Lottery Draw, Eight Inner Gates!

Lottery Draw, Eight Inner Gates!

Shikaku Nara believed he had made the best choice. How could he not know that Hiruzen Sarutobi had released the news precisely because he wanted them to oppose the Uchiha clan?

If the Hyuga clan had refused to compromise, then they would not have compromised either.

But the Hyuga clan had already returned the land to the Uchiha clan, so they could only follow suit. Expecting Ino-Shika-Cho to face the Uchiha clan was simply unrealistic.

Besides, there was no benefit in holding on to that land. The Uchiha clan was merely taking back land that had originally belonged to them. Most of it had been taken by the Sarutobi, Shimura, Mito, and Utatane clans.

Yet those four clans hid in the back and had them and the Hyuga take the brunt of it? To hell with that!

There was barely any benefit, yet they were expected to take the blame?

"But if we do this, won't it be difficult to handle things afterward?"

Inoichi Yamanaka was also worried that this matter would create a rift between them and Konoha's upper ranks.

"There is no other way. The Hyuga have already agreed, and we do not have the strength to confront the Uchiha. Moreover, the Hokage's side most likely cannot offer us any help. Asking us to resist the Uchiha is pure fantasy. Besides, Konoha cannot keep letting one person have the final say forever."

Back then, Shikaku had seen hope in Minato Namikaze—hope for changing Konoha.

Unfortunately, the Nine-Tails' Rampage had changed everything. Hiruzen Sarutobi's return to power had brought the new order back to the old one.

Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu once more stood at the very center of power.

In the end, changing Hokage was supposed to mean redistributing the cake. But if the cake just ended up being eaten by the same people as before, who would be happy about that?

"In truth, this can also serve as a reminder to Lord Hokage. The Uchiha clan has never been our enemy. We are all clans, after all. Continuously targeting the Uchiha clan is going too far."

Looking at the bigger picture, Shikaku Nara believed that Konoha's current high-pressure policy toward the Uchiha would inevitably cause problems in the future.

Although clans fought endlessly over resources, they absolutely could not sit by and watch Konoha force the Uchiha clan into a dead end. If the Uchiha rebelled, it would certainly not be good news for Konoha.

And it was about enough already. Ino-Shika-Cho might support the Hokage, but they were not mindless supporters. Under Konoha's current circumstances, those people had already taken far too much.

"Fine. We'll do whatever you say, Shikaku. Besides, the agreement has already been signed!"

Choza Akimichi did not want to listen to any more long-winded talk. He felt that everything that needed to be done had already been done, and saying more would be pointless.

Besides, even if they did this, what could Hiruzen Sarutobi possibly do to them?

They should not forget that Ino-Shika-Cho had always been an Alliance. Moreover, according to Shikaku's analysis, both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans were dissatisfied with the Hokage. The people Hiruzen Sarutobi should be most worried about now were those two clans.

"Ah, these are truly troubled times."

Shikamaru Nara looked outside, then shook his head. "Forget it. We don't need to get involved in something this troublesome. This is a problem between the higher-ups and the Uchiha. What a pain. Why do we have to get dragged into political struggles?"

After doing all this, Shikaku Nara decided to wait and see which side would ultimately prevail.

Most clans in Konoha could see that the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha had reached a critical point.

That was also why Shikaku Nara had returned the land to the Uchiha.

If they did not return it, the Uchiha would explode. But if they did, the Uchiha would settle down for a while. The Sarutobi and Shimura clans might be displeased, but at least they would not rebel outright like the Uchiha.

If it had been Fugaku, he truly would have thought it over before making a decision. But Bai Ye was different. This course of action clearly favored the Radical Faction. Once he refused, the first to go to war would certainly be Ino-Shika-Cho and the Uchiha.

He did not want to get involved in something like this, much less drag Ino-Shika-Cho into the abyss.

"Lord Hokage, I'm truly sorry to trouble your four clans with moving today."

After obtaining the deeds for the land traded by the Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho, Bai Ye immediately went to find Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He did not intend to give Hiruzen Sarutobi any time.

Looking at the deeds before him, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent.

He had considered that Bai Ye might actually manage it, but he had never thought it would be settled in a single day.

Danzo had only spread the news today, and all of Konoha was watching. He had not even had the chance to talk things over with Ino-Shika-Cho and the Hyuga, yet Bai Ye had already settled it?

"How is that possible?!"

Danzo's expression was exceptionally grim. According to the agreement they had made with Bai Ye, their four clans had to move out immediately.

"There is nothing impossible about it. To them, those places are nothing but burdens, so is it not perfectly normal for them to sell them to us?"

"Bai Ye, this... moving will take some time."

A kindly smile flickered across Hiruzen Sarutobi's face. He still wanted to stall for time.

After all, he had yet to figure out the situation, yet Bai Ye had already resolved it. He wanted to see whether he could still work something out himself.

"No need. You only need to leave. One day should be enough. With ninjas helping, packing up will be quick. If not, the Uchiha clan can provide moving services. Besides, I have already sent people to notify the clan members to begin moving. Lord Third Hokage, you would not go back on your word, would you? After all, the entire village knows about this."

Bai Ye smiled as he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. Though Sarutobi had tried hard to restrain himself, Bai Ye still caught the flash of anger in his eyes before it was quickly hidden away.

For a moment, Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu did not know what to say.

The Uchiha clan had reclaimed the most central area of Konoha. It was impossible for their clan members not to have opinions about that—it was the very center of Konoha.

On the other hand, if they had not publicized this matter before, they might still have had a chance to back out. But now that the entire village knew, if they reneged, they would lose all face.

"Of course we will not go back on our word, but at least give us some time to find new residences."

"No. We can give you some of the places where the Uchiha currently live. Didn't you say back then that living on the outskirts would help protect Konoha's safety? We'll hand that responsibility of protecting Konoha over to the four of you. As Hokage and elders, I'm sure you can protect it even better than we Uchiha can, right?!"

Were they really going to push things this far?

A dark glint flashed through Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, and for an instant, killing intent rose in his heart.

It was not just directed at Bai Ye, but at the Uchiha as well.

He felt that his control over Konoha had weakened.

That was something Hiruzen Sarutobi could never accept.

"I'll have them clear out immediately."

Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes and said no more. But Mitokado Homura and the others grew anxious. "Sarutobi!!"

"Enough! Since we agreed to it, we must honor our word!!"

A bet was a bet, and a loss was a loss!

Hiruzen Sarutobi admitted that he had underestimated Bai Ye at first.

But only this once. From now on, he would take Bai Ye seriously as an opponent.

"Give it to him."

Danzo was no longer silent. He did not want Bai Ye to see any unpleasant expression on his face.

"I understand."

After seeing the attitudes of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo, the other two also knew that they had no choice but to surrender the land.

"Then many thanks, Lord Hokage. In that case, I'll return to organize the Uchiha clan's move."

With that, Bai Ye rose and left the Hokage's Office.

Once Bai Ye had left, Utatane Koharu hurriedly asked, "Sarutobi, what are we going to do next?! The Uchiha clan is utterly lawless now!"

Her land!

The thought of having to leave this place and return to the outskirts made her heart ache terribly.

"He merely won this round. Only the person who wins in the end is the true winner. Giving this to them now will only make them more arrogant, and that will make our later plans proceed even more smoothly."

Danzo closed his eyes after saying that. Clearly, he was not as calm as he appeared.

"A loss is a loss. If we lose, we give it to them. If we refuse to give it to them this time, how will we govern the village afterward? It originally belonged to the Uchiha clan. What is wrong with returning it to them?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze was deep as he began calculating inwardly.

It seemed he needed to speed things up. Fortunately, he still had two trump cards: Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha.

When the time came to destroy the Uchiha clan, it would depend on those two.

Originally, Hiruzen Sarutobi had still been wavering over whether to preserve part of the Uchiha clan or wipe them out completely.

Now, he no longer hesitated. He knew that Bai Ye taking power was completely different from Uchiha Fugaku.

He had been dealing with Bai Ye using the methods he had used against Uchiha Fugaku.

That had caused him to suffer a loss in this matter. But next time, he would not.

"What about the Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho?"

Mitokado Homura asked.

There was also the issue of those four clans. They had sold out far too quickly, so quickly that they had not even been given time to prepare.

"We cannot touch them. If we do, it will be detrimental to our later actions. And Sarutobi, you must understand one thing: with the Uchiha clan now in the center of the village, it will be difficult for us to act in the future. I told you long ago to destroy them sooner, but you refused to listen!"

At this point, Danzo was nearly exploding with rage.

When the Uchiha had been at the very edge of the village, they had been easy to target. As long as things were arranged properly, no one would notice.

But now they had moved to the center of the village. It would not be so simple to make a move against them.

"Danzo, I told you not to act against the Uchiha for now!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head and looked at Danzo. He wanted to as well, but he could not act personally.

"As for the Hyuga, let it go."

Was it because of Hizashi?

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help sighing inwardly. He could not touch the Hyuga. He already owed them once, and what they had done was understandable. He was even less able to touch Ino-Shika-Cho. They had originally been allies of the Hokage. If they fell out as well, his control over Konoha would likely drop another level.

All he could say was that he had truly lost this time.

Uchiha clan.

After Bai Ye brought back the good news that they would soon be able to return to their original clan grounds, the entire Uchiha clan erupted in celebration.

Living here meant being watched every day, and the elderly and children had to walk a long way just to reach the center of the village.

It was a world apart from how they had been treated before.

Now that Bai Ye had reclaimed their original clan grounds, many Uchiha ninjas instantly felt that choosing Bai Ye as their leader had indeed been the right decision.

In the meeting room, Uchiha Setsuna patted Bai Ye on the shoulder, his face filled with gratification. "Bai Ye, you truly did it. This old man was right about you!"

He had once worried that Bai Ye would not be able to do it, but Bai Ye had completed it in a single day.

"Indeed. Although it has worsened our relationship with Konoha, being able to reclaim land that originally belonged to us has made the clan members very happy!"

Uchiha Tetsu stroked his beard and said with a smile.

Uchiha Jin said nothing from the side, but his eyes were filled with gratification. Clearly, they were extremely satisfied with Bai Ye's actions this time.

"Ah, perhaps I really am not suited to be clan head?"

A bitter smile crossed Uchiha Fugaku's face. In all his years in power, every confrontation with Konoha's upper ranks had ended in failure.

Yet Bai Ye had done so well in his first time taking power. Though he had worsened the relationship between the Uchiha and the village, the clan members must be glad that Bai Ye had taken office now, right?

At that thought, he suddenly felt that he had failed to some extent.

"There is still a long way to go."

Bai Ye clasped his hands within his sleeves and rose to walk outside. Looking at the Uchiha clan members smiling as they packed their belongings to move, a sense of pride welled up in Bai Ye's heart.

He had changed the Uchiha's situation. At this moment, perhaps everyone was grateful to have him as clan head?

[Ding! Plot changed successfully. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained one lottery draw opportunity!]

Looking at the system prompt, Bai Ye's smile deepened.

After this matter came to a close, the next time he wanted to change the plot, he would probably need to start with Shisui and the others.

[Ding! Lottery draw used successfully. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained: Eight Inner Gates.]

Hokage Byakuya: [Eight Inner Gates? It seems everyone can cultivate this, right?]

Pirate Byakuya: [This thing unlocks the pathways that restrain Chakra in exchange for power. We probably can't cultivate it, right? It should only be usable by you. Speaking of which, you did well changing things over there. Later, watch me get you a Devil Fruit to strengthen you!]

Yokai Byakuya: [Oh? You're going after a Devil Fruit? Isn't your era the Rocks era? What Devil Fruit are you planning to get?]

Pirate Byakuya: [Nika would be best, of course, but I can't find it. That fruit has a will of its own. I'm planning to go to Birka and find the Rumble-Rumble Fruit!]

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was a fruit Enel had used well, yet also poorly. He would not leave it for Enel.