Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

Chapter 325 - Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou [325]

Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade had completely abandoned her usual lazy and indifferent demeanor. Taking swift and decisive action, she cut through the chaos in all departments, leaving no room for anyone to react.

By the time people realized what had happened, they were shocked to find that the personnel in various departments had already been replaced. Those who had previously held positions were either sent off on missions or reassigned elsewhere.

Some were promoted openly while being demoted in secret—Tsunade's methods were undeniably masterful. _{𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒}

"Shizune, starting today, focus on the Ninja Academy. Here is the new learning material. Make sure every single ninja student understands it clearly."

"As Konoha's ninjas, in less than a century, the entire village has forgotten how Konoha was established. They see the faces on the Hokage Rock every day, yet they only know the Third Hokage and not the First or Second! Ridiculous!"

Tsunade slammed her hand on the desk with authority, her voice echoing through the room. The gathered jonin lowered their heads in silence, not daring to speak.

Her words were aimed at them too.

The truth was, even the legendary stories of the First and Second Hokage were not well-known among them. Even Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly. Despite his vast knowledge, he only had a general understanding of those stories.

Tsunade-sama was serious this time. She had even prepared such a comprehensive plan.

Kakashi, with his sharp eyes, noticed that the thick stack of documents bore the symbol of a swastika (卐)—a mark representing fire.

"The Will of Fire!"

Kakashi was inwardly shocked. This symbol was a sacred emblem representing fire in religious contexts. The idea that Tsunade-sama was acting on a mere whim? No one would believe it.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama. I understand."

Shizune nodded repeatedly. Although she didn't fully understand what was happening, she had never doubted Tsunade-sama's orders. This time, however, she felt a small surge of excitement in her heart.

After all, Tsunade-sama was Hokage. Being constantly manipulated by a few old relics was indeed frustrating.

"And one more thing. Starting today, I've ordered Konoha to print this book in full. Every ninja in Konoha must have a personal copy."

At this moment, Tsunade's cold gaze swept across the room. She no longer displayed her usual laid-back attitude, looking instead as if she had been reborn.

"Yes, ma'am!"

As one decree after another was issued, there wasn't much turmoil in Konoha. After all, these were just high-level personnel adjustments.

But for the major clans—especially the old clans that had been draining Konoha's resources—it was nothing short of an earthquake.

"Hokage-sama, isn't this a bit too rushed?"

After seeing Tsunade's actions, Kakashi hesitated for a moment but couldn't stop himself from voicing his concern. The Akatsuki organization outside the village had already revealed itself as a terrifying threat.

Internal instability could be disastrous!

Kakashi wasn't like the average ninja still basking in Konoha's glory. His political instincts had long made him aware that the military strength of both the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone villages had already surpassed Konoha's.

Instability within the village could easily open the door for enemies to exploit.

Kakashi's concerns weren't wrong, but this time, Tsunade simply raised an eyebrow. Facing Kakashi, she replied calmly:

"Kakashi, state the first rule of the Ninja Code now."

"Yes!" Upon hearing this, Kakashi's expression instantly turned serious. He then shouted solemnly:

"The first rule of the Ninja Code: A ninja must unconditionally prioritize completing their mission and obeying the Hokage's orders!"

"Good!"

Under everyone's gaze, Tsunade smiled and clapped her hands. She declared:

"In that case, ninjas only need to follow orders. By my command as the Fifth Hokage, anyone who questions me is acting with impure motives and going against the Will of Fire!"

Tsunade's unflinching tone, coupled with the weight of her words, made it clear to everyone that she was deadly serious this time.

Konoha was about to undergo a seismic shift.

...

Meanwhile, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu stormed out of the Hokage's office in a fury. They immediately began contacting the clan heads of Konoha's major families.

"Outrageous! Tsunade is being outrageous! She's determined to ruin Konoha!"

"What does she mean by saying Konoha was founded by the Senju? Without our years of contributions, would Konoha even exist today? What is she trying to do? Has she been bewitched by some rogue man? This is treason!"

Utatane Koharu fumed with anger. In all her years, she had never been so humiliated—especially so publicly. It felt as though Tsunade had thrown her face onto the ground and stomped on it.

"When Hiruzen was around, he always treated us with respect. What is this now?"

Koharu ranted furiously while Homura, standing beside her, nodded grimly.

"Tsunade's actions this time were far too sudden. She gave us no chance to react. Now, aside from Danzo's Root division, the only department we still control is the Intelligence Division."

"The Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans all have people in the Intelligence Division. Do you think this sudden change in Tsunade's behavior could be because of the Hyuga clan?"

The boldness of Tsunade's actions, combined with her sudden shift in demeanor, led them to suspect that the previously neutral Hyuga clan had sided with her.

"It must be! Where else would Tsunade get the confidence?"

Upon hearing this speculation, Utatane Koharu's expression suddenly became one of realization.

"It makes sense. Among Konoha's major clans, how many would risk everything to support Tsunade's power grab? Only the Hyuga would! We hit them hard years ago, and now, after spending so many years in hiding, they've suddenly stabbed us in the back. Truly insidious!"

In their view, the Hyuga clan was the only one in Konoha capable of pulling this off.

"Elder, Hyuga Hiashi has gone to the Hokage's office with his eldest daughter, Hinata."

At that moment, a ninja from their clan reported back with information. Both Koharu and Homura's faces darkened.

"So it's true! We should've listened to Danzo back then. These old clans are nothing but ungrateful snakes!"

Koharu was livid. The fact that Hyuga Hiashi had personally gone to the Hokage's office with Hinata was a blatant signal to the entire village. This was Tsunade showing off her newfound power!

Back in the day, Konoha's three great clans consisted of the Senju, the rebellious Uchiha, and the rigid Hyuga. The Senju had long since declined, leaving only the Uchiha and Hyuga.

During the Uchiha massacre, Danzo had mentioned the issue of the Hyuga clan, but they had ignored it.

"We underestimated them. The Hyuga clan is even more devious than the Uchiha! They've been lying in wait all these years. Even using the Hidden Cloud's hand to suppress them wasn't enough!"

Homura and Koharu quickly reached a consensus: they couldn't afford to delay any longer. They had to fight back. Otherwise, Tsunade might truly take over Konoha.

"No wonder Danzo went to the Land of Fire's Daimyo recently. This was a diversion to lure him away so she could seize power!"

"Hurry! Notify Danzo and get him back here immediately!"

"It's too late!" Homura, being calmer, shook his head. It was clear that there wasn't enough time.

By the time Danzo returned, the situation would already be beyond repair.

"Contact Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, and Akimichi Choza. Over the years, these three clans have benefited greatly under Hiruzen's leadership. If they don't pick a side now, they won't have an easy time in the future."

"Exactly!" Koharu nodded quickly, regaining her composure.

"As long as we have the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Tsunade won't be able to take over the Intelligence Division. Inform the Sarutobi clan as well. As long as the four great clans remain united, Tsunade won't be able to overturn Konoha!"

Looking at the cards they still held, Koharu couldn't help but smirk.

The Hyuga clan might have made a bold move, but did they truly think it was as easy as in the past? With the Sarutobi clan's strength alone, they could withstand the Hyuga clan's assault.

...

The sunny village of Konoha continued as usual, with ninjas carrying out their missions, seemingly unaware of the subtle changes happening within the village.

However, a few upper-level officials had been replaced with new faces, and the ninja academy had suddenly introduced a batch of new teaching materials. These materials meticulously documented Konoha's development history and the deeds of the past Hokage.

At the same time, a book titled "My Struggle" had become surprisingly popular in the village, with many people engrossed in reading it.

Yet, some of the more perceptive Jonin had already noticed that something was amiss. The higher-ups had started taking action.

...

The Hyūga Clan

"F-Father..."

During the Shippūden series, Hinata Hyūga, with her long hair flowing down to her waist, still wore old-fashioned, conservative clothing that concealed her curvaceous figure. She stood there, hesitant and lacking confidence, stammering as she spoke.

Inside the room, Hiashi Hyūga's expression was heavy. Under the watchful eyes of two clan elders, Hinata lowered her head even further.

Seeing this, Hiashi couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness. He could never understand why his daughter, born into such a powerful lineage, lacked confidence to this extent.

"Hinata, Lady Tsunade has accepted you as her disciple. From now on, you must uphold the honor of the Hyūga clan."

"Yes, Father," Hinata replied softly, her head still bowed. Her tone was so weak it made her seem like a delicate, fragile girl.

Hiashi sighed inwardly. He had once been determined to change his daughter, but now that she was older, he had resigned himself to the situation.

After Hinata left, the two elders in the room exchanged serious looks.

"Hiashi, by accepting this arrangement, you've placed the clan in a precarious position," one of the elders said, his tone full of disapproval. Hiashi, however, could only sigh helplessly.

"We've all fallen into Lady Tsunade's trap," Hiashi said. Seeing the confusion in the elders' eyes, he began to explain the situation step by step.

Before they were even aware of the changes happening in Konoha, Tsunade had already proposed taking Hinata as her disciple. Naturally, Hiashi had been thrilled at the time. With Hinata becoming the Hokage's disciple, even if she didn't match up to her younger sister, Hanabi, she would be free from the fate of the Caged Bird Seal. After all, as the Hokage's apprentice, no one in the clan would dare impose such a fate on her.

This plan would also allow Hanabi to inherit the leadership of the main family—a perfect arrangement in Hiashi's eyes. But when he returned, he found that the Hyūga clan, despite having done nothing, was suddenly perceived by the other clans as having already aligned itself with Tsunade.

"So, you're saying that the Fifth Hokage had a calculated plan to seize power from the very beginning?" one elder on Hiashi's left frowned as he analyzed the situation. Meanwhile, the elder on the right seemed intrigued.

"This might be an opportunity for us. The Hyūga clan has been suppressed for so many years. Look at the various departments—where is there a place for the Hyūga clan?

Even though we're known for the Byakugan, in Konoha, we're like blind men! Changes as significant as this are happening in the village, and even the Inuzuka clan, who spend their time playing with dogs, knew about it before us. Yet we Hyūga were the last to find out!"

The elder's frustration was palpable. The Hyūga clan had been oppressed for far too long, especially after the Third Hokage had used the incident with the Cloud Village to force them into submission. Over the years, they had been excluded from important positions. Despite their Byakugan's reputation as one of three Great Dōjutsu, its visibility made it nearly impossible for them to gather intel discreetly.

The irony was bitter: the clan with the famed Byakugan was essentially blind within Konoha.

"Hiashi, this might be the Hyūga clan's last chance!"

"We must not act rashly. Remember the fate of the Senju and the Uchiha!" the other elder cautioned.

"With Lady Tsunade's status, do you think anyone would dare stage a coup? Besides, the Hyūga clan has maintained an alliance with the Senju since Konoha's founding. This is merely a continuation of that alliance. Who could criticize us for it?"

"Opportunities like this don't come often!"

The two elders argued back and forth, while Hiashi furrowed his brow in deep thought.

"It's not a matter of whether we take action or not," Hiashi finally said. "The other clans already believe we've aligned ourselves with Lady Tsunade. If we try to remain neutral now, we'll offend her—and the cost would outweigh the benefits.

The Hyūga clan can no longer stay out of this. Besides, Hinata and that Nine-Tails boy... perhaps they are our best insurance."

"The Nine-Tails boy? He's nothing but an impulsive fool. If it weren't for the Nine-Tails and Jiraiya's protection, his status as the Fourth Hokage's son would mean nothing. Even if he were the son of the First Hokage, he wouldn't be worthy!"

"Unless Uzumaki Naruto gains the strength of the First Hokage," the elder continued, "once external pressures subside, Jiraiya won't be able to protect him forever. At that point, his identity as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki will only serve as a shackle."

The debate between the two elders left Hiashi deep in thought. He recalled a subtle hint in Tsunade's words that suggested Hinata might be involved in a political marriage. Although he didn't know the details, he had a faint suspicion about the arrangement.

It was likely tied to the Senju clan under the Fire Daimyō's authority.

"To stay away from the center of conflict... perhaps that would be true happiness for Hinata," Hiashi thought. Considering his eldest daughter's timid personality, the usually stern clan leader sighed deeply. Both of his daughters had caused him endless worry.

"This matter is settled," Hiashi declared. "The Hyūga clan has always stood by the Hokage. Prepare a list of fifty elite Hyūga members and submit it for the Hokage's direct command."

The two elders exchanged a glance, then reluctantly nodded.

"Understood."

...

Meanwhile, other clans in Konoha were trying to distance themselves from the brewing turmoil. The Aburame clan had long been marginalized, and their strength wasn't significant enough to matter.

"Let them do whatever they want."

But the Ino-Shika-Chō trio—comprising the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara clans—were in a more difficult position. Having enjoyed years of privilege, they now found themselves in a bind. They had feasted on the benefits for so long, but now that it was time to pick a side.