The Uchiha Clan's Sun

While Uchiha Jin's rise to power was unexpected, compared to the brainless Uchiha Setsuna, the Uchiha clan, under the leadership of the relatively normal Uchiha Jin, is unlikely to embark on the path of armed coup for the time being.

So after some deliberation, Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane to disperse the more than one thousand ninjas gathered outside Konoha Village, and at the same time, he had the Anbu summon Minato Namikaze to the Hokage's office.

Minato, the situation has changed!

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't beat around the bush; after repelling the Anbu, he spoke directly to Minato Namikaze.

Minato Namikaze was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Hokage-sama, what's changed?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a serious expression, "Normally, no one would have challenged you for the position of Fourth Hokage this time. It was practically a sure thing."

"But something unexpected has happened; you'll have a rival this time!"

Upon hearing this, Minato Namikaze smiled and said kindly, "Is it Orochimaru-senpai? It's alright. Orochimaru-senpai has made many contributions to the village, so it's only right that he became Hokage!"

"Besides, we're all teammates. I can accept fair competition, and I can also accept the possibility of losing!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head with a wry smile and said, "If it were just Orochimaru, it wouldn't be so bad. He only has a 30% chance of winning at most!"

"But this time, the one who will stand up and compete with you is Shimura Danzo!"

"As far as I know, Orochimaru has already reached an agreement with Danzo, and he will fully support Danzo's rise to power!"

"Because of your mistake last time, many clans in the village, led by the Hyuga clan, have switched their support to Danzo. Your chances of winning are at most 60% or even 50%!"

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed deep in Minato Namikaze's eyes, but he did not show it. Instead, he said with a solemn expression, "Lord Hokage, if I may be so bold, I have also heard about Elder Danzo's style of doing things. He is not suitable to be the Hokage of the village!"

"Elder Danzo is ruthless and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He is also cold-blooded and heartless towards his fellow villagers!"

"If Elder Danzo becomes the Hokage of the village, Konoha could very well become the second Village of the Bloody Mist!"

Although it was the policies implemented by the Fourth Mizukage, who was controlled by Obito Uchiha in the original story, that made Kirigakure's name "Land of the Blood Mist" famous throughout the ninja world, Kirigakure had actually begun implementing the Blood Mist policy during the Third Mizukage's reign, keeping the villagers and ninjas of Kirigakure under oppressive rule!

The Third Mizukage did this to control the village by creating chaos and fear, preventing the rise of powerful ninjas such as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and thus maintaining the Mizukage's absolute power!

Of course, the Third Mizukage's actions could also have been influenced by Madara Uchiha!

After all, to be able to mobilize the Hidden Mist Anbu and even the Three-Tails to carry out a series of plans, Madara Uchiha must have controlled powerful figures in the Hidden Mist Village, the most likely of whom was the Third Mizukage!

However, regardless of the circumstances, the Third Mizukage's actions are very similar to those of Danzo Shimura; they are both the kind of people who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals!

If Shimura Danzo were to become Hokage, given his insufficient strength and prestige, he would likely employ a series of methods to consolidate his power.

For example, he could mark all the ninjas in the village with the "Tongue-Slaying Seal" and eliminate anyone who could threaten his position.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed softly and said, "I knew the seriousness of this matter, which is why I called you here! The Fourth Hokage absolutely cannot be Shimura Danzo!"

After a moment of contemplation, Minato Namikaze asked, "Lord Hokage, as far as I know, Elder Danzo's reputation among the various clans in the village isn't very good. Can he really garner that much support?"

"Interests!" Hiruzen Sarutobi explained in a deep voice, "There are many conditions for becoming Hokage, and reputation is only one of them!"

"And what does a little bit of reputation matter when it comes to personal gain?"

"To become Hokage, Danzo Shimura would probably sell even his underwear and promise a lot of benefits!"

"Most people are short-sighted; no one can remain unmoved in the face of huge profits!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi is now filled with regret; he had given Danzo Shimura far too much power in the past!

The various secret techniques, forbidden techniques, and technical data collected in the Naruto Collection Room were almost all copied by Danzo Shimura. Moreover, Danzo Shimura's Root was the darkest of the dark, possessing a lot of unknown secret information.

Now all of these can be used by Danzo Shimura to win people's hearts!

More importantly, compared to Shimura Danzo who lived in the shadows, he, who was bathed in the sunlight, could not openly use the same things to win people's hearts!

Because these are all public property, to use them one must demonstrate fairness and impartiality on the surface!

Minato Namikaze seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Then, Hokage-sama, what do you wish me to do?"

A glint flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes as he said, "Besides continuing to do the things I instructed you to do before, you also need to do something else!"

"Take down the Uchiha clan!"

Chapter 149 Changing Tracks!

"Take down the Uchiha clan?"

Minato Namikaze was taken aback, somewhat puzzled.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded but didn't explain directly. Instead, he asked, "Minato, what do you think of Uchiha Jin?"

Minato Namikaze's pupils trembled slightly upon hearing this, his first thought being whether Hiruzen Sarutobi knew something and wanted to test him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed Minato Namikaze's unusual behavior and asked, "Minato, what's wrong? Is something the problem?"

Minato Namikaze lowered his head slightly, composed himself, and then said, "It's nothing, I just feel that Uchiha Jin is a bit... strange!"

"Strange?" Hiruzen Sarutobi became interested and, ignoring Minato Namikaze's earlier odd behavior, asked, "What do you mean?"

Minato Namikaze explained, "Kin Uchiha and I were classmates at the Ninja Academy. Although Kin Uchiha wasn't as arrogant as other Uchiha, he was very withdrawn and rarely interacted with anyone in class, like he was invisible!"

"I've had a few sparring sessions with Uchiha Jin, and I have to say his talent is very strong. Although he's not quite as good as me, he's definitely a true Uchiha genius!"

Minato Namikaze was actually just trying to describe how powerful King Uchiha was, but he inadvertently elevated himself to a higher level as well, much like Versailles.

However, Minato Namikaze was telling the truth. During his time at the Ninja Academy, Minato Namikaze was the number one genius in the academy, and Uchiha Jin never won against him in a single fight.

After a pause, Minato Namikaze continued, "After graduating from the Ninja Academy, I basically lost contact with King Uchiha. Although we lived in the same village, we rarely saw each other."

"Until a few years ago, Uchiha Jin suddenly showed up at a class reunion that he had never attended before!"

Minato Namikaze's eyes showed a hint of reminiscence, and his thoughts returned to that gathering a few years ago.

"At that class reunion, Uchiha Jin's personality seemed to have changed completely. He was very warm and friendly, no longer as arrogant as before!"

"Although it had been a long time since we last met, Uchiha Jin was able to chat with all of his classmates and quickly integrated into the group."

"That day, Uchiha Jin also gave me a few books, and we started to interact more."

Since anyone with a keen eye could find this information, Minato Namikaze did not lie about these matters.

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly asked, "A book? What book did Uchiha Jin give you?"

Given the Uchiha's personality, the gifts they would give would definitely be things like shuriken or kunai that could enhance their fighting ability. Giving a book was really out of place for the Uchiha, so Hiruzen Sarutobi was also a little curious.

Minato Namikaze chuckled and said, "It's not a serious book, it's similar to the books written by Jiraiya-sensei."

"A book written by Jiraiya? Icha Paradise?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes lit up, his interest growing even stronger.

Hiruzen Sarutobi also knew that Jiraiya was writing some adult books. He had watched them a few times. Although it wasn't as exciting as going directly to the Konoha bathhouse to gather material, it had its own unique flavor and could be used to pass the time.

“Not that kind of book,” Minato Namikaze quickly waved his hand and said, “It’s a novel similar to Jiraiya’s first book, ‘The Story of the Resilient Ninja’.”

"Oh, it's that kind of novel!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately lost interest.

He had also read Jiraiya's "The Tale of the Resilient Shinobi". He thought the idea was good but too naive, and the writing was mediocre and the plot was cliché. He only read a little bit and then stopped.

Jiraiya's first book was a complete flop; no bookstore was willing to print and sell it. He simply spent his own money to print a few copies for commemorative purposes and as gifts.

Jiraiya thus changed course and became the author of Liu Bei's novel.

Minato Namikaze secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he had fooled Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The books that Uchiha Jin gave him were indeed novels, but they were quite shocking and even changed his original views. He still regards them as treasures and reads them repeatedly.

Minato Namikaze continued, "Later, as the war intensified, I was constantly on the front lines, while Uchiha Jin was a member of the Konoha Guard and was not allowed to leave the village without a valid reason, so our interactions decreased again."

"If you ask me, Uchiha Jin has changed a lot, but I think this change is good. He truly regards the people in the village as his comrades."

"Although Uchiha Jin's words today were somewhat extreme, it cannot be denied that he was generally right!"

"The laws currently enforced by the Konoha Guard are indeed somewhat outdated and need to be modified based on the village's current situation."

"This would benefit both the village and the Uchiha clan!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned upon hearing this and said, "I understand the reasoning you're making, but have you considered this: the current Konoha Police Department is essentially the Uchiha's Konoha Police Department. How can we guarantee the fairness of the new laws if we ask the Konoha Police Department to amend them at this time?"

Minato Namikaze nodded and said, "I also considered that, which is why I wanted the Uchiha clan to hand over the power of the Konoha Police Department!"

"Only by having the village lead the revision of the new laws can the fairness of these new laws be guaranteed as much as possible!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this and said, "Minato, you really haven't disappointed me! It's all the better that you think this way!"

After a pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "However, you can't say things like that in public anymore, or it will create irreconcilable conflict between you and the Uchiha!"

"What you need most right now is to gain the support of the Uchiha clan!"

Minato Namikaze was taken aback by these words and asked in surprise, "Hokage-sama, has things really come to this?"

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and said, "Because what you said last time touched on their fundamental interests, some clans, led by the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, have developed considerable opinions against you."

"If no one stands up to compete with you, that's fine. In the vote of confidence for Jonin, these clans will at most abstain."

"But now that Shimura Danzo has stepped forward, the situation is different!"

"Shimura Danzo has been trying to win over those clans that have a grudge against you these past few days, and he has already gained a lot of support! Even the Hyuga clan is tempted!"

"Although I said I would talk to the Hyuga clan for you, I can't guarantee that I can definitely handle things with them!"

"So only by dealing with the Uchiha clan can you have a sure chance of becoming the Fourth Hokage!"

Chapter 150 Even among Kage-level characters, there are varying degrees of strength!

After a long silence, Minato Namikaze asked, "Lord Hokage, are the Uchiha and Hyuga clans really that important?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a wry smile and said, "Minato, you're still too young. Never underestimate the foundation of these great clans that have been passed down for thousands of years!"

"During the thousands of years of warfare in the Warring States period, these powerful clans that stood firm had long since developed their own system for training ninjas, and their clans were never short of strong individuals!"

"Take the Uchiha clan for example. Their family bloodline is very special, and they need strong emotional stimulation to awaken the Sharingan."

"Once the Sharingan evolves to the three-tomoe stage, that's genuine Jonin-level combat power! It's even far beyond the combat power of an ordinary Jonin!"

"That's why there's a saying in the ninja world that if you encounter an Uchiha, you have to run away in a one-on-one fight."

"And encountering a fully organized Uchiha clan would be even more troublesome!"

"If you encounter a Chunin-level Uchiha squad and manage to kill one of them, the remaining three Uchiha might be severely stimulated and evolve their Sharingan into three-tomoe Sharingan, instantly becoming Jonin or even stronger ninjas!"

"It is precisely because of this that although the Uchiha clan lost nearly a hundred members in this war, their overall combat strength has increased by several levels!"

"Where can you go to seek justice for something like this!"

After a pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi added earnestly, "Don't be fooled by the Uchiha clan's arrogance in the village; they certainly have the right to be arrogant!"

"Currently, the total number of Jonin-level combatants in the village, including the Anbu, Root, and all the various clans, does not exceed one thousand, while the Uchiha clan alone has nearly one hundred Jonin-level combatants!"

"From this perspective, the importance of the Uchiha clan is self-evident!"

Minato Namikaze was shocked to hear this, as it was the first time he had ever directly witnessed the strength of the Uchiha clan.

He knew the Uchiha clan was strong, but he never imagined they would be this strong!

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "While the overall strength of the Hyuga clan cannot compare to that of the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga clan, like the Uchiha clan, is a major clan in the ninja world with a history spanning thousands of years. Its foundation is not to be underestimated, making it the undisputed second most powerful clan in Konoha!"

"The Hyuga clan has dozens of Jonin, which represents dozens of Jonin votes of confidence!"

"I've roughly calculated that Shimura Danzo currently has over three hundred Jonin trust votes, including those from Root, Orochimaru, and other clans!"

"If we add the support of the Hyuga clan, then Danzo Shimura will have nearly four hundred Jonin votes of confidence!"

"And excluding those neutral abstention votes, I can currently only secure about four hundred Jonin trust votes for you."

"Therefore, the nearly one hundred Jonin trust votes held by the Uchiha clan are particularly crucial!"

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed again.

If he hadn't already 'fallen out' with Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru, then those few hundred votes in Shimura Danzo's hands would have been his votes too!

This also demonstrates his absolute control over the village! Why should he care about the opinions of the Uchiha clan?

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, looked at Minato Namikaze, and continued, "While your impulsiveness last time did offend the Uchiha clan, compared to you, Danzo Shimura's actions towards the Uchiha clan were far more egregious!"

"Therefore, the Uchiha clan would absolutely never side with Shimura Danzo!"

"Between you and Danzo Shimura, the most likely outcome for the Uchiha clan is that they abstain from voting!"

"And your conflict with the Uchiha clan is not insurmountable!"

"Since you also agree with the Uchiha clan's idea of ​​changing the village's existing laws and have the idea of ​​regaining power in the Konoha Police Department, why don't you go and have a good talk with the Uchiha clan!"