The Uchiha Clan's Sun

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and looked at Danzo Shimura, asking, "Danzo, do you have a different opinion?"

"No!" Shimura Danzo shook his head slightly, a playful look on his face, and said, "I just wanted to remind you that you won't be Hokage for long!"

Are you sure the Dark Side will still act according to your wishes by then?

"I've heard that Uchiha Jin and Namikaze Minato are very close friends!"

Chapter 73: Overwhelm others with force!

Although the people present all had their own thoughts, they were basically on the same side and naturally understood that Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to pass the position of Fourth Hokage to Minato Namikaze.

When Shimura Danzo brought up the relationship between Namikaze Minato and Uchiha King at this moment, his intention was all too clear!

Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed lightly and said, "Minato is easygoing and gets along well with the common people in the village and even the ninjas from various clans. Uchiha Jin is not an exception!"

"Furthermore, it's perfectly normal for Uchiha Jin to be classmates with Minato when they attended the Ninja Academy, as they were close friends!"

Minato Namikaze was extremely popular in Konoha Village, like a little sun that made everyone feel close to him.

Not to mention Uchiha Jin, even the current Uchiha clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku, has an excellent relationship with Namikaze Minato, and their wives are best friends.

Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't think there was anything wrong with Minato Namikaze and King Uchiha having a close relationship!

Mitokado Homura nodded and said, "Namikaze Minato is the best choice to become Hokage in terms of personality, ability, and strength. His ability to get close to the Uchiha clan is also a testament to his personal charm!"

"But he's still too young and inexperienced; he doesn't know how dangerous the world can be!"

"So after he becomes the Fourth Hokage, he'll still need us old guys to help him out a bit, so he can gradually adapt to the responsibilities that come with the position of Hokage!"

"If anything happens, we old guys will be there to oversee things, so there won't be any major problems!"

Mitokado Homura was extremely satisfied with Minato Namikaze as a candidate for Hokage.

After all, Minato Namikaze would always respectfully address him as Elder Menyan whenever he saw him, showing him great courtesy and respect.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, was cold and aloof. Not only did he not greet people, but Mitokado Homura also saw disdain in Orochimaru's eyes on several occasions.

Comparing the two, there's little controversy about who should be the new Hokage!

Danzo Shimura snorted coldly and said, "You're all being too presumptuous! Just hand over that Uchiha Jin to me. In less than two years, I'll definitely train him into a most handy tool! That way, we can be absolutely sure of success!"

Danzo Shimura knew that he was powerless to change the situation regarding Minato Namikaze, given that Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two had already made their decision, but he still wanted to try to persuade King Uchiha.

He brought up the relationship between Uchiha Jin and Namikaze Minato only to make Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two resentful, so that he could make the suggestion to bring Uchiha Jin into the Root!

After all, Uchiha Jin is someone who can be compared to Namikaze Minato. If you can control Uchiha Jin, the strength of Root will definitely increase by a lot!

"No way!" Hiruzen Sarutobi rejected Shimura Danzo's suggestion almost without thinking, saying, "Danzo, the village ninjas already have a lot of grievances against your Root group. Now, letting a ninja like Uchiha Jin, who has made great contributions, join Root will only incite resentment among the village ninjas!"

"So you don't need to bring this up again! There's absolutely no way Uchiha Jin will join your Root!"

Danzo Shimura argued in a deep voice, "What's wrong with Root? Root exists for the better development of Konoha! What do a few idle words matter?"

"I have a clear conscience!"

"And Hiruzen, don't forget, Root suffered heavy losses this time, and it was you who said that Root should recuperate in Konoha!"

"Now I'm just asking you for a single Uchiha Jin and you won't even give it to me, how am I supposed to rebuild my Root organization!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and said firmly, "Everyone else is fine, but Uchiha Jin is absolutely out of the question!"

Although Uchiha Jin could not be given to Shimura Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to replenish Shimura Danzo's manpower after considering that Root had indeed suffered too many losses this time.

After all, the existence of the Roots is still very important for Konoha right now!

There are many shady things that need to be done at the grassroots level!

Upon hearing this, Danzo Shimura's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he said, "Alright, if Uchiha Jin isn't suitable, then I'll take Uchiha Shisui!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was taken aback. He had been so focused on King Uchiha that he had forgotten about Shisui Uchiha, allowing Danzo Shimura to take advantage of the situation!

Uchiha Shisui was not only a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, but also an Uchiha with the Will of Fire. Hiruzen Sarutobi had been paying attention to Uchiha Shisui for a long time and intended to keep him by his side to cultivate him!

It's just that Uchiha Shisui is still young, and it's wartime, so he hasn't been able to find a good opportunity, which is why it's been delayed.

Now, due to his carelessness, Shimura Danzo seized the opportunity, and Hiruzen Sarutobi is in a difficult situation!

Seeing this, Shimura Danzo knew that things were going well, and immediately said, "Hiruzen, you just said that anyone but Uchiha Jin would do it, are you going to go back on your word now?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated for a moment, his expression unsure, before finally speaking: "Personally, I could, but as Hokage, I cannot!"

"What do you mean?"

Danzo Shimura was taken aback, and for a moment he didn't realize what Hiruzen Sarutobi meant by those words.

Hiruzen Sarutobi explained, "As your friend and comrade-in-arms, I naturally have no reason to refuse your wishes. However, as the Third Hokage, I have to consider the bigger picture!"

"Danzo, your relationship with the Uchiha clan is already tense, and they will absolutely not entrust their clan's genius to you!"

"The situation in the ninja world is currently very unpredictable, and it is really not advisable for Konoha to cause any more trouble!"

"So don't even think about Uchiha Shisui, and don't even think about the Uchiha clan!"

This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi completely blocked Danzo Shimura's path, fearing that there might be something left unexplored!

"you......"

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo immediately understood that Sarutobi Hiruzen was going to break his promise, and he did so in such a grand and respectable way, which made him extremely angry!

"Danzo, you should know that I am the Hokage!"

Before Shimura Danzo could finish speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke again, completely shutting him down!

"How can it be repaired!!!"

Danzo Shimura's face turned ashen; he had once again lost the title of Hokage!

"Alright, let's leave it at that. I'll draft a list for you later; you can choose whoever you want." Hiruzen Sarutobi casually brushed the matter aside and then said, "Next, let's discuss the rotation of ninjas on the Kirigakure battlefield."

"I've already decided. I'll use the excuse of preventing Kirigakure from making a comeback to rotate the Kirigakure ninjas on the front lines in batches!"

"Let the Uchiha clan return to the village in the first batch. After I reach an agreement with Fugaku Uchiha, I will bring back the ninjas from the other clans!"

......

Chapter 74 What is a ninja?

The Land of Rain, Amegakure Village, Hanzo the Salamander's office.

"Continuous rainfall can lead to soil saturation, root hypoxia, and impaired crop growth, potentially causing root rot in severe cases. At the same time, rainwater washes away nutrients from the soil, reducing its fertility."

"In addition, high humidity promotes fungal and bacterial diseases, and damp environments are conducive to the reproduction of pests, increasing the risk of pest infestation."

"Heavy rainfall can also trigger floods, submerging farmland and causing crop failure. Floods exacerbate soil erosion and damage soil structure."

"These are the main reasons why agriculture in my Rain Country cannot develop!"

"My Rain Kingdom is located in the center of the continent and borders the six kingdoms of Fire, Earth, Wind, Bird, Grass, and River. It is a transportation hub and should be a place with developed commerce."

"But in addition to the blockade by the three great nations of fire, earth, and wind, the geographical and transportation conditions of the land of rain are also the main reason why we have been unable to develop for so long!"

"Humid air accelerates the spoilage of goods, and continuous heavy rain and muddy roads will delay the journey."

"Most caravans would rather take a detour than pass through the Rain Country, which has a shorter route!"

"Therefore, from any perspective, if we want to change the situation of the Rain Country, we must first change its environment!"

Hanzo the Salamander stood in front of a map of the Land of Rain and explained, while Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, Ame, and Kanzo sat below listening attentively.

Although Uchiha Jin wanted to gradually transfer the power held by Hanzo of the Salamander to Yahiko and the other two, the development of the Land of Rain could not be achieved by the three of them alone.

So these days, whenever the conversation is simply about how to develop the Land of Rain, Uchiha Jin always has Hanzo of the Salamander call on his two right-hand men, Tenme and Kanzo.

With the help of Tenyu and Kanzo, Yahiko and his companions will be able to better control the Land of Rain!

"Therefore, I plan to plant trees here to regulate the local climate!"

"Trees can absorb water and reduce the risk of flooding, while also regulating air humidity through transpiration."

"Then, here, here, three large reservoirs will be built, and here, here, here... irrigation canals will be constructed to divert excess water from the surrounding area into the reservoirs!"

"Manage rainwater and reduce flooding through infrastructure such as reservoirs and drainage systems!"

"At the same time, I also want to build roads centered on Amegakure to connect the six countries!"

"Here, here..."

Hanzo the Salamander kept pointing at the map, while Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan excitedly took notes. Meanwhile, Tenyu and Kanzo's expressions grew increasingly grim.

Judging from Hanzo the Salamander's plans, these measures are undoubtedly major projects that can change the current situation of the Land of Rain!

However, precisely because these are all large-scale projects, the Land of Rain simply does not have enough manpower and resources to put them into practice!

Let alone all of them, even achieving just one of them would be extremely difficult!

If this policy is forcibly implemented, the current situation of the common people in the Land of Rain, who are starving, will likely incite a popular uprising!

"So, are there any problems?"

After explaining his plan, Hanzo the Salamander walked behind his desk, sat down, took a sip of water, and asked a question.

"Lord Hanzo, I have a question!"

Before Yahiko and the others could ask for specific details, Tenyu and Kanzo exchanged a glance and immediately spoke up.

Hanzo the Salamander glanced at Tenyu, not surprised by his reaction, and said calmly, "Ask if you have any questions."

Tianyu carefully considered her words before cautiously speaking, "Lord Hanzo, our Land of Rain is impoverished; most of our common people struggle to even have enough to eat. If we were to launch so many large-scale projects at once, I'm afraid..."

Tianyu didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning she wanted to express was crystal clear!

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan showed no change in expression upon hearing this, indicating they were not worried about the matter at all.

Uchiha Jin had already told them how to solve this problem long before!

Hanzo the Salamander looked at Tenyu and explained, "Don't worry, I don't plan to start all these projects at once! I know the saying 'haste makes waste'!"

"Besides...when did I say that I would conscript a large number of civilians to build these projects?"

Tianyu and Kanzang both breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the first half of Hanzo's words, but were both stunned upon hearing the second half!

Without conscripting civilians? How can these massive projects be built?

Before the two could ask, Hanzo of the Salamander spoke up again, asking, "Tenyu, Kanzo, what do you two think a ninja is?"

"Ninja..."

Both Tianyu and Kanzang were somewhat confused.

Ninjas are tools; this is the consensus of everyone in the ninja world, and it is also an explicit provision in the ninja code.

But both Tenyu and Kanzo could clearly sense that this was not the answer Hanzo the Salamander wanted!

Hanzo the Salamander shook his head slightly and said, "You might say that ninjas are tools, but to me, ninjas are simply people who have mastered some special skills!"

"It's like a chef mastering cooking skills, a doctor mastering treatment techniques, and a musician mastering vocal skills."

"Ninjas are just a group of people who have mastered special skills!"

"Aside from these skills, ninjas are no different from ordinary people!"

"It is only natural and proper for people to learn skills and then use those skills to live a better life!"

"Ninjas should be like that too!"

"But the abilities of ninjas shouldn't be used only in war!"

After a pause, Hanzo the Salamander looked at Tengo and Kanzo, who were becoming increasingly confused, and shook his head, saying, "It's okay if you don't understand now, but one day you will understand what I'm saying!"

"Now..." Hanzo the Salamander thought for a moment, then picked up his sickle, a weapon he had placed aside, and said, "Just like this sickle, it is a weapon I use to kill people, but it can also be a farming tool that farmers use to harvest grain!"

"Do you understand?"

Tianyu nodded as if she understood, and said, "So, Lord Hanzo, you want to gather ninjas to build those large projects, right?"

"Of course!" Hanzo of the Salamander nodded and said, "Splitting mountains and cracking rocks, digging canals and opening ditches, moving mountains and filling seas—what could be more suitable for these jobs than ninjas?"

"Anyway, our Amegakure doesn't receive many other missions under normal circumstances, so let the village issue some more practical missions!"

"This will not only improve the environment of the Land of Rain, but also train the skills of the village's ninjas!"

......

"Okay, that's enough for today. I'm a little tired. You can all go now!"