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Konoha.
Under the dark clouds, the once prosperous village of Konoha now exuded an unprecedented sense of oppression, with only patrolling ninjas visible on the streets.
It had been three days since the cataclysm three days ago, and the entire village of Konoha had been enveloped in this oppressive atmosphere.
Numerous chunin ninjas in the village were forcibly conscripted by the Police Force to join the patrol and security teams, and every day, ninjas would push carts of vegetables and food, supplying each household.
Konoha village had imposed an unprecedented martial law; all civilians and ninjas were not allowed to leave their homes, especially the ninjas, who would be treated as renegades if found.
All non-working ninjas were ordered to stay at home, and those who left their houses without permission were to be executed as renegades.
The iron-fisted policy created an oppressive atmosphere in Konoha, and many were aware that this was the prelude to a storm.
Meanwhile, under the various mysterious abilities of the ninja world, the commotion in Konoha had already reached the desks of the major ninja villages.
In the Stone Village.
At this moment, looking at the emergency intelligence from Konoha, Onoki showed a shocked expression, followed by uncontrollable excitement.
"Indeed! As expected, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't suppress Uchiha, this wolf, haha!"
Although the specifics were unclear, the current intelligence suggested that the two major forces in Konoha had fallen out, and internal strife was almost inevitable.
"Report to Tsuchikage, this is a letter from the Uchiha clan head of the Land of Fire's Konoha Village."
At the same time, an urgent report from Konoha arrived, and upon opening it, Onoki's face showed ecstasy.
"Haha, as expected, when the hungry wolf Uchiha shows its fangs, it becomes bloodthirsty."
Under this personal letter from Uchiha Yoru, Tsuchikage Onoki couldn't help but flush with excitement, continuously tapping on the table.
"Someone come, pass my order, allocate 30% of the village's stored rations, kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags! No!"
At this point, Onoki, with a grim expression, shouted, "Allocate 50% of the reserves, and transport them to the Land of Fire as quickly as possible for Uchiha's person in charge."
"Tsuchikage! This is our village's war reserve!" Upon hearing this order, the other ninjas in the Tsuchikage's office were shocked, with one of them anxiously speaking of the severity of this action.
However, Onoki laughed at this scene and waved his hand, "What do you know, the overall strength of the Uchiha clan is still insufficient, hence I want to support them with all my strength."
"Konoha has finally erupted in civil war, how can I let Konoha end this war so soon? It's just some war reserves, what's there to fear? If they run out, we'll just make more. Without spending a single soldier, letting Konoha fight itself to exhaustion is like a blessing from the Sage of the Six Paths."
At this moment, Onoki was already beyond excited, having finally caught a great opportunity. Facing Uchiha Yoru's request for supplies was a great opportunity.
The more Uchiha Yoru asked for, the more it proved that the Uchiha clan was ready for a decisive battle.
"Provide support immediately, anyone who neglects this matter will be severely punished by me!"
"Yes!"
Land of Lightning, Cloud Village.
In the office building of the Fourth Raikage, A, an excited and wild laughter could be heard.
The Fourth Raikage, A, was so excited that his face turned red with joy as he slapped the report in his hand and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Ha ha, Sarutobi, you old thief, your day has finally come, ha ha, let's see how Konoha brags now. This time, without spending a single soldier, the dominance of Konoha will not be preserved."
"Pass my order, mobilize 50% of the village's war reserves at the fastest speed, no! 60%, and send them to the border of the Land of Fire as quickly as possible, as a gift to the Uchiha clan."
"At the same time, order the village's manufacturing department to step up the production of war materials. This time, however much the Uchiha clan needs, I will provide them that much."
Even the hot-tempered Fourth Raikage A was so excited that he laughed out loud, generously preparing to give countless resources to the Uchiha clan for free, just to see Konoha's internal strife escalate.
The letter from Uchiha Yoru demanding war materials was not only received by the Village Hidden in the Clouds and the Village Hidden in the Rocks, but also by all the powerful ninja villages in the ninja world, and it was done in a very overbearing manner.
Many smaller ninja villages were furious, but the next moment, the Village Hidden in the Clouds and the Village Hidden in the Rocks joined forces to exert overt pressure, with the Village Hidden in the Sand and the Village Hidden in the Mist exerting covert pressure. Suddenly, the entire ninja world's war machine was mobilized.
A massive amount of war materials were sent crazily to the Land of Fire at the fastest speed, and all for free.
At this time, everyone was not foolish. By just contributing some materials, they could sit back and watch the internal strife in Konoha escalate, and when Konoha falls from its pedestal, the fertile land and huge benefits of the Land of Fire were beckoning to them.
…
Under the oppressive atmosphere in Konoha, the Sarutobi, Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, and Shimura clans, among others, were all put under surveillance. The streets and alleys were patrolled by elite members of the Police Force.
Especially the Hyuga ninjas, almost all of them were monitoring non-stop with their fierce Byakugan. Any ninja perceived as a threat, even those preparing to carry ninja tools at home, were forcefully entered upon by the elite members of the Police Force.
Any resistors were to be killed without mercy!
For a time, these powerful clans of the Hokage lineage, under such barbaric surveillance by the Police Force, felt completely helpless.
Especially three days ago, after the destruction caused by the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, a temporary camp was set up. The Police Force only allowed these clan ninjas to carry a limited amount of self-defense ninja tools, even explosive tags were not permitted.
The excuse was straightforward - a search was underway nearby for a Root human research base, to prevent a repeat of the recent pseudo-Jinchuriki rampage incident.
Under this oppressive atmosphere, almost all clans of the Hokage lineage were monitored, and their ability to unite was controlled.
At the same time, the Police Force imposed restrictions on all ninjas within Konoha Village - they were only allowed to stay at home, and carrying explosive tags and other ninja tools when leaving was prohibited, effectively controlling the entire village.
On the open-air balcony at the top floor of the Hokage's office building, a meeting of the Jounin was called again.
This time, the meeting was held on the open-air balcony for two reasons: the large number of attendees and the public nature of the meeting.
Konoha had never called a Jounin meeting so urgently before. The faces of the Jounins who arrived were mostly filled with worry - after all, with such a significant event happening in the village, none of them were fools. A slight mishap could lead to civil war, so it was natural to be anxious.
Moreover, at this Jounin meeting, all attending Jounin were disarmed, and all ninja tools were strictly prohibited.
One by one, the Jounins arrived and stood silently on the open-air balcony, with almost no one speaking.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office downstairs, documents that should have been handled by the Hokage alone were being processed by three people.
Uchiha Yoru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade sat separately at the Hokage's desk.
"Lord Jiraiya, I wonder what your thoughts are, after all, Konoha needs stability. If this atmosphere continues, turmoil is likely to arise."
Uchiha Yoru looked at Jiraiya with a smile. He wanted a whole Konoha, not a village full of scars.
Now, it seemed like the Police Force had control over the situation, but at the same time, many of Konoha's Jounin were gathered in the Hokage's office building, almost all of whom chose Tsunade and Jiraiya.
There were many of these ninjas, especially among the special Jounin, though most were from neutral camps.
"Uchiha Yoru!"
Looking at the young man he once underestimated, who now sat on an equal footing with him, Jiraiya couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head.
"Indeed, I have aged, to be outwitted by a youngster like you, and now even the whole of Konoha has fallen into your hands."
In the face of Jiraiya's teasing, Uchiha Yoru also relaxed and smiled, "Lord Jiraiya, you shouldn't say that. Konoha was founded by the Uchiha and Senju, and now it's merely returning to the hands of its rightful owners. It's only recently that it fell into the hands of certain others."
As for the coup, Uchiha Yoru would absolutely not admit it, and he defended his actions righteously. Did he stage a coup to ascend to power? No!
Did he assassinate the Hokage in a coup? No!
Did he plot to seize Konoha in a coup? No!
He merely took control of Konoha during the chaos to protect its stability, fulfilling the duty of the Police Force. All of this was for the village.
Looking at Uchiha Yoru's shameless demeanor, Jiraiya fell silent. From the moment the old man prepared to make the first move, Konoha's situation had been in extreme danger.
After all, the Uchiha clan almost faced extinction. At this time, if you dare not let Uchiha Yoru take power, the Uchiha clan will not agree, not to mention the members of the Police Force who are helping the enemy.
"Where are the members of the Anbu and Root divisions?"
After a long silence, Jiraiya raised his head and asked. Uchiha Yoru replied with a smile, "Don't worry, Lord Jiraiya, they are all ninjas of Konoha, I wouldn't do anything inappropriate."
"However, the Root division has violated the rules, and according to the regulations, it wouldn't be a pity even if they were all killed."
Under Jiraiya's worried gaze, Uchiha Yoru paused, then shook his head and sighed, "It's a pity that they were all deceived by corrupt people. Out of compassion for the world, I decided to give the Root division a chance, but from now on, the Root will be under my direct command."
"And the Anbu, they have committed such heinous acts that are despised by gods and men alike. If it weren't for the sudden rampage of the pseudo-Nine Tails Jinchuriki, the Sarutobi clan would have been inhumanely exterminated."
At this moment, Uchiha Yoru's face wore a smile, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. It was clear that he had implications. If they hadn't been prepared in advance, the Uchiha clan would have been the unlucky ones.
At this time, although Jiraiya had a headache, he was more relieved that the old man's ruthless methods had not succeeded. Otherwise, it would have been truly disastrous if he had succeeded in taking action against the Uchiha clan.
Thinking of the terrifying three and a half pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan, Jiraiya couldn't help but sweat coldly. With the Uchiha clan's madness, although he didn't know what was going on, these Sharingan that hadn't appeared for decades suddenly emerged. Three and a half pairs, even he and Tsunade couldn't withstand them.
Moreover, there are so many Uchiha Jounin, all with three tomoe Sharingan. Hearing suddenly that their stronghold had been attacked, would more pairs emerge?
At this moment, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel terrified at the thought of this possibility. Damn it, he was not even sure about dealing with this young man in front of him, let alone if more Mangekyo Sharingan emerged.
Speaking of the Anbu, Uchiha Yoru's face showed a cold smile. Many in the Anbu were trusted ninjas of the Sarutobi clan, and he would not let them go easily.
"The ninjas of the Anbu need to be thoroughly investigated from top to bottom. Those with issues will join the Root division, and I will give them a chance to reform. Those who don't comply!"
As Uchiha Yoru spoke, the cold gleam on his face said it all, and even Jiraiya remained silent without any objection.
After all, the Anbu were preparing to move against the Uchiha clan. Now, looking at the ambitious young man in front of him, Jiraiya couldn't help but rub his forehead and sigh. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or something else.
This young man is ambitious, and it is for this reason that he chose to subdue the Root and Anbu divisions, rather than exterminating them completely, as would be the Uchiha's style.
"The Anbu will be handed over to Kakashi and Itachi in the future."
After this incident, the Anbu will surely be weakened, and naturally, professional matters should be handed over to professionals.
After Uchiha Yoru slowly stated his decision, he looked at Jiraiya and smiled.
"Lord Jiraiya, now the Uchiha clan and the Police Force have no way out. Moreover, it was the Third Hokage who forced us into this situation. Even if I want to step back, they will definitely not allow it."
Since the Third Hokage ordered the extermination of the Uchiha clan, he had no way out. And now, with the Police Force in control of the situation, the only way is forward.
Uchiha Yoru dares to step back, but the people behind him dare to ignite the flames of war in Konoha, forcing him to take power.
Fingers tapping on the desk of the Hokage's office, Uchiha Yoru squinted his eyes at Jiraiya in front of him. He desired a complete Konoha and naturally needed support.
"Lord Jiraiya, you surely know the kind of life Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, has had. As the teacher of the Fourth Hokage, tsk tsk."
Seemingly implying something, Uchiha Yoru shook his head mockingly at Jiraiya, before finally presenting his condition.
"If Lord Jiraiya supports me, I can entrust you with the supervision of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
Although the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was still in the hands of Sarutobi Hiruzen, under the current situation where the tide had turned, Uchiha Yoru was confident that once he ascended to the position of Hokage, he could use his influence to retrieve the Jinchuriki from the Sarutobi clan.
Konoha was on the brink of civil war, and Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't dare to take that risk.
Jiraiya fell silent in the face of this temptation. The situation in Konoha was already clear, not to mention who held more power.
Merely during the governance of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the presence of the Sharingan and Wood Release abilities on Danzo, the leader of the Root, greatly tarnished Hiruzen's reputation, making it impossible for him to continue as Hokage.
Not to mention that the Root and the Anbu were preparing to annihilate the Uchiha clan.
The selection of the Fifth Hokage was inevitable, but Uchiha Yoru being the candidate was not certain.
"Hey hey, brat, you're discussing this right in front of me?" Tsunade, sipping her drink, couldn't help but grumble.
However, at this moment, Jiraiya sighed with a bitter smile, "Tsunade, let it be. If this brat doesn't take the position, the whole of Konoha will be in chaos."
"This brat is right about one thing; even if he wants to step down, those behind him won't let him. Even Kakashi wouldn't agree."
If Jiraiya and Tsunade joined forces, the chances of winning the position of the Fifth Hokage were still high, given the prestige accumulated over many years as the Legendary Sannin, not something Uchiha Yoru could suppress easily in a few years.
But both Jiraiya and Tsunade were well aware of one thing: if Uchiha Yoru didn't ascend, with the supporters having come this far, everyone feared being held accountable later.
"Brat, I want to know how you plan to deal with the families from the Third's lineage?"
Clearly, Jiraiya sighed deeply, having made his choice, but was still curious enough to ask.