Rumble!
Rubble fell, dust filled the air, and the ground shook.
Every Konoha ninja stared blankly at the distant mountain split in two, their minds losing all ability to think.
One strike.
Just one casual strike.
It had reshaped the terrain and cleaved a mountain apart!
Was this really power a human could possess!?
What terrifying power was this!?
Was this the power of the Uchiha Clan!?
After that strike, Gengetsu did not attack again. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the Konoha ninja, who had long since been stunned senseless.
"Now, do you still want to fight our Uchiha Clan!?"
At Gengetsu's words, every Konoha ninja present involuntarily backed away a few steps.
Now, they were truly frightened by his immense power.
Fight? How were they supposed to fight?
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura, who had just been clamoring to strip Gengetsu of his position as Hokage, now kept their mouths firmly shut, falling silent together.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked grim, because he knew perfectly well that with the immense power Gengetsu had displayed, he had no chance of taking him down this time.
Seeing that everyone present had been cowed by the power he had displayed, Gengetsu dismissed his Susanoo with a thought.
The enormous mass of deep crimson chakra instantly dissipated into the air.
Then Gengetsu looked at the crowd before him and announced loudly:
"Effective immediately, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura are stripped of all their positions in Konoha! Get home right now and reflect on your actions behind closed doors!"
"All other Sarutobi Clan ninja who took part in blocking our way today are hereby stripped of their ninja qualifications..."
Gengetsu's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.
As Gengetsu issued these two orders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, who had been scared witless, immediately jumped up in agitation.
Stripped of all their positions? Would that not make them an ordinary old man and woman without any power? That was worse than killing them!
"Uchiha Gengetsu! You can't do this! You have no right to remove us from office! We're Konoha's advisers..."
Utatane Koharu pointed at Gengetsu and shrieked, trying to use her former status to pressure him.
However, before the two of them could finish speaking-
Gengetsu abruptly turned his head, directing his scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan toward them.
Feeling his gaze, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura both shuddered violently.
"What!? Do you two old fossils have a problem with my decision?"
Gengetsu spoke icily, undisguised killing intent radiating from him.
Faced with his icy killing intent, the pair were so frightened that their legs went weak and their lips began to tremble.
"N-no! No... no objections!"
Their voices shook as they hastily shook their heads.
"Hmph. Since you have no objections, shut your mouths!"
Gengetsu berated them without mercy, ignoring the ashen-faced Hiruzen Sarutobi as he strode past the three of them toward Konoha's gates.
Seeing this, none of the surrounding Konoha ninja clan heads or the others dared to stop him. They immediately retreated to either side, clearing a wide path for him.
Every one of them watched him pass with eyes full of terror and awe.
There was no helping it. The power Gengetsu had just displayed was simply too terrifying. Who would dare get on his bad side now?
Just as Gengetsu was about to lead the Uchiha Clan ninja through Konoha's gates-
He suddenly stopped and looked at the Konoha ninja, who were still deeply frightened and uneasy.
Gengetsu knew perfectly well that if he wanted complete control of Konoha, ruling through oppression backed by terrifying power alone would not be enough.
Relentless pressure would only alienate people. To make these people devote themselves wholeheartedly to serving him, he needed both the carrot and the stick!
Now that he had already swung the stick and beaten them into submission, it was time to give them a taste of something sweet.
Gengetsu drew a deep breath and shouted to everyone present:
"On this trip to the Daimyō's Residence, our Konoha reaped tremendous gains! The wealth of the entire Land of Fire is now in Konoha's hands!"
"As the Fifth Hokage, I hereby announce!..."
"Effective immediately, mission pay for every ninja in Konoha will be doubled!"
Boom!
Gengetsu's words immediately astonished everyone.
The fear and unease in the Konoha ninja's eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by wild joy and excitement!
Their mission pay was being doubled outright!
For these Konoha ninja, who lived on a knife's edge every day, risking their lives on missions for meager pay, this was nothing short of a windfall!
The daimyō's death, the Will of Fire-none of it mattered anymore in the face of cold, hard money!
No one knew who started it, but a deafening shout suddenly erupted from the crowd.
"Welcome back to the village, Fifth Hokage!!!"
That shout instantly ignited the atmosphere.
The other ninja immediately caught on and began shouting as well.
"Welcome back to the village, Fifth Hokage!!!"
"Long live the Fifth Hokage!"
Deafening cheers surged skyward in front of Konoha's gates, like roaring mountains and crashing seas.
Then a crisp, mechanical voice that only Gengetsu could hear rang out.
[Ding! The host has subdued the entire village through absolute strength and bestowed benefits upon them. The host's reputation has skyrocketed!] [Congratulations to the host on obtaining the reward: Sage Mode!]
Boom!
As the system notification ended, countless pieces of profound information flooded into Gengetsu's mind like a tide.
All of this information concerned Sage Mode.
How to absorb natural energy, how to perfectly blend senjutsu chakra, and detailed knowledge of various ninjutsu exclusive to Sage Mode.
It could be said that in that very instant, Gengetsu had completely mastered Sage Mode.
Excellent! It's actually Sage Mode!
After fully digesting the vast amount of information in his mind, Gengetsu could not help smiling.
Sage Mode was an extremely powerful ability, allowing the use of senjutsu chakra to enhance the power of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu across the board.
With Sage Mode, his strength had undergone another qualitative leap.
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