Not Enough!

"What kind of laws are these?!"

After learning about the laws Uchiha Kazuto had enacted, the villagers of Konoha discussed them among themselves. Then some realized that these laws wouldn't affect their lives at all. In fact, many of them seemed like stating the obvious.

What did it mean to say that the second floor had to be built above the first floor? Wasn't that common sense? Could there even be a second floor that wasn't above the first?

The rule about not littering seemed more like an actual law. There were now many more trash cans on Konoha's streets, and Uchiha Kazuto had ordered the creation of Konoha's first Sanitation Bureau, which was dedicated to keeping the village clean.

Regardless, under Uchiha Kazuto's governance, Konoha had begun to function, and the villagers' lives had started to improve.

Then came the problem.

"Shinobi, I possess such immense power. Why should I work for a bunch of ordinary people? Fight and die just for a little money?"

Uchiha Kazuto frowned. Before, he hadn't cared about these things. But now he was the Hokage. As an ordinary person, he had no desire to risk his life for a bunch of ordinary people. What kind of useless Daimyo were they, anyway?

Besides, Konoha was big, but it wasn't big enough. How could he be satisfied with just this?

Ruling Konoha alone wasn't enough. He wanted to rule the entire Land of Fire and become its Commander.

Why did these shinobi and their villages fight? Why launch a Ninja World War? Was it for some lofty idea of national honor? For more territory? Or for money? For example, defeat the other side and make them pay compensation, handing over more benefits?

No!

Shinobi didn't wage Ninja World Wars for those lofty goals. They did it to secure a bigger share of the missions. That was right: they fought to the death just for a better chance to serve those nobles and wealthy people as dogs.

These shinobi represented different countries and different villages. They were enemies, fighting until their brains were splattered everywhere. And then what?

The Daimyo would gather together, drink tea, and chat, looking as though they lived in a peaceful, carefree world.

Uchiha Kazuto had no intention of continuing as a shinobi and risking his life for these so-called Daimyo and nobles. What kind of useless Daimyo and nobles were they? Want me to risk my life? First, let's see whether the Kunai in my hand is sharp enough!

After all, the larger the population under his command, the more power he could gain in return. It was like taxes: a country with a population of hundreds of millions or even over a billion could collect vastly more tax revenue in a year than a country with a population of only a few hundred thousand, even if it simply squandered the money.

Konoha alone had kept him from running short of chakra for now. What if he controlled the entire Land of Fire?

He hadn't forgotten that there were aliens in this world!

His Dojutsu wasn't anything particularly impressive and had no offensive power. But he could create different units and give them all kinds of traits. He could even spend a colossal amount of chakra to create an elite unit whose every member surpassed a Jonin.

He could also use his chakra to create all sorts of departments.

Now, he planned to establish a research department dedicated to studying various Kekkei Genkai and how to enhance his own physical form.

He didn't even need to find any geniuses for this research department.

He only needed to set the conditions.

Everyone in the research department had to be absolutely loyal to Uchiha Kazuto. While serving as researchers, they would have perfect recall, and their comprehension, insight, and intelligence would improve tremendously. They would receive a constant stream of inspiration, and wouldn't need to sleep or eat, allowing them to conduct research around the clock.

"Hmm, let's call this department the Research Department! The future of the Ninja World is in your hands!"

Uchiha Kazuto set up the department, then began ordering people to recruit researchers.

However, even though anyone recruited into one of his departments could be enhanced from an ordinary person into a genius, there were limits. The lower a person's intelligence, the higher their monthly upkeep cost. The better their physical condition, the less chakra it took to enhance them. This change was more like converting chakra into a special power and using it like air to inflate a balloon, forcibly raising a person's abilities. It didn't cause any permanent changes.

For example, if Uchiha Kazuto recruited an idiot into the Research Department, the department's enhancement would turn him into a genius. But the moment he was removed from the department, he would become an idiot again.

That was why Uchiha Kazuto wanted to create the Research Department. He had to use the power of technology to permanently enhance himself.

As things stood, he was still an ordinary person who would die of old age. True, he could set up a department whose members gained the power of eternal life, then activate that condition by spending a massive amount of chakra. He really could become immortal that way.

But if some accident happened and his funding dried up, he would drop dead on the spot.

Temporary enhancement was, in the end, only temporary.

"Lord Hokage!!!"

Uchiha Shisui was stricken with grief. Kneeling on the ground, he stared at the top of the Skull Pyramid in the plaza, where Hiruzen Sarutobi's head had been placed. How could this have happened? Lord Hokage, how could you be dead?!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's head was missing both eyes.

Uchiha Shisui touched his own eyes. Not long ago, he had been resting at the compound when his clansmen took him to the hospital and told him they had found him a pair of eyes. He had been overjoyed—he could see again! He had even thanked them, wondering whose eyes they were and promising to thank the owner himself someday.

So these eyes had belonged to Hiruzen Sarutobi!

Why? Why had Lord Hokage been beheaded and killed?!

And Uchiha Kazuto had been the one to cut off his head. That couldn't be possible. Uchiha Kazuto had been so loyal—how could he have beheaded Hiruzen Sarutobi?

And yet Uchiha Kazuto had become the new Hokage.

"Uchiha Kazuto... Kotoamatsukami... Could it be..."

Uchiha Shisui abruptly raised his head, shock in his eyes. Could those eyes have never been destroyed at all? Had Uchiha Kazuto taken them, used them to influence Lord Hokage's decisions, and finally launched a rebellion?

No, that couldn't be right!

Uchiha Kazuto, you can't do this!

Uchiha Shisui immediately ran toward the Hokage's Office. He had to correct this mistake—and perhaps even avenge Lord Hokage!