Chapter 80: What is the Most Important Thing for a Clan Leader? (Part 1)

In recent days, the Uchiha clan was immersed in a joyful atmosphere, with every clan member's face beaming with cheerful smiles.

The reason was simple: an official statement about Hanma had been released from the Hokage office:

[Uchiha Hanma, a distinguished Konoha ninja who embodies the Will of Fire. To date, he has completed 277 S-rank missions, 137 A-rank missions, and two B-rank missions for Konoha. During the war, he actively repelled Shukaku's invasion, led the hunter unit to slay a thousand enemy ninjas, and made indelible contributions to the victory of the war. He is a hero who bled and sweated for Konoha.

Recently, concerning unfavorable rumors about Jonin Hanma, the Anbu have investigated and confirmed them to be unfounded, spread by spies from enemy villages to sow discord in Konoha. Those spies have been captured. We urge all villagers to stay vigilant, not to be misled by enemy village propaganda, and to ensure that our heroes are not disheartened.]

With the Third Hokage's personal statement, the rumors about Hanma were completely dispelled, and he was crowned with the title of "hero."

However, this announcement also cleverly extricated the Third Hokage from the controversy.

[Since Jonin Hanma was slandered, of course, the Third Hokage was too!]

This was the thought of most ordinary villagers and lower-ranked ninjas, who had been the primary spreaders of the rumors.

But the Uchiha were not so concerned with such matters; they were thrilled.

Why?

Because they had never experienced such a victory in public opinion! From the Warring States period to the present, the Uchihas' reputation had always been terrible.

Back in the day, even Uchiha Madara would scare little girls to tears just by walking down the street, and the Uchihas had since become synonymous with frightening children.

And after taking on the role of the police force, their reputation, already not great, worsened due to their personality and the unflattering role they played.

But with Hanma's actions, the Uchiha's reputation had turned around significantly.

As they say, a good man making one mistake reveals his true nature, while a bad man doing one good deed is seen as putting down his knife. This principle was vividly demonstrated in Konoha; villagers were no longer afraid of the Uchiha police force, and some even started to greet them warmly.

However, unlike most Uchihas, life had not been as easy for Setsuna lately. He felt that the clan members' gazes toward him were becoming increasingly strange, with some even shaking their heads lightly upon seeing him.

If eyes could speak, the clan members would probably convey three types of messages to Setsuna.

The radical faction, like Fugaku: "I hope to see Brother Hanma in charge within three days, old man. Do you understand?!"

The moderate faction, like Yashiro: "Chief Setsuna, you've been in charge for a long time. Maybe it's time for you to take a break."

The kids, like Obito: "In my heart, Brother Hanma is the only sun. Who is Uchiha Setsuna?"

While Setsuna was secretly thrilled that the Uchiha finally had a figure comparable to Tobirama, he also felt a tinge of sadness. He had thought that with the Mangekyō Sharingan unlocked, he would one day amaze everyone, fulfill the old clan head Madara's will, and become the Uchiha's savior. 

But seeing the clan members holding the Hokage's announcement, discussing Hanma's great achievements loudly, Setsuna couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened.

Ultimately, Hanma wasn't like Clan Head Madara but rather adopted Senju Tobirama's cunning tactics and won people over so thoroughly?

Even though Setsuna had long decided to pass the clan leader position to Hanma, seeing the clan's lack of nostalgia for him was somewhat depressing.

[Evil Senju Tobirama,] Setsuna cursed in his heart for no reason.

Konoha, Forest of Death Arena.

The Forest of Death Arena, the newest and largest arena opened by Konoha, was where Hanma planned to apply to use through the Third Hokage for rental purposes. Surprisingly, the Third Hokage decided to grant Hanma free access under the guise of testing the arena's quality.

This was the venue where Naruto's Chunin Exam was held in the original timeline, capable of holding tens of thousands of spectators. Its primary function was to conduct Jonin and Chunin promotion tests.

Now, Konoha was entering what could be called the "Hanma Era" with the introduction of a new rank examination system. To prevent another proxy warrior incident, the Third Hokage decided that future ninja ranks would be determined by public capability tests, ensuring that all Konoha ninjas had fundamental combat skills.

In just two or three years, after a war, Hanma, who had been a regular Jonin rewarded by Setsuna, was about to become the beloved Uchiha Clan Leader.

Setsuna had already sought out Hanma a few days earlier, earnestly asking him to take over as clan leader soon.

Unsurprisingly, Hanma had no reason to refuse, but he intended to host an exceptional inauguration ceremony in his own way.

While Hanma had superficially won the hearts of the Uchihas, he understood that most Uchihas revered only power; strategies were merely icing on the cake.

If the clan leader did not display enough authority and strength, the Uchiha clan would fall apart, and some might even defect to the Will of Fire.

To prevent this, Hanma planned to make the clan members experience love and care through his strength at the onset of his tenure, thus establishing his absolute leadership within the clan.

Unlike previous Uchiha clan meetings, where only those with Sharingan could participate, at Hanma's ceremony, as long as you bore the Uchiha name, you could attend.

The old clan leader Setsuna, elite Uchihas like Fugaku, newly minted ninjas, children like Obito and Konan, and even the pancake-selling Uchiha Tesho, all the clan members gathered.

Hanma faced the clan members and addressed them warmly:

"Thank you all for being here today for an internal clan exchange meeting. Since Clan Head Setsuna appointed me as the clan's Taijutsu instructor, the war has delayed our combat exchanges, and I haven't fulfilled my duties. Today, I hope those clan members with strength can step forward and showcase their abilities to all Uchihas, so that I, the future clan leader, can better understand everyone."

As soon as he finished speaking, the clan members began to discuss excitedly; this was a first for the Uchihas.

Below, Obito tugged on Konan's sleeve, pretending to be profound and asked:

"Sister Konan, I've been practicing the Great Fireball Technique you taught me recently; I'm doing quite well now. Should I go up and show Brother Hanma?"

Konan patted Obito's head, signaling him to stay put, and replied with a smile:

"No rush, Obito. When you reach Brother Hanma's age, you'll be just as formidable. By then, it will be up to you to protect the Uchiha clan!"

Obito grinned, took out snacks from his pocket, and shared them with Konan.

The maturity and warmth Konan displayed after the war deeply attracted Obito, and given their four or five-year age difference, Obito naturally felt drawn to someone who could care for him like a sister.

A dozen Uchiha with Three Tomoe Sharingan gradually stood in the arena, their eyes radiating a fierce fighting spirit. This setting, where they could showcase their power to the whole clan, held a particular allure for their Uchiha nature.

However, they seemed to have misunderstood Hanma's intentions.

Hanma did not plan to have them fight each other while he stood on the sidelines commenting.

Instead, Hanma intended to fight them all himself, allowing them to feel his profound care and love.