It had only been a short while since Sarutobi Hiruzen had ordered the Anbu to look for Jiraiya.
The door to the Hokage Office was kicked open again, this time by Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
"Hiruzen, what's going on?"
"Why is the deed to the Senju Clan Compound in the hands of the Uchiha Clan?"
"And why are the Military Police Force and the Uchiha Clan each getting a grant of fifty million ryō?"
"Don't you know the village's finances are already stretched thin?"
"You're giving the Uchiha Clan such a huge grant at a time like this. Have you gone mad, or have I?"
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's words came flying at Sarutobi Hiruzen like bullets from a machine gun.
Looking at his two old friends, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help feeling a headache coming on.
He simply took out a document and handed it to them.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance, then looked at the scroll on the desk and picked it up to read carefully.
The scroll recorded all the dark deeds Shimura Danzō had committed, as well as the financial and other assistance the two of them had given him.
After reading the document, Mitokado Homura took a deep breath and asked,
"Hiruzen, what are you trying to say?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen then said to Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu,
"You took part in Shimura Danzō's plan to wipe out the Uchiha Clan yesterday, didn't you?"
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance before answering,
"So what? What does that have to do with this?"
Seeing their reaction, Sarutobi Hiruzen painfully dropped another bombshell.
"Danzō is dead."
"..."
After their initial shock, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu immediately asked,
"What? Shimura Danzō is dead?"
"How did Danzō die?"
"Why weren't we told?"
At their questions, Sarutobi Hiruzen gestured for them to keep it confidential, then said,
"The Uchiha Clan has someone comparable to Madara Uchiha."
"???"
"That's impossible. Who is it?"
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu couldn't believe it.
Seeing their expressions, Sarutobi Hiruzen understood. If he hadn't witnessed it himself, he wouldn't have believed it either.
"Uchiha Fugaku."
"And that's the truth. Otherwise, Danzō wouldn't be dead."
"After all, attacking a fellow village shinobi is a serious crime."
"???"
"But..."
Before Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu could finish, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued,
"But we'll publicly claim that Danzō died fighting to protect peace in the village, holding off the Masked Man when he attacked the Uchiha Clan."
"Though I couldn't save his life, I want to preserve some of his reputation."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu could only accept the truth with a sigh.
"So the Senju Clan Compound and the hundred million ryō are compensation for the Uchiha Clan?"
Hearing their question, Sarutobi Hiruzen could only answer quietly,
"Yes."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu fell silent.
After waiting a while, Sarutobi Hiruzen dropped one final bombshell.
"I'm also planning to step down."
"Uchiha Clan Head Fugaku already knows everything Danzō did."
"Only by appointing a new Hokage can we keep this from causing problems."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu understood his decision, then asked,
"Who's the next Hokage?"
"Tsunade or Jiraiya."
"But what if neither of them is willing?"
"Even if they don't want to, they'll have to. We're out of options. We can't let the next Hokage come from the Uchiha Clan."
Outside Konoha.
Uchiha Obito looked at his newly attached arm and asked Black Zetsu beside him,
"The plan to wipe out the Uchiha Clan has been foiled, and the Uchiha Clan Head possesses the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan."
"What do we do now?"
Black Zetsu looked toward Konoha, perfectly composed, and said,
"We should put the Uchiha Clan aside for now and make sure things go smoothly with Nagato."
"After all, we still have Madara's Rinnegan."
"Remember, the Rinnegan is above the Sharingan. And while escaping, I stole the Hashirama Cells that Konoha's Danzō had kept."
"Without Hashirama Cells, the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan can't evolve into the Rinnegan."
"Once Nagato is ready, we'll wipe out the Uchiha Clan in one fell swoop."
Hearing that Black Zetsu had already made plans, Uchiha Obito agreed.
"He's right. The Rinnegan plan should come first."
"But I still need to retrieve something of mine."
Hearing Uchiha Obito, Black Zetsu understood what he meant and asked in surprise,
"Didn't you always refuse to take it back?"
Uchiha Obito answered calmly,
"But I need power now. Only greater strength can ensure the plan goes smoothly."
"Only then can I create a world where Rin is alive."
Yesterday's easy defeat had made Uchiha Obito realize just how weak he was.
To fulfill his dream, he had to retrieve his other Sharingan.
Military Police Force
Uchiha Fugaku stared at the huge pile of documents in front of him, utterly miserable.
"Ah, how can there be so many documents to deal with?"
"And what are all these trivial matters?"
Even the old Fugaku had struggled to handle this work, so it was all the more unbearable for Uchiha Fugaku, who had unlocked his memories of a previous life.
With his past-life memories unlocked, how could Fugaku have the patience to sit here and deal with trivial matters?
Besides, Fugaku still had his cultivation to study.
How could he waste time on such insignificant things?
At that thought, Uchiha Fugaku suddenly had the same idea as Tsunade: find himself a little secretary.
"But who would be suitable?"
Uchiha Fugaku began wandering around the Military Police Force.
Just then, a hurried figure ran past him, making Uchiha Fugaku's eyes light up.
Wasn't this a perfect little secretary?
Before you continue