Konoha's Chancellor

Kakashi still wore his mask. Though he had lost an eye, his gaze remained as calm as ever.

At this moment, he even bore some resemblance to the "Pot King," once known for his resilience: both were one-eyed, but Kakashi carried a deeper sorrow.

Last night, Hyuga Hiashi and the others had taken him and Guy to Konoha Hospital.

He had thought it would be a simple matter of treatment, but at dawn came an order from the Anbu.

All jonin in Konoha were to assemble immediately.

Though he was still somewhat weak, Kakashi had come anyway.

But there was a question on his mind:

Why had he woken up, while Guy still hadn't?

They had both endured the same genjutsu, yet Kakashi had only been unconscious briefly, while Guy remained lost in silent darkness.

The Anbu had even considered taking the unconscious Guy straight to Uchiha Yoru.

But Uchiha Yoru had only frowned, his tone full of impatience:

"Talking to someone with no brains is such a waste of time."

In the end, he had waved them away and ordered them to take Guy back to the hospital, as though even glancing at him was a bother.

"No brains?"

Those words made Kakashi let out a long breath.

At least it meant that Uchiha Yoru didn't consider Guy a threat.

Even so, nothing could have been more shocking than the news that came today.

Uchiha Obito was still alive.

Kakashi couldn't suppress his shock. At last, he couldn't hold back, his voice trembling with anticipation, as if he hoped it was all just some absurd joke.

"Lord Hokage..."

Uchiha Yoru stood with his back to him, his black cloak stirring in the wind, steady and imposing.

"Obito... is he really still alive?"

The air froze for a moment.

Uchiha Yoru glanced sideways. His voice was low and cold, edged with scorn and disdain:

"Not only is he alive."

He paused, the corners of his mouth lifting into a chilling smile.

"Back then, he even held the Fourth Hokage's child."

Boom!

The words exploded in Kakashi's mind like a thunderclap.

"What..."

His pupils contracted, and he stared at Uchiha Yoru in disbelief.

The Fourth Hokage's... child?

Kakashi's thoughts were dragged back to that horrifying night.

The Nine-Tails roared, flames filled the air, and the village struggled on the brink of destruction.

Minato-sensei and Kushina had given everything to seal the Nine-Tails, and in the end, they had sacrificed their lives.

And the man wearing the orange spiral mask...

Kakashi's breathing quickened.

Impossible!

Obito—that kind, optimistic boy who was always going on about becoming Hokage—how could he have destroyed with his own hands everything they held dear?

But Uchiha Yoru's words were like a blade, mercilessly slicing through the illusion Kakashi had clung to.

The one who had murdered the Fourth Hokage and his wife was Obito!

Kakashi's hand clenched on its own, his knuckles turning white.

Why?

He desperately searched his mind for an answer, but found only deeper questions.

Obito, what happened to you?

Yet even with countless thoughts surging inside him, Kakashi still keenly sensed that—

Uchiha Yoru had no reason to lie.

His strength, his coldness, and the scorn in his eyes made Kakashi understand:

This was the truth.

"Obito..."

Kakashi murmured, unable to calm the shock in his heart.

Uchiha Yoru, however, said nothing more.

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing toward Konoha in the distance.

"Don't waste time."

Uchiha Yoru's voice rang out, breaking the silence.

"Whatever Uchiha Obito did before, he's now an S-rank missing-nin of Konoha!"

"Kakashi, you should know what to choose!"

With that, Uchiha Yoru turned and left.

His dark cloak swept over the ground without stirring up a speck of dust.

Kakashi stood where he was, his gaze heavy.

The emotions surging inside him slowly subsided, replaced by a crushing sense of helplessness.

Obito was still alive...

That fact was like a shackle, binding his thoughts tightly.

But Uchiha Yoru didn't care how Kakashi felt.

To him, the bond between Kakashi and Uchiha Obito was nothing but a meaningless thing of the past.

If he ran into Obito again, Uchiha Yoru wouldn't hesitate.

He would kill him as easily as crushing a bug.

As time passed, under the Anbu's direction, Konoha gradually returned to normal.

Yamato of the Anbu had worked especially hard, and the buildings destroyed in the battle were already being rebuilt.

The streets of Konoha were still full of workers and ninja going about their business.

Though they were tired, their faces showed some relief.

After teetering on the brink of destruction, the village had finally been given a chance to catch its breath.

The frequent use of Wood Release had left Yamato increasingly weak, his face as pale as paper.

Even so, he remained steadfast on the front lines of reconstruction. Though he was working alone, he still helped Konoha recover far faster than expected.

As for the reason, the Anbu were more sensible than Uchiha Yoru had imagined. They followed orders well.

The old Hokage Building had been reduced to ruins.

But now, a new building, seemingly simple yet distinctly styled with Wood Release, had risen from the ground.

It was the temporary Hokage Building, built by Yamato himself.

Though simple, it still carried an air of dignity.

The office on the top floor of the Hokage Building.

A large wooden desk stood in the center of the spacious room, piled high with documents and scrolls of all kinds.

Through the window, all of Konoha lay in view. The crowds bustling below showed that the village was recovering.

Uchiha Yoru lounged against the back of his chair, leafing through an ancient, weighty scroll.

The Book of Sealing.

His fingers traced the complex, mysterious symbols, and a hint of scorn and amusement flashed in his eyes.

"Senju Tobirama..."

Uchiha Yoru murmured, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Just as expected, he was the Uchiha's natural enemy.

The Book of Sealing recorded countless ninjutsu in detail, including no shortage of secret techniques aimed at the Uchiha Clan.

The Flying Thunder God Technique, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, the Water Release Enhancement System...

One forbidden technique after another was laid out before him.

Every word embodied Senju Tobirama's brilliant understanding of combat. His Sealing Jutsu targeting the Sharingan and the Uchiha Clan were especially astonishing.

"I have to admit, this guy really was a genius when it came to figuring out how to kill Uchiha."

Uchiha Yoru chuckled, his eyes full of derision.

But now, all these techniques were mine.

With Indra's talent for understanding ninjutsu, Uchiha Yoru had only needed to skim through them once to commit the complex techniques to memory.

Analyze, dismantle, master.

Senju Tobirama's efforts had ultimately become a stepping stone for Uchiha Yoru's self-improvement.

Even so, despite being Hokage, Uchiha Yoru's days weren't exactly busy.

He casually closed the Book of Sealing, leaned lazily against the back of his chair, and looked out the window.

As for why he could afford to be so idle?

He only had to look into the room next door to find the answer.

Nara Kashima.

Konoha's Hokage Advisor, a member of the Nara Clan who worried too much and looked utterly exhausted.

At that moment, he sat before a mountain of paperwork, pen in hand, reviewing documents, his eyes revealing endless fatigue.

Ever since Uchiha Yoru took office, most of the administrative work had been dumped on him.

Documents covered Nara Kashima's desk from end to end. Some concerned the village's reconstruction, others involved diplomatic relations, and still others dealt with relocating villagers and distributing supplies.

He had originally been no more than a "Hokage Advisor," but now his authority covered nearly half of Konoha's administrative affairs.

"Advisor?"

Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but scoff.

That title was nowhere near as fitting as simply calling him "Konoha's Chancellor."

Nara Kashima's presence spared Uchiha Yoru countless trivial tasks.

He only needed to wave a hand when necessary and make the final decision.

That was the "authority" of the Hokage.

Uchiha Yoru's lips curled up, and in a good mood, he opened the Book of Sealing again.

Since things were this quiet, he might as well take advantage of the free time and thoroughly absorb Tobirama's legacy.