Once the high-level meeting established the Land of Fire's future course, everything seemed to fall into place.
The meeting brought three changes:
First, Konoha's war machine started up again. Root and the Anbu kept dispatching intelligence operatives east and west, infiltrating the Land of Wind and the Land of Water.
Second, the Technology Development Headquarters founded under Hyuga Yu's leadership was formally approved. It operated under Root, with Hyuga Yu as director and Orochimaru as deputy director. Sasori of the Red Sands, Hiruko, and Kakuzu, who were temporarily staying at Konoha Hospital, were all incorporated into the department. Under Hyuga Yu's coordination, Konoha and the Land of Fire began allocating substantial funding, personnel, and equipment to it.
The headquarters' base was established inside the hundred-meter black tower Hyuga Yu had fashioned with his bare hands in the center of the Forest of Death. All subsequent construction would expand outward from the forest.
Third, the election for the Fourth Hokage began amid the strange, unpredictable atmosphere now hanging over Konoha.
Anyone with eyes could see that, given the Heavenly Ninja's strength, neither Konoha High Command nor the Land of Fire's Daimyo would dare deny him the position if he wanted it. Strangely, however, Hyuga Yu had not used his power to force their hand and demand the Hokage position, despite Shimura Danzō's repeated urging.
That led to one outcome: if the current election process continued, with the preliminary high-level polling and the subsequent Daimyo meeting ending in ties, Minato Namikaze would ultimately surpass Hyuga Yu through the Jonin Squad's confidence vote and become the Fourth Hokage.
Hyuga Yu did not care. Aside from no longer needing or having any interest in the position, there was another important reason: he was too busy.
By the third day after the emergency meeting, Hyuga