Warlock Invasion of Naruto.

At this moment, Mitokado Homura said solemnly, "Rather than pursuing responsibility, the most important thing now is to re-elect a ninja who can take on the great task. The Fourth Hokage may be in a coma for several years, but the village cannot be without a Hokage for several years."

"Regarding the selection of the Fourth Hokage, I recommend Tsunade," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

"I've already asked Tsunade, and she's clearly rejected me," Koharu Utatane said.

"If neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya are willing, there will be too few ninjas capable of taking on such a great responsibility."

Mitokado sighed.

“I recommend Young Master Nawaki!” said a Jonin from the Senju clan.

"I... I can't do it! Although my dream is to become Hokage, right now I don't have enough achievements or popularity to lead everyone. Maybe one day I will gain everyone's recognition." Nawaki shook his head and refused. After all, he had been disabled for nearly ten years, and he had not made any contributions in either World War II or World War III.

"But the village can't be without a Hokage, we can't let this drag on any longer!" Mitokado Homura frowned deeply.

"In that case, I will temporarily assume the position of Hokage until a new successor is chosen."

After a long silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke.

10132332

[Chapter 158. The Person Who Solved the Problem! (Large Cup Bonus Chapter 1)]

"The Third Hokage is temporarily acting as Hokage?"

"That's a very suitable choice!"

"That's true."

As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, many Jonin in the arena echoed his words.

Besides the Jonin who were originally from the Third Hokage's faction, there were also many Jonin who supported the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. They had finally made a firm decision to stand on the Fourth Hokage's side, but then this happened to the Fourth Hokage. If a Fifth Hokage is chosen again, their previous determination will be in vain.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, were to temporarily act as Hokage and handle matters during the Fourth Hokage's coma, then once the Fourth Hokage recovers, he will become Hokage again, and power will return to his hands.

After all, Minato Namikaze was promoted by Hiruzen Sarutobi, and many of the Jonin who supported him were from the Third Hokage's faction.

For those Jonin who were dissatisfied with Hiruzen Sarutobi's return to power, they would prefer to hold a new election for the Fifth Hokage to break the Senju lineage's monopoly on the Hokage position.

However, now that Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, has publicly stated his position, no one will benefit from openly opposing him.

It's important to know that most of Konoha's top Kage-level shinobi are related to Hiruzen Sarutobi. Jiraiya and Tsunade were his disciples, and the Fourth Hokage was his grand-disciple.

“If Hiruzen, you take on this responsibility again, we can rest assured.” Koharu Utatane nodded. What Konoha needs now is stability. With the Third Hokage back in power, the village can stabilize.

"Well, until Minato awakens and a suitable successor is chosen, I'll serve as Hokage for a few more years as a buffer."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said solemnly.

"Although Danzo bears undeniable responsibility in this incident, he actively assisted us in subduing Kinkaku and Ginkaku after the accident, allowing the village to regain a large amount of Nine-Tails chakra. Therefore, in the name of the Third Hokage, I am punishing him by temporarily removing him from his position as Hokage advisor, while retaining his authority as the leader of Root."

Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly changed the subject and announced the punishment for Danzo.

This punishment was rather mild, because the Hokage advisor didn't hold much real power. When the Third Hokage was in power, Danzo, as the Hokage advisor and leader of Root, naturally held a high position and great authority.

However, as Minato Namikaze became the Fourth Hokage, he naturally did not want Danzo, the Hokage advisor, to interfere with his grand plan to reconcile with the Uchiha clan. Therefore, he opposed Danzo at several high-level meetings. It was clear to everyone that once Minato Namikaze held power, Danzo would eventually be kicked out of the political center. Without the Hokage's trust, the position of Hokage advisor was essentially a nominal one. Root was Danzo's lifeline.

Now that Hiruzen Sarutobi has regained power, he has only dismissed Danzo from his position as Hokage advisor, which is essentially a symbolic punishment.

As long as Root remains in Danzo's hands, he will still be the most powerful ninja in the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

"I will submit to the village's decision."

At this moment, Danzo responded in a deep voice, his face gradually darkening. This time, his clever plan backfired, helping Hiruzen regain his position, and he was punished instead.

It's easy to imagine that this incident will greatly reduce his popularity among the village's Jonin, and further distance him from becoming Hokage.

'Damn Orochimaru!' Danzo gritted his teeth in hatred. He had actually treated Orochimaru as someone he could mold and manipulate at will, which was why he had suffered such a loss in silence. The key was that he couldn't blame Orochimaru for this, otherwise, just having connections with rogue ninjas would be a serious crime of betraying Konoha.

Most of the Jonin present fell silent. The village suffered considerable losses as a result of this incident, especially the Uchiha clan, who were the most valiant in battle. Three Jonin were absorbed into the Purple Gold Gourd for an extended period, resulting in the loss of a large amount of chakra, and ultimately they died from exhaustion.

Danzo had been targeting the Uchiha clan within Konoha's upper echelons. Now that he has been stripped of his position as Hokage advisor, it can be seen as the Third Hokage giving the Uchiha some closure.

Of course, for the Uchiha leadership, this explanation was far too perfunctory. After all, Danzo still held real power and could still interfere with the village's high-level decisions, and the suppression of the Uchiha was unlikely to stop.

"The Uchiha clan fought extremely bravely in this incident; otherwise, the casualties might have been even greater!" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Fugaku Uchiha and said earnestly, "Fugaku, we owe you all this."

"Third Hokage, you flatter me. As members of the village, this is what we should do," Fugaku Uchiha said solemnly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Issei, the Kodama incarnation sitting to Fugaku Uchiha's left, sighed inwardly.

Fugaku was a good man and very capable, but he was by no means a good leader.

The Uchiha clan has sacrificed so much for Konoha this time, and he himself has even revealed his Mangekyou Sharingan. In the face of Hiruzen Sarutobi's verbal gratitude, he didn't take the opportunity to make some demands. He's just too naive when it comes to politics.

Making demands at this time might be seen by the higher-ups as the Uchiha taking advantage of the situation, but compared to what the Uchiha have given, the benefits they have gained are really small. It is estimated that only Konoha would treat such a powerful ninja clan in this way.

But wanting nothing at all seems even more foolish.

The Konoha leadership was already targeting the Uchiha clan, so whether or not they made any demands, they would be perceived as having ulterior motives.

The fact that the Uchiha clan doesn't want anything will make the higher-ups think that the Uchiha clan wants prestige and wants to take this opportunity to win people's hearts, and that they would rather have some substantial political benefits.

Bai Yu looked at the other Uchiha Jonin around him, each of them looking somewhat dissatisfied, but they held back from expressing their dissatisfaction due to the high-level meeting.

How can a clan leader like this ever gain the respect of the people?

"In that case, let's move on to the next topic..." Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, preparing to move on to the next item on the agenda.

At this moment, Uchiha Munehito suddenly stood up and said, "This incident fully demonstrates the Uchiha clan's loyalty to the village. At critical moments, we were the first to stand up and protect the village. Therefore, I think it is necessary to appropriately enhance the authority of the Konoha Police Force!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression froze for a moment, and Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado all looked rather grim.

The room fell completely silent; you could hear a pin drop. The atmosphere became strange.

“I think Zongren makes sense. In this way, the Uchiha clan can better serve the village!” Another Uchiha Jonin chimed in, his words more tactful, but his meaning was clear.

The other Uchiha Jonin also spoke up.

Only Fugaku Uchiha remained silent, because he had promised to work with the Fourth Hokage to gradually resolve the conflict between the higher-ups and the Uchiha clan. Now, to state the Uchiha clan's demands so directly would seem arrogant and like he was pressuring the higher-ups. Doing so would obviously waste the efforts he and the Fourth Hokage had made together.

However, what Uchiha Munejin said was actually Fugaku's idea as well. In addition, Munejin's grandfather had played a big role in his rise to power, so he couldn't very well refute Munejin's proposal in public under these circumstances.

"This matter involves a wide range of issues and requires careful discussion from everyone. However, I already understand the Uchiha clan's intentions." Hiruzen Sarutobi played coy, neither agreeing nor refusing, before saying, "The most urgent task now is to stabilize the internal situation and prevent other villages from taking any action against Konoha because of this incident. Minato's injury must be kept strictly confidential."

"Yes!"

Everyone said in unison, because what Hiruzen Sarutobi said was indeed more important. The Fourth Hokage's coma meant that Konoha had lost a powerful ninja who could have deterred the ninja world.

Jiraiya was very strong, but he was no match for the Third Raikage and the Third Tsuchikage.

Only Minato Namikaze, who mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, could rival the Third Raikage and the Third Tsuchikage.

Space-time ninjutsu is mysterious and unpredictable, and everyone would be wary of it.

The Third Shinobi World War is not completely over. Kirigakure has not yet signed a ceasefire agreement with Konoha. At this time, Minato Namikaze's unconsciousness is a huge blow to Konoha's morale, especially if Kirigakure ninjas discover it, they may launch another attack.

"Regarding the subjugation of Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the village obtained a total of four Six Paths Ninja Tools: the Golden Rope, the Seven Star Sword, the Purple Gold Gourd, and the Banana Fan. Among them, the Golden Rope was seized by Issei, so it belongs to the Uchiha clan."

If another great war breaks out in the future, I hope the Uchiha clan can cooperate in using this Six Paths Ninja Tool, or temporarily lend it to the village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Shiroha and continued.

Although his original intention was to have Uchiha Issei hand over the Hōkin Rope directly, doing so was too unseemly, especially since Uchiha Issei's strength in battle far surpassed that of an elite Jonin, reaching the level of a Kage.

I never imagined that so many members of the Uchiha clan were hiding their true strength.

Moreover, since Uchiha Issei obtained the Golden Rope through his own strength, the village had even less reason to demand that he hand it over.

However, among these four Six Paths Ninja Tools, the Golden Rope, the Seven Star Sword, and the Purple Gold Gourd need to be used together. Without the Golden Rope to touch the enemy and force out the Word of Power, the Seven Star Sword and the Purple Gold Gourd are essentially useless. This is very frustrating for Hiruzen Sarutobi, because if he encounters a strong enemy, he will have to rely on the Uchiha clan every time.

Although he did not target the Uchiha clan in the same way as Danzo, he was also deeply wary of the Uchiha clan deep down.

"Of course." Fugaku Uchiha nodded. As the clan head, he was qualified to answer on behalf of his clansmen.

The other Jonin also looked at Bai Yu, the Uchiha Jonin. Kinkaku and Ginkaku were powerful ninjas who had killed the Second Hokage. Even if they were not at their peak strength after being resurrected by the Impure World Reincarnation technique, it was still remarkable that they were able to gain the upper hand in Kinkaku's hands and seize the Hōkin Rope.

At this moment, as everyone recalled the events, they couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. There were just too many strong individuals in the Uchiha clan in this era. Fugaku Uchiha had already awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan and was undoubtedly the strongest member of the Uchiha clan, capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with top powerhouses like the Third Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, and Jiraiya.

The remaining Uchiha Munejin, Uchiha Chiho, and Uchiha Issei are all Kage-level powerhouses.

In addition, there is Uchiha Shisui, who earned the title of "Shisui of the Body Flicker" on the battlefield of Kirigakure at the age of only 11. He is known as the most talented ninja in the history of the Uchiha clan. At this age, Shisui was promoted to Special Jonin based on his battle achievements and killed many Jonin from Kirigakure. In terms of momentum, he completely surpassed Kakashi.

Even Minato Namikaze, and now Hakuba who has left Konoha, are far inferior to Shisui at his age.

From the late Warring States period to the present, the Uchiha clan has once again shown signs of regaining its former glory.

For the common people of Konoha, the prosperity of the ninja clans within the village is a good thing.

However, for the Konoha leadership and other ninja clans, a new political reshuffle may be on the horizon.

It's inevitable that powerful ninja clans will have more political influence.

In particular, the Uchiha and Senju clans were once the two strongest ninja clans during the Warring States period. Now that the Senju clan has disbanded, no one can stop the rise of the Uchiha clan.

......

After the meeting, Uchiha Munehito looked somewhat resentful. The Uchiha clan had paid the price of three Jonin, yet they had only received a few bland words of praise from the Third Hokage.

What's the use of this?

Since the outbreak of the Third Shinobi World War, how much blood has the Uchiha clan shed for the village? There are still many Uchiha clan members left on the battlefield of Kirigakure, facing attacks from Kirigakure's main force at any time.

But the result?

Other ninja clans saw their members promoted to Jonin due to their military achievements, gaining political opportunities to enter the upper echelons. However, many outstanding Uchiha ninjas, despite their remarkable military exploits, were stuck at the position of Special Jonin, forever one step away from becoming Jonin and participating in high-level decision-making.

Now, Uchiha Munejin has come to terms with reality.

It's not that the Uchiha clan didn't do well enough, nor is it that the Uchiha clan has any problems.

Within a year of the Fourth Hokage's ascension to power, several Uchiha clan members successfully became Jonin due to their military achievements and passing comprehensive assessments.

Therefore, the problem lies with the Konoha leadership, headed by the Third Hokage.

Why were there no sordid or disgraceful things during the reign of the fourth generation?

"Sigh~" Fugaku Uchiha looked at Munehito Uchiha, who left in a huff, and couldn't help but feel a little helpless. As the clan elder Hayato Uchiha gradually relinquished his power, the clan had split into two factions. The conservative faction, led by him, was willing to trust the Fourth Hokage and hoped to resolve the conflict between the Uchiha and the village through communication.

Uchiha Munejin, on the other hand, was a representative of the radical faction. He always hoped to use a tough stance to show the Uchiha's determination to gain political power. After all, Konoha might not have its current leadership, but it absolutely could not do without the Uchiha, a powerful ninja clan with top strength in the entire ninja world. Repeated concessions would only allow the leadership to press harder and push the Uchiha's bottom line, leading to even greater conflicts.

Bai Yu's true form left two days ago and returned to the Land of Whirlpools. For the rest of the time, he will stay in the Whirlpool Clan's territory, accompanying Kushina until she gives birth safely and smoothly.

Of course, Bai Yu will still rely on the members of the 'Infinite Ring' organization and the 'Kodama' who has infiltrated the Akatsuki organization to gather intelligence.