of reinforcements has arrived from Konoha, bringing the total number to around three thousand!"

Onoki's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "Who is the leader of the opposing ninja?"

Upon hearing this, a strange glint flashed in the eyes of the Iwagakure reconnaissance ninja, who said, "It's Konoha's Yellow Flash Minato Namikaze and Red Sun King Uchiha! They deliberately let us see them!"

"In addition, we found a surviving Iwagakure ninja. According to the information he provided, the people from Konoha who participated in this battle also included Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, and an unknown Uchiha powerhouse!"

Upon hearing this, Onoki's expression darkened further. He knew that he had no choice but to accept this loss.

With four powerful figures guarding the opposite side, he had no chance to retaliate. If he acted rashly, he and his two thousand men would also be lost!

"Clean up the battlefield, collect the corpses, and then... go back!"

Ōnoki knew that this war could only end here, and he decisively gave the order.

However, the war is over, but Iwagakure will not let it go so easily!

......

Three days later, Uchiha Jin and Namikaze Minato returned to Konoha Village with more than two thousand Konoha ninja, greeted by the villagers lining the streets.

Not long after the battle ended three days ago, reinforcements sent by Nara Shikaku arrived. Together they guarded the border against a sneak attack from Iwagakure and kept a close watch on the movements of the Iwagakure army.

It wasn't until Onoki led the Iwagakure army out of the Land of Grass and back to the Land of Earth that Konoha finally breathed a sigh of relief and began making arrangements for the retreat.

After entrusting all the trivial matters to Minato Namikaze and the others, Jin Uchiha led the hundred-odd Uchiha ninja who had survived the war back to the Uchiha clan's territory.

When Uchiha Jin left the village this time, he took more than 250 ninjas from five battalions of the Konoha Guard. Now, only a little over 100 have returned alive. In just a few days, the number of people lost was more than the number lost in the Third Shinobi World War over several years!

This also shows how fierce the battle was!

However, the more than one hundred Uchiha ninjas that Uchiha Jin brought back were all elites! At least they had all awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan, and most of them had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan!

If we're only talking about strength, this might be considered a significant improvement for the Uchiha clan!

But things can't be calculated like that. Behind those 150-plus Uchiha ninjas who sacrificed their lives were more than 100 families!

There are still many things that Uchiha Jin, the head of the Uchiha clan, needs to handle!

After sending his hundred-plus Uchiha ninjas home, Uchiha Jin himself did not go home. Instead, he went straight to the Konoha Police Department and sent someone to summon the First Elder Uchiha Setsuna, the Second Elder Uchiha Ya, and Uchiha Fugaku to the Konoha Police Department.

No sooner had Uchiha Jin stepped into his office than a Konoha police officer knocked on the door and entered.

Uchiha Jin sat down on the sofa and asked, "What is it?"

The Uchiha ninja said, "Minister, Mitokado Homura and Shimura Danzo from the Hokage Building have arrived. They say they have something urgent to discuss with you!"

"Mitokado Homura and Shimura Danzo?" Uchiha Jin was taken aback and said with some surprise, "They arrived really quickly. Call them over!"

After a pause, Uchiha Jin added, "By the way, when the First Elder, Second Elder, and Captain Fugaku arrive, tell them to wait in the conference room first."

"Yes!"

The Uchiha ninja respectfully acknowledged the greeting, bowed, and left the office.

Before long, the elders of Konoha, Hokage's assistant Mitokado Homura, and Shimura Danzo walked in together.

Although both men were expressionless, a closer look would reveal a hint of urgency deep in Mitokado Homura's eyes, while Shimura Danzo's gaze was filled with undisguised inquiry and questioning.

Uchiha Jin smiled and said, "You two are truly rare guests. Please have a seat."

"Minister Jin, I apologize for the intrusion," Mitomon Homura said first, speaking politely. "Minister Jin, you should have been resting for a while after returning from the battlefield, but the matter is urgent, so I had no choice but to come now!"

“It’s nothing,” Uchiha Jin waved his hand and said, “I wonder what matter requires the two elders to make this trip in person?”

Mitokado Homura, who had come here to test Uchiha Jin's attitude, didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Of course it's about the 3 billion ryo subsidy for the daimyo!"

"Speaking of which, Minister Jin, you really have some tricks up your sleeve. You managed to make contact with the Daimyo Prefecture without making a sound!"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Jin feigned sudden realization and said, "Elder Mitomon, so that's what you were talking about. The Daimyo Prefecture did indeed allocate 3 billion ryo in subsidies to the Uchiha clan. Is there a problem with that?"

Upon hearing this, Mitokado Homura frowned slightly and said, "Minister Jin, you need to make your words clear. The 3 billion yen subsidy from the Daimyo Prefecture was allocated to the village, not to your Uchiha clan. It's just being temporarily held by your Uchiha clan!"

Uchiha Jin smiled and said, "Elder Mitomon, what you said is true, but you didn't say everything. This fund from the Daimyo Prefecture is not only entrusted to my Uchiha clan for safekeeping, but also to my Uchiha clan for distribution!"

"And it's not just this one sum of money; every sum of money that the Daimyo Prefecture allocates to Konoha in the future will be like this!"

Upon hearing this, Mitokado Homura's face immediately darkened!

Chapter 234 Hiruzen Sarutobi is now just a casual employee!

It's important to understand that storage and distribution are two completely different concepts!

If it's just safekeeping, then at most the Uchiha clan can restrict your funding for various projects, preventing you from getting things done.

However, the distribution would put all the initiative in the hands of the Uchiha clan!

At that point, it won't be a matter of whether you can accomplish anything, but rather the Uchiha clan being able to do whatever they want!

Mitokado Homura immediately retorted, "Uchiha Jin, when the Daimyo said he would hand over the subsidy funds to your Uchiha clan, he didn't say that this money would also be given to your Uchiha clan for distribution!"

Uchiha Jin said with amusement, "Oh, is Elder Mitomon sure the Daimyo didn't mention it? Why don't we go and ask the Daimyo?"

Although Uchiha Jin didn't know whether the Daimyo had discussed the 'distribution' with Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Daimyo was currently on the side of the Uchiha clan, so Uchiha Jin was completely fearless.

Mitokado Homura hesitated. It wasn't him who went to the daimyo's residence, so he couldn't be sure if the daimyo had said those words. But even if the daimyo hadn't said them to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the daimyo was clearly on the Uchiha clan's side. If he went to find the daimyo and it turned out to be true, it would be a disaster!

Mitokado Homura immediately downplayed the issue, saying, "Regardless of whether the Daimyo said this or not, this matter is against the rules! Your Uchiha clan is the head of the Konoha Police Department, not the head of the Konoha Finance Department. Under what identity or pretext are you distributing this money?"

"Not only will I disagree with this, but the village will also disagree!"

Uchiha Jin nodded upon hearing this, saying, "Actually, I think so too! After all, cats catch mice and dogs guard the gate; everyone has their own role. My Konoha Police Department doesn't want to meddle in other people's business!"

"Uh......"

These words stunned Mitokado Homura, who was already prepared to refute them. It was as if he had punched a cotton ball with all his might, which was extremely uncomfortable!

Although he didn't know why Uchiha Jin suddenly backed down, Mitokado Homura seized the opportunity and said, "It's good that Minister Jin understands. Your Konoha Police Department just needs to do a good job of ensuring the security of the subsidy funds; that's your job..."

Halfway through his sentence, Mitokado Homura suddenly paused, his voice abruptly stopping.

Danzo Shimura, who had remained silent until now, looked at Homura Mitokado with surprise, wondering how Homura Mitokado could have said such a thing!

Uchiha Jin immediately interjected, "Please rest assured, village. The Konoha Police Department will not slack off and will ensure the security of this 3 billion ryo subsidy!"

Mitokado Homura's face immediately darkened; he had been dragged into a trap by Uchiha Jin!

Originally, Mitokado Homura only came today to test Uchiha Jin's attitude before deciding what means to take back the power to manage the subsidy funds!

But this has backfired, as his words have directly confirmed that the Uchiha clan will be in charge of the subsidy funds from now on.

Mitokado Homura's expression was very unpleasant, but Uchiha Jin's smile grew wider and wider.

This is known as the broken windows theory!

When you want to open a window in your house but are stopped by many people, you might as well suggest tearing down the roof first. That way, those who would have stopped you from opening the window might actually suggest opening a window themselves in order to stop you from tearing down the roof!

Mitokado Homura's original focus was on 'safekeeping', but when Uchiha Jin proposed 'distribution', all of Mitokado Homura's previous preparations were in vain, and he lost his composure and was inadvertently led astray by Uchiha Jin.

"Alright, that's settled then. Let's get down to business!"

At that moment, Danzo Shimura suddenly broke the silence, confirming the matter once again while also changing the subject.

Mitokado Homura looked at Shimura Danzo with some surprise, but Shimura Danzo gave him a look that said "stay calm" and signaled him to continue with the plan.

Uchiha Jin gave Shimura Danzo a meaningful look, but didn't say anything more.

Mitokado Homura took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing his doubts, and took out several documents he had prepared beforehand, placing them in front of Uchiha Jin. He said, "Minister Jin, I'm sure the Daimyo told you when he handed over the 3 billion ryo subsidy to your Uchiha clan that this money is for issuing pensions and allowing Konoha to recuperate."

"The village has just suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Kikyo Mountain Fortress, and we need to finalize the compensation issue as soon as possible to stabilize the situation."

"Furthermore, the damage caused to the village by the Cloud Village delegation needs to be repaired as soon as possible!"

"This is the budget prepared by our Ministry of Finance for these two matters. Please review it, Minister Jin!"

Uchiha Jin casually picked up the document handed to him by Mitokado Homura and flipped through it, saying, "Elder Mitokado, you flatter me. I'm just a warrior and I don't know anything about accounts. As long as the village decides on this matter and follows the procedures, I can just sign it. Why make it so complicated!"

Uchiha Jin's attitude made Mitokado Homura feel a little better, thinking to himself that Uchiha Jin was at least sensible.

Mitomon Homura said, "Since Minister Jin has no problem with this, then sign and pay!"

“No rush, no rush,” Uchiha Jin shook his head upon hearing this, saying, “While I have no problem with the two budgets, there seems to be some issue with the process!”

"There's a problem with the process?" Mitomon Homura was taken aback and asked in confusion, "What's wrong with the process?"

Mitokado Yan suddenly had a bad feeling, but the contents of both budgets were carefully prepared by them, and there was basically no possibility of problems in the process!

Uchiha Jin flipped to the last page of both budgets in his hand, pointed to the name in the Hokage's signature section, and said, "Elder Mitomon, why is the Hokage's signature Hiruzen Sarutobi?"

"If I remember correctly, Hiruzen Sarutobi went to the Daimyo's residence a few days ago to report for duty and officially stepped down as Hokage. Now he's just a figurehead, right?"

"What qualifications does he have to sign this document?"

Mitokado Homura was stunned upon hearing this, and looked at Uchiha Jin in disbelief.

Indeed, Hiruzen Sarutobi has already stepped down from his position as Hokage, and without the Fourth Hokage taking over, Hiruzen Sarutobi is not even a Konoha elder or Hokage assistant right now!

However, due to Hiruzen Sarutobi's power, before the Fourth Hokage is chosen, everyone in Konoha still regards him as the Hokage.

But if we really take it to a whole new level, Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't actually have much power right now!

Danzo Shimura's expression was also quite interesting, with a glint of light even flashing in his single eye; it was unclear what he was thinking.

Chapter 235 Danzo: I do not recognize him as the acting Hokage!

Mitomon Homura's mind raced, because he had never imagined that anyone would bring up Hiruzen Sarutobi's identity, so he was completely unprepared to deal with it. Caught off guard, he could only think of a way to deal with it on the spot.