Chapter 74

"Why not?"

Rēn sat in his chair, one hand resting on the armrest, chin slightly raised. His eyes, cold as ice, scanned the enraged protestors before him as though they were a group of unruly children throwing tantrums—despite the fact that he was not even half the age of any of them.

"Fifteen hundred people? Even if we count the children who haven't graduated from the Academy, our clan can't muster that many! This is nothing but personal vendetta… unreasonable coercion!" Sarutobi Zaemon protested angrily. Fortunately, he restrained himself just in time and swallowed the words "personal revenge."

Zaemon, just past forty, was the current head of the Sarutobi clan. Five years ago, when Hiruzen Sarutobi once again became Hokage, he had brought his favored eldest son into the ANBU, and the position of clan head was handed to his obedient nephew—Sarutobi Zaemon.

He was a thoroughly a mediocre man.

His selection was not due to any outstanding ability, but because he was obedient. He carried out Hiruzen's commands with dedication, even if not always effectively. As long as Hiruzen remained in power, Zaemon's life was smooth and unchallenged.

But unfortunately—

There are no "what ifs" in this world.

Hiruzen's fall from power dragged Zaemon down with him. Yet this man still lacked awareness of the changing tides.

"I'm starting to question whether you still need your ears. But since I'm in a good mood today, I'll repeat myself. Listen carefully this time: Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, Mitokado, Kazamatsuri, and Ise—you six clans will deliver fifteen hundred personnel. No more than three hundred can be Genin. I expect at least twelve hundred Chūnin."

"But that's still too many!"

Even one-sixth meant 250 people per clan.

That was a gut-wrenching number for any family. Unlike Jōnin, who could generally protect themselves in battle, Chūnin and Genin were often reduced to cannon fodder on the frontlines of a war between villages.

Since Hiruzen became Hokage, aside from the early years when the Sarutobi fought valiantly alongside him, most of the clan had shifted to various bureaucratic posts in the village. Only a few gifted individuals sharpened themselves in battle.

They had gradually advanced through steady missions and administrative work. While they couldn't compare one-on-one with those seasoned by war, they had numbers—and field missions were not completely without danger.

Still, the Sarutobi had not participated in large-scale, high-intensity war for a long time.

Even during the Third Shinobi War, Less than a hundred Sarutobi had fought on the battlefield. In contrast, more than three hundred Uchiha went to war, a third of whom died. Of those who returned, only another third were physically intact.

The remaining third had been crippled, forced to abandon their shinobi lives and return home to contribute to the clan in other ways.

"Besides, our Sarutobi clan specializes in Fire Style. Against the Hidden Mist, we're at a natural disadvantage."

Zaemon racked his brain for excuses. He didn't want to go to war, nor see his clan die on the battlefield. But not only did his excuse fail, it lit a fire in Rēn's heart.

"Specialize in Fire Style?"

A cold, mocking laugh echoed through the meeting room.

Rēn's lips curved into a frosty smirk, but in his eyes burned a fury hotter than magma. "You're the first to boast of your Fire Style in front of the Uchiha. For that, I must admire your courage. But… this excuse won't fly."

"Back then, the Uchiha followed the Third's orders and went to the frontlines against the Mist. And now the Sarutobi want to hide like turtles? This is how your clan shows its love for the village?

No. I absolutely won't allow you to tarnish the Third Hokage's name!"

Rēn's declaration rang with righteous authority.

The room fell silent.

The other clan heads stared, stunned.

Looking at Rēn, wearing that mantle of righteousness, then at Zaemon—dumbstruck and at a loss—they couldn't help but feel they were witnessing a bizarre new world. The man who had personally deposed Hiruzen was now defending his honor.

The irony was enough to make an onlooker burst into laughter.

"Hokage-sama, I beg your pardon for my presumptuous request."

Rēn turned toward Akimichi Torifu and respectfully made his appeal.

"Proceed as Clan Head Uchiha suggests."

Torifu sighed internally but gave no objection. Emotionally and logically, he had no reason to refuse. Removing Hiruzen from the Hokage seat was only the beginning. If he didn't want to be a rubber stamp, he had to reclaim the authority the title once held.

To that end—

He had to purge the Sarutobi, Utatane, Mitokado, Kazamatsuri, and Ise clans that had entrenched themselves across village institutions. But without a valid reason, such a purge would seem unjustifiable.

The Akimichi had long been close allies of the Sarutobi. If Torifu had started his term by going after them, it would've looked terribly ungraceful—something Torifu wanted to avoid.

Rēn's move had handed him a perfect excuse.

A gift too good to refuse!

Moreover, over half the assembled clan heads were already showing signs of approval. With Hiruzen's reign overthrown, it was necessary to suppress his loyal clans to prevent any resurgence.

"Hokage-sama, Clan Head Uchiha—rest assured. The Shimura clan will assemble 250 men as quickly as possible. We will also send five additional Jōnin beyond our previous quota."

The Shimura clan's head was a white-haired elder.

Unlike the mediocre Zaemon, this old man was sharp.

He understood that the political tides in Konoha had shifted. For the Shimura clan, obediently keeping a low profile was the only viable path. That's why he hadn't even attempted a pointless protest. He only hoped that the village would distinguish between his clan and Danzō, who had long been estranged.

Truthfully—

Danzō was a ruthless one.

Unlike the Sarutobi, who grew stronger under Hiruzen's favor, Danzō poured everything into Root, severing ties with his clan long ago. Over the years, the Shimura had gained little from his name and suffered much in return.

In Konoha, few had anything but contempt for Danzō.

Hatred, like love, extends beyond the individual. As the negative reflection of "love the house and its crow," the Shimura's misfortunes were proof of guilt by association.

Still, adversity breeds strength. With a capable leader, the Shimura had not only endured but steadily grown stronger over the years.

"Let's hope the Shimura don't disappoint us."

Rēn spoke plainly and closed his eyes to rest.

The meeting was effectively over. With the general strategy against the Mist confirmed, the remaining details would be handled by the planning group centered around the Nara, who would quickly draw up an effective war plan.

As for protests from the Sarutobi and others—

Who cared?

And if they dared to act irrationally, the rest wouldn't hesitate to jointly crush them. Not every clan could match the Uchiha. They were perhaps the only clan that could cause the entire village to tread cautiously.

The meeting had ended, but Akimichi Torifu remained in the room.

He quietly stared at the seat belonging to the Uchiha clan head. After a long silence, he sighed deeply. No wonder the Sarutobi had always been wary of the Uchiha. With a clan this powerful, and with the potential to control a tailed beast, no Hokage would feel comfortable.

But—

"Good thing I'm only the acting Hokage."

Torifu reached out to touch the new Hokage hat, chuckling at himself.

As acting Hokage, he had no intention of outmaneuvering the Uchiha. As long as Rēn didn't cause trouble, he wouldn't interfere with them either. The Uchiha's issues... were for the true Fifth Hokage to worry about.

He wouldn't overstep his bounds.

"Any news from the search for Jiraiya and Tsunade?" Torifu suddenly asked.

"Nothing so far."

A voice responded from an empty corner of the room.

"Still nothing, huh..."

Torifu murmured to himself, staring at the Hokage hat in front of him as he once again fell into prolonged silence.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can read 40 high quality advanced chapters as well as 2 daily chapters on!

Patreon(.)com/IDKjust