The Hyuga Shall Stand Above, In The Heavens!

Konohagakure.

It was clear to everyone how seriously Fugaku was taking this succession ceremony.

To prevent any accidents during the walk up the red carpet, he even held a rehearsal before the ceremony began. He personally oversaw every detail, making sure everything was timed perfectly.

As the ceremony approached, the entire Uchiha clan grew more and more excited.

As everyone knows, when that clan gets excited, they can't control their urge to show off, and naturally, someone ends up suffering.

However, since Fugaku had already warned the clan and, after six months, had gained more control over them, the Uchiha members carefully chose their targets before showing off under his orders.

As the Uchiha started their antics, the atmosphere in Konohagakure became increasingly strange. The Uchiha security team began stopping ninjas from other villages and questioning them.

"How did you know that Konohagakure was founded by the great Uchiha?"

Even Uchiha Satoshi wasn't immune to this. During one patrol, he grabbed a spy from a small ninja village and interrogated him sharply.

"Huh? I didn't know that."

The ninja from the unnamed village was completely confused. What did this have to do with his attempt to sneak into the Hokage building?

"Then how did you know that the Fifth Hokage is the strongest Hokage in Konohagakure?"

Uchiha Satoshi switched to another question.

This time, the guy was even more baffled. What the hell was this about?

"After all, if you didn't already believe that, why would you choose to infiltrate Konohagakure just as the Fifth Hokage is about to take office?"

Uchiha Satoshi's explanation left him with no way to argue.

True.

He had come to Konohagakure as a spy just as the Fifth Hokage was about to take office. No matter how you looked at it, the Uchiha had a point.

But what he never expected was that, based on this alone, this Uchiha had not only declared the Uchiha clan as the strongest in Konohagakure but also elevated the Fifth Hokage to the position of the strongest Hokage!

The spy didn't believe it, of course.

But even if he didn't, the Uchiha clansmen behind Uchiha Satoshi certainly did.

In no time, as the Fifth Hokage's inauguration approached, the idea that the Uchiha were the strongest clan in Konohagakure, the absolute founders of the village, and that Uchiha Fugaku was the strongest Hokage spread like wildfire throughout the village.

And with it came different versions of the story.

"I heard that back then, Senju Hashirama only became the First Hokage because Uchiha Madara didn't want to compete with him and let him have the position." 

"That's right. I overheard Lord Hitoshi talking to his new purple-haired maid about how the name 'Konohagakure' was actually given by Uchiha Madara." 

"Exactly. Reliable sources say that Senju Hashirama originally wanted to give the Hokage position to Uchiha Madara, but his brother stopped him, blocking it at every turn." 

"The Second Hokage is such a jerk." 

"Of course he is! How else do you think he got the position? Both clans helped build Konohagakure, so the Second Hokage should've been an Uchiha. At the very least, he could've given the Third Hokage position to Uchiha Kagami. The man just has no integrity." 

"Well, the Second Hokage was biased against the Uchiha. Everyone knows that. But look at how well the village is doing now under the Fifth Hokage." 

"By the way, I also heard that it was the Uchiha who defeated the Senju and invited them to help build the village. The Uchiha are the ones who truly desire peace, while the Senju are the evil clan standing in the way of peace." 

"Wait, what? The evil Senju clan?" 

"I think it makes sense. Look at Tsunade-sama—she's just an evil little brat from the Senju clan. She watched the village get destroyed and ran off with Lord Hitoshi. Who knows what she's up to now…" 

"Shh! Are you crazy? You dare talk about Hitoshi's woman like that? Do you have a death wish?" 

"Right, right. Let's just stick to discussing the evil Senju clan." 

So, you're saying it's fine to freely talk about the evil Senju clan, but you don't dare mention Tsunade, the little brat from the Senju clan who's under the protection of that scoundrel Hyuga Hitoshi? 

What kind of logic is that? 

Come to think of it, Tsunade married into the Hyuga clan, so she's a Hyuga now! 

And why did little Tsunade get seduced by that evil Hyuga brat? 

Just how much has happened in this village that I don't know about?! 

Returning to Danzo's home, the Second Hokage, Tobirama, removed his disguise, revealing a dark and gloomy expression. 

"The Uchiha have evolved." 

Looking at his two bewildered students, Senju Tobirama spoke with a serious tone. 

"They've even learned to use the Hokage's power to manipulate public opinion, change the villagers' mindset, and rewrite Konohagakure's history." 

"If this continues, the Uchiha might actually succeed in whitewashing their image and become known as a clan that desires peace!" 

"There's no doubt that the Uchiha couldn't have come up with this plan on their own. It must have been Hyuga Hitoshi's doing!" 

That evil little brat from the Hyuga clan! 

"So, teacher, what should we do?" 

Danzo put on a humble expression, pretending to listen intently, while Sarutobi's face twitched in annoyance.

"There's no need to be overly cautious."

After some thought, Tobirama suddenly relaxed.

"Fortunately, Hyuga Hitoshi's advice to Uchiha Fugaku came too late. Even if they start trying to change the villagers' impression of the Uchiha clan now, there's still one condition that needs to be met."

"That is, during tomorrow's succession ceremony, he must actually manage to sit securely in the Hokage's seat."

Tobirama believed that as long as he stepped forward tomorrow, exposed the hypocrisy of the Uchiha clan, and listed their sins, he could surely open the eyes of Konohagakure's villagers and ninjas, turning them against Uchiha Fugaku becoming Hokage.

To ensure this, he had even prepared a trump card.

He was confident that once he played it, he could overthrow the Uchiha's tyranny, restore order, and return the Hokage's seat to his disciple.

Well, though Sarutobi had already proven himself useless through his actions, so maybe he should give Danzo a chance?

Raising an eyebrow, Tobirama glanced at Danzo.

Since his resurrection, he had indeed noticed Danzo's progress.

Danzo had remained calm and composed, strategizing with precision.

Most of the intelligence Tobirama had gathered came from Danzo.

For example, Danzo had explained that the Hyuga clan left Konohagakure simply because the village had grown weak from war and needed the Hyuga to contribute their strength dutifully. Instead, the Hyuga not only looked down on Konohagakure's decline but also conspired with outsiders to defect, even using a forbidden technique to damage the village before leaving—making them the true villains.

Another example was how Danzo had repeatedly pointed out flaws in Sarutobi's leadership and offered his own suggestions, only for Sarutobi to dismiss him by saying, "I am the Hokage." Danzo had no choice but to say that Sarutobi would regret it one day, watching helplessly as things unfolded.

And after Tobirama's death, Danzo had carried on his will, rooting himself in Konohagakure's foundation, working from the shadows to support Sarutobi in strengthening the village.

Honestly, Tobirama was pleased with Danzo's performance. He could feel a stark contrast between Sarutobi and Danzo.

During his time in the village, Tobirama had often heard complaints about the Third Hokage being weak and indecisive, especially in dealing with external threats. But when it came to Danzo, the feedback was always refreshingly positive.

Things like "Danzo's brilliant strategies saved Konohagakure" or "Danzo-sama personally traveled to other nations to form alliances for the village's sake."

 The tone was always positive! It was a completely different reaction compared to when Sarutobi was mentioned. Even the ninjas discussing Danzo's actions would have a complex look on their faces, clearly showing their approval of him.

"Once this matter is settled, Sarutobi, you'll assist Danzo from now on."

After some thought, Senju Tobirama finally announced his decision. In that moment, Sarutobi felt like his world was collapsing.

The mere thought of Danzo using the Hokage's tone to put him down made Sarutobi's skin crawl. He really wanted to tell his teacher that the information Danzo had provided was mostly useless. If decisions were made based on that information, they might end up losing more than they gained tomorrow.

But he didn't dare say it!

Right now, Sarutobi had locked eyes with Danzo. Years of默契 (tacit understanding) told Sarutobi that if he dared to cause trouble now, Danzo would surely reveal everything he had done over the years to Tobirama-sensei!

Just the thought of Danzo telling their teacher that the Senju clan, once integrated into Konohagakure, had now completely disappeared, or revealing the real reason Tsunade left the village, was enough to ruin Sarutobi's reputation forever.

Not to mention, it would also make Danzo his enemy. Who knows, after Danzo rose to power, he might not even give Sarutobi the position of Hokage advisor.

Yes.

Even now, Sarutobi didn't believe Danzo would ultimately fail.

Because Senju Tobirama was just their Plan A.

Did anyone really think Sarutobi had spent all this time just spreading negative rumors about the Uchiha clan?

No, he had also been wandering around the graves of powerful shinobi at night, digging up things and bringing them back to Danzo.

If Tobirama-sensei made his appearance tomorrow and successfully took down the Uchiha clan, Danzo would rise to power, and everyone would be happy. Sarutobi could also reclaim his rightful position.

If they failed, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Sarutobi would take the blame for provoking Uchiha Fugaku, and he would be forever branded with shame. Meanwhile, Danzo would lie low after the failure, further mastering the Impure World Reincarnation technique until he could control all the powerful shinobi.

This time, it was Sarutobi's turn to take the fall.

But seeing the confident look on Senju Tobirama's face, Sarutobi decided to wait and see.

After all, as far as he knew, his teacher had always been someone who planned carefully before acting. If Tobirama said he was confident, he must have prepared a powerful trump card, something that could deliver a fatal blow to Uchiha Fugaku.

And the suspense surrounding the Second Hokage didn't last long.

As the sun rose and bathed the land in its light, everyone was ready to celebrate the inauguration of the Fifth Hokage. The entire village was buzzing with excitement over the new Hokage's ascension.

But then, Danzo's door was suddenly knocked on. When the door opened, Sarutobi and Danzo, who had been waiting patiently all night, finally saw what their teacher had meant by his "trump card."

Indeed,

 given the identity of this person, if they were to step forward and expose the hypocrisy of the Uchiha, it would surely shock everyone. 

"I am pleased that after Kagami, there is still an Uchiha like you," Tobirama said as he walked forward, a smile on his face. He reached out and ruffled Uchiha Itachi's hair.

"Don't worry, with you leading the Uchiha clan in the future, nothing like today will ever happen again."

"I promise you, this matter will reduce the Uchiha's influence, but it won't threaten their survival or position in the village." 

The clan's influence? 

Reducing it would indeed be a good thing. 

The eight-year-old Uchiha Itachi, with a face full of maturity, nodded wisely, showing great approval for the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's words. 

"Don't worry, Second Hokage. I'm prepared to be a whistleblower. The Uchiha can't continue down this path." 

What a good kid! 

The Second Hokage's face lit up with joy. "My judgment was right! You are the Uchiha's only hope after Kagami!" 

When he had disguised himself and gone around the village gathering information the day before, he had been deeply curious about this young Uchiha. 

At the time, the boy had been looking at the village with a concerned expression, sighing repeatedly and muttering about how his father and his clan were full of problems, but there was no way to change them. 

That's when Tobirama stepped in, briefly explaining that he had been resurrected through the Impure World Reincarnation technique and needed Itachi's help to stop the Uchiha's tyranny. 

After that, things were simple. The two quickly agreed to join forces today to confront Itachi's tyrannical father. 

Moreover, the Second Hokage had learned a crucial piece of information from Uchiha Itachi. 

"You said your father has been selling off large amounts of Land of Fire's land, and the person he's trading with is none other than Hyuga Hitoshi, the traitor who fled Konohagakure. Also, the reason your father became Hokage was because he sealed the stone statue summoned by that man, saving the village." 

"So, can I assume that your father became a hero by making some shady deal with Hyuga Hitoshi? And that he had known how to seal the statue all along but chose to stand by and watch the village suffer, only stepping in at the last moment to create the illusion that only he could save the village?" 

When Senju Tobirama first heard Uchiha Itachi describe the situation, he instinctively felt something was off. 

Everything was just too convenient! 

After all, Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hitoshi had a close friendship, even to the point of entrusting their families to each other. If that stone statue was really as dangerous as it seemed, the Uchiha clan should have been a target too. Wasn't Hyuga Hitoshi worried that summoning the statue would harm the Uchiha? 

Moreover, Uchiha Itachi had clearly stated that before the Hyuga clan left the village, there had been no conflict between the Uchiha and Hyuga clans. In fact, Hyuga Hitoshi had even married Itachi's second aunt! 

There was only one truth. 

Senju Tobirama's expression grew cold. Perhaps, from the very beginning, this had been a scheme orchestrated by the Hyuga and Uchiha clans together. Or maybe Hyuga Hitoshi had been controlling the stone statue all along, never intending to destroy Konohagakure completely, but only to make Uchiha Fugaku look like the village's savior! 

And now, Tobirama had a legitimate reason to remove Fugaku from power! 

Gaining power by colluding with outsiders was unjust! 

There was no denying that this trump card was effective. The only concern now was whether the boy would get nervous when he took the stage and fail to express his thoughts clearly. 

But from the calm look in the boy's eyes, Tobirama saw only a firm determination to remove his father from power, with no trace of fear or hesitation. 

"Good kid, you are the second Uchiha Kagami!"

Once he had sorted out his thoughts, Senju Tobirama once again praised Uchiha Itachi highly.

Meanwhile, Danzo and Sarutobi exchanged glances, their expressions complicated as they watched the scene. Their thoughts, however, were surprisingly aligned.

"Stop losing it, Tobirama-sensei."

They knew Uchiha Kagami better than their teacher did. Even Kagami, who was known for being close to the village, would never have done what Uchiha Itachi had done.

The only one in the Uchiha clan who resembled Kagami was Uchiha Shisui. Kagami had been free from the constraints of the Uchiha clan and believed the village was a unified whole, but he had never gone as far as to betray his own family. At most, he had been strict with his clansmen.

As for Uchiha Itachi...

He couldn't simply be called a traitor.

He was actively hoping for the downfall of the Uchiha clan, unreasonably convinced that his father was unfit to be Hokage!

To say Uchiha Itachi was like Uchiha Kagami was practically an insult to both Kagami and Shisui.

There was no denying that people like Itachi were terrifying.

He seemed to care about nothing, naturally believing that sacrificing the Uchiha clan to protect the village was justified.

Perhaps...

Danzo narrowed his eyes, glancing at Uchiha Itachi and then at Sarutobi Hiruzen beside him.

He had heard that Uchiha Itachi was close friends with Sarutobi Asuma.

So, what if Asuma were to die at the hands of someone from the Uchiha clan?

At that moment, Danzo saw an interesting pawn and quickly sketched out a preliminary plan in his mind.

In a cramped, narrow room.

With the succession ceremony still some time away, Senju Tobirama went over the plan with Uchiha Itachi. Once everything was confirmed, the meeting to overthrow Fugaku and end the Uchiha clan's tyranny came to an end.

Meanwhile, Rasa and the others were also prepared. They had their arguments ready to counter Hyuga Hitoshi, even imagining how ridiculous it would be if Hitoshi, like Senju Hashirama, knelt down and begged for peace.

No one knew that within the small confines of Konohagakure, two groups of scheming masterminds had gathered. Only the massive statues on the Hokage Monument stood as they always had, bathed in sunlight.

As time passed.

The ceremonial cannons signaling the arrival of the guests sounded, and the leaders of the invited villages began to enter in an orderly fashion.

However, the most eye-catching figure wasn't Fugaku, who was about to take the stage, but the man arrogantly holding the Mizukage's arm.

Some people are born to be the center of attention, and Hyuga Hitoshi was one of them. Yet, he paid no mind to the stares, sitting calmly in his chair with a cruel glint in his eyes.

The first half of the event was Fugaku's time to shine. Before Fugaku took the stage, he had no intention of stealing the spotlight.

But the world is a big place, and there are always people who don't know when to back off.

When Hyuga Hitoshi saw Rasa standing in front of him, he couldn't help but laugh.

"I've never been one to show off… but if you push me, I'll make it count."

So, why did you have to push me?

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