Reputation rose again, reward: clap your hands, and whatever you call for appears!

The approach taken by Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura proved extremely effective.

In just half a day, enormous problems arose in the operation of Konoha.

The Nine-Tails' Rampage had only just subsided. Ruins lay everywhere in the village, countless wounded needed treatment, defensive fortifications needed rebuilding, and public order needed maintaining.

This should have been the busiest time for every major department, when they needed to work at full capacity.

But after receiving Hiruzen Sarutobi's covert instructions, the heads of Konoha's major departments began collectively dragging their feet, as though they had planned it together.

Some department heads used staff shortages as an excuse to leave assignments sitting with their subordinates.

Others were even more brazen, finding all sorts of excuses to dodge orders from the Hokage Building, or even openly refusing to carry them out.

Word of this abnormal situation reached Gengetsu immediately.

Inside the Hokage's office.

"Lord Fifth! Reports have just come in from all sides. Every major department in the village is dragging its feet on your orders!"

Uchiha Inabi knelt on one knee before Gengetsu, his face livid as he spoke.

"Not only that, the heads of several critical departments have openly refused to carry out transfer orders issued by the Hokage Building!"

"Konoha Hospital is the worst of all!"

"Oh?"

Seated behind the Hokage's desk, Gengetsu showed no panic at the report. Instead, he sneered.

"So this was what Hiruzen Sarutobi and those old foxes had waiting for me!"

Gengetsu quickly understood.

This was undoubtedly the work of Hiruzen Sarutobi and those other old men behind the scenes.

At the Hokage meeting, Gengetsu had cut off Danzo's arm and gouged out his eye with ruthless speed, then relegated Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two to a logistics department for retirement with a single sentence, stripping them of all real authority.

How could those three old men, who had controlled Konoha for decades, possibly swallow that humiliation? How could they easily surrender the power in their hands?

So they wanted to undermine his authority this way, ensuring his orders never left the Hokage Building and paralyzing all of Konoha to force him to beg them!

"Lord Fifth, what should we do now?"

Uchiha Inabi couldn't help asking.

"Don't worry! These are nothing but petty tricks!"

"Take me to Konoha Hospital!"

Gengetsu rose to his feet and spoke with an unconcerned expression.

"Yes!"

A short while later.

Gengetsu arrived directly at the lobby of Konoha Hospital with several Uchiha guards.

The moment he entered the hospital, the heavy smell of blood and pungent scent of medicine hit him.

The spacious hospital lobby was in utter chaos.

Konoha Ninja and civilians wounded during the Nine-Tails' Rampage were everywhere.

Some had crushed arms that bled profusely. Others had burns covering half their bodies and wailed in agony on stretchers...

The entire hospital lobby was filled with pained groans.

Yet at this critical moment, an utterly absurd scene was unfolding at the hospital's treatment counter.

A dozen blood-soaked wounded ninja, supporting one another, surrounded a medical ninja in a white coat and argued loudly.

"Why won't you treat us? My comrade is dying! He's lost too much blood!"

"You clearly have time! Why are you standing here doing nothing?"

The wounded ninja roared angrily, their eyes bloodshot.

But the medical ninja surrounded by them kept his hands in his pockets, his face full of impatience.

"What are you shouting for? Can't you see we're busy?"

"I already told you, we're short-staffed, and we've run out of medicine! We can't treat your injuries. Go somewhere else and figure something out!"

The medical ninja spoke with extreme arrogance.

"Bullshit! You were clearly drinking tea and chatting inside just now!"

A Chunin with a broken arm pointed at the medical ninja and cursed him.

Just then, Gengetsu walked in with his men.

"What's going on?"

At the sight of Gengetsu, the wounded ninja hurriedly cried out.

"Lord Fifth! You're finally here!"

"Lord Fifth, you have to help us! My comrade is badly wounded and can't hold on much longer, but they won't treat us at all!"

A ninja with a blood-covered face pointed at the medical ninja and shouted.

Hearing this, Gengetsu frowned and gave the medical ninja a hostile look as he asked.

"Is that true?"

Facing Gengetsu's questioning, the medical ninja still showed no fear and answered indifferently.

"Lord Fifth, you can't blame us for this!"

"There are too many wounded right now. We simply don't have enough staff!"

"Besides, the hospital's regular medical supplies have run out. What are we supposed to treat them with?"

This medical ninja was named Sarutobi Daigang. He was the leader of Konoha Hospital's Medical Group, as well as a member of the Sarutobi Clan!

He had long since received Hiruzen Sarutobi's secret orders not to cooperate with any of Uchiha Gengetsu's work.

The surrounding wounded ninja could no longer tolerate Sarutobi Daigang's excuses and immediately erupted in anger.

"You're lying!"

"There are clearly a dozen of you sitting around in the break room without saving anyone! You're deliberately refusing to treat us!"

Facing everyone's accusations, Sarutobi Daigang remained utterly shameless and gave an unconcerned snort:

"So what if we're in the break room? Medical ninja are people too. We need rest!"

"As for supplies... there is indeed a stock of medical resources in the hospital warehouse, but those are wartime reserves!"

"According to Konoha's rules, no one has the authority to use those supplies without Lord Third's handwritten order!"

The moment Sarutobi Daigang said this, everyone around him understood.

This wasn't a shortage of staff or supplies at all. He was clearly using the Third Hokage to pressure the Fifth Hokage!

The wounded ninja around them were furious but dared not speak. He had invoked the Third Hokage, someone ordinary ninja like them couldn't afford to offend.

"Lord Third's orders?"

"Right now, I am Konoha's Hokage!"

Gengetsu spoke with utter disdain.

"As the Fifth Hokage, I order you to open the warehouse immediately and use those reserve medical supplies!..."

"Now, this instant, get your asses over there and save those people!"

But faced with Gengetsu's forceful orders, Sarutobi Daigang not only refused to back down, but became even more adamant.

"No! Without the Third's orders, the warehouse absolutely cannot be opened! Even if you're the Fifth Hokage, you can't break the rules! I can't do this job!"

Sarutobi Daigang was certain Gengetsu could do nothing to him.

Medical ninja were treasures of the village, and he was the leader of the entire Medical Group, no less.

If they were pushed too far and went on strike together, all these wounded would die, and Gengetsu, the new Hokage, would take all the blame!

If Gengetsu had been merely an ordinary ninja without any backing, he really might have been helpless against Sarutobi Daigang's obstruction.

But unfortunately for him.

Gengetsu was no ordinary ninja. He belonged to the Uchiha Clan!

Standing behind Gengetsu was the Uchiha Clan, the foremost elite clan in the entire Shinobi World!

"Hmph!"

"You can't do it?"

"If you can't do it, then don't!"

Gengetsu spoke with utter disdain.

"In the name of the Fifth Hokage, you are hereby relieved of all your duties!"

"And the rest of you!"

"If you don't want to be medical ninja, then get out, all of you! If you won't do it, plenty of others will!"

Gengetsu's order immediately shocked everyone present.

Gengetsu had actually dismissed the entire medical team outright.

Even Sarutobi Daigang was extremely surprised, but rather than being afraid, he laughed mockingly.

"Lord Fifth, you're dismissing us?!"

"Hahaha! Have you gone mad? We've worked at Konoha Hospital for decades. We know every aspect of how this hospital operates!"

"Without us, Konoha Hospital can't function at all! If you dismiss us, who will save these wounded? Will you treat them yourself? I'd like to see how you, the Hokage, handle this mess without us!"

The medical ninja behind Sarutobi Daigang chimed in.

"Exactly! Dismiss us, and the hospital will be paralyzed immediately!"

"When people die, it'll all be your responsibility as Hokage!"

Looking at these fools who had no idea what they were getting themselves into, Gengetsu couldn't be bothered to spare them another glance. He turned directly to the Uchiha ninja beside him and shouted:

"Inabi!"

"Here!" Uchiha Inabi immediately stepped forward and answered loudly.

"Bring every medical ninja in the Uchiha Clan here immediately!"

"Yes!"

Upon receiving the order, Uchiha Inabi instantly disappeared.

A short while later, accompanied by a flurry of footsteps.

A dozen Uchiha ninja wearing their clan's clothing and carrying medical scrolls appeared in the hospital lobby!

"Lord Fifth!"

The Uchiha ninja leading them hurriedly saluted Gengetsu.

As Konoha's foremost clan, the Uchiha Clan possessed not only formidable fighting power, but also a comprehensive medical system.

Looking at the Uchiha Clan's medical ninja, Gengetsu immediately announced loudly.

"From this moment on, you will take over all operations at Konoha Hospital!"

"You will serve as the new Medical Group leader!"

Gengetsu pointed at one of the most experienced Uchiha medical ninja as he spoke.

"Yes, Lord Fifth!"

The Uchiha Clan's medical ninja accepted the orders without hesitation and quickly went to work.

"Let's begin treating the wounded!"

"Quick! Prepare the Mystical Palm Technique! Stop the bleeding!"

"Open the Sealing Scroll and take out the reserve medicinal herbs!"

"Move the critically wounded patient to bed one. Operate immediately!"

With the addition of the Uchiha Clan's medical ninja, order quickly returned to the previously chaotic hospital lobby!

The wounded ninja received timely treatment, and the wailing rapidly diminished.

Seeing all this, Sarutobi Daigang and the others, who had been so arrogant moments ago, were dumbfounded.

They had intended to threaten Gengetsu with a strike and force him to bow his head.

But Gengetsu hadn't fallen for it at all. He had simply dismissed them all and seamlessly replaced them with members of the Uchiha Clan!

"Lord Fifth! You can't do this!"

"What right do you have to dismiss me? Lord Third appointed me!"

Sarutobi Daigang spoke anxiously.

He couldn't help being anxious!

The Medical Group leader at Konoha Hospital held considerable authority, and he clearly didn't want to lose it.

Looking at Sarutobi Daigang, who resembled a clown, Gengetsu spoke with utter disdain.

"What right? The right of being the Fifth Hokage!"

"I already told you. If you won't do it, plenty of others will!"

Then Gengetsu swept his gaze across everyone and called out in a booming voice.

"Anyone who dares drag their feet at a time like this and sabotage Konoha's rescue efforts is murdering their comrades! They are an enemy of Konoha!"

"I will show enemies no mercy!"

"As for you... I suspect you of deliberately sabotaging Konoha! You're spies from other villages!"

"Guards, seize them!"

As Gengetsu's voice fell, several nearby Uchiha Clan ninja immediately rushed forward and seized Sarutobi Daigang and the others.

"Ah! You can't do this!"

"I want to see Lord Third!"

"..."

But unfortunately, no matter how they struggled, it was useless.

Soon, Sarutobi Daigang and the others were all escorted away by the Uchiha Clan's ninja.

After dealing with Sarutobi Daigang and the others, Gengetsu turned to the wounded ninja and civilians receiving treatment in the lobby and shouted:

"Everyone!"

"I, Uchiha Gengetsu, as the Fifth Hokage, promise you all!..."

"No matter what difficulties we encounter, the Uchiha Clan will stand with you!..."

"Anyone who dares obstruct the village's reconstruction or harm their comrades will be completely eliminated by me!"

"Everything for Konoha, for the Will of Fire!"

Gengetsu's impassioned words instantly fired up everyone present.

"Long live Lord Fifth! Long live the Uchiha Clan!"

"Long live Lord Fifth! Long live the Uchiha Clan!"

"..."

Deafening cheers echoed through the hospital, and Gengetsu's standing among Konoha's ordinary ninja rose once again.

Immediately afterward, a mechanical voice that only Gengetsu could hear rang out in his mind.

[Your reputation in Konoha has increased. Reward obtained: hand seal-less ninjutsu.]

[Hand seal-less ninjutsu: You can cast ninjutsu directly without forming hand seals. Clap your hands together, and whatever you call out comes forth!]