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Uchiha Aki stood atop the First Hokage's stone statue, gazing at the village gate of Konoha. In the distance, he saw the Second Hokage and his six disciples slowly leaving the village. He muttered to himself:
"Sensei… I really can't let go of my desire for revenge. Once the Second Raikage is dead, I'll come clean with Tobirama-sensei. No matter what kind of punishment he decides, I'll accept it."
Just then, Uchiha Chise appeared behind Aki and bowed."Lord Aki, the head of the Hyuga clan has requested an audience."
Aki was slightly surprised, then smiled."So, he's finally interested, huh? Even though the Uchiha clan is weak now, maybe it's time to make an example out of those monkeys and remind them who we are. Otherwise, they'll keep thinking my silence means weakness."
With a flick of his space-time jutsu, Uchiha Aki returned to the Uchiha compound and entered the reception hall. Seeing the Hyuga clan head, he bowed respectfully.
"I'm honored, Elder. What brings you here today?"
The Hyuga head smiled."I'm sure you already know why I came, so let's skip the formalities. I'll get straight to the point: are you going to run for the position of Hokage?"
Aki walked to the main seat, sat down, and looked at him playfully."Elder, don't tell me you're planning to run for Hokage too?"
The Hyuga laughed."I might've had a shot before, but now the Uchiha clan is weak, and the current generation of the Senju have clearly chosen to step back from politics. Of the original Three Great Clans of Konoha, only the Hyuga remain strong. But in this situation, no one would want me to become Hokage. I came to see what your decision is. Lately, I've noticed quite a few… unusual moves from your clan."
Aki froze for a moment, then thought,"Even though the ANBU aren't keeping as close an eye on us as before, everything I've done was under the guise of police business. It's not surprising the Hyuga noticed something. But the supplies are already with Kinkaku and Ginkaku. If the Second Hokage comes back and the alliance fails, and he investigates, he'll definitely trace it back to me. What now?"
The Hyuga clan head looked at the now-silent Aki and said seriously,"I don't know why you bought that batch of materials from the Land of Crafts, but I hope you give up whatever plan you've got. The Uchiha clan can't become the Third Hokage. Using force won't win you that position."
Aki was stunned, then chuckled."So he thinks I'm planning a coup? That's hilarious. Do we even have the strength to rebel? I just gave up almost half of the Police Force's power—how the hell would we even manage a rebellion? Wait… he's testing me."
Aki thought for a bit, then said,"I had the Police Force purchase some ninja tools and explosive tags from the Land of Crafts to retrain our clan members. You're welcome to verify it. As for the Hokage position, Elder, you know as well as I do—I'm too busy with internal clan affairs. I'm not aiming for the Hokage seat, and just like you said, your Hyuga clan won't get it, and neither will we."
The Hyuga clan head looked surprised, then stood up."In that case, I'll take my leave."And with that, he exited the reception hall.
Uchiha Chise appeared beside Aki and asked,"My Lord, why did the Hyuga head seem so strange today? He was talking in circles—none of it made much sense."
Aki smiled and explained,"He thinks he's got something on me and wanted to test my reaction. He wants to run for Hokage, and right now his only real competition is me and Shimura Danzo. But don't forget—Danzo has the support of the Fire Daimyo and many noble families from the Land of Fire. Meanwhile, our Uchiha clan gained the respect of most of the smaller local families when we gave up some of our power. As for the Hyuga, they're now considered the strongest clan in the village, and most smaller families in Konoha probably see them as the top dog now."
Chise looked confused."But then why did you say neither their clan nor ours could become Hokage?"
Aki smirked coldly."Let's set aside what the Second Hokage thinks. Just look at the current political landscape. The Senju clan's held the Hokage position for almost 20 years. A lot of families have grown resentful of that. The mid-sized and small families, along with the major powers in the Land of Fire, won't allow another inherited-style succession. My words were a warning not to get any ideas. And as for the 'evidence' he thinks he has—please. It's just a batch of military supplies. Once we fully master the Flying Thunder God Technique, we'll be able to go back and forth between Konoha and the Land of Crafts in a single day. I can just buy the same materials again and stock our clan warehouse. Then I'll say it was all for training purposes—who's gonna argue with that?"
Elsewhere, Kinkaku and Ginkaku were in a secret room meeting with several mysterious figures. Ginkaku spoke first:
"What the Cloud needs now is a war—to prove we're the strongest Hidden Village. But because of the Second Raikage's cowardice during the last conflict with Konoha, the two nations entered a peaceful phase. That's bad for our growth. We all know Konoha sits in the wealthy Land of Fire. If we don't crush them now, they'll recover and eventually become a threat again. This alliance between Fire and Lightning is the perfect chance. Once the Second Hokage and his elite ninjas arrive for the summit, we kill them all. That'll force Konoha into another war—and we'll gain strength and territory through it."
The mysterious figures were the leaders of the militant faction in Cloud. One of them spoke up:
"You two just want a war to settle your personal grudge with the Second Hokage."
Kinkaku shouted angrily,"What the hell are you talking about? If Ginkaku and I were really that petty, we had a hundred chances to kill the Second Raikage on the battlefield. Why didn't we? When he kept sending us on suicide missions, why did we go anyway? We're thinking about the village, and you accuse us of chasing revenge?!"
Ginkaku added,"Konoha only has one top-tier ninja left—the Second Hokage. If he dies, the village will fall into chaos. That'll be our chance to take over the Lands of Frost and Hot Water, greatly boosting Cloud's power. The Land of Fire is rich beyond compare. If we want to close that gap, this is our chance. And if Konoha retaliates, we'll defeat them in open war. Don't forget—the other Great Nations, Wind, Water, and Earth, all have bones to pick with Konoha. If Konoha loses, all four nations will pounce. Cloud will rise to the top and become the strongest Hidden Village. That's all we have to say—now it's up to you."
Kinkaku added again:"War will make Cloud stronger!"
The militant leaders whispered among themselves. One of them finally said:
"The Second Raikage has placed you both under strict surveillance. How do you plan to sabotage the alliance? You can't even enter the village freely."
Ginkaku smiled. He knew they'd taken the bait."Don't forget—the ninja world is full of lies, betrayal, and misdirection. These are all valid tactics. Deception is part of the ninja way—words are weapons too. Soon, we'll pretend to submit to the Second Raikage and agree to the alliance. We'll even volunteer for missions outside the village to show our 'loyalty.' All we need from you is to sneak the Kinkaku Squad back into the village in secret, and swap out all the guards around the Raikage with your own men. That way, on the day of the summit, we'll definitely succeed in killing the Second Hokage."
Another leader spoke up:"The Second Raikage won't be spared either. We'll replace him with someone loyal to us—someone from our faction. Only then can we be sure the upcoming war benefits us."
Kinkaku and Ginkaku exchanged a look. Kinkaku said seriously:"We're doing this for the village. Even if we're misunderstood or exiled afterward, we'll stick to our mission: putting the village's interests first. All we ask is for you to help us—give us your full support."
Then he bowed deeply."Please, I beg you all—help us make this plan succeed."
Meanwhile, the Second Hokage's group had entered the Land of Lightning and was camping atop a mountain. The Second Hokage stood at the peak, quietly observing the terrain.
Uchiha Kagami appeared behind him."You called for me, Lord Hokage?"
The Second Hokage turned and asked,"Do you know what Uchiha Aki has been up to lately?"
Kagami was confused."Sir? I don't understand. Lord Aki has barely left the Uchiha compound since he returned to the village. He's been busy with clan affairs. What are you really asking?"
The Second Hokage sighed."Never mind. For now, go scout the surrounding terrain and stop by the nearest village to buy a map of the Land of Lightning. If our alliance with them fails, we need to be able to retreat fast."
After Kagami left, the Second Hokage muttered to himself:"Why do I feel so uneasy lately? I hope nothing bad happens… Sigh. As for Aki, I'll talk to him properly when we get back to the village."
"....."