Konoha, Hokage's Office~
"The situation in Kusagakure, Fuma-kun, really requires your personal attention. Within the village, there truly isn't anyone more suitable for this mission at the moment."
The Third Hokage spoke earnestly, his words carrying a solemn tone.
Fuma sat silently in a chair opposite the Third, contemplating his intentions.
Moments ago, the Third Hokage had dispatched members of the Anbu to the Uchiha clan's compound, summoning Fuma under the pretext of discussing an urgent matter.
After experiencing the backstabbing during the Second Great Ninja War and the ensuing public controversy upon returning to Konoha, the warm, respectful facade between Fuma and the Third had long been shattered. Now, they were clearly rivals.
Before this, the Third Hokage often tried to maintain a friendly relationship by invoking Uchiha Kagami's name, and Fuma would still call him "the old man."
Given Fuma's current status, the Third Hokage's request for Fuma to personally head to Kusagakure was rather inappropriate.
Although, on the surface, the Hokage could command any Konoha ninja to undertake missions, and shinobi were generally regarded as tools bound to obey orders, in reality, such ideas were mere propaganda.
Everywhere, there are both open and hidden rules.
In a village like Konoha, filled with powerful clans, even the Hokage often had to approach a clan leader with respect, negotiating rather than commanding outright.
Take the Hyuga clan, for instance. Hyuga's main family shinobi rarely took on missions outside the village, unless Konoha faced an existential threat. And no Hokage had ever raised objections to this practice.
In the original timeline, many speculated that the death of Hyuga Hizashi was a form of subtle suppression by the Third Hokage, targeting the Hyuga's refusal to fully cooperate with the village's orders.
"If you don't listen to the village, then the village won't have your back."
This was likely the message the Third Hokage had wanted to convey.
As the head of the Uchiha clan, if Fuma could be ordered out of the village simply by the Hokage's word, especially amidst their rivalry, it would indeed be laughable.
Fuma chuckled softly, a touch of arrogance in his tone as he said:
"Lord Third, I've just taken over as the Uchiha clan leader, and there are many matters within the clan that require my personal attention. I'm not particularly interested in trivial tasks like these."
"If the village truly lacks suitable shinobi, I can dispatch elite members from the police force. I trust their performance won't disappoint you."
The Third Hokage's face stiffened at Fuma's words, which subtly hinted at the recent reforms in the police force and the current rumors circulating in the village.
The Uchiha clan's intentional neglect of their police duties had led to a significant decline in Konoha's security, causing widespread dissatisfaction among the villagers.
Ironically, many began to miss the strict, impartial Uchiha officers.
Even though those red-eyed, stern-faced shinobi had harsh attitudes, their presence gave the powerless civilians in a world filled with extraordinary forces a profound sense of security.
This realization made the villagers of Konoha appreciate just how crucial the police force was, and new rumors were beginning to swirl.
The Third Hokage took a drag from his pipe, sighed, and spoke slowly:
"Fuma-kun, you've seen the young elites from other villages assisting Kusagakure. If conflict arises, we need to ensure Konoha has the upper hand."
"Kumogakure still holds several of the Six Paths' treasured tools, and during the First Great Ninja War, they inflicted significant damage on us.If the Box of Ultimate Bliss is revived, it must be sealed. This is for the balance of the ninja world."
Fuma almost laughed out loud at this old rhetoric.
The balance of the ninja world? That ideology was even scarier than the Will of Fire.
Senju Hashirama had distributed the tailed beasts to other nations, hoping to maintain the so-called balance of power. Yet, in the end, it led to more intense wars, with countless lives lost due to the existence of jinchuriki.
In the original timeline, Namikaze Minato had also been brainwashed by this concept.
Uzumaki Kushina could have taken the Nine-Tails away on her own, yet for the sake of this "balance," she sacrificed herself, leaving Naruto an orphan and jinchuriki.
Fuma never understood why, for Hashirama, uniting the entire ninja world under one rule would have been so bad.
Hadn't he killed enough during the Warring States period? After killing the first ninety-nine, was he unwilling to deliver the final blow?
Fuma kept his expression stern, showing his dissatisfaction with the unreasonable order while internally considering how best to respond.
As for the Box of Ultimate Bliss, which he had long prepared to utilize as a tool to upgrade his power, if the Third Hokage had come just a couple of days later, Fuma might have already been on his way to Kusagakure.
Now, however, since the Third Hokage had taken the initiative, Fuma couldn't appear too eager.
He needed to drag things out, so the Third wouldn't catch on to his plans. At the same time, this would allow Fuma to negotiate some benefits for the Uchiha clan.
"How do you feel about the police force's reforms, Lord Third?"
"Recently, our Uchiha clan's shinobi have just started taking missions outside the village. Some of our clansmen might be overly enthusiastic, leading to a slight neglect of village security. I hope you can understand."
Fuma shifted the conversation, smiling as he awaited the Third Hokage's response.
The Third Hokage forced a smile, inwardly cursing. Ever since Fuma took control, the Uchiha clan had become increasingly difficult to deal with. This was an open attempt at extortion.
However, when the Third Hokage thought about the Nine-Tails, Konoha's most valuable asset, he suppressed his anger and responded in a gentle tone:
"The reforms in the police force are excellent. The Uchiha clan has long sacrificed for Konoha's security, and the village recognizes your contributions. It's time the Uchiha return to their duties as shinobi."
"As for the security issue, don't worry, Fuma-kun. I've already instructed Nara Shikayama to form a special security team to alleviate the police force's burden."
Fuma nodded in satisfaction. He hadn't expected to gain much from a single mission negotiation, but even small victories counted.
"It's our duty as Konoha shinobi to ease the village's burdens. Under your leadership, Lord Third, the Uchiha clan will continue to contribute to Konoha's prosperity."
Taking the intelligence report on Kusagakure, Fuma gave a slight nod before turning to leave.
As the Third Hokage watched Fuma's retreating figure, his gaze flickered with mixed emotions, silently sighing to himself:
"The Uchiha clan is becoming increasingly troublesome."
"The current police force under Fuma's leadership has essentially turned into another Root, openly defying me as Hokage."
The very existence of the police force was originally set up by Tobirama Senju as a double-edged sword to exploit the Uchiha's inherent traits.
If the Uchiha clan shifted their perspective, the police force could easily become the most powerful department in Konoha, allowing them to legitimately infiltrate every aspect of the village.
After arranging things within his clan, Fuma set off towards Kusagakure.
The sudden appearance of the Box of Ultimate Bliss made Fuma deeply ponder the underlying reasons.
In the original timeline, the plot involving the Box of Ultimate Bliss didn't happen until Naruto mastered Sage Mode, at least twenty years from now.
Could it be that his presence, like a butterfly, had grown into a giant beast, causing significant changes in the timeline of the ninja world?
Fuma shook his head. Regardless of the reason, he was determined to obtain the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
A few days ago, Minato's vision for his own path had given Fuma great comfort, reigniting his desire to further enhance his strength.
In this world, there were still too many hidden, overpowered enemies. The current shinobi conflicts were nothing more than small skirmishes compared to what lay ahead.
At that moment, the gates of Kusagakure's Hozuki Castle were in chaos. Ninjas from several great nations were already embroiled in fierce battles, even though they had yet to lay eyes on the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
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