The Uchiha's Stairway, The Hyuga's Abyss.

Fugaku Uchiha walked ahead, his face expressionless, but a fire burned in his heart.

Money, power... and one more thing.

The Daimyo Manor was holding an Imperial Concubine Selection for the new lord.

If he could send a Uchiha woman there, one who would bear a child with the Sharingan...

Fugaku Uchiha suddenly realized that the Hokage position he had once been so fixated on now seemed trivial.

Hyuga Hiashi followed not far behind, his face dark.

He, too, had thought of the Daimyo's concubine selection.

This was a more troublesome problem for the Hyuga than the Twelve Guardian Ninja—the Byakugan could not be allowed to leave the clan.

But refusing the Daimyo meant open defiance.

Hyuga Hiashi felt trapped, with death on both sides.

Shikaku Nara strolled leisurely at the rear.

He glanced at Fugaku Uchiha's back, then cast a sidelong look at Hyuga Hiashi.

Genius training, the Twelve Guardian Ninja...

These were all out in the open.

What was truly deadly was what couldn't be seen.

For example, the concubine selection.

The Uchiha saw a shortcut.

The Hyuga saw an abyss.

"The times are about to change!"

Shikaku Nara muttered to himself.

Without turning around, he lightly waved his hand behind him.

"Inoichi, Choza, come have a drink at my place."

"Alright!"

Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi answered without hesitation, their voices low and firm.

Three figures broke away from the crowd, moving in silent accord toward the Nara clan compound.

In the Nara family courtyard, deer grazed leisurely in the back garden, oblivious to the turmoil outside.

On the stone table, warmed sake released a rich, mellow aroma.

Choza Akimichi grabbed his cup, downed it in one gulp, and slammed it heavily onto the table with a dull thud.

His voice was gruff, his tone stifled.

"What kind of nonsense is this! The Daimyo's trying to stick his hand right into our heads!"

"Not just our heads." Inoichi Yamanaka swirled his cup gently, his eyes sharp. "I can feel it—the hearts of the people in the village are already starting to waver."

Shikaku Nara leaned against a pillar, watching the deer, and spoke slowly.

"Because this isn't a conspiracy. It's an open scheme."

"Money—it gives those civilian ninja with no background a chance to rise, and they'll only be grateful to the Daimyo."

"Power—the glory of the Guardians of the Twelve can drive any clan that wants to prove itself mad."

"Look at the way Fugaku was just now. He'd happily pack up the entire Uchiha clan and offer them up on a silver platter."

Choza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka both fell silent.

"Then... what about the concubine selection?"

Inoichi Yamanaka's voice was a little dry.

A child with the Daimyo's bloodline—the status of the clan behind it would instantly surpass the Hokage.

"That's the cruelest part."

Shikaku Nara sighed, his face helpless. "The Uchiha see a ladder to heaven, the Hyuga see a bottomless abyss. And us..."

"We can't do a thing."

Choza Akimichi said, "What if we refuse?"

"Refuse? Refuse with what? Do we even dare to refuse?"

"Even if our three clans band together, can we hold back the frenzy of the entire village? One wrong move, and we'll be isolated."

Choza Akimichi's fists clenched until his knuckles cracked. "So we just sit here and watch?"

"Otherwise?" Shikaku Nara countered. "Choza, go to the Hokage Building right now and tell Minato that we, the Ino-Shika-Cho three clans, firmly oppose the Daimyo's decision."

"Then tomorrow, the Uchiha will get double the training funds, and our three clans' children might even lose their subsidies for the Ninja Academy."

"This is an open scheme. The Daimyo puts a fragrant bait in front of everyone. If you don't bite, you starve."

"Eat it, and you'll be under his control."

The courtyard fell into a long, dead silence.

Finally, Shikaku Nara broke the quiet.

"Don't participate, don't oppose, don't take a stand."

"We... just watch."

Meanwhile.

Uchiha Clan Grounds, Naka Shrine.

Fugaku Uchiha sat in the main seat, with dozens of clan members below him. The atmosphere was solemn.

"The situation is what it is."

Fugaku's voice was steady, but excitement was hard to hide.

"The Daimyo is willing to bypass the Hokage and directly support the geniuses of our major clans. This is an unprecedented opportunity!"

An elder with white hair and beard frowned. "Clan Leader, the Daimyo's move is clearly meant to divide Konoha."

"Divide?"

Fugaku sneered. "Elder, when was Konoha ever united? When Danzo was suppressing us, why didn't anyone think of unity?"

If you like this book, to avoid losing it next time, remember to bookmark it.

"Now, there's a chance for us Uchiha to bypass the Hokage and speak directly with the highest authority in the Land of Fire. Why should we refuse?"

His gaze swept over the crowd. Seeing the clan still hesitating, he suddenly stood up, spread his arms, and his voice dripped with temptation.

"Money! Power! These can all make us stronger! But none of that is the most important! The most important thing is, the Daimyo is holding an Imperial Concubine Selection!"

"Clan members, think about it!"

He emphasized each word, hammering it into their hearts. "If a Uchiha woman could bear the Daimyo a child... with a Sharingan!"

"What would that mean!"

The air in the shrine ignited instantly.

One elder crushed the teacup in his hand in excitement.

Another elder breathed heavily, staring fixedly at Fugaku.

The Hokage?

Compared to a future sovereign flowing with the blood of the Daimyo and the Uchiha, what was a village's Kage worth!

"At that time, the Uchiha Clan will surely become the true premier house of the Land of Fire!"

"I have decided!"

Fugaku's voice rang through the shrine. "Immediately select the three most outstanding women from the clan—whether ninja or ordinary clan members—as long as they have good character, appearance, and a strong will, and send them as candidates to the Daimyo Manor!"

"This matter is settled. No further discussion!"

Hyuga Clan Grounds.

The atmosphere was the complete opposite of the Uchiha's.

Hyuga Hiashi's face was as dark as water, listening to the fierce debate among several Main Family elders below.

"We absolutely cannot send a Main Family daughter!"

"The purity of the Byakugan is the foundation of the Hyuga. It must never be allowed to leak out!"

"But... but if we refuse, we'll be openly defying the Daimyo!"

"Then pick one from the Branch Family and send her over!"

"No!" Hyuga Hiashi slammed the table, his voice icy. "The Branch Family is still Hyuga blood! The Caged Bird can't lock away bloodline inheritance! Once a child is born, the Hyuga will have no secrets left!"

The entire chamber fell silent.

Everyone looked at Hiashi, this young Main Family head bearing immense pressure.

On one side was the clan's thousand-year iron law; on the other, the Daimyo's unyielding authority.

No matter which he chose, it could mean utter destruction.

He closed his eyes, veins bulging on his forehead. The weight of the entire clan pressed down on him, suffocating.

"Delay..."

After a long time, Hiashi squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth.

"Delay as long as we can..."

He opened his eyes, and only despair remained inside.

Hokage Building.

Minato Namikaze stood by the window, overlooking all of Konoha.

The village was the same as always, bustling with people, peaceful and serene.

But he could feel it—beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were surging wildly.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura sat behind him, their faces ashen, as if they had aged ten years in an instant.

"The Uchiha... have already begun selecting women to send into the Daimyo Manor." Koharu's voice was dry and rasping.

"The Inuzuka, Aburame, and those smaller clans have all sent people to probe the specific allocation of talent cultivation funds, as well as the selection criteria for the Guardian Shinobi." Homura added, his tone laden with undisguised exhaustion.

"And as for the civilian ninja..."

Koharu closed her eyes, unable to bear saying more.

There was no need to say it. Minato already knew.

For those ninja without backing, who relied entirely on their own struggle, the Daimyo's decision was a godsend from heaven.

Their support for the Daimyo even surpassed their respect for the Hokage.

In just a few short days.

Konoha, this village once united by the Will of Fire, had been clearly split in two.

One half was the fervent supporters of the Daimyo—those who had already gained benefits and those desperate to obtain them.

The other half was them—the remnants of the old era, clinging to the village's autonomy.

"We... have lost."

Homura's voice was filled with powerlessness.

Minato Namikaze did not turn around. His golden hair seemed dull in the light of the setting sun.

His mind was racing, deconstructing every move the Daimyo had made.

First move: use money to buy off the lower ranks, dividing the civilians from the clans.

Second move: use power to tempt the upper echelons, intensifying the conflict between the great clans and the Hokage.

Third move: use marriage alliances to bind the ninja clans, turning them into his blade.

Every move was aboveboard. Every move struck directly at the most fragile desires of the human heart.

Flawless.

He frantically simulated every possible countermeasure, but every path ultimately led to the same conclusion—civil war, division, the complete collapse of Konoha.

Unless... he bowed his head to the Daimyo.

Once again, he recalled the words the Third had spoken.

Do not speculate. Do not resist.

Only think about how to secure the greatest benefit for the village within the rules set by the Daimyo.

But if that was what Konoha became, was it still Konoha?