Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

After deciding to relinquish the Hokage position, Izuna Uchiha felt as if a tremendous burden had been lifted from his shoulders; the lingering gloom that had enveloped his heart vanished completely.

He picked up his glass and took a sip, and to his surprise, the wine, which had just been incredibly bitter, now tasted unusually sweet. A sigh immediately appeared on his face.

"Phew, I never expected that after following my heart, even the taste of drinking would be different."

"You brat, that's mead I painstakingly obtained all the way from the Land of Earth!"

Uchiha Gin, who was bragging to his wealthy nephew, was taken aback by what he heard. He quickly turned his head and discovered that the glass his younger cousin had just drunk was his own treasured vintage wine.

Uchiha Izuna smacked his lips, savoring the taste, and indeed detected a hint of exotic flavor. He immediately and shamelessly begged for some.

"It tastes great, do you have any more? Give me a few pounds."

"Go buy it yourself if you want to drink it!"

This wine was smuggled from the Kamisumiryu clan by Uchiha Ginka at great expense. It's not expensive, but the quantity is quite limited, making each bottle extremely precious.

"How stingy."

Rejected, Izuna pouted and muttered something under his breath, not daring to let Uchiha Gin hear, for fear that his petty cousin wouldn't give him any New Year's money.

"Father, are you really going to give up the position of Hokage?"

The thought of his idyllic life in the land of the predators soon slipping away filled Uchiha Tomoyu with a sense of resentment, prompting him to make one last desperate attempt to escape.

"That's the village's top leader; he can do a lot of favors for the family."

"Do we really need these few coins?"

Glancing at his eldest son, whose face was full of resentment, Uchiha Izuna retorted arrogantly,

"I don't lack anything, but I still feel a bit resentful."

Despite some unusual population loss in recent years, the Uchiha clan's per capita GDP has been rising year after year. The wealth accumulated by the clan's businesses is now sufficient for its members to escape the brutal tasks and enjoy a life of luxury.

"The burden of the Hokage is too heavy. I can't even manage a clan properly. It's really asking too much of me to be entrusted with the village."

Uchiha Izuna shook his head, appearing very relaxed.

In recent years, in order to cooperate with his elder brother's work, he has devoted all his energy to village affairs, thus neglecting the development of the clan, and the casualty rate among clan members has also increased to an unprecedented level.

Looking back now, Uchiha Izuna is filled with regret. If he had paid more attention to his clan, perhaps the sacrifice of his clan members could have been avoided.

"Little cousin, when are you planning to announce this?"

Uchiha Gin stroked his chin, looking at Izuna who had completely given up on the Hokage position, and suddenly his eyes rolled.

"Let's do it tomorrow. I'll hold a clan meeting first to explain to everyone, and then submit a written application for waiver to the village."

Forfeiting was no small matter, so Izuna Uchiha naturally needed to first inform his clansmen and then explain the situation to the village.

"Okay, my stomach hurts tomorrow, so I'll ask for leave in advance. I won't be attending the clan gathering."

After squinting and thinking for a moment, Uchiha Gin suddenly clutched his stomach and solemnly began to follow the leave-taking procedure, only to be met with a huge glare from Uchiha Izuna.

"."

"If you don't say anything, that means you agree."

The Uchiha clan's revelry continued into the night. Uchiha Izuna, completely letting loose, got utterly drunk. Uchiha Tomoyu had no choice but to carry his utterly intoxicated father on his back, and then bid apologetic farewell to Uchiha Gin.

"Uncle, I'll take Father back to rest first."

"I won't see you off. Take care on your journey."

After the father and son had disappeared from sight, a drunken Uchiha Gin staggered to his feet, feeling his way along the wall as he left the noisy clan compound without arousing anyone's suspicion.

"Phew, we should be able to grab one last bite."

Once they reached a secluded corner, the blush on Uchiha Gin's face vanished instantly, and a blinding glint flashed in his hazy eyes as he locked his gaze on the Sarutobi clan's encampment. With a flash, he disappeared into the darkness.

Sarutobi clan territory

A disheartened Sasuke Sarutobi is reviewing the key points of his mistakes today. Through his investigation during the day, he has essentially ruled out the possibility of a traitor within the Shinobi Alliance.

However, after eliminating all the wrong answers, the only remaining answer proved to be quite perplexing.

"The Thousand-Armed Clan! So baby hot!"

The thought of the 10 billion he had given away for nothing made Sarutobi Sasuke's heart bleed.

Although the Sarutobi clan has made a little money in recent years, it can't withstand such squandering. The treacherous Senju clan is truly despicable!

"You just wait, one day I will repay you tenfold for the humiliation you suffered today!"

Sarutobi Sasuke, who was tricked by the Senju clan into thinking he was Japanese, secretly made a vow.

Bang bang bang——

"Who?"

Hearing the sudden knock on the door, Sarutobi Sasuke frowned slightly. It was so late; who was the fool to come and cause trouble?

"Chieftain, we have distinguished guests."

Distinguished guest?

Sarutobi blinked in confusion, wondering what kind of distinguished guest would come to his door in the middle of the night.

"Sasuke in jail, it's me~"

"It's Gintoki! Please come in! Please come in!"

As the familiar voice rang out, Sarutobi Sasuke immediately stood up to greet him and ushered the hurried Uchiha Gin into the room.

"Why aren't you making Gintoki a pot of tea yet?"

After settling Uchiha Gin in, Sarutobi Sasuke ordered the clansman who had led the way to prepare tea.

"Remember to add sugar!"

"Gintoki, is there something urgent that brings you here so late?"

Sarutobi Sasuke looked at Uchiha Gin, who reeked of alcohol, with some confusion. Shouldn't he be partying in the Uchiha clan compound at this time?

The thought of the Uchiha clan having two crowns filled him with bitterness.

"Sasuke is in prison, and we've known each other for a long time. Let's be frank, the Uchiha clan has been tricked by the Senju this time."

Uchiha Gin adjusted his composure, first playing the emotional card, then forcing a look of indignation onto his face.

"ha?"

You Uchiha have taken all the leadership positions in the village, and you're still acting all innocent after getting such a good deal?

"Gintoki, you've had too much to drink, haven't you?"

"I didn't drink it. How could I drink when something so upsetting happened?"

Uchiha Gin shook his head, his tone suddenly becoming very low, as if he had something difficult to say.

"I would like to hear the details."

Seeing this, Sarutobi Sasuke's curiosity was instantly piqued. He wanted to hear how the Uchiha clan had been outmaneuvered by the Senju.

Under normal circumstances, he would never have trusted the Senju clan's reputation or character. However, after experiencing the blatant betrayal during the day, Sarutobi Sasuke had significantly lowered his opinion of the Senju clan's credibility.

"Sasuke, you're in jail now. What do you think about the fact that our Uchiha clan secured two leadership positions?"

"My skills are inferior to others; I humbly admit defeat."

Unsure whether Uchiha Gin was setting a trap, Sarutobi Sasuke carefully chose his words and replied cautiously.

"To be honest, there are no outsiders here."

"We're so envious of her, her dick is practically purple!"

"Do you suspect us of engaging in underhanded dealings?"

"It's a must. I put so much effort into it, but it still ended in failure."

The thought of those 10 billion yen going down the drain made Sarutobi Sasuke tremble with rage.

"Ah, this is the despicable nature of the Thousand Hands. A tree that grows taller than the forest will surely be felled by the wind."

Seeing that she had quickly swayed Sarutobi Sasuke into her rhythm with just a few words, Uchiha Gintoki nodded secretly, but her expression grew increasingly serious.

"Gintoki, what do you mean?"

"That's right, it was the Senju clan who interfered in this election, intending to make our Uchiha clan the target of everyone's criticism."

"Oh, this."

Sarutobi Sasuke froze on the spot upon hearing this, his mind racing. After a few breaths, he conjured up a conspiracy by the Senju against the Uchiha.

With Hashirama Senju's disappearance and Tobirama Senju's sacrifice, the balance of power between the Uchiha and Senju clans was broken.

As the strongest fighter in the Uchiha clan, Izuna Uchiha naturally became a thorn in the side of the Senju clan, but unfortunately, no one within the Senju clan could rival him.

At this time, Senju Hisa, who inherited her father's legacy, suddenly appeared. She first pretended to cooperate with the Shinobi Alliance to raise the expectations of the alliance members, but at the last minute, she betrayed them and pushed Uchiha Izuna to the position of Hokage.

This move successfully shifted the resentment of the Ninja Alliance onto the newly appointed Hokage. He pretended not to know anything, escaped unscathed, and sat on the sidelines, laughing as the Uchiha and the Ninja Alliance fought like dogs, while leading the Senju clan to reap the benefits.

"So baby hot!"

Fortunately, he saw through Senju Hiiro's trick; otherwise, the Ninja Alliance, which suffered heavy economic losses, might very well have pointed the finger at the Uchiha clan for its defeat.

"Thank you, Gintoki. Actually, I've already discovered the Senju clan's conspiracy."

"Sasuke, you're in jail, as expected of you. If it were anyone else, they probably would have been kept in the dark until their death."

Uchiha Gin immediately gave a thumbs-up, and his flattery made Sarutobi Sasuke feel quite elated.

"Just lucky, just lucky."

Sarutobi Sasuke shook his head slightly, but the smug look in his eyes lingered.

"But what's done is done, and we can't change the reality we're facing."

Even with the relevant evidence, bringing down the Senju clan was an impossible task. Sarutobi Sasuke could only swallow his anger and consider it a lesson learned.

"Who said that! I'm here to turn the tide!"

Seeing that Sarutobi Sasuke was willing to give up, Uchiha Gin knew he couldn't delay any longer.

"Gintoki, what do you mean by that?"

"In order to thwart the Senju clan's conspiracy and for the long-term friendship between the Uchiha clan and the Shinobi Alliance, I have decided to take the lead as an elder and persuade my younger cousin to relinquish the Hokage position."

"ha?"

"Gintoki, is it really true?"

Sarutobi Sasuke's pupils dilated in shock upon hearing this. He had considered a thousand possible answers, including the Uchiha clan taking the initiative to come to their door, clearing up the misunderstanding with the ninja alliance, and both sides working together to jointly condemn the Senju, and so on.

The only thing not considered was whether the Uchiha clan would relinquish the Hokage position they had already secured.

"I know it's difficult, but I will do my best to persuade my younger cousin to prioritize the bigger picture and not be greedy for the glory of becoming Hokage."

Uchiha Gin nodded heavily, his face full of determination.

"Gintoki's righteousness!"

Upon hearing this news, Sarutobi Sasuke could no longer remain seated. He excitedly stood up, his gaze piercing as he looked at the righteous Uchiha Gin before him. However, after a few moments, his expression darkened.

"But isn't that a bit too difficult?"

The position of Hokage is no easy task. As the head of the village, the Hokage represents the pinnacle of power within the village, so Sarutobi Sasuke couldn't help but express doubt about this persuasion.

"Man proposes, God disposes. I will stop this from happening, no matter the cost."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Finally got hooked!

"It's inconvenient for your Ninja Alliance to get involved in this matter. You know how tempting the Hokage position is. Even if my little cousin knows about the Senju's conspiracy, he won't give it up easily."

"That's true."

He nodded in deep agreement. For the sake of the Hokage position, he didn't even blink an eye, donating 10 billion yen as start-up capital.

"but."

"But what?"

Suddenly, Uchiha Gin paused, successfully piquing Sarutobi Sasuke's curiosity.

"Sasuke, there's something you might have heard about while you were in prison."

"What is it?"

"You know the Uchiha Clan Trading Company, right?"

"Is that the family business guild controlled by the Uchiha clan?"

"That's right, it's the chamber of commerce led by Izuna's eldest son. It did quite well a few years ago and was quite successful, but this year..."

"What's wrong this year?"

"Sigh~ That rich kid got scammed this year. His business was completely ruined. The losses were so huge that even if my younger cousin sold everything he owned, he still couldn't make up for the loss."

Uchiha Gin shook his head with a sigh, clearly expressing his deep regret over the Uchiha clan's financial embezzlement.

"Who dares to deceive Konoha?"

"It's the Land of Waves. Their chamber of commerce has official backing. In this matter, the rich kid didn't lose unjustly."

"The Land of Waves is truly wicked!"

Sarutobi Sasuke had heard of the Land of Waves Trading Company, which had risen to prominence in recent years. They controlled vast sea routes and essentially monopolized the maritime transport industry; saying they made a fortune every day would be an understatement.

"Sasuke is in jail. If someone can offer help in this time of need, I believe my little cousin, with his character, will be able to make the right decision."

Uchiha Gin sighed softly, a hint of helplessness in his expression.

"I understand, Gintoki."

If Sarutobi Sasuke still couldn't understand Uchiha Gin's implication after hearing this, he could resign from his position as clan leader on the spot and start raising pigs with Shimura Kenichi.

"As expected of Sasuke, I enjoy talking to intelligent people."

"I wonder how much money Uchiha Fuyu has lost in business. Gintoki, tell me the figure so I can be prepared."

"Sigh~ It's better not to say it, because my heart is trembling just thinking about it."

Uchiha Gin picked up the fragrant teacup, took a sip, and wore a lingering fear on his face. After setting down the teacup, he slowly extended a finger.

"Ten billion?"

"Sasuke is in jail. To be honest, it's because I added another zero to the number you mentioned."

You should be secretly thrilled that you can get a Hokage position for 100 billion!

"call"

Seeing Uchiha Gin's solemn expression, Sarutobi Sasuke nearly fainted from shock. He quickly and shakily swallowed a nitroglycerin pill to catch his breath.

"Gintoki, this is a very important matter, I need to hold a short meeting."

"Sasuke's in jail, and the noble representatives will arrive first thing tomorrow morning. You don't have much time to raise funds." (End of Chapter)