The Origin of the Daimyo, the Union of the Senju Clan and the Minamoto Clan, and the Fujiwara Clan

This realization of the crisis was what brought him here in person.

Just now, every word spoken by Sarutobi Hiruzen had fallen into his ears; Konoha remained as insubordinate as ever.

Though it should have been under the jurisdiction of the Daimyo, it had always maintained sufficient autonomy.

By the generation of the Third Hokage, they had even begun to interfere with the selection of the Daimyo's successor.

The previous choice to install the rootless Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage had been intended to weaken the Hokage's influence over Konoha.

The end result, however, was that the Third Hokage, who had resigned in disgrace, became increasingly brazen and rapidly expanded his power.

Fortunately, the rot within Konoha could no longer be concealed.

By encroaching upon the interests of the Hyuga Clan, their sordid dealings had forced Sarutobi Hiruzen to reveal his true colors.

The ninja clans within the village had recognized the ambition of the Sarutobi Clan and were already on guard.

This caused Kazuma to alter his original plan.

He had initially intended to destroy Konoha and weaken the Sarutobi Clan, the supporters of the Second Prince, Genji Shu.

Now, he realized he could look for flaws from within.

The Third Hokage was nowhere near as beloved by Konoha's ninjas as he once was.

The position of Daimyo remained undecided.

He no longer needed to execute that scorched-earth plan of assassinating the new Daimyo.

He would certainly not allow the Second Prince, Genji Shu, who had been brainwashed by the Third Hokage, to ascend to the position of Daimyo.

"Kazuma, you are the same as ever, full of hostility toward us. Konoha and the Land of Fire are one family, are they not?"

The Third Hokage spoke with a smile, appearing to joke, yet he directly pushed Kazuma into a position of opposition against everyone present.

He made it clear that Kazuma's arrival was purely to stir up trouble.

This unified the stance of the Jonin present.

The Third Hokage's words had their intended effect.

Everyone was filled with wariness toward Kazuma.

If things were truly as the Third Hokage said, was the Daimyo trying to seize power?

That would mean seizing the rights of their own ninja clans.

Compared to the overbearing nature of the Land of Fire's nobility, they trusted the Sarutobi Clan, which had existed since the founding of the village, far more.

However, the Sarutobi Clan was too dangerous; they could promote their own new candidates internally and would not let the Daimyo's people seize the opportunity.

In an instant, a fragile alliance had been formed.

This was the tacit understanding the ninja clans had held since the village's founding.

They had gathered together initially to protect their own interests.

Kazuma pondered silently, his gaze searching for his allies, but he could not find Shinichi Hyuga, and he finally let out a sigh.

These ninjas were truly unreliable.

"Since your internal investigation is complete, I will not interfere. As long as you present the results, as long as you are satisfied, and as long as the Daimyo is satisfied, that is enough."

Kazuma spun the monk's staff in his hand against the ground; the metal rings on the staff collided, emitting a crisp sound that focused everyone's attention on him.

The ninjas present felt a sense of relief upon hearing Kazuma's concession.

The ninja village was their village.

They had already secured the interests they needed to fight for, and this was arguably the best possible outcome.

Only the Third Hokage felt a sense of foreboding.

As an old acquaintance of Kazuma, he did not believe that someone would pass up such a good opportunity just to conduct a perfunctory inspection.

Kazuma was a notoriously radical figure.

Sure enough, Kazuma's next words plunged the Third Hokage into the abyss.

"However, my main purpose in coming here is to warn the Sarutobi Clan: stop colluding with the Fire Temple to interfere in the struggle between the Daimyo's heirs. Such things must not happen again."

"According to the contract signed by the First Hokage, the Daimyo is the supreme leader of the country, and the Hokage is the military leader under the Daimyo. The Hokage must not interfere with the succession of the Daimyo, and candidates for Hokage must be reported to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire."

"The Fujiwara Clan carries the bloodline of the Senju!"

Kazuma narrowed his eyes, directly tearing away the Third Hokage's final shred of decency.

Was he even going to wipe out the last of the Senju line?

Kazuma's true identity was that of a ninja possessing the bloodline of the Senju; he supported the Fujiwara Clan, which carried both the Senju and Genji bloodlines.

The Third Hokage supported the pure Genji line, which was the one that would later emerge victorious, Genji Shu.

This was also the reason why Kazuma, despite being a staunch supporter of the Daimyo, would later attempt to assassinate the Daimyo.

The Daimyo of the Genji Clan lineage would not grant his recognition to anyone lacking the bloodline of the Senju Clan.

In a sense, the original state-usurping plan of the Third Hokage was a success, which is why the Sarutobi Clan enjoyed such prosperity thereafter.

Now, the final outcome remains unknown, and the position of the Daimyo hangs in the balance.

What follows depends on the maneuvering of all parties involved.

Kazuma attributed his own arrival entirely to the actions of the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage's gaze flickered with evasion; such behavior on his part had already encroached upon a forbidden zone.

With his actions laid bare, the Sarutobi Clan had become the target of public criticism.

Originally, a state of mutual checks and balances between the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and the Hokage was the most stable arrangement.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen now sought to manipulate the selection of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, once again breaking the rules established by the First Hokage.

This further altered his image among all the ninja clans, especially since the Eldest Young Master of the Fujiwara Clan possessed the bloodline of the Senju Clan.

Logically speaking, the ninja clans of Konoha should have already shifted their support to the Fujiwara Clan.

Now, the Third Hokage was using his own influence to diminish the influence of the Senju Clan.

Disappointment flickered in the eyes of Minato Namikaze; he had already convinced himself many times over in his heart, secretly telling himself that the Third Hokage was a sacrificial figure who gave his all for the village.

He felt the man deserved a dignified retirement.

This was the reason he had always defended the Third Hokage, even when witnessing many things that cast the Third Hokage in a negative light.

He suddenly recalled the question the Daimyo had asked him upon his inauguration.

"Can you guarantee your own impartiality?"

Looking back now, he realized he had already lost his original intent.

In the handling of many matters, he had been influenced by the Third Hokage, including his prejudice against Shinichi Hyuga.

The eyes of the other clan ninjas were filled with shock and incomprehension.

To actively intervene in the struggle between the successors to the Daimyo? To support the Genji Clan? To drive the Senju Clan—the founders of the Land of Fire and Konoha—to extinction!

This was an act that would shake the very foundations of Konoha.

It was the union of the Senju Clan and the Genji Clan that had birthed the Fujiwara Clan, the very lineage qualified to hold the position of Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Now, how was Sarutobi Hiruzen intervening?

He was doing so by eliminating the Fujiwara Clan and shifting support to the Genji lineage.

If this were truly the case, the ambition of the Sarutobi Clan was even greater than imagined.

The last shred of respect these ninja clans held for the Third Hokage vanished.

"The Sarutobi Clan has absolutely no intention of participating in the struggle for the Daimyo's succession; all of this is slander!"

The Third Hokage suddenly erupted, shouting agitatedly, looking nothing like an elderly man in decline.

He could not admit it, nor could he allow such a reputation to be pinned on the Sarutobi Clan; there was still room for a turnaround.

"Between the Eldest Young Master of the Fujiwara Clan and the Second Young Master of the Genji Clan, whom do the ninja clans present support? And whom does the Third Hokage support?"

Kazuma raised his voice, posing the question directly within the conference room, witnessed by the Jonin present.

He severed the connection between the ninja clans and Sarutobi Hiruzen, forcing them to make a public declaration.

Currently, the Second Young Master of the Genji lineage was using the name of the Third Hokage to influence certain ministers in the Land of Fire.

The Third Hokage had served as Hokage for too long, and his influence was far too great.

His influence had to be eliminated, and sufficient support had to be secured for the Eldest Young Master of the Fujiwara Clan to ensure a smooth succession to the position of Daimyo.

This was the primary purpose of his arrival.

It was also the scheme of Shinichi Hyuga: to destroy the Sarutobi Clan's right to speak in the Land of Fire.

And to change the choice of the Daimyo as it was recorded in the trajectory of history.