Two men who had only met a handful of times now sat together in the Hokage's office, laughing like lifelong brothers.
After their hearty conversation, the two finally returned to business.
"The Three Nation Infrastructure Alliance is currently our highest priority. As the central bridge between the three, Konoha has an irreplaceable duty and responsibility."
Uchiha Fugaku wore a stern expression as he looked at Hōzuki Mangetsu, his tone firm and resolute.
"Previously, with no Hokage in power, our cooperation had stalled. Now that I've taken office, the alliance must resume immediately. All standards will be carried out according to the original treaty terms!"
"Excellent."
Mangetsu smiled, producing a scroll.
"Here is the list of Kirigakure's construction companies and project proposals. Please review it, Fifth Hokage-sama."
"No problem at all!"
Fugaku waved his hand grandly and signed without hesitation.
He knew very well—without Kirigakure's help, he never would've ascended to the Hokage seat. Even though he was aware of the long-term risks Kirigakure posed to Konoha, the reality was clear: in both power and influence, Konoha was no match for the Mist.
Back during the Third Great Ninja War, even with his Mangekyō Sharingan, he had lost to Yujki Yoru.
And now?
He had personally witnessed the extent of Yoru's power during the Iron Country incident.
And that wasn't even counting those Shinigami from Kirigakure's Seireitei…
Working with the Mist might cost Konoha some short-term interests.
But turning against them? That would bring total annihilation.
From every angle, the only sensible choice was to align Konoha with Kirigakure and deepen cooperation.
"I always believed that Clan Head Fugaku had the makings of a Hokage."
"It's unfortunate that the previous Hokage was too blinded by power. To have delayed your rise… that was truly Konoha's loss."
Seeing Fugaku act so decisively, Mangetsu's smile deepened. With this, his diplomatic mission was a complete success.
"By the way, Honored Envoy," Fugaku's voice dropped a notch, "about the Hyūga clan…"
Hiashi had unexpectedly backed him during the election and hadn't visited even once since his inauguration. Even the official invitations Fugaku sent had been returned without explanation.
This left Fugaku unsettled.
Eventually, he decided to seize this opportunity to ask Mangetsu directly.
"The Hyūga? Ah, you must mean Clan Head Hiashi," Mangetsu said with a grin. "He's been extremely busy these days."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"You haven't heard? His daughter has been accepted as the personal disciple of the Fourth Mizukage."
"W-What?!"
Fugaku's face went pale with shock.
He knew full well this "Fourth Mizukage" was not the long-dead Minato Namikaze—but Mizukage Yoru, currently the strongest shinobi in the entire world!
No wonder Hiashi had so decisively supported him during the election!
That kind of favor… that kind of reward!
In the shinobi world, the teacher-disciple bond was extremely significant. Because of high mortality and low birth rates, most ninja never had children—and their disciples often carried on their legacy.
To have Hiashi's daughter become the disciple of the strongest man in the world?
It wasn't just an endorsement from Kirigakure. It was a guarantee that she'd have a future far beyond imagination.
But still…
Why?
Why would Kirigakure—why would Yuki Yoru—do that?
What had the person who secured Mist's help in defeating Kumogakure and elevating him to Hokage given in return?
What kind of price had that person paid to warrant such extraordinary gestures?
Fugaku was deeply curious. He wanted to ask Mangetsu.
But in the end… he didn't.
Some things were best left unknown—digging too deep might only bring unnecessary trouble.
He was Hokage now.
His task was to grow the Uchiha clan and strengthen Konoha. Nothing else mattered.
Fugaku's mindset had matured. He was no longer like the typical stubborn Uchiha.
No—in fact, he had once been the most stubborn Uchiha.
But now, he had achieved his lifelong goal. Like Sasuke after the Valley of the End battle, he had shouldered the burden, and now simply wanted to move forward.
Build up the Uchiha. Support Konoha. Be a responsible Hokage.
That was his only remaining mission.
Well, that, and untwisting the warped ideals inside his idiot son's head.
Now that he was Hokage, his son's hero shouldn't be that decrepit relic Hiruzen Sarutobi and his decayed "Will of Fire".
It should be the "Will of Fugaku."
"Oh, right—Hokage-sama," Mangetsu added with a sly grin.
"The Fourth Mizukage says if you're ever unsure about governance, feel free to look to Kirigakure for inspiration. You may be pleasantly surprised."
"...Look to Kirigakure?"
Fugaku blinked.
As the newly appointed Hokage, he wasn't completely inexperienced—not like Minato, who had been shackled by Sarutobi and the Elders.
In terms of power, Fugaku currently wielded unquestioned authority.
But… he had never governed before.
Winning power is easy. Governing is hard. Truly mastering it? Harder still.
Before becoming Hokage, all he had ever thought about was becoming Hokage.
But now that he had the title?
He had no idea what the hell to do.
And now Mangetsu's casual comment was like a lantern lighting his path.
If I don't know how to do it… I'll just copy what works from the villages that do.\
...
After Mangetsu left, Fugaku got to work.
He immediately dove into Kirigakure's current political model.
The more he studied, the more impressed—and delighted—he became.
Kirigakure's policies weren't just open—their growth rate was phenomenal.
In everything from economy to infrastructure to mission requests and trade taxes, they had leaped ahead of what they'd been during the reign of the Third Mizukage.
Without hesitation, Fugaku activated his Sharingan's greatest power:
Copy.
He copied nearly all of Kirigakure's current policies.
He prioritized:
Expanding shinobi education
Reforming ninja development
Opening low-tier ninjutsu to the public (like Kirigakure's Duel Tower)
This kind of policy theft wasn't new in the shinobi world.
The Second Hokage had created the ninja academy and ANBU… and within days, every other major village had copied them.
Even Mist's discarded Blood Mist policies had been picked up by Sunagakure, leading to their current isolationism. Their entire side of the Three Nation Alliance was now managed by a specialized elite ANBU corps under high security.
Fugaku initially worried the policies might not translate—different village, different culture, different needs.
But what he didn't expect was how wildly successful they'd be in Konoha.
Education reform? Everyone applauded.
More resources for children and shinobi? Hard to argue with.
Opening basic ninjutsu to the public?
That was a massive victory for commoner ninja.
It gave them access to techniques previously locked behind clan doors. It meant they could start learning ahead of time—not walk into the academy already lagging behind privileged clan children.
In no time, Fugaku's popularity skyrocketed.
He became a village-wide sensation.
Seeing this, he went even further.
He founded the Konoha Shinobi Library.
There, he released public scrolls such as:
Basic Shinobi Knowledge
Chakra Extraction and Training Techniques
Beginner's Guide to Ninjutsu
Applications of the Three Basic Techniques
He also made D- and C-rank jutsu available to all senior academy students.
Unlike Mist—who had to negotiate with clans for rare jutsu—Konoha's approach was direct.
The very next day, the library opened and scrolls hit the shelves.
Where'd the jutsu come from?
You think Kakashi got the nickname "Copy Ninja" just for fun?
That Sharingan didn't just look cool—it recorded over a thousand jutsu.
The Uchiha clan had one thing in spades: ninjutsu knowledge.
Fugaku's moves sent another wave of admiration through Konoha.
Especially from the civilian ninja, who now hailed him as the greatest Hokage in Konoha's history.
But not everyone was thrilled.
That night, Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with Danzo, Koharu, and Homura, stormed into the Hokage's office demanding Fugaku retract the policy.
Fugaku stood firm.
"Can you not see how far Mist has come?"
"Look at their strength! And look at us! We're no longer the Konoha of old!"
Facing the questioning from Hiruzen Sarutobi and the three advisor elders, Fifth Hokage Fugaku Uchiha angrily declared:
"Wake up, Elders! We must let go of our delusions of dominance. We must learn from Kirigakure. Only then does Konoha have a future!"
"But Kiri is Kiri. Konoha isn't the same—"
They tried to argue, but Fugaku cut them off.
"This is for the good of every citizen of Konoha. There's nothing more to discuss."
"And remember, Third Hokage… I am the Hokage now."
"You'll regret this, Fugaku!"
Danzo and Koharu froze.
Sarutobi's rage boiled over. He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Fugaku wasn't bothered.
In fact, he was secretly delighted.
Originally, he'd only wanted to copy Mist's policies to develop Konoha.
But now?
Not only was his popularity soaring—he was gutting the Sarutobi Clan's influence in the process!
Although he had seized the core political power immediately after taking office—replacing Sarutobi and Shimura loyalists with Uchiha—there was one thing he couldn't touch:
Population.
The Sarutobi and Shimura clans still had the largest number of ninja.
Even if they lost their government positions, they remained the largest voting bloc and backbone of the village.
When the next election came—after Fugaku stepped down or died—could the Uchiha hold onto power?
It was far from guaranteed.
Because the voters were still the same.
And too many of them… belonged to Sarutobi and Shimura.
But now, with these policies?
Fugaku had accidentally hit the Sarutobi where it hurt most.
Yuki Yoru's Kirigakure Library was designed to improve the overall strength of all ninja, regardless of background.
Public access to beginner and low-tier jutsu?
It was a godsend for civilians.
But for clans?
Not so much.
What once made them special—exclusive access to jutsu—was now gone.
Before, they entered the academy far ahead of their peers.
Now? Everyone had the same scrolls.
Sure, their advantage still existed—but the gap had undeniably narrowed.
For Kekkei Genkai clans like the Hyūga or Kurama, nothing had changed.
For specialized secret clans like the Nara, Akimichi, or Inuzuka, the impact was minimal.
But for normal clans with no Kekkei Genkai or secret techniques—like the Sarutobi and Shimura—it was devastating.
During Hiruzen's reign, he and his cronies had leached off Konoha like ticks, turning the Sarutobi, Shimura, and Mitokado clans into bloated monsters, nearly rivaling or even surpassing the Uchiha.
Their greatest edge?
Exclusive access to jutsu and resources.
Now, that was gone.
Those ninja would no longer enjoy an advantage in training.
They were just ordinary shinobi.
Soon, they would be indistinguishable from civilians.
The Great Thieves of Konoha—no more.