His Seat Secure, War Was No Longer an Option

Seeing Okamoto deliberately show off by jumping out the window, Uchiha Kyu could not help but shake his head with a laugh.

Uchiha Okamoto had been appointed by Uchiha Kyu as the deputy minister of the Anbu, second only to Minato Namikaze in status.

Not only could he place one of his own people with authority in the Anbu, but he could also have Minato Namikaze shield his people in the most public-facing position.

That was the art of balance.

Uchiha Kyu had never studied management. He was merely following his instincts, acting on what he felt was right.

And if anything went wrong, he possessed absolute power and could easily set things right.

Anyone who dared defy him would be sent to keep the Third company.

The only thing troubling Uchiha Kyu now was the Education Department. There was no suitable candidate.

Within Konoha's structure, six departments supported this towering tree.

The Administrative Department, namely the Council of Elders, had already been abolished by him.

Hyuga Hiashi's position as Hokage advisor no longer counted as an elder's post. He was simply a Hokage assistant.

He had little power but high status, making it suitable for Hyuga Hiashi to hold two positions at once.

The Interrogation Department had been merged into the Intelligence Department, with Uchiha Shisui serving as intelligence minister.

Young Uchiha Shisui needed some heavy responsibility to speed up his growth.

Uchiha Kyu stared at the documents in his hand and fell into thought.

[Intelligence Department: Uchiha Shisui]

[Anbu: Minato Namikaze]

[Medical Department: Hyuga Hiashi]

[Security Department: Fugaku Uchiha]

[Scientific Research Department: Orochimaru]

[Education Department: Pending...]

The Education Department was where fresh ninja blood was produced. It was of utmost importance.

Therefore, Uchiha Kyu intended to use Hiruzen Sarutobi's brainwashing methods to indoctrinate the next generation of children.

Wherever leaves danced, fire would burn.

The firelight would illuminate the village and bring forth new buds from the trees. The Will of Fire would never be extinguished.

Nothing was more fitting than using the Will of Fire to describe the Uchiha Clan.

Knock, knock, knock!

The sudden knocking interrupted Uchiha Kyu's thoughts. He looked up and replied, "Come in."

"Hokage-sama, something happened at the front lines."

Hyuga Hiashi entered with a grave expression, then immediately stepped aside for Uchiha Shisui, who had followed him in.

Uchiha Shisui presented the intelligence with both hands and quickly said, "Hokage-sama, news has come from the front lines."

"After the Cloud Ninja discovered that Minato Namikaze was not at the front lines, they launched a fierce assault. Fourth Raikage A personally joined the attack. The front line has been breached, and our people suffered heavy casualties."

Uchiha Kyu tossed the report onto the desk and shouted outside, "Someone!"

"Hokage-sama."

Kakashi, the Anbu member standing guard outside, hurried in.

"Kakashi?" Uchiha Kyu looked at him, surprised by the melancholy aura that even his mask could not conceal.

Kakashi removed his mask. "It is me, Hokage-sama."

Without the mask, Kakashi revealed the youthful face of a boy.

Uchiha Kyu issued his orders.

"Immediately relay my command. Order Minato Namikaze to lead two Anbu squads to the battlefield and stop the Cloud Ninja outside the front lines at all costs."

"Oh, and as the son of the White Fang of the Leaf, you should go to the battlefield and gain some experience as well. The Sharingan may be powerful, but do not become too obsessed with its strength."

"After all... you are not Uchiha."

"Yes." Kakashi also disliked using the front door and immediately left through the window.

Hyuga Hiashi closed the window and quietly suggested,

"Now that you have become Hokage, should we alter our previous plan?"

"Konoha is already yours. If the war continues, it is your people who will suffer the losses."

Uchiha Kyu nodded in agreement. "That is true."

"The Hokage position came too suddenly. It was not even part of my plan."

"Who would have thought Minato Namikaze would insist on handing this position to me?"

Uchiha Kyu then sighed. "But ending a war once it has begun can be difficult or simple, depending on how you look at it."

Hyuga Hiashi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It must end where it began."

Uchiha Kyu pointed at the map behind him, pressing heavily on a location.

"The Mist Ninja?" Uchiha Shisui cried in surprise.

His Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened during a battle against the Mist Ninja.

Uchiha Kyu explained,

"Among the other villages, the Mist Ninja rank second in strength. The weakest are Sunagakure."

"The powerful Cloud Ninja have become fierce and reckless under the Fourth Raikage's leadership. They are not our first choice."

"The Stone Ninja, who are only slightly weaker than the Cloud Ninja, have a cunning and resourceful Third Tsuchikage. They will not be easy to deal with."

"Even if we defeat the weakest Sunagakure, it will not put pressure on the other ninja villages."

"Only by knocking the Mist Ninja flat first, then joining forces with Sunagakure, who are the poorest and most eager to earn merit on the battlefield—"

"Using Iwagakure, who have a little money, as bait, we can make the Sand Ninja willingly turn around and bite Iwagakure."

"By then, no matter how strong the Cloud Ninja are, they will be unable to stand alone. The war will naturally be resolved with ease."

It took a long while after Uchiha Kyu finished before Uchiha Shisui and Hyuga Hiashi finally closed their gaping mouths.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Thunderous applause rang out from their palms.

Hyuga Hiashi truly admired Uchiha Kyu's mind.

"This plan is practically flawless. If it succeeds, the Shinobi World will surely remember your legendary deeds."

Uchiha Kyu waved dismissively.

"There is no such thing as a flawless plan. Every plan must change according to actual circumstances."

"Just like me becoming Hokage. You did not expect it, and neither did I."

After praising each other for a while, Hyuga Hiashi rose to take his leave. "If there is nothing else, I will return first."

"I do not know who managed the Medical Department before, but every one of them has been raised to be arrogant and conceited."

Uchiha Kyu snorted. "Then kill a chicken to scare the monkeys."

"If you do not kill one or two of them, they will become even more outrageous next time."

Hyuga Hiashi nodded helplessly. "I will consider it."

Medical ninja were still scarce. Only after becoming the minister of the Medical Department had Hyuga Hiashi realized just how rare they were.

That was why he was reluctant to kill them. One never knew the cost of rice and oil until one ran the household.

The village needed to spend enormous resources, especially time, to train a single medical ninja.

But Uchiha Kyu did not care about any of that. Medical ninja could be killed just the same.

Kill the most disobedient ones, and as long as the rest feared death, they would obediently listen.

Uchiha Kyu arranged many matters that day, such as publicizing his ascension as Hokage.

Once the villagers were informed that they could move about freely, they discovered that the Uchiha clan head had become the Fifth Hokage.

The enemies who had attacked Konoha the previous night had been driven away by the great Fifth Hokage.

The Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had severely underestimated the enemy's strength, causing the village to suffer tremendous losses.

In particular, he had misjudged the enemy's abilities, causing the Fourth, Minato, to make a mistaken assessment that led to his accidental death.

Those villagers who had once disliked the Uchiha Clan now wished they could immediately pledge their loyalty before the Uchiha.

That was the allure of power.

Minato Namikaze's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, was the subject of countless discussions on the streets. There was even a trace of disgust and hatred in the villagers' eyes.

That was because most of the ninja who had died the previous night were these villagers' children.

Minato Namikaze's reputation in the village instantly plummeted. In just one day, he became someone everyone despised.

This left Kushina Uzumaki too afraid to leave the house for a time, unwilling to face those cruel remarks.

The daytime passed in a flash, and the sun gradually began to set.

Uchiha Kyu had worked in the Hokage Office all day. As he stretched, his gaze inadvertently swept over Hokage Rock outside the window, and he froze.