Hiruzen Sarutobi, Konoha Has Suffered Under You for Too Long

In the days that followed, Yushu continued visiting the various shinobi clans according to plan.

The day after visiting Hiashi, Yushu paid a visit to the Nara Clan.

There, Yushu not only met Nara Shikaku, but also Akimichi Choza and Yamanaka Inoichi.

After the four of them took their seats, Akimichi Choza was the first to speak.

"Clan Head Yushu, please forgive us for arriving uninvited. I trust you know that the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi Clans are collectively known as Ino–Shika–Cho."

"Our three clans have always advanced and retreated together. Since Clan Head Yushu will also be visiting the Akimichi Clan and Inoichi's clan afterward, the three of us decided to receive you together."

At that, Shikaku and Inoichi also rose to their feet and, together with Choza, gave Yushu a deep bow.

"Please forgive our discourtesy!" ×3

With things having reached this point, what else could Yushu say? He could only smile and accept.

"May I ask what brings Clan Head Yushu here today?" Nara Shikaku asked.

Yushu knew that the Ino–Shika–Cho clans were closely tied to the Sarutobi Clan. For generations, Ino–Shika–Cho typically chose a Sarutobi jonin as their teacher.

But what had always been passed down in the shinobi world was the Ino–Shika–Cho combination, not the Ino–Shika–Cho–Sarutobi combination.

So Yushu seized the opportunity. He did not expect to win over the three clans, but it would still be good if he could make things difficult for the Sarutobi Clan.

With a broad smile, Yushu began by praising his younger sister.

Just as the three men were wondering what he was getting at and joined him in praising Yushu's sister as outstanding, Yushu changed the subject. "Speaking of which, my sister also entered the Ninja Academy this year. She is in the same class as the younger members of your three clans."

"Whenever my sister comes home, she says that the new generation of Ino–Shika–Cho among her classmates is exceptionally talented and will surely become outstanding shinobi in the future. She also greatly admires the friendship between those three."

Yushu continued, "Though I may not be worthy, for the sake of passing on the Will of Fire, upon hearing of such exceptional juniors, I sincerely hope to become their teacher. Would the three clan heads be willing to part with them and allow me to take the three as disciples? I guarantee in the name of the Uchiha Clan that I will hold nothing back!"

He then looked at the three with a beaming smile.

So he really has no good intentions. But he thinks he can take our children as disciples just like that? Ridiculous.

Hmph! Just as expected of the Uchiha Clan's head—so young, yet so arrogant. Does he think this is still the Warring States era, that we would hand over our children so easily?

Choza, Inoichi, calm down. Judging from the intelligence we have received, this new Uchiha clan head is no simple man. There must be another purpose behind such an excessive request. Do not speak. Let me handle him.

Using Yamanaka Inoichi's superb clan secret technique, the three communicated directly within their minds.

Yushu watched the three of them. He clearly knew they were discussing something, but did not interrupt.

Soon, their discussion concluded, and Shikaku said, "My sincere apologies, Clan Head Yushu. What our three clans rely on for survival are our clan secret techniques. As for them, we only ask that they master those techniques. The Uchiha Clan possesses a vast sea of ninjutsu, and we fear the children would be distracted. We can only decline your kind offer."

Upon hearing this, the smile on Yushu's face instantly froze over. At the same time, he unleashed his full aura, and the three men opposite him felt as though they had fallen into an ice cellar. But immediately afterward, that intimidating aura vanished, and Yushu forced a smile onto his face.

Given Yushu's control over his expressions and his own strength, he naturally could not truly be so unsightly. He had done it deliberately.

Yushu then said, "It seems I did not think this through. Let us put this matter aside."

Immediately afterward, Yushu spoke again. "It has been fifty-seven years since the Uchiha Clan founded Hidden Leaf Village, yet my clan's position within the village has grown increasingly difficult."

"I have thought long and hard over the years and believe that all shinobi clans should unite as we did before. We united to establish Hidden Leaf Village in the past. If we unite now, we will be able to survive better in Konoha."

"Therefore, I wish to establish a Shinobi Clan Alliance, so that every shinobi clan in the village may stand together through hardship. Today, I wish to invite your three clans to join the alliance. As a show of sincerity, the three clan heads may serve as the alliance's decision-makers."

"What do the three of you think?" Yushu looked at them expectantly.

The three men opposite him were visibly stunned by those words.

What is this supposed to be? Is he trying to create a village within the village? Is he trying to hollow out the Hokage's authority? Forget this Shinobi Clan Alliance—we do not even want to touch it, much less become its decision-makers.

Which one of your eyes made you think we wanted to join some Shinobi Clan Alliance, Uchiha Yushu? Decision-makers? Are you trying to get us killed faster?

The three discussed matters in their minds once more, while Yushu continued looking at them with eyes full of expectation.

In the end, Shikaku was once again the one to speak. Looking into Yushu's expectant gaze, Shikaku quickly organized his words.

Shikaku said apologetically, "Clan Head Yushu, my apologies once again. Our three clans have supported one another for generations and have already weathered countless storms together. If we were to unite with other shinobi clans, I am afraid it would be difficult for us to fit in. We are truly sorry."

The expectation in Yushu's eyes turned hollow, then cold. He unleashed his full aura once more and even used Human Torch's ability, directly raising the room's temperature by ten degrees. This time, it did not vanish in an instant, but persisted for several breaths.

In the end, he quieted down again as though he had given up, though his expression had become somewhat unpleasant.

The first time, it had only lasted an instant, so the three had not felt it too strongly. This time, as Yushu released his powerful aura, they felt as though they had been targeted by a natural predator, their entire bodies turning cold.

Yet the room's rapidly rising temperature also made the heat unbearable, letting them experience what it meant to be caught between ice and fire.

Sweat soaked their foreheads and backs. It was impossible to tell whether it was cold sweat or hot sweat.

After calming down, Yushu said again, "Clan Head Shikaku has a point. It seems I still did not think this through."

Yushu spoke again, though this time his tone was far calmer. "The three of you know that the Uchiha Clan's ninja tools sell very well, while the military ration pills and medicine of your three clans are among the finest in the shinobi world."

"Therefore, in order to increase sales, how about we sell them together? We can bundle them at a slightly lower price. That should greatly improve sales for both sides. As the saying goes, cooperation benefits both parties. Let us work together."

"What do the three of you think?"

After speaking, Yushu stared at the three coldly.

At this point, Shikaku completely understood Yushu's true purpose. Though he wanted to refuse, he truly could not find a reason. The first two refusals had already been difficult enough. Was he really going to reject him a third time?

It was merely a business partnership and did not involve cooperation between shinobi forces. Once the time came, it should not be too difficult to seek out Uncle Torifu and explain things to the Third Hokage.

In the end, Shikaku did not discuss it with the others again and directly agreed to Yushu's proposal.

Yushu immediately beamed again. After discussing a few details with them, he took his leave.

Once Yushu's figure was no longer in sight, Akimichi Choza spoke. "Shikaku, why did you agree just now without discussing it with us?"

Shikaku gave a bitter smile. "Discuss what? Refusing him? Then why did you not refuse him?"

Choza recalled what he had just experienced and hurriedly shook his head. "Shikaku, you are the smartest anyway. I will listen to you."

Yamanaka Inoichi asked, "We agreed to the Uchiha Clan's proposal, but what about the Sarutobi Clan?"

"What about the Sarutobi Clan? We of Ino–Shika–Cho are not a subsidiary clan of the Sarutobi Clan. Do they need to interfere with our own business dealings with others?" Shikaku replied irritably.

"Then what about the Third Hokage..."

Shikaku sighed upon hearing that. "Sigh, we can only ask Old Master Torifu for help. Choza, I will have to trouble you."

"Don't worry. I understand," Choza said, patting his chest.

Afterward, Choza and Inoichi also took their leave, leaving Shikaku alone to carefully replay the entire process in his mind, reviewing everything from Yushu's expressions to the changes in his aura.

Truly terrifying. Such scheming is nothing like an Uchiha. I only hope Konoha does not descend into chaos.

Nara Shikaku looked at the white clouds in the sky and thought.

After Yushu left the Nara Clan's grounds, beginning the next day, the shops throughout Konoha where the Ino–Shika–Cho clans had originally sold secret medicines and military ration pills gradually began stocking Uchiha Clan ninja tools.

Many shinobi no longer had to travel so far to the Uchiha Clan's grounds to buy ninja tools.

Most shinobi praised this convenient change.

A week slowly passed, but Yushu did not halt his visits.

Likewise, no clan dared to turn Yushu away. No matter what they truly thought, they received him with utmost respect.

The Aburame Clan bore an old grudge against Danzo because Aburame Ryoma and Aburame Torune had been taken by him. Thus, they had a very pleasant conversation with Yushu and reached a certain degree of cooperation.

Yushu visited clans large and small, including the Inuzuka Clan, the Gekkō Clan, and the Ise Clan. In truth, the longer Hiruzen Sarutobi remained in office, the stronger the Sarutobi Clan became, inevitably encroaching upon the interests of the original shinobi clans.

Likewise, the growth of the Shimura Clan, the Utatane Clan, and the Mitokado Clan had, to varying degrees, made the other shinobi clans increasingly weak.

It was simply that no one dared voice their anger, and each clan fought alone, thinking they only needed to endure until the Fifth Hokage took office.

During this process, Yushu also received an unexpected surprise. The Shiranui Clan and the Kurama Clan approached him of their own accord, seeking protection as well as cooperation.

The Uchiha Clan was still a formidable clan. Though their own days were difficult, among the shinobi clans passed down from the Warring States era, they still carried considerable influence.

The two clans had different reasons. The Shiranui Clan suffered because Shiranui Genma had once been a member of the Fourth Hokage's Guard Platoon. After the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice, even though the Sarutobi Clan did not deliberately target them, they were squeezed out by several small clans working together. Their days gradually grew harder, and they were on the verge of disbanding.

The Kurama Clan, on the other hand, had declined for its own reasons until it had become an ordinary clan. There were not even any shinobi among its younger generation.

After making the rounds, Yushu discovered that everyone's resentment toward the Hokage was actually far from small. It was merely that public opinion was controlled, and everyone was cautious, so no rumors had spread outside.

This could also be seen from the Konoha Crush Plan Yushu had read about in his previous life. During the Chunin Exams, the Four Violet Flames Formation cast by merely four genin—Kidomaru, Tayuya, and the others—had been enough to hold back all of Konoha.

At that time, even Guy, the only one who wanted to help, was stopped by Kakashi. Not a single person in all of Konoha went to offer assistance.

Picking up the original list and looking at the clans of all sizes written on it, Yushu smiled happily.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Konoha has suffered under you for too long!"