When a new leader takes office, they must establish authority—and all of Fugaku's policies benefited both the nation and its people. His actions had gained widespread praise among civilians and shinobi alike. No matter how much opposition came from Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, and their faction, nothing could stop Fugaku's momentum.
Just as Fugaku himself had declared: he was the Hokage now.
With his reforms proving successful, Fugaku only became more energetic. He fully embraced the capabilities of the Sharingan and went all-in replicating Kirigakure's policies.
He promoted commerce and industry, granted benefits to the people, and worked to make ninjutsu education universal—turning the idea of being a shinobi into a national identity.
He also revised history—rewriting educational materials to purge all the convoluted "Will of Fire" propaganda that Sarutobi had inserted. Instead, the curriculum now included objective history from a third-party perspective.
"Konoha History · Core Curriculum Volume I (Part One)"
Chapter 1: From the Warring States Period to the Founding of Konoha
Chapter 2: The Founders and the First Hokage
…
"Konoha History · Core Curriculum Volume I (Part Two)"
Chapter 1: The Dark Undercurrents Post-Peace – The First Shinobi World War
Chapter 2: The War That Swept the Entire Shinobi World– The Second Shinobi World War
…
"Konoha History · Core Curriculum Volume II (Part One)"
Chapter 1: The Land of Fire's Hidden Leaf Village – One of the Five Great Nations
Chapter 2: The Land of Water's Hidden Mist Village – One of the Five Great Nations
Chapter 3: …
To know history is to clarify the past, gain insights, and learn from its lessons.
Edited in collaboration with Hōzuki Mangetsu, Fugaku's new history textbooks discarded the previous books' obsessive praise of the Third Hokage's tenure. Instead, they thoroughly documented the end of the Warring States Period, Konoha's founding history, the history of Five Great Nations, wars history and so on.
The entire Konoha history was divided into Core Curriculum Volumes I and II, each with two parts—a total of four required textbooks that made up a big part of students' grades at the academy.
In addition to co-editing the textbooks, Fugaku actively involved Mangetsu—the envoy from Kirigakure—in Konoha's reconstruction and infrastructure planning. His political reports showcased the current friendly and unshakable alliance between Konoha and Kirigakure. In public appearances, Fugaku made it clear that the alliance was solid and unbreakable.
Mangetsu, for his part, was happy to participate.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
Under Uchiha Fugaku's leadership, Konoha quickly recovered from the war and began to thrive. Reconstruction efforts across the three allied nations had officially started. The launch of major construction projects brought huge economic benefits to Konoha and created jobs for many villagers.
Konoha's citizens were stunned—what had seemed like submission to Kirigakure had, in fact, brought tangible benefits. Their attitudes changed almost overnight, showering Fugaku and Kirigakure with praise.
And just as Konoha was experiencing this renaissance, even more good news arrived—from Kumogakure.
They were willing to negotiate peace. They acknowledged their defeat, and would dispatch a delegation to Konoha to negotiate terms—striving to sign a mutually agreeable peace treaty.
Naturally, Konoha agreed enthusiastically. But who would host the Kumogakure delegation? That was the major question.
Diplomacy between great nations required elegance and propriety. Kumogakure wasn't like Sunagakure, which had been utterly wrecked by Konoha—its remaining strength still vastly surpassed Konoha's.
Konoha was still in the middle of recovery, and deciding who would receive the delegation—and who would represent Konoha in the negotiations—became Fugaku's top priority.
What? You think Fugaku should go himself?
No way. Kumogakure had lost the war because of him, and the envoys they were sending weren't even the Raikage. As Hokage, Fugaku had no reason to meet them in person.
Moreover, he had already welcomed the Kirigakure delegation in person. Doing the same for Kumogakure would insult Kirigakure.
Kiri is my sworn brother. You're the defeated enemy—don't even think you're on the same level.
"That's the situation, Fifth Hokage."
Inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat across from Fugaku with a serious expression.
"Given my status and experience, I'm the most suitable candidate. I formally request permission to serve as Konoha's lead negotiator."
"You, huh…" Fugaku lightly tapped his desk, frowning at Hiruzen.
To be honest, Hiruzen was a good choice. He was the Third Hokage and a village elder. His status was more than adequate.
Besides, Fugaku had already applied considerable pressure on the Sarutobi and Shimura clans. Balanced governance required both firmness and flexibility.
"I do trust your abilities, Third," Fugaku said, though he hesitated slightly.
Hiruzen's face tightened.
Since Fugaku took office, the Sarutobi clan's position had plummeted—resources, influence, everything. They desperately needed a high-profile assignment to maintain their standing.
Negotiating with Kumogakure was a prime opportunity.
If he played it right, Hiruzen could profit during the reparations discussions. Even siphoning off a little "grease" would go a long way in easing his clan's current struggles.
"Fifth, I still hold a significant amount of the research materials that Minato entrusted to me when Orochimaru defected."
Hiruzen clenched his jaw and pulled out a scroll.
"Please have a look."
"Oh?"
Fugaku raised an eyebrow, taking the scroll. The moment he unrolled it, his eyes narrowed sharply.
It was research on the Sharingan.
Well, well. Good old Orochimaru.
Fugaku's heart laughed coldly, but his face remained neutral as he nodded and handed Hiruzen a document.
"With the Third Hokage involved, I trust Konoha will secure a fair treaty with Kumogakure."
"Here's the travel route and personnel list of the Kumogakure delegation, along with the basic compensation demands I've outlined. Protection and negotiations are now entirely your responsibility."
"You can count on me, Fifth. I will see it through," Hiruzen said solemnly, taking the documents with a heavy sigh of relief.
This was the break he needed.
After leaving the Hokage's office, Hiruzen immediately returned to the clan compound to begin assembling a team for the mission.
Since Fugaku's rise, all of Hiruzen's ANBU authority had been stripped away. He was a mere elder now. In contrast, Danzō's position had actually improved—he still retained full command over Root.
Seeing his old comrade still holding power while he himself had fallen from grace—that was part of what made Hiruzen so desperate.
Under Hiruzen's command, a team of elite Sarutobi shinobi quickly set out to receive the Kumogakure envoys.
The mission proceeded smoothly. Within two weeks, the delegation arrived in Konoha.
To greet them, Hiruzen organized a grand welcome ceremony in his role as village elder. Even a large number of villagers took to the streets voluntarily to show goodwill toward the delegation.
People may hate Kumogakure—but they don't hate peace.
This war had dragged on since the Third Shinobi World War. It had gone on far too long. Now that Kumogakure was arriving with peaceful intentions—even if they had started the conflict—people welcomed them.
They just didn't want war anymore.
Hiruzen warmly hosted the envoys, making it clear that he was the official representative for negotiations.
"Having the Third Hokage himself here is already a great honor,"
Kumogakure's envoys responded without any complaints. In fact, they acted flattered and expressed full willingness to follow Hiruzen's lead.
Hiruzen was thrilled. He'd feared these envoys might be stubborn or difficult, but everything was falling neatly into place.
Still, he knew full well: negotiations wouldn't wrap up in ten days. These things took time.
So without wasting any more words, he arranged for the delegation to stay in a luxurious inn beside the Sarutobi compound.
The Kumogakure shinobi agreed without hesitation. Their cooperative attitude only made Hiruzen admire them more.
Steady. Slick!
...
Inside the compound where the Kumogakure delegation was staying...
Their leader, Jōnin Lotty, stood silently by the window, brows furrowed, not saying a word.
Despite the warm, smiling exchanges with Sarutobi Hiruzen, he was carrying out a secret mission—and his heart was anything but calm.
Along the journey, he had carefully observed Konoha's vast web of barrier formations. Even more disturbing: the Uchiha Police Force, once relegated to the shadows, was now highly active throughout the village since Uchiha Fugaku took power.
Every ten steps there's a pair of those damned red eyes—are you kidding me?
Under these circumstances, even approaching the Hyūga Clan would alert the Uchihas, let alone trying to act against them.
And even if, by some miracle, they slipped past the Uchiha patrols, the Hyūga's own barrier system was another enormous headache.
"Damn it. Which genius in the higher-ups came up with this idiotic idea? Steal a Kekkei Genkai? If it were that easy, the Hyūga and Uchiha clans would've been looted clean by now!"
Lotty cursed internally, brimming with frustration.
One half-baked plan from above, and people like us are the ones risking our necks in the field.
"I can help you break the Hyūga's barriers—and even suppress the Uchiha patrols' detection."
A hoarse voice suddenly rang in his ears.
Lotty's expression shifted slightly. Without hesitation, he channeled chakra into the window frame and rapidly formed hand seals, casting a small-scale barrier around the room.
Once everything was secured in silence, he narrowed his eyes and said coldly:
"The Sarutobi compound is right next door. You dare contact me here? Not worried about being exposed?"
"The Sarutobi clan? Hah—they're just garbage. If I were afraid of them, I wouldn't have come to you in the first place."
The raspy voice oozed confidence.
"Just make sure you act at the designated time. I'll take care of everything else ahead of time."
"…Why?" Lotty couldn't help but ask, "Why are you doing this? What do you gain?"
This mysterious figure had contacted him halfway through their journey.
His overwhelming power and mysterious aura had shocked Lotty—but for the sake of completing the mission codenamed 'White Eye Theft Operation', Lotty ultimately agreed to collaborate.
"Just using you to divert attention, that's all," the husky voice replied casually. "Once things go down, Konoha will obviously seek justice. With Kumogakure standing out front, I can stay out of the spotlight."
"You bastard… you're using us as pawns!"
"Just mutual benefit. Without me, you wouldn't even know who cooked your meals in Konoha—let alone have a chance to steal the Byakugan."
The mockery in the voice was clear, but Lotty had no counterargument.
It was harsh, but true.
If he wanted to complete this insane mission from the higher-ups, working with this man was the only viable path.
There was no conflict of interest—just mutual benefit. In a way, it was the perfect partnership.
"I hope you really can deliver everything you've promised…"
"Heh. Naturally."
Meanwhile, in the Hyūga compound…
In the garden, Hinata was practicing Gentle Fist, her stance graceful and precise.
Yuki Yoru—her master—sat nearby, sipping tea with a calm and relaxed demeanor.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind him, speaking in a soft voice:
"Fourth Mizukage… The Kumogakure delegation has arrived. They're staying at a luxury inn next to the Sarutobi clan's compound."
At this, Yoru's expression paused slightly.
He knew about Kumogakure's attempt to abduct Hinata—it was a significant event in the original timeline. That incident had led to Hiashi's twin brother Hizashi's death, planted the seed of Neji's curse of the Caged Bird, and drove Hiruzen's reputation even lower in the eyes of many fans.
But in this world—there was no Hizashi, and Neji didn't exist.
And Sarutobi Hiruzen? He had already stepped down long ago.
What's more—Hinata was his disciple. There was no way he would allow anything to happen to her.
Still, he was deeply curious.
He had already evaluated the entire Kumogakure delegation: two jōnin, six chūnin, and the rest genin.
With a lineup like that, you want to raid the Hyūga Clan—the second-strongest dojutsu clan in existence?
That wasn't just overconfidence. That was delusional.
Even calling them "meatheads" would be an overstatement.
And yet, in the original timeline—they actually succeeded.
"Do you want me to keep an eye on them?" asked Hōzuki Mangetsu, who stood beside him. He was sharp—he'd sensed something off the moment Yoru started asking about the Kumogakure delegation.
"No need."
Yoru's eyes narrowed slightly.
He already suspected someone else was pulling strings behind the scenes.
But it didn't matter.
He had already placed double insurance on his precious disciple.
If anyone dared reach for her—
He wouldn't just take their hand.
He would take everything.