In the Uchiha clan territory of Konoha, within the home of the clan leader Uchiha Setsuna, a spatial gate appeared in the living room. From it, Rokuro stepped out.
Setsuna showed no surprise at all; in fact, he had already prepared tea and snacks, waiting patiently.
Rokuro bowed politely before taking a seat across from Setsuna.
"Rokuro, my young friend, today's battle has shaken the entire ninja world. The glory of the Uchiha shines brighter than ever, even surpassing the days of the Warring States!"
Setsuna's excitement nearly brought tears to his eyes.
Rokuro poured a cup of tea for him, cautious that the old man might overexert his heart in the heat of emotion.
"Clan Leader, my work on the battlefield is done. From here on, it's up to your skill. Compared to the grand prize that is the Land of Lightning, the thirty percent of the hot spring profits from the Land of Hot Water are but a trifle."
Setsuna took a deep breath.
"So, young friend, you've decided to destroy the Hidden Cloud Village?"
"After today's battle, Cloud's top-tier forces are all but annihilated. Coupled with the losses among the Jonin, though there are still a few thousand ninja left in the village, most are Genin or Chunin—not worth worrying about."
"Even the nobles of the Land of Lightning now likely distrust their own village."
This was the reality: while villages and daimyo maintained cooperative relations, competition ran quietly beneath the surface.
Take the Land of Fire, the closest-knit among the Five Great Nations. Even there, the incident of the Twelve Guardian Ninja's rebellion had occurred. While some claimed it arose from dissatisfaction with the Hokage's authoritarian rule, any clear-eyed observer could see it was a power struggle between Hiruzen Sarutobi and the daimyo.
Sarutobi refused to allow the daimyo their own armed forces, while the daimyo wanted an independent army. They tested the waters under the guise of the Guardian Ninja, only to be met with Sarutobi's decisive strike. From that day forward, they submitted.
This was among the most harmonious of the Five Nations. The Land of Wind, by contrast, was a different story: daimyo practically wore "I distrust the Kazekage" on their faces.
"The Land of Lightning provoked the Lightning-Fire War only to alleviate its fiscal deficit. And why the deficit? Because the Hidden Cloud Village expanded its forces recklessly, consuming vast resources."
"On the surface, the Cloud Village claimed the expansion was to better protect the Land of Lightning. But that excuse only fools children. After the Third Great Ninja War, all nations were rebuilding; none had the capacity for foreign invasion. And of the Five Great Nations, Cloud's losses were the smallest—they were the last to need expansion."
"In truth, their expansion was opportunistic. Seeing the other nations drained by the war, they sought to gain advantage at minimal cost."
Setsuna nodded. Having experienced three wars himself, he understood the essence of conflict too well to believe that war naturally breeds hatred, leading to endless cycles of war. That insight, combined with witnessing Rokuro's capabilities, explained why he had fully abandoned Uchiha Fugaku and placed his support in Rokuro's hands.
"You've analyzed this thoroughly. The Land of Lightning's daimyo and the Fourth Raikage have long been at odds beneath the surface. But Cloud has always been strong and united; the daimyo had no forces, so even their political maneuvers couldn't break Cloud's leadership. They were compelled to follow the trend unwillingly."
"Exactly. But all that is past. Now, the Fourth Raikage is dead, both Jinchuriki are gone, and the upper-tier forces decimated. The Land of Lightning's daimyo will not miss this chance. And if they receive a pledge of support from us Uchiha at this moment, Cloud's destruction is inevitable."
Setsuna patted his thigh.
"Indeed, the Land of Lightning's daimyo will seize this opportunity. After all, in the entire ninja world, none possess a stronger backing than our Uchiha. We only need to hint, and they will come running."
Setsuna understood Rokuro's plan: he was ready to accept the Land of Lightning's favor. Yet, one question lingered in his mind.
"Young friend, I've always wanted to ask… do you truly wish to become Hokage?"
Rokuro smiled. He knew this question was not only Setsuna's; many were curious, even puzzled. Why, with his strength, would he serve under anyone else and surrender the Hokage seat?
"First," Rokuro said, "the Uchiha's reputation is poor. Among Konoha's many clans, perhaps only the Hyuga truly consider us allies. To become Hokage, one must maintain strong relationships with the major clans and earn their recognition. On this point, Tsunade, born of the Senju, is undoubtedly more suitable than I."
"Were I to challenge her, I would surely lose—unless I used force. And gaining the Hokage's seat by force would create ongoing resistance from the other clans, making governance exhausting."
Here, Rokuro drew on knowledge from his past life.
"Clan Leader, have you heard of the theory of a century-long dynasty versus a millennial family?"
Setsuna had not, but the seasoned Uchiha grasped the meaning immediately.
"You mean… becoming Hokage could actually harm the clan?"
"Exactly. Look at the reality: without Hiruzen Sarutobi as Hokage, the Sarutobi would not have suffered so. The Senju once rivaled us Uchiha in the Warring States era, sometimes surpassing us. But once their clan head became Hokage, in mere decades, their numbers dwindled."
"Meanwhile, clans like the Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Nara, who never competed for Hokage, thrived."
Setsuna now connected the dots. Without Rokuro as a prodigy, continuing under Uchiha Fugaku would likely have spelled near-extinction. The difference: the Uchiha always sought the Hokage seat!
"Actions speak louder than words—is this some kind of curse?"
Rokuro laughed.
"No curse. It's just the imbalance of power and obligation. Once someone becomes Hokage, they cannot act solely for their clan; they must act for the village. Even personal ambition must yield to the greater good. At times, the clan must sacrifice some interests to maintain stability—that's what it means to consider the big picture."
"The clan head, however, need only act for the clan's benefit. When a clan is powerful, they can seize advantage without restraint."
Rokuro pointed to the map of the ninja world on the wall.
"If the Hokage were an Uchiha, after conquering the Lands of Hot Water and Lightning, they could not hoard everything. But now…"
Setsuna understood: it was a choice between wealth and power. If you want power, you cannot monopolize resources, or internal conflict will erupt. If you want only wealth, there's no issue. After this war, Rokuro's contributions accounted for nearly 90% of the victory; taking rewards is justified.
"Even so, letting go still feels bitter," Setsuna admitted.
Decades of desire made the Hokage's seat hard to relinquish, though not for himself—he cared for the Uchiha. The Senju had produced three Hokage, yet the Uchiha none. It was unfair.
Seeing Setsuna reluctant, Rokuro revealed part of his plan.
"Clan Leader, I understand. Men cannot go without power a day—but can a mere Hokage seat satisfy the Uchiha?"
Setsuna's eyes widened, a mix of shock and fervor.
"You mean…"
Rokuro moved to the map and spread his arms.
"Even if we seek power, it must be absolute. One village's Hokage is meaningless. We aim to be Hokage of the entire ninja world! Only then will the Uchiha claim what is rightfully ours. Isn't that so, Clan Leader?"
Setsuna stood and approached Rokuro.
"Young friend… you truly think this way?"
Rokuro nodded slightly.
"The supreme power is my goal. To achieve it, I must possess not only unmatched strength but also the backing of a powerful family. Clan Leader, our numbers are too few—less than two thousand ninja in total. That's far from enough."
Setsuna nodded in agreement. The scarcity of ninja explained why, in this world, they served as mercenaries. Even the Fourth Great Ninja War mobilized all resources, yet only yielded eighty thousand combatants.
Including reserves and smaller nations, the total ninja population barely exceeded one hundred thousand, against a civilian population of billions. Such disparity forced ninja to rely on civilians—even for basic survival.
"To rule the ninja world," Rokuro continued, "we must first grow our clan. In one generation, double our numbers to over twenty thousand. With one-fifth possessing ninja talent, we can awaken the Sharingan with three tomoe for four thousand elite Jonin. Such a force could command the ninja world!"
Setsuna nodded repeatedly, fully grasping the plan. After all, Jonin are rare; even among the eighty thousand ninja of the Fourth Great Ninja War, four thousand elite Jonin were not guaranteed.
What thrilled Uchiha Setsuna most was that this wasn't a pipe dream—it was actually achievable.
With the Eye-Opening Ninja Tools, there was no concern about the Uchiha's combat strength increasing. The only problem was population size—and the solution was simple: have more children!
"Young friend, I understand now. This time, all we need is money. I suppose that woman Tsunade will even be grateful for it," Setsuna said with a laugh.
Rokuro nodded slightly.
"Of course. Tsunade must be worried that I might seize power. Using money to placate us will make her happy, never suspecting the scope of our grand plan."
In truth, Rokuro had not yet revealed everything. In the future, the Uchiha would not only have four thousand Jonin, but potentially four thousand Kage-level warriors, and in the ideal scenario, even four thousand Super-Kage-level warriors.
With abundant resources, every awakened Uchiha could attain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Even though there were variations in quality and no one could match Uchiha Madara entirely, each would still be a Kage-level powerhouse. Four thousand Kage-level Uchiha sweeping the ninja world? No one could stop them.
Not unless a Six Paths-level warrior appeared. The reason Rokuro had not unleashed them yet was simply that he himself had not yet attained that ultimate power.
When he became a Six Paths-level warrior, he would willingly gift each Uchiha a pair of Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Until then… patience.
Even the Uchiha were not monolithic—some loved you, some hated you. Among the people were also villains. Rokuro had to be cautious.
Once the strategy was unified, Rokuro returned to the Land of Hot Water battlefield using the Dimensional Blade. Meanwhile, Setsuna selected Uchiha clan members who had been conducting commerce independently and prepared them to go to the Land of Hot Water to manage business operations.
Just a day later, news arrived from the Land of Grass battlefield: Onoki's son, Kitsuchi, had been slain in the chaos by Uchiha Izumi, following in his father's footsteps and returning to the afterlife.
Of the three thousand Iwa ninja under Kitsuchi's command, most were killed or injured; the remainder retreated in defeat.
Compared to the Cloud Village, Iwagakure's losses were smaller—after all, the Four tails Jinchuriki, Rōshi, was still alive.
Yet Rōshi had long disagreed with Onoki politically. It remained uncertain whether he would seize the opportunity after Onoki's death to stage a rebellion and take power.
If he did, the future Fourth Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi, might not ascend as expected.
Of course, this was no concern of Rokuro's.
After returning, he continued learning military management from Nara Shikaku. Though ninja armies differed from regular armies, the principles were largely the same: the more skills you have, the better. Knowledge is never wasted.
Within three days, Konoha's northern forces had completed the takeover of the Land of Hot Water. Coincidentally, the previous daimyo died in a accident while fleeing—falling from the vehicle and breaking his neck.
Regardless, the daimyo's death left the Land of Hot Water without a legitimate successor. Its independence lost all meaning, and naturally it was incorporated into the Land of Fire's territory, expanding Konoha's holdings.
Moreover, the Land of Hot Water, unlike the desert nations such as the Land of Wind, was rich in geothermal resources. The Land of Fire's daimyo and several major nobles praised Konoha's northern forces and sent generous rewards.
At this time, the Uchiha representatives sent by Setsuna arrived, beginning negotiations with the nobles to divide the Land of Hot Water's wealth.
Specialists handled the business. Rokuro did not intervene; instead, he brought Mabui from her cell for a private conversation.
"Miss Mabui, though we have never met, we've had quite a connection from the munitions factory to the supply ship, and even the recent assassination plot. You could say our acquaintance is long-standing, in a sense," Rokuro said.
Mabui had been imprisoned for three days, surviving only on a biscuit and a cup of water daily. She looked haggard, yet her natural beauty remained, her delicate features standing out against her dark skin.
"You either kill me or release me. I will never help you!"
"Ha! Truly befitting a Jonin secretary of the Fourth Raikage! You guessed my intentions immediately," Rokuro said, placing a bowl of Chicken over rice before her—made from his own leftovers.
After three days of just biscuits, Mabui could not resist. In three seconds she grabbed the bowl and began eating, taking comfort in what she likely assumed was her "last meal."
She even teased Rokuro while eating, seemingly intent on provoking him.
"You may be strong, but that's thanks to the Uchiha bloodline. Strip that away, and you're just an eleven-year-old child, far inferior to the Fourth Raikage!"
Rokuro sighed.
"I heard that in the Cloud Village, the Kage is not hereditary. So the Fourth Raikage ascended through his own abilities and political skill?"
"Of course. His rise was based not on status, but on talent and strategy!"
Mabui finished her meal, then drank deeply from a nearby cup of water.
"By that logic, the Fourth Raikage is remarkable. But alas, this world favors bloodlines. No matter the talent, those without the right lineage will eventually lose. You, too, clever and adept at seizing opportunities, still fell—and dragged the entire Cloud Village toward ruin."
Her face darkened. She stood abruptly.
"You intend to destroy our Cloud Village?"
Rokuro rose as well, stepping in front of her. At eleven, thanks to his lightning chakra training, his height now matched hers.
He reached out and smoothed her silver-white hair. Mabui was unmoved, coldly glaring at him.
"You intend to start a full-scale war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning? Let me remind you: if you do, the entire ninja world will unite against you. No daimyo would allow such a thing; they would act to protect themselves. Even the Uchiha's strength won't be enough!"
Rokuro smiled slightly.
"Truly a high-IQ Jonin. Even in a disadvantageous position, you can still see the solution. But in the face of absolute power, intelligence often has little room to operate. I won't destroy Cloud Village with force, nor invade the Land of Lightning. I only need to cooperate with the nobles there to conduct business and earn profits."
He produced a map, pointing to the Lands of Lightning, Moon, Grass, and Earth.
"After this campaign, these nations have witnessed the Uchiha's might. They will show respect. Mabui, your intellect is sharp. Analyze this: if merchants do business under the Uchiha banner across these countries, can we make great profits?"
Mabui thought for just three seconds, understanding Rokuro's plan immediately. The realization turned her pale—almost transforming her from a dark beauty into a ghostly white.
"You… you intend to undermine Cloud Village at its root!?"
Rokuro smiled and gestured for her to sit.
Mabui felt drained, as if all her energy had been sucked away.
"Ninjas… politely, they're the protectors of a nation. Rudely, they're just watchdogs. But when a watchdog grows too strong, its owner must feed it regularly, meeting its every demand. Cloud Village overstepped, expanding its forces to the point of fiscal deficit—and never knew restraint."
"Now, you are defeated—a watchdog that cannot guard. Would the owner waste resources on it? Once a better option arises, what will the nobles of the Land of Lightning do?"
Mabui clenched her fists, teeth gritting.
"Don't glare at me like that. Didn't you just say that if Konoha wages war, the ninja world will unite? But if the Land of Lightning's nobles abandon you and cooperate with us, that problem disappears, right?"
"The daimyo will not agree. They understand the consequences!"
Mabui used all her strength to resist, prompting Rokuro to laugh louder.
"The daimyo? Do you think he can maintain his position when all the great nobles oppose him?"
Mabui was speechless. Rokuro pressed on.
"Two outcomes: either he is overthrown and replaced by someone obedient, or he allies with Cloud Village for a final stand. But Cloud Village is crippled—not even a Five Great Village anymore. Resistance will be futile. If they oppose the Uchiha, we will act honorably to eliminate threats for the Land of Lightning's allies."
Mabui broke into a cold sweat, her back drenched.
Rokuro approached her, lightly patting her shoulder.
"Coordinating with the Land of Lightning's nobles is tricky. The Uchiha are unfamiliar with them. The best intermediary is someone who knows both sides. Mabui, you're perfect. Will you set aside prejudice and do something that benefits the Land of Lightning's development?"
Rest, one day…
END OF CHAPTER
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