The Land of Fire no longer needed a daimyo!

The news that the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Gengetsu, had brutally beaten the Land of Fire daimyo's envoy inside the Hokage Building and even killed three of the daimyo's guards on the spot...

Soon spread throughout Konoha, circulated by people with an agenda.

It immediately sparked discussion and debate among everyone in Konoha.

"Have you heard? Something huge happened at the Hokage Building! The Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Gengetsu, actually attacked the envoy from the Daimyō's Residence!"

"It wasn't just an attack! Lord Fifth, Uchiha Gengetsu, cut Lord Fujiwara's tongue out with Wind Release! He even killed the guards himself!"

"Has Lord Fifth gone mad?! Those were people from the Daimyō's Residence!"

"The Uchiha Clan are all arrogant lunatics! Even becoming Hokage doesn't change that?! The daimyo controls our village's economic lifeline!"

"Exactly! Konoha just suffered the Nine-Tails' Rampage, and more than half the village was destroyed. This is when we need reconstruction funding from the Daimyō's Residence the most. After he beat the daimyo's envoy into that sorry state, how could they possibly give us any money?"

"We're finished! Completely finished! Without financial support from the Daimyō's Residence, how are we supposed to rebuild? Uchiha Gengetsu is dragging all of Konoha down with him!"

"..."

With these people deliberately spreading the news, every corner of Konoha was now filled with panic and worry.

All of Konoha's ninja and civilians feared that this incident would thoroughly offend the Daimyō's Residence, costing Konoha all its funding.

Meanwhile, in a meeting room within the Sarutobi Clan compound...

Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Hiruzen Sarutobi sat around a tea table, unable to hide the excitement on their faces.

"Hahaha! Hiruzen, your plan was brilliant!"

Mitokado Homura lifted his teacup and burst out laughing.

Beside him, Utatane Koharu also spoke, her face glowing.

"That ignorant brat Uchiha Gengetsu really fell for it! ...His arrogant, ignorant nature is his fatal weakness!"

"He actually dared to cripple the envoy from the Daimyō's Residence in public and kill the guards!"

"Now the news has spread throughout Konoha. Everyone is panicking."

Clearly, they were the ones working behind the scenes to spread news of Gengetsu's brutal beating of the daimyo's envoy through Konoha so quickly.

"Gengetsu is too young. He knows nothing about political maneuvering, much less what the daimyo represents in the Land of Fire."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smoked, unable to suppress a smile at the success of his scheme.

"Hiruzen, what do we do next? Should we mobilize the Anbu and the clans under us to drive the Uchiha Clan out of power?"

Utatane Koharu spoke eagerly.

"No. We don't need to do anything now. We only need to wait quietly for word from the Daimyō's Residence."

"Once they learn that the envoy was crippled and the guards killed, they'll be furious!"

"The daimyo will never let Gengetsu remain Hokage. When the time comes, we won't even need to act. The Daimyō's Residence will deal with Uchiha Gengetsu for us..."

"All we need to do is step forward at the last moment, clean up the mess, and take back control of Konoha!"

"Lord First defeated Madara Uchiha back then. We can defeat Uchiha Gengetsu just the same!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with absolute confidence.

Hearing his words, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura both nodded.

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others had expected, the Daimyō's Residence responded extremely quickly.

In less than a week, an urgent message from the Land of Fire's daimyo arrived in Konoha.

Inside the Hokage's office on the top floor of the Hokage Building...

Shikaku Nara frowned as he read the scroll in his hands.

"Lord Fifth... the daimyo's message has arrived."

"The scroll says that your brutal treatment of the envoy has enraged the daimyo. He has flatly refused to provide Konoha with any reconstruction funding or bereavement payments!"

"Furthermore... the daimyo refuses to recognize you as Konoha's Fifth Hokage and strips you of all official status! ..."

"He also orders you to lay down your weapons immediately, go to the Daimyō's Residence in person, kneel outside the palace and kowtow in apology, and await their judgment!"

After hearing Shikaku Nara's words, Gengetsu laughed instead of getting angry.

"Heh!"

"Is that all?"

"A weakling who couldn't even truss a chicken dares to brazenly give me orders?"

Gengetsu's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"In that case, I'd say the Land of Fire no longer needs a daimyo!"

Boom!

Gengetsu's words sent a shock through Shikaku Nara, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

Shikaku Nara had long known that Gengetsu might take action against the Land of Fire's daimyo.

But when Gengetsu actually said that the Land of Fire no longer needed a daimyo, he was still utterly stunned.

"Lord Fifth... are you really going to do this?!"

Shikaku Nara's voice trembled slightly with shock.

"The One Country, One Village policy was established personally by the First Hokage, Lord Hashirama Senju! ..."

"The daimyo provides funds and supplies, and the ninja village provides military protection. That has been an ironclad rule throughout the Shinobi World for decades!"

"If you truly act against the daimyo, you'll be completely overturning the rules of the Shinobi World! ..."

"Not only will the Land of Fire descend into chaos, but the daimyo and ninja villages of the other four great nations certainly won't stand idly by..."

Shikaku Nara raised his voice as he tried to dissuade him.

Gengetsu slowly rose and walked to the window. Looking out at Konoha as it was being rebuilt, he spoke.

"You're right. Hashirama Senju did establish the One Village, One Country policy."

"But what was the result?"

"After Hashirama Senju's death, the world never saw the so-called peace he spoke of. Instead, it suffered three devastating ninja wars!"

"Countless ninja died on the battlefield, and countless families were torn apart! And those lofty daimyo? They hid in safe, lavish palaces, enjoying luxurious lives as they watched ninja like us tear into each other like wild dogs, bleeding and dying for their interests!"

Gengetsu's voice grew louder, his tone increasingly sharp.

"So Hashirama Senju's policy was wrong! ..."

"Hashirama Senju had the power to quell a chaotic age, but lacked the boldness to rule the world...!"

"Since this policy is wrong and brings nothing but bloodshed and sacrifice, I'll shatter it completely! I'll change the Land of Fire's order..."

Gengetsu's words shook Shikaku Nara deeply.

Shikaku Nara found himself looking back over Konoha's history, those three brutal Shinobi World wars, and the countless comrades who had died.

That's right! Ninja possess the power to destroy heaven and earth. Why should they bow beneath daimyo who are merely ordinary people? Why should they die for the daimyo's interests?

Lord Fifth's words might have been somewhat arrogant, but they were not without reason.

Perhaps Lord Fifth was right. Perhaps he really could change all of this.

At that thought, the shock in Shikaku Nara's eyes gradually faded, replaced by resolve.

"Lord Fifth, your vision has already surpassed the First Hokage's. Since you've decided to usher in a new era, our Ino-Shika-Cho Clans will follow you to the death!"

"If we're going to abolish the daimyo's position, someone will need to take over the allocation of supplies, economic operations, public welfare administration, and other duties previously handled by the Daimyō's Residence."

"Our Ino-Shika-Cho Clans may not match the Uchiha in combat, but we have many capable administrators well versed in government affairs and commerce..."

"If you trust us, Lord Fifth, perhaps we can be of assistance..."

A flicker of approval crossed Gengetsu's eyes at Shikaku Nara's words.

"It seems you've already made preparations..."

Gengetsu smiled in satisfaction. With the help of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, he could spare himself a great deal of unnecessary trouble.

"In that case, I'll leave Konoha's internal affairs entirely in your hands for the time being!"

"I'm going to the Daimyō's Residence! I'll root out that cancer of the old era!"

Gengetsu declared.

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Gengetsu led a squad of ninja out of Konoha, racing toward the Land of Fire's Daimyō's Residence.

Meanwhile, inside the cell holding Danzo in Konoha's prison...

A Root member wearing an animal mask knelt before Danzo.

"Lord Danzo, we've just received confirmed information. Uchiha Gengetsu has left Konoha! He's heading for the Daimyō's Residence!"

The masked ninja delivered his report on one knee, his voice utterly flat.

After the Nine-Tails' Rampage, Gengetsu had pinned the blame on Danzo and thrown him in prison.

But Danzo had run Root for decades, and the organization had infiltrated all of Konoha.

Thus, even locked in a cell, Danzo could still control and command Root's members.

After hearing his subordinate's report, a frenzied killing intent slowly flared in Danzo's sole remaining eye.

"Hmph! The evil Uchiha Clan! ...Uchiha Gengetsu has already gravely undermined Konoha's Will of Fire! ..."

"To protect Konoha, Uchiha Gengetsu must be eliminated!"

"This trip to the Daimyō's Residence alone is our best opportunity!"

"Relay my orders immediately. Lead Root's elite Third Squad and Fourth Squad to set an ambush along the route he must take to the Daimyō's Residence! Eliminate Uchiha Gengetsu at any cost!"

Danzo ordered loudly.

"Yes!"

Having received his orders, the Root member vanished from the cell in an instant.