War Is 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 deputy minister of the Anbu, second only to Minato Namikaze within the Anbu.

This not only placed one of his own people with a voice in the Anbu, but also let Minato Namikaze shield his people from the forefront.

That was the way of balance.

Uchiha Kyu had never studied management. He was merely following his heart, acting on instinct.

And if anything went wrong, he possessed absolute power and could easily turn things around.

Anyone who dared defy him could go keep the Third company.

The only thing troubling Uchiha Kyu now was the Education Department. He had no suitable candidate for it.

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 the Hokage's advisor no longer counted as an elder's post. It was merely that of a Hokage assistant.

The authority was not great, but the status was high, making it suitable for Hyuga Hiashi to hold two positions at once.

He had merged the Interrogation Department into the Intelligence Department and handed it over to Uchiha Shisui as the intelligence minister.

The young Uchiha Shisui needed some heavy responsibility to accelerate his growth.

Uchiha Kyu looked 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 continue using Hiruzen Sarutobi's brainwashing rules to indoctrinate the next generation of children.

Wherever leaves danced, fire would burn.

The firelight illuminated the village and made the trees sprout new buds. The Will of Fire would never be extinguished.

The Will of Fire could not have been more fitting 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 has happened at the front lines."

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

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

"After the Cloud Ninja discovered that Minato Namikaze was no longer at the front lines, they launched a fierce assault. A, the Fourth Raikage, even acted personally. The front lines have been breached, and our people have suffered heavy casualties."

Uchiha Kyu tossed the intelligence report onto the desk and called outside, "Someone."

"Hokage-sama."

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

"Kakashi?" Uchiha Kyu exclaimed in surprise as he looked at the melancholy aura that even the mask could not conceal.

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

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

Uchiha Kyu gave his orders.

"Immediately relay my order. Have Minato Namikaze lead two squads of Anbu members 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 good, but do not become too obsessed with its power."

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

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

Hyuga Hiashi closed the window and quietly suggested,

"Now that you have become Hokage, should we make changes to our previous plan?"

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

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

"The position of Hokage 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 been stirred up can be difficult or simple."

Hyuga Hiashi frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It must end where it began."

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

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

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

Uchiha Kyu explained,

"The Mist Ninja rank second among the villages in terms of strength. The weakest are Sunagakure."

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

"Meanwhile, Iwagakure, whose strength is second only to the Cloud Ninja, has a cunning Third Tsuchikage who will be difficult to deal with."

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

"Only by first crushing the Mist Ninja, then joining forces with Sunagakure, who are the poorest and most eager to earn achievements on the battlefield..."

"Can we use Iwagakure, who have a little money, as bait and make Sunagakure willingly turn around and bite Iwagakure."

"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 was only after a long while that Uchiha Shisui and Hyuga Hiashi managed to close their dropped jaws.

Clap! Clap! Clap!!!

Thunderous applause rang out from their palms.

Hyuga Hiashi truly admired Uchiha Kyu's mind.

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

Uchiha Kyu waved dismissively.

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

"Take me becoming Hokage, for example. You did not expect it, and neither did I."

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

"I do not know who managed the Medical Department before, but every one of them has been spoiled into being arrogant and conceited."

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

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

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

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

That was why he was reluctant to act. One never knew how expensive daily necessities were until one ran the household.

Training a single medical ninja required immense village resources, especially time.

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

Kill the most disobedient ones. 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.

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

The enemy who had attacked Konoha last night had been driven away by the great Fifth Hokage.

The Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had gravely underestimated the enemy's strength, resulting in enormous losses for the village.

In particular, he had misjudged the enemy's abilities, causing the Fourth, Minato, to make a mistaken assessment and accidentally injure himself to death.

Those villagers who had originally been indifferent toward the Uchiha Clan could hardly wait to declare their loyalty before the Uchiha.

That was the charm of power.

Minato Namikaze's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, was the subject of much discussion among the villagers on the streets, and there was even a trace of disgust and hatred in their eyes.

Because most of the ninja who had died last night were the children of those villagers.

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

This left Kushina Uzumaki afraid to go outside for a time, afraid to face those cold remarks.

The daytime passed in a flash, and the sun was gradually setting.

Uchiha Kyu had been busy in the Hokage Office all day. As he stretched, he casually glanced at Hokage Rock outside the window and froze.