Start with a Zanpakuto and build the strongest Mist Village.

Even if it were opened directly, putting aside whether the people of the ninja world would believe that this was really the 'authentic Ryuchi Cave', the summoning serpents inside Ryuchi Cave probably wouldn't be very happy either.

One Orochimaru is enough. Why bring in so many humans? Are they going to open a buffet for us?!

"This is such a headache... Oh well, let's convert the spiritual energy first. If all else fails, we can just have Princess Tianxin and the others take some snakes out to bite people. It's just a promotion anyway, as long as there are enough of them..."

……

The changes in the three holy lands were unknown to anyone in the ninja world. At this moment, they were still immersed in the war that had ended between Konoha and Kumogakure.

With Fugaku Uchiha making no attempt to conceal it, and even deliberately promoting it, the news of the 'Mangekyou Sharingan's reappearance' spread like wildfire throughout the ninja world. Coupled with the news of the Cloud Village's withdrawal, this directly confirmed the authenticity of the news.

Those forces that had been eager to take advantage of the war between the two great powers and profit from it were suddenly forced to back down.

Even though decades have passed, the name of the former Shura of the ninja world still circulates among the older generation, as evidenced by the fact that Onoki strained his back immediately after learning the news.

No one can ignore the power of the Uchiha clan. The title of the number one ninja clan in the ninja world is not something to be taken lightly; it is built on countless lives and deaths!

For a time, the ninja world fell into an eerie calm.

After confirming that the Hidden Cloud Village had indeed withdrawn its troops and that there were no unusual movements from the major forces in the ninja world, Fugaku Uchiha led his army back to the capital, ready to reap even greater rewards.

Amidst the warm welcome of the Third Hokage, his two advisors, and the high-ranking officials of Konoha, a grand welcoming ceremony and commendation meeting were held in the village, with the entire village celebrating the end of the war and the victory.

The Third Shinobi World War ended abruptly and ineffectively. Although the war had come to an end, everyone knew that it wouldn't be long before it would resume.

But it's different now.

This time, Konoha truly crushed Kumogakure on the main battlefield. Even though the main force was Seireitei and the two sides' top combatants did not even clash once, the fact is that Konoha won a great victory over Kumogakure. Fugaku Uchiha, with his Susanoo, was unstoppable on the battlefield, showing the demeanor of a ninja world demon incarnate.

Beneath the joyous and festive atmosphere, an undercurrent had already begun to stir.

First, some people said that the Fourth Hokage was dead, and that the Third Hokage was perfectly justified in taking over the Hokage position during the war, and could even be considered a top-notch Hokage. But now that the war is over, we can't let the Third Hokage suffer for too long. We should let him enjoy his retirement again, and start the election for the Fifth Hokage, etc.

Secondly, it highlights the bravery and strength of the Uchiha clan and its leader, Fugaku Uchiha, on the battlefield, their resistance against Kumogakure, and their leadership of Konoha to victory.

Some top artists even drew the scene of Fugaku, in his final moments, using Susanoo to crush the Cloud Village flag and raise the Leaf Village flag high, and distributed it for free, which became widely circulated in the Leaf Village.

Although there were bound to be reports of 'Uchiha bending the law for personal gain and protecting their own clansmen,' 'Uchiha using excessive force and assaulting people in the street,' and 'Uchiha bullying men and women,' these negative reports were of no concern to the Uchiha, who were returning with a great victory.

Fake news!

These are all fake news! These are all slanders against the great war hero, the Uchiha!

"Hiruzen! Why did you make Fugaku Uchiha the commander of this army in the first place? Look at what's being spread in Konoha now!"

Inside the Hokage's office.

Danzo slammed the scrolls he had collected from Root, filled with messages praising the Uchiha clan, Fugaku Uchiha, and urging the Third Hokage to retire and hold an election for the Fifth Hokage, onto the Third Hokage's desk.

"This momentum! This public opinion! If this continues, all the efforts our teacher and we have made against the Uchiha clan over the years will be in vain and turn into nothing!"

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, his gaze dark as he stared at the scroll.

Even without looking, what he had heard during this time was enough to prove everything Danzo had said.

But what could he do?

Back then, besides Fugaku, who else in Konoha could shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the commander-in-chief, and who could lead Konoha to defeat Kumogakure?

Are you suggesting that he, the Hokage, should personally take action?!

What a joke!

"It's pointless to talk about this now, Danzo. What we need to do is stop Fugaku and stop the Uchiha!" Koharu Utatane glanced at the silent Hiruzen and said in a deep voice, "Those lunatics from the Uchiha clan absolutely cannot be allowed to take power. Once they are in charge, no one knows what they will do."

“That’s right. Look at what these guys have been doing lately. They’ve only won one victory, and they’re acting like the whole of Konoha is their Uchiha’s private domain. If they really take the throne, won’t Konoha be under the Uchiha’s name?” Mitokado Homura sneered.

"That's right, the teacher's concerns were indeed correct. No matter what, the evil Uchiha must not be allowed to take the stage!"

"We must stop them, otherwise the entire Hidden Leaf Village will probably be destroyed by them."

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado each said a sentence, which revealed Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts at this moment. But the problem is, it's easier said than done.

Fugaku Uchiha not only returned with a great victory, but also awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, making him unparalleled in combat power. If they were to fight head-on, even if they could win, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses.

The huge Hokage office fell silent for a moment; even Danzo, the master of ideas, couldn't come up with any solutions.

Just then, a voice broke the silence.

"Third Hokage, the envoy from Kirigakure has arrived!"

Chapter 180 Uchiha Itachi: "Grandpa Hiruzen, I am the successor to the Will of Fire!"

The stories of how the Uchiha clan fought bravely on the battlefield and protected their comrades were spread by more and more people, and public opinion in Konoha completely took the initiative.

The members of the guard team, who were once hated and despised by countless people of Konoha, began to be warmed and loved. This special feeling, which they had never experienced before, brought smiles to the faces of the entire Uchiha clan, and they even began to do good deeds in the village.

Things like helping elderly ladies cross the street, or offering help looking after homes, children, or pets are all small acts of kindness.

Many members of the Uchiha clan have started setting up stalls to distribute rice, flour, and cooking oil to the villagers for free!

Don't underestimate this point.

Konoha is currently engaged in numerous wars, including the Third Shinobi World War, the Nine-Tails Incident, and the Lightning and Fire War. These successive wars have nearly destroyed this once-great village of ninja.

Leaving aside the countless ninjas who died in battle, the reparations paid to Kirigakure during the Third Shinobi World War are still being paid in installments!

The entire Hidden Leaf Village can be described in one word.

poverty!

The village was poor.

The village's financial deficit is piling up, and the debts owed to the daimyo and various nobles have long been close to 100 million. The compensation for the dead and wounded, as well as the reparations to Kirigakure, have not yet been paid.

The people are poor.

When the village goes to war, taxes will increase, and the ninjas in the family will have to fight. If they die in battle, the family will lose its pillar, and its income will naturally decrease sharply.

In addition, the village was poor and the compensation was delayed, so many families in Konoha were already struggling to make ends meet!

What, you mean savings and deposits?

This is still Konoha. If you lose your house, you lose it. At most, you lose some savings. You can just use a ninjutsu to get your house back.

If this were modern times, if the Nine-Tails unleashed its Tailed Beast Ball, not only would you lose your house and car, but you'd still have to keep paying off your car loan and mortgage!

The Uchiha clan's move to open the granary and distribute rice, flour, and cooking oil for free was practically a game-changer for the villagers!

As the Uchiha clan's prestige continued to rise, rumors began to circulate throughout the village, such as the need to hold a Fifth Hokage election soon, the need for the Third Hokage to step down due to his advanced age, and the enthusiasm for these rumors was particularly high in pubs and nightclubs.

"Thank you, Clan Chief Fugaku! Thank you, Uchiha!"

"The Uchiha are all great people. I was really blinded by greed back then, and I actually thought that the Uchiha clan was no good."

"As long as the Uchiha clan exists, Konoha exists! If the Uchiha clan prospers, Konoha prospers!"

Behind a relief station where rice, flour, and cooking oil were being distributed free of charge, Fugaku Uchiha listened to the cries of ordinary people outside, and his smile grew even wider.

Dao Huo, standing to the side, seemed somewhat puzzled.

“Clan leader, our clan’s situation isn’t much better. Is it really necessary to help these civilians like this? If we need reinforcements, shouldn’t we be asking the ninjas?”

The election for the Fourth Hokage was a vote by all the Konoha ninja. As a result, Minato Namikaze won by an overwhelming margin, defeating not only Danzo Shimura and his clan leader Fugaku, but also Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, and became the Fourth Hokage.

With the Uchiha clan's current prestige, if they could win over some Jonin, the Fifth Hokage's position would be practically secure. Why bother with these commoners?

"You don't understand."

Fugaku Uchiha shook his head: "Among the ninjas of Konoha, apart from the major ninja clans, nearly 70 percent of the ninjas are actually from commoner backgrounds."

"To win over Jonin, we need to pay a huge price in terms of resources and politics. Those prices are far too high compared to winning over civilians. On the contrary, as long as we can win over these civilians, the ninjas among them will lean towards us."

"Daohuo, your capacity and vision are still not broad enough!"

"I see, I understand now, Chieftain!"

Dao Huo lowered his head in shame.

Fugaku didn't say much, but looked at the civilians outside who were loudly calling for the Uchiha clan, and the corners of his mouth turned up even higher.

At first, Fugaku didn't pay attention to these commoners. In his view, he had already reached the peak in terms of both strength and prestige, and the position of Hokage was within his grasp.

However, during a conversation with his son Itachi, Itachi became quite curious about the election of the Fourth Hokage and even asked why Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, lost to his junior Minato Namikaze.

"That's because the Fourth Hokage is going through menopause, which makes him more acceptable to the younger generation of ninjas." Fugaku chuckled, rubbing Itachi's head. "The future is destined to belong to you young people. Itachi, you're my son. Your talent and your potential are destined..."

"Wait, recognition from the younger generation of ninjas?!"

Fugaku's praise of Itachi's Hizashi came to an abrupt halt, his eyes widening suddenly, and he even activated his Sharingan!

From that moment on, Fugaku suddenly understood, and began a series of subsequent actions.

With Itachi, the Kirin Child, the Uchiha clan has nothing to worry about!

Looking at the lively scene before him, Fugaku couldn't help but think of his son again.

I wonder what Itachi is doing right now. Is he training, or is he looking at Sasuke?

……

"The people from Kirigakure have arrived?"

The report from the Anbu caused a slight change in the expressions of the people in the Hokage's office.

Since the Third Shinobi World War, Kirigakure's development and rise have been unstoppable, and it has basically secured its position as the strongest force in the shinobi world. Furthermore, the performance of the Shinigami of Seireitei under Mizuki Yoru during the Nine-Tails attack completely shocked Hiruzen Sarutobi and others.

Upon hearing that the people from Kirigakure had arrived, the people present instinctively tensed up.

"Wait... they must be here to discuss specific cooperation projects for the Feng Shui Huo Three Kingdoms Mega Project." Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but his eyes still showed some tension as he looked at the Anbu: "Who is the leader of Kirigakure?"

"He is the genius boy of the Hozuki clan, the vice-captain of the Kirigakure Anbu, Hozuki Mangetsu!"

really!

Upon hearing this name, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

In the Three Kingdoms' mega-project cooperation project, the person in charge of Kirigakure has always been Hozuki Mangetsu. Since it is him who came, he is basically here for the Three Kingdoms' mega-project.

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, signaling the ANBU members beside him to step back.

After the ANBU members respectfully withdrew, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the three silent members of the Shimura and Danzo groups in the Hokage's office and said in a deep voice, "You are right. We are all well aware of the threat posed by the Uchiha clan. Konoha must not be handed over to them under any circumstances. However, the Uchiha clan is currently very powerful. If we use ordinary methods, we will not be able to stop them at all. We need to plan this carefully."

"Long-term plan?"

Danzo Shimura snorted coldly: "You'd better understand Hiruzen. Whether it's public opinion or combat strength, we don't have the upper hand. If you continue to drag this out, and a really big problem arises, I'll regret it!"

"Of course I understand."

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his cigarette, his eyes gleaming.

The Third Shinobi World War, the Nine-Tails' rampage, and the fact that Konoha's military strength was reduced to less than one-tenth were ironically transformed into the most powerful force, while the Uchiha, who had always been marginalized by them, became the strongest force.

With Fugaku Uchiha now returning with a great victory, even if they strongly oppose the Uchiha, they cannot act recklessly.

"You all go and prepare to receive the envoy from Kirigakure. I will handle this matter."

"It better be this way!"

Danzo snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Koharu and Homura exchanged a glance and both let out a soft sigh.

"Hiruzen, this Uchiha matter is all up to you..."

"I know."

The two advisors also left, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi alone in his office.

With a shift in gaze and a surge of chakra, a clear image appeared on the crystal ball on the table. The first thing that caught the eye was the smiling faces of the Uchiha clan and the people of Konoha.

Seeing this scene, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt his three corpses raging, but he knew he couldn't stop it, so he could only look away and avoid seeing it.

The images on the crystal ball changed, constantly shifting to different locations in Konoha, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression also changed continuously.

If Konoha, which he ruled for decades, were to fall into the hands of the Uchiha, how could he possibly face his two masters again?

"Ok?"

Suddenly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze sharpened as the crystal ball reflected on an open space.

In the open space, a black-haired youth who had just finished cultivating leaned against a large tree, panting. He then took out a book from the scroll he carried with him and began to study it carefully.

That book wasn't a ninja training manual or a ninja technique manual.