"Reforge the glory of the Gunbai."
"For the Uchiha, kill!"
The fighting continued in a corner of the forest.
Uchiha Tekka, a jonin in the Konoha Military Police Force, leaped into action. After successfully casting a genjutsu on both eyes, he moved with a flash of cold steel and cleanly slit the throat of an ANBU member wearing a boar mask.
Blood mingled with rainwater, winding into streams across the scorched earth.
"Let the whole village know—"
His voice cut through the curtain of rain. Uchiha Xiu glanced up at Inoichi Yamanaka and issued his orders with precision. "The new Hokage takes office today. Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Yashiro will lead a squad to the capital at once to seek the daimyo's approval and complete all the formalities."
Until someone possessed Senju Hashirama's strength, the proper procedures still had to be followed.
If the country's funds were available, they should be claimed.
Uchiha Xiu hadn't gotten carried away. He wasn't about to make life difficult for himself.
"Yes, Fifth Hokage."
Inoichi Yamanaka, who oversaw Konoha's public intelligence operations, looked mildly surprised, but nodded in agreement and rapidly formed hand seals.
"Ninja Art: Mind Transmission Technique."
It allowed direct communication with a designated target without using any equipment. Highly efficient, it was a form of communication that connected minds.
Meanwhile, jonin from the Sarutobi Clan hurried back and forth, taking the initiative to suppress the resistance within their clan.
Stay alive.
Devote yourself to Konoha.
Before the battle, their old clan head, Hiruzen, had specifically told them... not to live with hatred.
Besides, the children needed adults to look after them.
Hyuga Clan Compound.
On an old-fashioned, multi-story building, Hyuga Hiashi's Byakugan remained fixed on the Forest of Death. Veins bulged at his temples.
"Father..." Hinata Hyuga clutched his sleeve.
"It's all right now."
Hiashi looked down and sighed. "Come with me to pay our respects to the Fifth Hokage."
In a corner, one of the clan elders hesitated. "What if those Uchiha lunatics take issue with us for not declaring our position sooner and decide to settle accounts with us?"
"Settle accounts?"
Another elder of the Main Family sneered. "At least thirty percent of the young and able members of the Konoha Military Police Force have fallen. The Hokage Position was hard-won... What we need most now is stability."
Several kilometers away.
Wearing a white coat and carrying a large insect jar on his back, Shibi Aburame felt his insects stirring in his sleeves. The image of Torune's body, pierced by Wood Release, flashed through his mind.
"Shino, go pay your respects to the Fifth Hokage... and bring Torune's body back while you're at it. We'll denounce Danzo's crimes."
While Shimura Danzō had held power, he had coerced the talented heirs of far too many minor ninja clans, brainwashed them, and placed the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on them...
When it came to being inhuman, the Pot Kage had truly been in a league of his own.
Now, this denunciation would let them cleanly sever ties with the past and naturally draw closer to the Uchiha Clan.
"May the Sage of Six Paths protect us. I hope the Fifth Hokage isn't a lunatic."
Similar scenes were unfolding in the Inuzuka Clan Compound.
The Ninja Dogs whimpered and barked toward the Forest of Death!
Even through the barrier, they could sense the unsettling chakra.
Over the next while, Inoichi Yamanaka notified every clan in Konoha, large and small.
The situation was crystal clear. Even the heads of Ino-Shika-Cho, who were closest to the Sarutobi Clan, had made their positions known. Why should anyone else keep resisting?
The ninja who had truly been willing to die for the Third Hokage's Will of Fire and defy the new Hokage's orders had either been wiped out or taken their own lives.
After all, he had held office for so many years. If no one had been willing to die for him, Sarutobi Hiruzen would have been a complete failure.
Elsewhere.
The Hokage Rock shelter.
All the civilians whose homes stood near the Forest of Death, as well as those who feared a repeat of the Night of the Nine-Tails, had been brought here.
Five ANBU squads, along with teachers urgently called in from the Ninja Academy, were guarding them.
Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, gently patted his daughter Ayame's shoulder, silently comforting her.
"Can the Hokage defeat those red-eyed people...?"
"Shh." Teuchi hurriedly covered her mouth.
Everyone knew the village was full of troublemakers who bullied others at the slightest opportunity. If the Konoha Military Police Force members weren't fierce and strict in enforcing the law, how could they keep those people in line?
Besides, who won or lost wasn't all that important to a small-business owner.
As long as his shop was still standing, he could open for business as usual when morning came.
"Naruto..."
"Sasuke-kun..."
In an overlooked corner, Haruno Sakura buried her face in her knees and sobbed quietly.
Forest of Death.
The turmoil gradually died down.
"Gather all the bodies we can find, and make a list of the fallen and missing."
"Send the ashes to the Memorial Stone."
Just as confident as he had been when he became captain of the East Sea Team, Uchiha Xiu didn't need a Hokage Haori to lend him authority. He settled into his new role at once and issued his orders.
"Regardless of which side they fought on, pay the fallen compensation according to the standard for casualties in a war against another country."
"Take the seriously wounded to the hospital immediately and have the medical teams treat them. Don't skimp on medicine."
"Compensation for the wounded should also follow the standard for an external war."
"Yes." Shikaku, the Jonin Commander, responded at once.
As far as he knew, the village's finances were in dire straits.
But this was the first official order the Fifth Hokage had issued in public since taking office. No one dared object.
And... it sent an unmistakable signal of reconciliation to the outside world.
That would help unite the village.
It was the best possible choice!
Kumogakure often harassed the borders of the Land of Fire; Iwagakure lurked in the shadows, plotting; Kirigakure was embroiled in internal strife and had no time for anything else. Konoha had ceded a little territory to win Sunagakure over and avoid being attacked from both sides.
This was the situation Hiruzen had left behind, and the state of the ninja world the new Hokage had to face upon taking office.
Of course, Sunagakure and Konoha were only fair-weather friends. If Sunagakure learned of the internal strife and sensed Konoha was falling further into decline, the impoverished village wouldn't hesitate to take a vicious bite out of its big brother.
Wasn't that exactly what happened during the Konoha Crush six years later?
And then there was Akatsuki, lying low.
Pain Six Paths.
Black Zetsu.
The Otsutsuki Clan.
"The village has never needed unity more than it does now." As he spoke, Uchiha Xiu glanced at Clan Head Fugaku.
"The Military Police Force can deploy at any moment. With the supplies in place and enough civilian ninja leading them, we can hold a front against a great nation... No problem!"
Having lived through several ninja wars and even served on a temporary command staff, Uchiha Fugaku answered without hesitation.
Before our clan had a Hokage, we were willing to fight to the death for the village and to protect the borders of the Land of Fire.
All the more so now!
Still, in the future he'd seen, the Fifth Hokage had a Mangekyo.
No big deal... Xiu would awaken his sooner or later.
He even had Wood Release.
For now, no one dared press him on the matter.
As Hokage, Uchiha Xiu wielded absolute authority.
He didn't need to explain himself to anyone.
"If war breaks out, the entire Uchiha Clan will never take a single step back." Elder Setsuna thumped his chest.
Meanwhile, the moderate Elder Shin thought to himself, A war might be a good thing. It could boost the standing of Xiu, the Fifth Hokage. Sigh, taking power in a coup never sounds good.
"According to our clan records, the Uchiha aren't merely one of the ninja world's great clans. We're a warrior house. Our ancestors were even connected to the court nobles, so we're practically one of their own. The daimyo won't refuse us."
Yashiro, who was preparing to travel to the capital of the Land of Fire, looked pleased with himself and showed no sign of fatigue.
"Let's withdraw. There's little point in staying here tonight."
Atop an abandoned tower.
Uchiha Obito warped space-time and silently left Konoha, his heart full of murderous intent. "Uchiha Xiu, Fugaku, Shisui—you're in my way."
"Hmph. Let those villages test them first. Let them fight among themselves."
Itachi, pretending to have been fooled by Obito while secretly growing suspicious of him, withdrew without a sound.
That was fine.
He could monitor the so-called Akatsuki from the shadows for Konoha.
I suspect the man in front of me is connected to the Night of the Nine-Tails. He's the real culprit behind the Uchiha and the Third Hokage's faction turning against each other!
It was also then that Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, the two advisors, finally hurried to the Forest of Death.
According to the official Rin no Sho, Mitokado Homura possessed the strength of a Kage. As his counterpart, Utatane Koharu likely had Kage Level strength as well.
It was just that neither of them had many direct fights in the story.
"Tsk. I thought those two would do something stupid, like take Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, hostage, rally the old guard, form a New Wo Shing Wo, and start acting like Konoha had two bosses."
With five tons of gold bars in his storage scroll, loyal Uchiha powerhouses all around him, and the Main God Space at his back... Uchiha Xiu didn't look the slightest bit intimidated as he faced the two advisors.
Unnoticed, nearly half his chakra had recovered.
Next, he would take control of the treasury.
Use his strength to carry Konoha to victory. Keep winning.
Then I'll be the most beloved Hokage of all!
Before you continue