The Uchiha Clan's Sun

Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally knew that the Cloud Village's recklessness was just a facade, as evidenced by the fact that the Cloud Village was able to put aside the hatred for the death of the Third Raikage and instead attack Konoha.

However, Kumogakure seized on Konoha's reluctance to start a war and adopted a reckless attitude.

Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi was very unhappy, he had no choice but to compromise and see if he could get more compensation from Kumogakure!

"Cowardly!" Danzo Shimura said angrily, "So what if Iwagakure comes to attack Konoha? Don't forget that we have always had the upper hand in the war against Iwagakure!"

"Even if we are attacked, we will not be afraid!"

"What about Kirigakure and Sunagakure?" Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped the table and said, "Let's leave Sunagakure aside for now, but Kirigakure is isolated overseas, so it can be attacked or defended at will. Although we repelled them this time, they have never admitted defeat!"

"If we were to go to war with Kumogakure or even Iwagakure again, would Kirigakure just stand by and do nothing?"

"The people of Sunagakure are inherently fickle and treacherous; wouldn't they have ulterior motives seeing such a scene?"

After a pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi declared decisively, "This matter is decided! This war has dragged on for so many years; it's time to end it and allow the people to recuperate!"

Danzo Shimura opened his mouth, wanting to argue a bit more, but was silenced by a stern glare from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Danzo, don't forget that you are still a criminal, and you only have the right to advise, not the right to make decisions!"

Danzo Shimura's face turned ashen; he hadn't expected Hiruzen Sarutobi's punishment to be implemented so quickly!

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't look at Danzo Shimura again. He cleared his throat and said, "Let's talk about something else next."

"The ninjas on the front lines of the Land of Hot Water, who are facing off against the Hidden Cloud Village, and the ninjas on the front lines of the Land of Rain, who are facing off against the Hidden Stone Village, cannot move for the time being. However, things have calmed down in the Hidden Mist Village for the time being, and it is time for the ninjas on the front lines of the Hidden Mist Village to return to Konoha for rotation and rest!"

"You all know the special circumstances of the Mist Hidden Front, so tell me what to do."

Unlike other fronts, the people from Konoha on the Kirigakure battlefield were mainly a coalition of ninja clans, primarily composed of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans!

Generally speaking, when ninja troops retreat from the front lines return to their villages, they are always welcomed by the villagers.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi had long been troubled by those powerful ninja clans in Konoha. Now that they had achieved such great feats on the battlefield, Hiruzen Sarutobi really didn't want to give them another chance to build up their influence and win people's hearts!

At the same time, how to reward them for their contributions is also a big problem!

Chapter 71: It's going to be tough on the Uchiha!

“Actually, the other ninja clans are not so bad,” Mitokado Homura said first. “Even the Hyuga clan suffered heavy losses in this war, and their main family even lost a Byakugan. It is only right that the village should give them some compensation.”

"As for those minor ninja clans, needless to say, they can be compensated and given pensions according to the village rules!"

"The key issue is that dealing with the Uchiha clan is proving to be quite difficult!"

Koharu Utatane chimed in, "In this war, the Uchiha clan mobilized a total of 350 ninjas to fight. Among them, there were 25 Jonin with three-tomoe Sharingan, 100 elite Chunin and special Jonin with two-tomoe Sharingan, and the rest were Chunin and Genin who had not awakened their Sharingan or only had one-tomoe Sharingan."

"After the war, according to incomplete statistics, there were 36 Jonin with three-tomoe Sharingan left on the battlefield, 153 elite Chunin and special Jonin with two-tomoe Sharingan, and most of the rest had also awakened one-tomoe Sharingan!"

"Furthermore, the Uchiha clan produced three elite ninjas in this war: Fugaku with Fierce Eyes, Shisui with Body Flicker, and Jin Uchiha, the Red Sun, who was on par with Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash!"

"In other words, other ninja clans suffered significant losses in this war, while the Uchiha clan, although losing nearly a hundred members, saw its overall strength increase by more than one level!"

"Other ninja clans get weaker the more they fight, but the Uchiha clan gets stronger the more they fight!"

"If the Uchiha clan were given a large amount of resources as compensation under these circumstances, their strength would likely experience unprecedented growth!"

Upon hearing this, the Konoha F4 in the office fell silent!

At this moment, all four of them realized how wise it was that their teacher, Tobirama Senju, had made the decision to establish the Konoha Guard to firmly contain the Uchiha clan within Konoha Village!

The ninjas of the Uchiha clan are truly extraordinary!

The battlefield, where life and death are fought every day, is undoubtedly the best training ground for them to improve their strength!

The key point is that the Uchiha clan is a cradle of geniuses, and its members all possess remarkable strength!

If the Uchiha clan had been given the same treatment as other ninja clans in Konoha, instead of keeping most of them confined to Konoha and allowing them to form ninja teams to go out of the village on missions like everyone else, the Uchiha clan might have already grown into a behemoth!

After all, the ninja team format allows the Uchiha to quickly build bonds with others, and the Uchiha's strength ensures that their survival rate in missions is much higher than that of others. Then, the death of a teammate will stimulate the Uchiha to unleash their full power!

If this continues, within a few decades, the Uchiha clan may have hundreds more elite Jonin with three-tomoe Sharingan!

The thought of this terrifying scene sent chills down the spines of the Konoha F4 in the office!

No! This absolutely cannot continue!

The development of the Uchiha clan must be restricted!

Even without any verbal communication, the Konoha F4 reached a consensus on the Uchiha issue in an instant.

Koharu Utatane spoke up, "The Uchiha clan led a group of ninja clans to repel the attack from Kirigakure, and they are at the height of their power!"

"Without a good excuse, it might be difficult to take action against them and restrict their development!"

Mitokado Homura frowned and said, "Moreover, attacking a family that has made meritorious contributions right after the war ends would likely provoke public outrage! We must proceed with caution!"

Although the Uchiha clan already had a poor relationship with other ninja clans in Konoha, they were still part of Konoha. If the Uchiha clan were targeted too much, it would not only provoke their rebellious mentality, but also make other clans feel a sense of shared fate.

This is not what they wanted to see!

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a smoke ring and said calmly, "After years of bloody battles, the village is already struggling to make ends meet in many places. Fugaku Uchiha is a sensible person, and I will have a good talk with him and ask him to make the Uchiha clan suffer a little for now."

Hiruzen Sarutobi has decided to temporarily withhold the Uchiha clan's pensions and compensation.

As for the Uchiha clan's achievements on the battlefield... they didn't even receive any compensation, so there's no point in even thinking about any rewards!

Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi's reasons were 'reasonable', after all, the war over the years had already caused Konoha to suffer a great loss, and the peace talks with Sunagakure had yielded many benefits, and they still had to negotiate with Iwagakure and Kumogakure.

If Minato Namikaze hadn't captured A from Kumogakure and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki on the battlefield, he probably could have squeezed a huge amount of resources out of Kumogakure. Konoha probably wouldn't even be able to afford to pay the other ninjas' compensation!

Under such circumstances, the Uchiha, as the largest clan in Konoha, should naturally be 'sensible' and consider the village's best interests more!

Fortunately, the current head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku Uchiha, is a relatively easy person to manipulate. Hiruzen Sarutobi is confident that he can persuade Fugaku Uchiha to make the Uchiha clan suffer this bitter pill!

Moreover, as long as the Uchiha clan agrees to this, they can make the Uchiha clan a model!

Would other ninja clans like the Hyuga clan still have the nerve to ask for things after seeing this?

In this way, although the Uchiha clan may gain some empty fame, they will inadvertently offend all the other ninja clans!

This is truly killing two birds with one stone!

The people present were all shrewd and understood the deeper meaning in Hiruzen Sarutobi's words almost instantly.

Mitokado Homura nodded and said, "The Uchiha clan is known for its pride. If we say a few nice words to them and get them on board, they won't have to refuse! This plan is feasible!"

Koharu Utatane added, "The Uchiha clan has played a significant role in this war, so we shouldn't be too direct in our actions. It would be best if they brought it up themselves!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly, "This is easy to handle. We'll just have to play it by ear when the time comes!"

It's not that Hiruzen Sarutobi is arrogant, it's just that most of the Uchiha clan members are political idiots, so with a little manipulation, they won't take the bait!

Mitokado Homura then spoke up, "Besides the Uchiha clan, we also need to deal with those outstanding individuals within the Uchiha clan!"

After a pause, Mitomon Homura looked at Shimura Danzo, who had been silent since the beginning, and asked, "Danzo, what do you think?"

When it comes to dealing with the Uchiha, Danzo Shimura is usually the most proactive one among them.

At this moment, Danzo Shimura remained silent, which was rather unusual!

Danzo Shimura scoffed and said, "Does my opinion still matter now?"

Chapter 72 A Vibrant Aura!

Danzo Shimura's words were full of resentment, clearly indicating that he was quite angry with Hiruzen Sarutobi!

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Danzo Shimura, ignored him, and said to himself, "In this war, there are three outstanding members of the Uchiha clan: Fugaku Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, and Jin Uchiha."

"Among them, Fugaku Uchiha is the current head of the Uchiha clan. You all know him; he has a gentle personality. Letting him sit in the position of head of the Uchiha clan is a good thing for us!"

"Uchiha Shisui is a descendant of Kagami. Like Kagami, he is an Uchiha with the Will of Fire. Unlike other Uchiha, he is not unruly and is a young man worth nurturing."

"But this Uchiha Jin is someone I can't quite figure out!"

Under the influence of the Second Hokage, Hashirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his companions viewed the Uchiha clan with prejudice, always wary of them, and therefore paid close attention to them on a daily basis.

Whenever an outstanding talent emerges within the Uchiha clan, they secretly keep a close eye on them and carefully monitor them.

But Uchiha Jin appeared out of nowhere, catching them completely off guard.

After a pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "Jin Uchiha was aloof and became somewhat cold after the death of his parents. He rarely interacted with people while studying at the Ninja Academy, and after graduation, he joined the Guard Department."

"In terms of strength, although Uchiha Jin far surpasses ordinary civilians, he is only like an ordinary Uchiha under the shadow of Namikaze Minato's brilliance at the same time, and there is nothing particularly outstanding about him."

"But in the war against Kirigakure, Uchiha Jin displayed extraordinary strength, his fire-style ninjutsu reaching its peak, and he could even suppress water-style ninjutsu by reversing the elemental attribute!"

"First, in an encounter with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, with the help of the genin Mike Dai, we killed four of them and seriously injured three others!"

"After that, he fought in various places and killed many blood-stained and secret technique masters such as Kaguya Kirigakure, Minazuki, and Hozuki, and never suffered a defeat!"

"Finally, Uchiha Jin even defeated the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure in a head-on battle, making a name for himself and earning the title of Red Sun!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi recounted the resume of Uchiha Jin that he knew, his brows furrowing more and more deeply.

Mitokado Homura coughed lightly and said, "Actually, it's not incomprehensible that Uchiha Jin was able to rapidly improve his strength and shine in the war, after all, he is an Uchiha!"

"But those Uchiha often become more arrogant and ruthless after increasing their strength, while this Uchiha Jin is the complete opposite!"

"But according to the information I have received, Uchiha Jin's personality has become much more amiable in recent years. He has not only lost his arrogance, but has also made many friends. His way of dealing with people is so pleasant that it is hard to find fault with him. This is somewhat unusual!"

Uchiha Jin's personality was somewhat out of place among the Uchiha, and coupled with his outstanding strength, it was hard for him not to attract the attention of those with ulterior motives!

The Konoha F4 already harbored prejudice against the Uchiha clan, so when they noticed Uchiha Jin, their first thought was whether this person had any problems!

Koharu Utatane spoke up, "As the saying goes, there's always something fishy going on! I think there's something sinister about Uchiha Jin, so it's best to be careful!"

After pondering for a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "I plan to recruit him into the Anbu after he returns!"

"Anbu?"

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were both taken aback by what they heard, and were somewhat surprised.

You should know that the Anbu is the Hokage's direct subordinate unit, and they carry out classified missions that concern the core of Konoha!

Before this, even Tobirama Senju's personal disciple, Kagami Uchiha, had only joined the Kageshield responsible for protecting the Hokage; no Uchiha had ever entered the Anbu!

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and explained, "Firstly, I've never observed him up close before, so placing him in the Anbu will give me a chance to observe him properly!"

"Secondly, bringing him into the Dark Division is also to keep this uncertain factor under my control. The Dark Division is full of our own people, so even if he has ulterior motives, it will be difficult for him to cause any trouble!"

"Thirdly, this can also be seen as a form of restriction on him!"

"Uchiha Jin has made significant contributions on the battlefield, and his reputation is approaching that of Namikaze Minato. It would be impossible not to reward him to convince the public!"

“Summon him to the secret service, give him any position you like, a promotion in name only but a demotion in reality, and in a few years he will blend into the crowd!”

Hiruzen Sarutobi's move was undeniably brilliant!

The Anbu ninjas are the Hokage's direct subordinates, holding a very high status. In a sense, their every move directly represents the Hokage's will! They are absolutely one of the core members of Konoha!

For the Uchiha clan, a family that has always been outside the core decision-making power of Konoha, having a clansman join the Anbu is definitely a boon for the moderates!

Even the hardliners within the Uchiha clan wouldn't say much about it!

Therefore, allowing Uchiha Jin to join the Anbu was definitely a huge relief for the Uchiha clan!

This move could even make Fugaku Uchiha more willing to give up the benefits that the Uchiha clan deserves!

However, the full name of the Dark Division is the Special Assassination Tactics Unit!

Although the Anbu holds a superior position in the eyes of ninjas, many ordinary people are actually unaware of the Anbu's existence!

The ninjas of the Anbu have no names, no appearances, and no identities. Their members wear white masks that resemble animals when they are on the move, and all information about their missions and other details is kept secret.

After Uchiha Jin joined the Anbu, Konoha never had another ninja named Uchiha Jin!

Under such circumstances, by using some underhanded tactics, Uchiha Jin's reputation on the battlefield would vanish in no time!

This is truly a win-win situation!

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado quickly grasped the key point and both showed expressions of agreement!

Mitokado Homura said, "Hiruzen, your move was absolutely brilliant. Those Uchiha probably won't even be able to react before they die!"

Koharu Utatane nodded and said, "Indeed, once that Uchiha Jin joins the Anbu, no matter how powerful he is, he won't be able to escape our grasp!"

A smile appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.

Although it was just a sudden inspiration, the more he thought about it, the more ingenious he found it!

"hehe!"

Just then, Danzo Shimura let out a disdainful sneer.