Wagering

After they had talked for a while, Uchiha Fugaku looked at the four renowned Ninja Blades laid out on the ground.

They were the Twin Blades Hiramekarei, Kubikiribōchō, Nuibari, and Kabutowari.

Uchiha Akira had killed their owners, so the four blades had become his spoils of war.

Seeing Uchiha Fugaku hesitate, as if he wanted to say something, Uchiha Akira spoke up. "Clan head, do you need these four Ninja Blades?"

Hearing him bring it up first, Uchiha Fugaku felt relieved.

These were no ordinary Ninja Blades. They could help make four powerful Elite Jonin.

The war was nearing its end. With the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist wiped out and Minato Namikaze having arrived, Kirigakure's defeat was all but inevitable.

After their defeat, Kirigakure would certainly do everything it could to get these four blades back.

That gave the blades a certain political significance.

The Uchiha Clan was now throwing its full support behind Minato Namikaze, and naturally wanted to find every possible way to give him more leverage.

Uchiha Fugaku considered his words for a moment, then said, "Akira, I'm sure you've heard some of the rumors. Once this war ends, the Third Hokage will step down, and Konoha will choose its Fourth Hokage."

"I know. The higher-ups have already let the news out." Uchiha Akira nodded, then looked at Uchiha Fugaku. "Is our Uchiha Clan planning to back the Yellow Flash?"

"That's right." Uchiha Fugaku nodded, his voice grave. "Orochimaru is one of the Sannin. He already has plenty of supporters and followers. If our Uchiha Clan approached him, we'd only be adding to his success. He might not value us much."

"Minato is a rising star, but he has far fewer roots in Konoha than Orochimaru. For him, our support would come at just the right time. We'd complement each other."

As he spoke, Uchiha Fugaku smiled. "Orochimaru is certainly renowned in Konoha. But after Minato defeated Iwagakure and Kumogakure, the Yellow Flash's reputation has surpassed even the Sannin in real terms. On the battlefield, his deterrent power far exceeds theirs."

Finally, Uchiha Fugaku added, "Besides, although Orochimaru is one of the Sannin and famous throughout the village, he has little popular support. I don't think he'll win this contest for Fourth Hokage."

Uchiha Akira nodded in agreement. "Orochimaru really doesn't have much popular support. By comparison, Jonin Minato is like a warm sun that lifts people's spirits. After the war, Konoha's people will need a sun to light the way ahead."

He glanced at the four Ninja Blades in the corner and said, "If these can serve as leverage for our Uchiha Clan, then take them, clan head. The future Hokage is worth backing."

A smile crossed Uchiha Fugaku's face at Uchiha Akira's words. Then he said solemnly, "Akira, I won't let you give these up for nothing. I'll get you permission to choose one or two ninjutsu from the Sealing Technique records."

Kirigakure had spent a great deal of effort forging these four Ninja Blades, so they were extremely valuable. Anyone who mastered their use could become a Jonin.

Trading them for one or two ninjutsu from the Sealing Technique records was a poor deal.

Most of the ninjutsu recorded there were extremely difficult to learn, and some were even forbidden techniques.

The techniques were powerful. The Flying Thunder God Technique had made Minato Namikaze the Yellow Flash, while the Spirit Transformation Technique had made Dan Katō, Tsunade's boyfriend, a legend.

But Uchiha Akira didn't care much about them. Even if he got them, he might not be able to learn them.

Sometimes, there was no need to worry over every little thing.

"Do I have to wait until the Yellow Flash takes office?" Uchiha Akira asked.

It was Konoha Year 50. Once the war ended, Minato Namikaze would immediately take office as the Fourth Hokage.

It wouldn't be long, and Uchiha Akira was perfectly willing to wait.

"That's right." Uchiha Fugaku nodded gravely. "As the Third Hokage has gotten older, he's become somewhat indecisive. You'll need to wait patiently for a while."

"Don't worry, clan head. I can wait." Uchiha Akira nodded.

"By the way, clan head, has there been any progress on the Byakugan that was stolen from the Hyuga Clan?" Uchiha Akira asked.

"Heh." Uchiha Fugaku laughed. "What progress could there be? The Kirigakure Ninja who set the trap were slippery as eels. Our Konoha shinobi haven't been able to find a trace of them. It's as if they vanished into thin air."

"I'd say it's a foregone conclusion that the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan has fallen into the wrong hands." Uchiha Fugaku laughed gleefully.

Uchiha Akira couldn't help laughing at his words.

The Byakugan was in his hands. He didn't know what use it had, but as a transmigrator, he instinctively wanted to keep any valuable treasures he found.

The Byakugan was definitely worth keeping.

With Uchiha Akira's permission, Uchiha Fugaku took the Twin Blades Hiramekarei, Kubikiribōchō, Nuibari, and Kabutowari and headed for the tent where Minato Namikaze was staying.

The news that nearly all of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen had been wiped out quickly spread across the battlefield.

When people learned that six of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had been defeated by a group of more than a dozen Uchiha youths and a Konoha Genin, they were left utterly stunned.

Uchiha Akira and Might Duy quickly became famous, their names spreading throughout the Five Great Shinobi Nations. For a time, they were the talk of the world.

Uchiha Akira's case was understandable. The Uchiha Clan itself was a byword for strength, and many powerful shinobi had emerged from the clan during the Third Shinobi World War.

Among them, the clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, was quite renowned, while Uchiha Shisui was infamous on the Kirigakure battlefield.

So even though Uchiha Akira was only a teenager and had killed four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, people thought it made sense.

There was precedent: Uchiha Shisui had come before him, so another Uchiha Akira was nothing unusual.

But once people dug up Might Duy's background, the story was different.

A Genin who could only use Taijutsu had unleashed such incredible strength, taking down two Elite Jonin in just two moves. The news left everyone stunned.

The situation on the battlefield was now completely one-sided. After Minato Namikaze arrived, Kirigakure had suffered defeat after defeat.

As the saying went, a rout was like a landslide. Konoha had arrived on the heels of its victory over Iwagakure, and Kirigakure had also lost six of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. It could no longer withstand Konoha's onslaught.

Kirigakure's defeat was certain, and Uchiha Akira finally got two days off.

After two days of rest, Uchiha Fugaku came to him with a mission.

His new assignment was to escort a group of wounded shinobi back to Konoha ahead of the others so they could receive treatment.

Conditions on the battlefield were limited, after all, and many of the wounded could only receive basic treatment.

Uchiha Fugaku smiled at Uchiha Akira. "Oh, I spoke with Minato. Once he becomes Hokage, he'll let you choose two ninjutsu from the Sealing Technique records to train in."

"Then I'm grateful, clan head." Uchiha Akira nodded.

Being allowed to choose any two techniques was more than he'd expected.

That was far better than being assigned two specific techniques.

The ninjutsu in the Sealing Technique records could be as powerful as the Flying Thunder God Technique. Of course, they also included techniques like the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, which wasn't especially difficult to learn but was still forbidden to ordinary people.

Now that he could choose any two, he'd have to think carefully when the time came.