CHAPTER 37

Hokage's Office – Konoha

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood before the round table in the Hokage's office, his fingers drumming restlessly on the surface. Surrounding him were his long-time advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. The three of them had pored over every intelligence report, but nothing yielded a solution.

"The Mangekyō Sharingan..." Hiruzen muttered grimly, "...this power has completely disrupted the balance within the village."

Just then, the door swung open, and Shimura Danzo strode in with his usual severity.

"Sarutobi," Danzo said coldly, "the Uchiha are growing far too bold."

His eye narrowed. "We must act now. Eliminate them before it's too late."

"You think I don't know that?" Hiruzen shot back. "But Uchiha Byakuya has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. That's not something ordinary shinobi can suppress."

Danzo smirked faintly. "Who said we lack a countermeasure?"

He stepped forward, lowering his voice. "We still have the preserved remains of Senju Hashirama. Grant me access to the First Hokage's body, and I will extract the secrets of Wood Release. That power can suppress the Uchiha."

Hiruzen's eyes widened. "You want to experiment on the First Hokage's body? Are you mad?"

Danzo's expression remained calm. "Hashirama's Wood Release was the only thing capable of restraining Madara Uchiha. If Byakuya becomes anything close to Madara... we'll have no choice."

Koharu and Homura exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

"Sarutobi, Danzo is right," said Koharu. "We've lost too much to the Uchiha already. If we don't act now, the village may fall under their control."

"We need a force capable of countering the Mangekyō," added Homura. "The Wood Release may be our only option."

Hiruzen hesitated. He hated the idea of defiling the First Hokage's body, but the threat Byakuya posed was becoming more than political—it was existential.

"Very well," Hiruzen said at last, his voice heavy with resignation. "But you must treat the First Hokage's remains with the utmost respect."

Danzo's lips curled faintly. "Of course. Everything I do is for the sake of Konoha... and the Will of Fire."

As Danzo departed, already consumed with his own ambitions, Hiruzen stood and walked to the window.

Down below, the Uchiha police force was patrolling the village in tight formation. Their presence had become overwhelming—even symbolic.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of Uchiha Byakuya giving orders to a squad.

"Damn Uchiha... Damn Byakuya..." Hiruzen muttered under his breath.

[Ding! Sarutobi Hiruzen's anger detected: +1000 Negative Energy. Ninjutsu unlocked – Lightning Release: Thunderbolt]

[Ding! Utatane Koharu's anger detected: +1200 Negative Energy. Ninjutsu unlocked – Earth Release: Earth and Rock Spear]

[Ding! Mitokado Homura's anger detected: +1400 Negative Energy. Ninjutsu unlocked – Water Release: Flood Surge]

[Ding! Shimura Danzo's anger detected: +2000 Negative Energy. All Ninjutsu Proficiency +60]

[...]

Byakuya, watching from the shadows, smirked.

Good... Let your hatred fester. The more you burn, the stronger I become...

"Lord Byakuya, we have successfully taken control of all Senju clan-managed properties within the village."

"With this, nearly one-third of Konoha's civilian and shinobi infrastructure is now under the administration of the Uchiha clan."

"Also—this was recovered from various accounts that had been embezzled or left idle—approximately 50 million ryo."

Uchiha En bowed respectfully and handed over a tightly-sealed storage scroll to Byakuya.

"Excellent."

Byakuya smirked slightly, his Mangekyō Sharingan dimly glowing before fading.

Though the shinobi world revered strength above all, wealth was no less critical.

Without funds, there would be no kunai, no chakra paper, no medical supplies, and no training facilities.

And now, with these assets under Uchiha control, the clan finally had the economic foundation to match its military prowess.

"What of the Senju clan? Their relocation?" Byakuya asked coldly.

"Handled, my lord," En replied.

"Since they chose to seek protection from us, we've housed them in the central compound—under surveillance but not mistreated. All resistance has ceased."

Though the Senju and Uchiha were bitter rivals in the Warring States era, the Senju's modern remnants were diminished—few in number and lacking leadership since Tsunade had all but withdrawn from clan affairs.

Their surrender, formalized by transferring clan property in exchange for protection, was seen by many as a historical irony.

To the Uchiha, it was a quiet but total victory. They had no need to humiliate the defeated. That was not the Uchiha way—not now.

"Good. But stay vigilant."

"Sarutobi Hiruzen will not tolerate this shift in power. The security team must be prepared. If he makes a move..."

Byakuya's words trailed off, but the implication was clear.

"Understood. Anyone who dares obstruct the Uchiha's rise will pay dearly," En said with conviction before vanishing into the shadows.

Not long after, a burst of chakra flared from the far side of the compound.

Tsunade Senju stormed through the courtyard, eyes blazing.

"Byakuya! You damned Uchiha!"

She approached furiously, fists clenched and chakra visibly surging around her.

She had spent the day training young medical-nin in the Uchiha-funded hospital, only to overhear whispers:

"The Senju clan's land deed was processed this morning."

"Uchiha took over everything—officially. Even the training ground behind the old Senju estate."

"What the hell is going on!?" she shouted.

"Who gave you the right to take over Senju property!? I'm still the head of the clan!"

Though Tsunade rarely involved herself in political matters, she was still a Senju. The name alone carried weight.

And the idea that the Uchiha had swept in and claimed everything while she was distracted felt like betrayal—even if it had come from her own kin.

Her rage was real. And she wasn't leaving without an answer.

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