Author: I'll post another chapter if I get 15-20 power stones.
Hokage's Office
Located at the highest level of the Ninja Academy, the Hokage's Office is a fortress of defenses and sealing jutsus, housing some of the village's most sacred secrets—including the Scroll of Seals, which contains powerful and often forbidden techniques. At the heart of the structure lies the Hokage's private office, surrounded by public guards and cloaked ANBU, ensuring the protection of the village's leader and the swift execution of any duty.
Inside, the air is thick with smoke. Paperwork is stacked so high it could make a grown man cry. In the corner, a crystal ball hums softly—officially for surveillance and intelligence, unofficially for "monitoring" the health of certain kunoichi's. Sitting amid this controlled chaos is the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi—the man once hailed as the strongest of the Hokage and the reason the Hidden Leaf remains prosperous.
At this moment, he is deep in his reports.
Hiruzen's POV
As I pore over intelligence reports, my heart sinks. The other great villages are stockpiling explosive tags, ninja tools, and food rations.
"A Third Ninja War is on the horizon. No... maybe not soon, but within the next decade, if these trends continue. Damn it. Can't the other villages see that peace is preferable?"
I flip to another report. The Hidden Cloud may have found a new host for the Eight-Tails.
"Hmm. I hope Kushina can tame the Kyūbi's power soon... or perhaps my students can tag-team the new Jinchūriki."
Putting aside the foreign threats, I shift to internal issues. I pull the budget reports closer and begin scanning for economic difficulties and funding requests.
"Hmph. Danzo is asking for more Root funding. Again. I know that man well—he already has more than enough. Denied."
Some financial reports look promising. Others? Dire.
"Looks like my clan needs to cut back. Five million ryō skimmed over three months? No wonder the budget's tight. Two million moving forward should suffice—especially if this war becomes a reality."
"All for the Will of Fire. I must keep my clan strong, both from outside threats and... internal ones. Especially with the amount of talent we're housing from absorbing a lot Senju clanmens "
I put the reports down and take a much-needed ten-minute break. I mull over potential battle placements.
"Jiraiya can be deployed anywhere—he's versatile. Orochimaru should be placed against the Cloud. Tsunade... the Sand, definitely. Their poison will need countering."
That leaves the Mist and the Stone.
"Perhaps Jiraiya and Minato can handle the Stone. But who for the Mist?"
As I weigh my options, one name comes to mind.
"Reika... and the Uchiha Clan."
A clan full of powerful shinobi—many of whom, sadly, are unstable. At one time, I thought Sensei's claim that the Uchiha were "cursed" was too harsh. But after reading Reika's war records...
"Over a dozen enemy ships burned by her hands during the Second Ninja War. At least 500 confirmed enemy shinobi dead—possibly closer to 900. And that's just the war."
"If she uses that forbidden jutsu of hers again, it might scare the Mist back into hiding. If I can convince her—or perhaps get Fugaku to reason with her—to rejoin active duty... it could be perfect. The Uchiha need to be reminded of their place, anyway. Reports suggest they're getting restless."
As the last few minutes of my break tick by, I reach for the crystal ball. A bit of chakra, and the surveillance jutsu activates. Standard procedure, of course... to ensure no spies are sneaking around the hot springs.
"Let's see if any kunoichi are using the hot springs for... nefarious purposes."
Just as the chakra flows in—
"REIKA! GET BACK HERE, YOU PYROMANIAC BITCH! I'LL RIP OUT YOUR EYES!"
I jump in my seat.
"Of all the people Tsunade could've bumped into today… it had to be Reika."
"Tsunade's rival. Her nemesis. Honestly, her savior."
I remember how broken Tsunade was after Nawaki's death. I'd hoped the boy would never become a shinobi—just carry on the Senju name peacefully, and have a few kids all under my supervision of course. But fate had other plans. And Tsunade nearly shattered.
"At one point, I even considered sending Dan to lift her spirits. He had a talent for seduction when in the anbu. A shame he died before I could send him her way."
But Reika stepped in. Despite all her flaws, she forced Tsunade to stand again—by fueling their rivalry.
"I remember the quote Jiraiya overheard:
'Nawaki wouldn't want you like this—broken, useless, and a disgrace to the Senju. Get up and fight, or wallow and stay pathetic. Either way, you're no rival of mine if you can't accept your brother's wishes.'"
Harsh. But it worked. Honestly, if Reika weren't a woman, I'd have worried about Tsunade ending up in an Uchiha's bed. The way they clash? It's like watching Madara and Hashirama all over again.
"Hawk!"
A masked ANBU appears instantly, kneeling. "Yes, Lord Third!"
Lighting my pipe with a bit of fire chakra, I give the order.
"Find out what caused Tsunade to scream like that. Full report."
Hawk bows and vanishes in a flicker.
I lean back and pray to the Sage of Six Paths that nothing catastrophic occurred. Naturally, this is when the office doors slam open.
Danzo storms in, followed by Homura and Koharu.
Danzo: "Hiruzen, Reika's acting up again! I told you—she needs to be put down or brought under strict control!"
Homura & Koharu: "We agree!"
I let them rant about Reika reckless behavior and the evil Uchiha as I puff calmly on my pipe.
"Enough! I've already dispatched Hawk to investigate. We'll have answers in ten to fifteen minutes."
Danzo: "Tsunade's outburst echoed into my base! Reika must've done something outrageous! Pressure the Uchiha to hand her over—I'll mold her into a Root agent who obeys your every word."
Oh, the idea is tempting. Reika kneeling, obeying every command? Slightly arousing... but utterly suicidal.
"Trying to hand Reika over is asking for death. I may as well hand Danzo the Nine-Tails."
Besides, she pays well to keep the Sarutobi clan 'protected' during her chaos. I've got the largest clan in the village—off the books, of course—so it's only fair I get compensation when one of us ends up in her blast radius.
Homura and Koharu seem on the fence. Danzo's eyes burn with righteous fury.
"Heh. If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were angling for the Hokage seat again, Danzo."
I exhale another puff.
"First, the answer is no. Or have you forgotten what she did to you during the Second War? Public humiliation, ring a bell?"
Danzo's face contorts at the memory.
"Probably the second most humiliating moment of your life—after Sensei picked me as Hokage over you."
"Second, Reika isn't controllable. No Root conditioning, no torture chamber will change that. You'd have better luck convincing Tsunade to quit gambling."
Danzo: "Fine! What do you suggest, then!?"
Homura: "Yes, what's the plan, Hiruzen? This is Reika. She's always trouble."
Koharu: "She's been quiet for years, raising that evil little Uchiha brat. She's bound to explode from repression."
I sigh, thinking about the battles and bonds we've shared.
"We wait. Hawk will report back shortly. If I know Fugaku, he'll come too—with an apology, or at least an explanation. And Koharu... choose your words carefully. If Reika hears what you said, there won't be ashes left to bury."
Danzo drops onto the couch.
Danzo: "Hmph. We'll wait. But I still say she's a menace. Makes most Uchiha look harmless."
Homura pats a sweating Koharu on the back.
Homura: "We'll wait... but if things go south, Reika must be held accountable or it'll be undermining the hokage authority"
Koharu: "Agreed. For now, we wait."
I nod. As they settle down, I open my desk drawer and pull out the Reika file.
Just a little reminder of who we're dealing with...
Reika Uchiha: Classified Shinobi Record
Name: Reika Uchiha
Clan: Uchiha
Registration No.: 009711
Rank: Former Jōnin / Classified S-Rank
Status: Alive
Affiliation: Konohagakure
Age: Classified (Estimated to match the Legendary Sannin. Threatened to immolate the last person who asked.)
Nicknames/Titles:
The Crimson Tempest
Fire Queen of Konoha
The Blazing Kunoichi
Tsunade's Eternal Rival
Chakra Natures:
🔥 Fire Release (Primary): Mastered. Can reshape flames mid-cast.
⚡ Lightning Release: Often combined with fire for high-impact combustion.
🌌 Yin Release: Genjutsu rumored powerful but inconsistent; overshadowed by teammates.
🔥🔥 Kekkei Genkai Variant: Azure flames capable of melting through most defensive jutsu.
Genjutsu:
Unverified claims include illusions inducing battlefield romances between enemies especially man to man or women to women for and I quote "Shit and giggles." Known to cause immense psychological damage when enemies recover from the illusion and remember there deeds.
Capable of bypassing Sharingan resistance momentarily.
Taijutsu:
Brutal, fluid blend of Uchiha-style intercepting fist with flame-enhanced strikes.
Stalemated Tsunade in hand-to-hand combat three times known to record.
Uses fire-infused muscle bursts akin to Tsunade's strength, via different methods.
Medical Jutsu:
Developed Chakra Combustion Sealing—a cauterization method using fire.
Invented Infernal Rebirth—a forbidden jutsu to restart a heart with chakra fire.
Mission Count:
D-Rank: 23
C-Rank: 89
B-Rank: 153
A-Rank: 207
S-Rank: 49
Psychological Profile:
Brilliant. Ruthless. Emotionally volatile.
Loyal to few; fiercely vengeful when they're threatened.
Diagnosed "functionally stable, deeply defiant."
Publicly humiliated Hokage advisor. Twice.(Danzo)
Relationships:
Tense yet legendary rivalry with Tsunade.
Avoids clan politics.
Friends with Kushina/Minato(Observation increases due to Reika and Nine Tails in the same room together)
Once in love with a foreign healer/traveler—file redacted.
Mother to Kurogami Uchiha. Kurogami allegiance to the Will of Fire is... unknown.
Threat Level:
S-Rank. Do not engage without Hokage-level clearance.
Non-lethal containment advised—unless the village is at risk.
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