Half a month quickly passed.
The entire Daimyō's Residence had fallen under the Konoha ninjas' control.
Deep within the Daimyō's Residence, inside the palace, Gengetsu was listening to Uchiha Inabi's report.
"Fifth Hokage, the entire Daimyō's Residence is completely under our control!"
"We killed every noble remnant who tried to resist, along with all those samurai who didn't know their place! We didn't leave a single survivor!"
Uchiha Inabi knelt on one knee before Gengetsu, his voice brimming with undisguised excitement.
Clearly, Uchiha Inabi saw nothing wrong with occupying the entire Daimyō's Residence. On the contrary, he was thrilled.
"Excellent!"
Hearing Uchiha Inabi's report, Gengetsu couldn't help smiling in satisfaction.
Since he had decided to take the Land of Fire for himself, he could not leave any hidden threats behind.
Anyone who dared resist would meet only one end: death.
"Right, what about the finances!? How much wealth did that useless daimyō stash away after all those years of squeezing people dry?"
Something occurred to Gengetsu, and he continued questioning him.
At that, Uchiha Inabi spoke with excitement written all over his face.
"Fifth Hokage! We've tallied all the assets in the Daimyō's Residence. It holds a total of two hundred billion ryō in cash... and that doesn't include the priceless antiques, paintings, calligraphy, and rare minerals!"
"Two hundred billion!?"
Hearing that figure, even Gengetsu couldn't help looking surprised.
After all, even Konoha, the foremost ninja village in the Shinobi World, with countless ninjas working themselves to the bone on missions, only earned around ten billion ryō a year in total.
Yet the daimyō of the Land of Fire, a weakling who couldn't even truss a chicken, possessed a fortune of two hundred billion ryō!
That was equivalent to twenty full years of Konoha's total income!
No wonder that old bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi groveled before the daimyō like a dog every year. These nobles really were rich.
But now, all that money belonged to Konoha.
At that thought, Gengetsu immediately spoke.
"Leave enough money to keep the Land of Fire's economy running. Pack up everything else and bring it back to Konoha!"
Gengetsu believed that with this enormous sum, he could build a brand-new Konoha.
At the same time, the Uchiha Clan's strength would rise to unprecedented heights.
"Yes! Fifth Hokage!"
Uchiha Inabi accepted the order and immediately left to carry it out.
The very instant Uchiha Inabi left.
A mechanical voice that only Gengetsu could hear suddenly rang out.
[Ding! Detected that the host has gained complete control of the Daimyō's Residence!] [The host's prestige has increased substantially!] [Congratulations to the host on receiving the reward: Wood Release!]
As the system's voice faded.
Boom!
An immensely powerful life force instantly appeared within Gengetsu's body, surging wildly through his meridians and circulating throughout his entire body in an instant.
Gengetsu felt every cell in his body rejoice.
"What!? Wood Release!?"
"I actually got Wood Release!?"
Seeing the reward he had received this time and feeling the changes in his body, Gengetsu was utterly stunned.
After all, Wood Release was the kekkei genkai of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju!
The entire Shinobi World recognized it as the only terrifying power capable of confronting the Uchiha Clan's Mangekyō Sharingan head-on!
Back then, Hashirama Senju had dominated an entire era with his Wood Release. Even Madara Uchiha, commanding the Nine-Tails, had fallen to him.
But with the First Hokage's death, Wood Release had vanished from the Shinobi World.
And now, he, a member of the Uchiha Clan, had actually obtained the Senju Clan's Wood Release!
How could Gengetsu not be shocked? How could he not be astonished?
Gengetsu took a deep breath, suppressing his wild joy, then slowly extended his right hand and willed it into action.
Chakra brimming with vitality gathered in his palm.
An emerald glow lit up in Gengetsu's hand.
Then a tender blade of grass quickly sprouted from his palm and grew rapidly.
"Wood Release! It really is Wood Release!"
Seeing the vibrant blade of grass in his hand and feeling the vast, ceaseless life force within his body, as though it would never run dry, Gengetsu was ecstatic.
After all, to the Uchiha Clan, Wood Release was far more than just a powerful kekkei genkai!
It could also alleviate the side effects of using the Mangekyō Sharingan!
Although the Mangekyō Sharingan was immensely powerful, every use placed an enormous burden on the body.
Eventually, it could even rob someone of their sight, leaving them completely blind.
But the tremendous life force contained within Wood Release could greatly alleviate the Mangekyō Sharingan's side effects!
Despite having only one Sharingan, Obito Uchiha could use Kamui, which consumed enormous amounts of ocular power, without restraint or limitation and had not gone blind in over a decade. That was because half his body had been grown from Hashirama Senju's cells, giving him the power of Wood Release!
And now, Gengetsu had obtained Wood Release too!
He felt the slight soreness in his eyes, originally caused by using his ocular techniques and Susanoo, vanish without a trace under the nourishment of Wood Release's immense life force.
Gengetsu couldn't help smiling.
With Wood Release supporting him, Gengetsu could use the Mangekyō Sharingan's power without any reservations from now on!
And now that he possessed both the Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release, might he be able to experience the power of Susanoo-Clad Kurama in the future?
Several days later.
After every matter at the Daimyō's Residence had been properly settled.
Gengetsu set out on the journey back to Konoha.
Only a few elite Uchiha Clan ninjas accompanied Gengetsu as guards on this journey.
As for the other Konoha ninjas, including members of clans such as the Ino-Shika-Cho, Gengetsu had left them all at the Daimyō's Residence to keep the Land of Fire's economy running.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to Konoha.
The atmosphere was oppressively heavy, the air thick with the tension of an approaching storm.
A dense crowd of Konoha ninjas led by Hiruzen Sarutobi had gathered there, almost completely blocking the gate.
These were no ordinary genin or chunin. Most of those standing at the front were the heads of Konoha's various ninja clans.
The Hyuga Clan, the Aburame Clan, the Inuzuka Clan... the leaders of almost every clan in Konoha had come.
They had all come at Hiruzen Sarutobi's summons.
As for Hiruzen Sarutobi's goal, it was very simple.
He would seize this perfect opportunity, now that Gengetsu had killed the daimyō and brought down a monumental disaster, to wrest supreme authority over Konoha from him!
"What's the situation?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Utatane Koharu beside him.
At his question, Utatane Koharu immediately said, "Sarutobi, according to the reports from the Anbu, Uchiha Gengetsu's group is less than ten li from the village. They'll be here soon!"
Mitokado Homura, standing nearby, immediately followed up.
"Sarutobi, we must take Gengetsu down today! He murdered the daimyō, an unforgivable crime. We absolutely cannot let him remain Hokage and keep running wild!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not reply. Instead, he took a deep draw on his pipe, a calculating glint flashing through his cloudy old eyes.
Today, he would reclaim the authority that belonged to him, with full justification!
Meanwhile, the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans had gathered in a corner of the crowd.
"Shikaku, will the Fifth Hokage really be all right this time!?"
Looking at the menacing Hiruzen Sarutobi ahead, Inoichi Yamanaka asked Shikaku Nara in a somewhat shaky voice.
"Exactly!"
"Lord Third has gathered the heads of every ninja clan in Konoha. He's preparing to make his move in earnest! The Fifth Hokage may be strong, but can he withstand pressure from the whole village?"
Chōza Akimichi also asked with great concern.
Their Ino-Shika-Cho Clans had already openly sided with Gengetsu. Their clan ninjas were even still working for him at the Daimyō's Residence.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi succeeded in seizing power today, it would be a devastating blow to their three clans. He would surely subject them to a ruthless purge afterward.
"Don't worry!"
Shikaku Nara spoke with a confident expression.
"According to the confirmed information I received from the Daimyō's Residence!"
"The entire Daimyō's Residence, including the resisting nobles, has been completely brought under the Fifth Hokage's control through iron-fisted methods! The Land of Fire's wealth is all in his hands too!"
"And most importantly..."
"When the Fifth Hokage was surrounded and attacked by the Twelve Guardian Ninja at the Daimyō's Residence, he used the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan! Apparently, he summoned a red giant dozens of meters tall and changed the terrain with a single strike. His strength is absolutely terrifying!"
"Against that kind of absolute power, numbers mean nothing. The Fifth Hokage absolutely will not lose this time!"
Shikaku Nara quickly relayed the information he had obtained.
"Then that's a relief!"
Hearing Shikaku Nara's words, Inoichi Yamanaka and Chōza Akimichi couldn't help letting out long sighs of relief.
As long as the Fifth Hokage possessed absolute strength, none of Hiruzen Sarutobi's petty schemes would matter.
Apart from the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, the other ninja clan heads present also had their own thoughts. They exchanged complicated looks, none daring to openly take a position.
Just then, the sound of synchronized footsteps came from the distant road.
Gengetsu quickly approached from afar, leading those few Uchiha Clan ninjas.
"Sarutobi, Gengetsu is here!"
Utatane Koharu pointed ahead and spoke to Hiruzen Sarutobi in a shrill voice.
"Let's go!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze turned cold. With a sharp wave of his hand, he led the mass of Konoha ninjas behind him forward in a furious advance.
At the same time, Gengetsu and the Uchiha Clan ninjas behind him noticed the unusually large welcoming party at Konoha's entrance.
"Fifth Hokage, look! Why have all the Konoha ninjas gathered at the gate? Have they come to welcome us back in triumph?"
Uchiha Inabi looked at the dense crowd ahead and spoke with pride written all over his face.
"I'm sure they have! After all, we just occupied the entire Daimyō's Residence! Now the whole Land of Fire belongs to our Konoha!"
"Exactly! With such a great achievement to the Fifth Hokage's name, it's only natural for them to come out and welcome him!"
The Uchiha Clan ninjas discussed it, their faces brimming with pride.
Clearly, in the Uchiha ninjas' eyes, killing the daimyō and taking control of the entire Daimyō's Residence was no outrageous act of treason. Instead, it was an unprecedented feat of greatness!
It was only right for the Konoha ninjas to welcome them.
Listening to his subordinates' discussion, Gengetsu looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi standing at the very front and curled his lips in a disdainful smile.
"Heh, that old bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't be kind enough to come welcome us!"
"Let's go! I want to see exactly what that old bastard is up to today!"
Just as Gengetsu arrived at the Konoha Gate with the Uchiha Clan ninjas.
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately bellowed an order.
"Konoha ninjas, heed my command! Seize Uchiha Gengetsu!"
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