In front of Konoha’s main gate, where the morning mist had yet to disperse.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing the Hokage robes and Hokage hat, stood at the very front with a solemn expression.
Behind him on both sides were the three high-level advisors: Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado.
The clan heads of the Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, Inuzuka, and other ninja clans waited further back.
They stood on the street in front of the main gate, while the sides of the street presented a scene of a sea of people.
Even with the Konoha Military Police Force maintaining order, it still couldn’t stop the villagers from constantly gathering here.
People stood shoulder to shoulder, and a cacophony of voices boiled over.
“Lord Clan Head.”
A Uchiha clansman named Yashiro Uchiha flickered behind Fugaku Uchiha.
Seeing Fugaku’s slightly lagged standing position among the ninja clan heads, he frowned first, then lowered his head and said calmly: “Everything has been arranged.”
Yashiro Uchiha wore a black close-fitting inner shirt, with a green sleeveless Jonin chainmail vest on the outside, and the symbol of the Konoha Military Police Force embroidered on his shoulders.
Fugaku Uchiha, however, wore a dark blue long shirt with the Uchiha clan’s fan crest on his back, indicating that he was here today in the capacity of the Uchiha Clan Head, not the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force.
“Hmm, make sure to maintain order at the scene.
There must be absolutely no mistakes, otherwise, it will be the face of the entire clan that is lost.”
Fugaku Uchiha’s features were cold and strict.
He turned slightly, gave a few instructions, and then turned his head back.
He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi standing at the very front of the line, his eyes flickering as he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
“After Konoha and Hidden Cloud conclude the alliance treaty, the Third’s prestige in the village will definitely reach new heights.
I wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing.”
The Konoha Military Police Force was established by Tobirama Senju, and its members were mainly people from the Uchiha clan.
The main job of the Military Police Force was to maintain internal security and stability in Konoha, responsible for formulating village regulations and strengthening and maintaining the village’s order and security.
They arrested people with criminal tendencies and ninjas, but this did not include the Anbu directly under the Hokage.
Tobirama Senju’s original intention in letting the Uchiha control the Military Police Force was actually good.
Although he indeed felt that the Uchiha clan, possessing the Sharingan, was an unstable factor, he had always tried to integrate and guide the Uchiha clan’s power during his lifetime.
However, with the ascension of Hiruzen Sarutobi as the Third Hokage, some of the functions of the Anbu, which was essentially a “secret service organization,” were replaced by “Root.”
Thus, they began to interfere with some security affairs within the village, causing conflicts with the Military Police Force in terms of functions.
One could only say that Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura were indeed old friends of many years; they coincidentally promoted their own directly subordinate “personal guard units.”
One must know that the full name of the Anbu is the “Special Assassination and Tactical Squad,” responsible only for scouting enemy intelligence, assassinations, protecting the Hokage, and preventing foreign enemy invasions.
It just so happened that most members of the Uchiha clan had upright and inflexible personalities.
Compared to the flexible Anbu, the penalized Konoha villagers generally disliked the processing results of the Uchiha clansmen.
Therefore, conflicts and disputes over law enforcement issues often occurred between the Anbu and the Military Police Force.
And Hiruzen Sarutobi’s tough yet flexible attitude when handling the conflicts between the two sides led to the Uchiha clan’s dissatisfaction with this Third Hokage growing deeper and deeper.
Even the steady Yashiro Uchiha was influenced by the atmosphere within the clan…
Just thinking of these matters gave Fugaku Uchiha a headache, and he even missed the time when Minato served as the Fourth Hokage.
Not only because he and his wife were friends with the Fourth and his wife, but also because the Uchiha clan genuinely admired that Hokage of commoner origin.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had originally stepped down.
Coming back into power after the Fourth’s death and showing absolutely no inclination to find a successor was truly a bit unsightly.
“It’s better to wait until after the treaty is concluded, while the Third is in a good mood, to go offer some suggestions,” Fugaku Uchiha thought to himself, looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi in front of him.
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed in a very good mood.
Listening to the excited and thrilling discussions and flattery of the villagers behind him was deeply comforting to the old man, completely ignoring Danzo who was pulling a long face beside him.
However, noticing out of the corner of his eye the vacant position behind him, he subconsciously frowned.
“Has Hiashi Hyuga not arrived yet?” Hiruzen Sarutobi asked without turning his head.
Shikaku Nara, standing behind him, smiled bitterly in his heart, and could only feign ignorance, stepping forward and saying softly: “Someone was sent to urge him half an hour ago, but…”
Before he could put in a good word for the Hyuga clan, an Anbu ninja flickered to Hiruzen Sarutobi’s side and whispered a report.
Shikaku Nara only vaguely heard the words “today is the third birthday of the Hyuga main branch’s eldest daughter,” and sighed deeply in his heart.
The Hyuga clan’s behavior this time was a bit foolish.
Perhaps when it comes to playing it safe and protecting oneself, the Hyuga clan is more skilled than the Uchiha clan, but neither clan actually possesses much political wisdom, and today’s matter proved it.
And Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes were also flickering slightly, a look of displeasure fleeting across his cloudy eyes.
As a father and clan head, Hiashi Hyuga could choose not to come, but if the Hyuga clan really cared about this matter, they could have sent a weighty main branch elder over.
This performance now simply showed they didn’t care.
In their eyes, the third birthday of the main branch’s eldest daughter represented the future of the Hyuga clan, and its importance far exceeded “trivial matters” like Hidden Cloud and Konoha concluding a treaty.
And what Hiruzen Sarutobi abhorred the most was these ninja clans placing their own interests above the village’s interests.
The Uchiha clan was like this, and the Hyuga clan was the same.
“The Hyuga clan has important matters and cannot attend.” Despite already feeling immense displeasure in his heart, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s tone remained calm.
“Fill the position and prepare to receive the envoy delegation from the Hidden Cloud Village.”
Hearing this, many people present were shocked.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado frowned.
Danzo, whether intentionally or unintentionally, let out a subtle scoff from the corner of his mouth, which also darkened Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face.
But Danzo indeed had merits this time.
It wouldn’t be good to get angry at him for picking the fruits of labor, so he could only attribute the resentment to the Hyuga.
“They’re here, they’re here!”
Among the villagers crowded like a tide on both sides of the street, a child who had climbed a tree to look into the distance suddenly shouted, and the originally noisy crowd instantly boiled over.
In the distance, several figures stepped through Konoha’s main gate under the guidance of Konoha ninjas.
The three leading Hidden Cloud ninjas wore Hidden Cloud Village forehead protectors, their dark, rugged, unique appearances forming a sharp contrast with the people of Konoha.
Seeing this, the women standing on the buildings on both sides poking their heads out scattered the prepared flower petals from their baskets out the windows into the air.
In the crowd, Yun Chuan Hyuga watched this scene with a calm expression, sneering in his heart.
What a scene of cooking oil on a raging fire, adding flowers to brocade.
However happy they are laughing now, that’s how terrified they will be later.
Trading compromise for peace?
There will be no such opportunity.
“The world is inherently a maze, why build another one?” Yun Chuan Hyuga’s eyes flickered slightly.
There are too many secrets in the ninja world, enough for him to do many things.
But only by muddying this stagnant pool of water that is the ninja world will he have the opportunity to fish in troubled waters.
Therefore, he will make the war arrive ahead of schedule.
(END CHAPTER)