The Daimyo's order left everyone in silence.
According to the agreement between the nation and the Hidden Village, they were supposed to obey it.
But according to the unspoken rules among the many clans, everything still depended on the Hokage's opinion.
A strong-willed Kage could stand up to the Daimyo.
Everyone's eyes turned to the Third. After everything that had happened, they all knew that the Fourth Hokage was nothing more than a puppet.
Then it occurred to them.
Hadn't these clans chosen Minato Namikaze as Hokage precisely because of his personality?
Warm, sunny, and kind—these were all virtues in an ordinary person.
But in a person in power, they were fatal weaknesses.
So in everyone's eyes, the Third was still the one in charge.
"Shinichi Hyuga, the village's affairs should be handled within the village. Why involve the Daimyo? That will reduce our funding. Don't you know that?
"Hurry and explain things to the Daimyo. Tell him it was just a misunderstanding.
"The Hokage will consider your request."
The Third spoke in reprimand, putting on the air of someone acting for the good of the village.
He turned to resolve the problem as quickly as possible, using everyone's interests to pressure Shinichi.
He also pushed Minato Namikaze into the spotlight. At a time like this, Minato wasn't the Hokage!
His words did have a slight effect.
The ninja clans looked at Shinichi Hyuga with a little more uncertainty. Years of thinking of the Hokage as their leader had kept them from ever considering seeking the Daimyo's help.
Deep down, though, the Third was filled with unease.
With this order, he could no longer use his authority as Hokage to pressure Shinichi Hyuga.
In that moment, he realized he was old. He no longer had the power to control a genius like Shinichi Hyuga.
"Is that so? What does 'the Two Jewels of the Land of Fire' mean?"
A trace of mockery touched Shinichi Hyuga's face. That rumor had played a major role in persuading the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't that the information he'd spread to build up his own reputation?
Although he had stepped down, he understood perfectly well that he needed an even greater reputation
to secure his power in the future.
He had arranged for people to build him up. Some rumors had spread under his deliberate guidance.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the strongest of all the Hokage!
The Two Jewels of the Land of Fire!
The man who had taught three people capable of changing the world!
These rumors weren't very credible. But tell a lie a thousand times, and it became the truth!
Of these, the Two Jewels of the Land of Fire had become a thorn in the Daimyo's side!
Two jewels?
A jewel represented the supreme ruler. It represented the promise of peace.
It raised the Third to the same level as the Daimyo.
It even suggested that he might surpass him!
But if you looked closely, surely one of them had to be real and the other false, right?
Which was real? Which was false?
That had become the reason the Daimyo targeted the Third: his ambition was too great!
The Third had never expected that the rumor campaign he had always championed would become a weapon Shinichi Hyuga could use against him.
"That was just nonsense from people who didn't know the truth. The Daimyo won't believe it."
The Third forced himself to stay calm, though he was already panicking inside.
With those words, he distanced himself from the rumor.
He was reassuring himself, and the allies standing with him.
"The Daimyo has issued his order. You've already stepped down, so focus on supporting Minato Namikaze. Stop manipulating everything behind the scenes. Do you really think Konoha belongs to you?
"Give back what was never yours!"
Shinichi Hyuga scrutinized the Third before him, then tossed the order in his hand toward him.
His tone was utterly merciless.
"When Konohagakure was founded, there were 57 ninja clans.
"Now only 34 remain. Where did the lands, property, and secret techniques of those clans go?
"Take a guess."
Shinichi Hyuga ignored the Third's predatory glare and asked calmly, his voice unhurried.
His words exploded in everyone's minds.
They all began to think back.
Konoha was a village without a history.
Even though it had a Ninja Academy, its curriculum had too many gaps—and too much propaganda.
The claim that the Third was the strongest Hokage was the biggest piece of propaganda of all.
Either the First or the Second could have beaten him easily.
But as the Senju Clan faded away, the tales of the two Hokage were gradually replaced.
Their history was often preserved in clan records and passed down by word of mouth.
Fortunately, most of the jonin present came from clans.
When teaching them, their elders had always mentioned the glory of Konoha's founding.
Many ninja clans had joined forces to claim a place at the very center of the Ninja World.
That number was accurate!
Shinichi Hyuga's question chilled them to the bone.
Without their noticing, more than a third of the ninja clans had disappeared!
Why?
Was it only because of war?
What had happened to their legacies?
Would their clan be next?
One piercing question after another echoed in their minds.
The respect they had once felt for the Third melted away.
Instead, a bone-deep chill made them wonder whether the Third, with his formidable political skills, was really as innocent as he seemed.
Fugaku Uchiha reacted more strongly than anyone.
The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. Half of the 23 clans that had vanished from history had been allies of the Uchiha Clan!
He recalled what the clan's records said.
"Hashirama Senju invited the Sarutobi Clan. They readily agreed, and even brought along the Ino-Shika-Cho Clan, who were close to them..."
From the very beginning of Konoha, the Sarutobi Clan's strength might have lagged behind the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan, but their influence over Konoha was no less than either clan's.
Even more frightening, the Senju Clan had voluntarily integrated into the civilian population, effectively disappearing.
That meant the next most likely target was the Uchiha Clan!
His gaze toward the Third gradually grew dangerous.
He had seen the Third's ruthlessness firsthand.
The Uchiha Clan had once suffered a crackdown. It had ended with Kagami Uchiha taking his own life.
Shinichi Hyuga's gaze swept over everyone's faces. Only then did he nod in satisfaction. This was the result he wanted.
"The contributions made during the Third Shinobi World War need to be recalculated.
"This work will be led by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Every clan will participate, and the results will be made public.
"Who objects?"
Seeing that the moment was right, Shinichi Hyuga dropped another bombshell.
Everyone present lowered their heads and remained silent, tacitly accepting the action Shinichi Hyuga had proposed.
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