Chapter 115: A Show of Force from the Daimyō? The Uchiha's Butcher Knife Is Unsheathed!
Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to have been drained of all his spirit, slumping in his chair and becoming a truly aged man in his twilight years. Uchiha Akira paid no heed to this. A loser had no value to be gazed upon.
Uchiha Akira walked to the head seat of the conference table. "Effective immediately, I will temporarily assume the position of Hokage. All Jōnin, perform your duties and maintain stability within the Village."
"Nara Shikaku."
"Here." Shikaku's lazy demeanor significantly reined in, and he stood up straight.
"You will temporarily act as the Hokage's assistant, responsible for coordinating all Village affairs until a new appointment is made."
"Yes, Akira." Shikaku cleverly changed his address.
Akira nodded with satisfaction, his gaze sweeping toward Kakashi. "Kakashi."
"Here." Kakashi's eyes were no longer confused, only a firm resolve after a sense of relief.
"For the Anbu, you will temporarily take charge. I do not wish to hear any discordant voices."
"Understood," Kakashi answered cleanly and decisively.
"Very good." Akira's arrangements were methodical.
3 days later, at the Konohagakure Village gate, 30 Uchiha Jōnin, dressed in uniform black combat attire, stood in neat formation. The soaring pressure and killing intent made all the Konoha shinobi who came to bid them farewell feel a tremor from their very souls. Too strong. Was this the Uchiha of today? Just 30 Jōnin were enough to rival a small army.
Uchiha Akira, dressed in a simple black robe, stood at the very front of the procession. According to custom, the new Hokage needed to receive a formal appointment from the Daimyō. The envoy he had dispatched had already departed 2 days prior, and he himself would personally travel to the capital to "persuade" that lofty Daimyō.
"Teacher..." a timid voice came from the side. It was Hinata. Her small face was a bit pale, clearly frightened by the imposing aura, but she still mustered her courage and walked to Akira's side.
"Are you... leaving?"
Uchiha Akira turned his head, the coldness on his face instantly melting a little. He reached out and habitually ruffled Hinata's hair. "Just a trip to the capital. I'll be back soon."
"Mm..." Hinata lowered her head and whispered, "Be... careful on the way."
"Don't worry," Akira smiled.
Just then, an Uchiha shinobi responsible for reconnaissance appeared before Uchiha Akira, kneeling on 1 knee. "Akira, news has arrived from the front."
"Speak."
"The envoy heading to the capital reported that the Daimyō's mansion... their attitude seems a bit arrogant. They merely replied that they 'understood' and told you to wait outside the capital for a summons." There was a hint of suppressed anger in the Uchiha shinobi's voice. A mere Daimyō dared to be so disrespectful to Akira! The eyes of the surrounding Jōnin also instantly turned cold.
Akira's face, however, showed no change in expression. Arrogant? Very good. He was only afraid that the Daimyō wasn't arrogant enough.
"Understood." Akira waved his hand, signaling the shinobi to withdraw. "Depart."
"Yes!" The 30 Jōnin responded in unison, their voices shaking the surroundings. As the words fell, 31 figures instantly transformed into afterimages, following Uchiha Akira and disappearing at the end of the road.
Land of Fire Capital. Unlike Konoha, this was a different scene. Luxurious pavilions, wide streets, and elegantly dressed nobles and merchants coming and going. The air was even filled with a scent of perfume mixed with money.
Uchiha Akira and his group of 31 traveled day and night, arriving at the Land of Fire Capital at noon the next day. The group walked directly toward the most magnificent building in the city—the Daimyō's mansion.
At the entrance, a middle-aged man who looked like a butler was already waiting. He was dressed in luxurious silk, with a professional fake smile on his face, but deep in his eyes, there was a deeply ingrained contempt for shinobi, these "crude warriors."
"You must be the acting Hokage of Konoha, Lord Uchiha Akira, correct?" The butler bowed slightly, but his tone didn't convey much respect. "His Highness the Daimyō is currently attending to important matters. Please wait in the side hall for now."
With that, he turned and led the group toward a seemingly desolate hall. Uchiha Kenji's brow instantly furrowed. To make the newly appointed acting Hokage wait in a side hall? What an insult! He was about to flare up but was stopped by a calm look from Uchiha Akira.
Akira's face still bore that unperturbed expression. He seemed not to have noticed the other party's rudeness, merely following the butler into the side hall. The hall's furnishings were simple, without even a cup of hot tea. After leading them in, the butler said with a forced smile, "Please wait here. His Highness the Daimyō will summon you when he is finished." Having said that, he turned and left, closing the large door with a "bang."
"Clan Head!" Kenji finally couldn't hold back. "These guys are going too far! They are deliberately trying to intimidate us!" The eyes of the other Uchiha Jōnin also flickered with dangerous light, their 3-tomoe Sharingan gleaming with a cold sharpness in the somewhat dim hall.
"Calm down," Akira slowly walked to the main seat and sat down, his posture composed. "Dogs always like to bark a few times before they bite. Let them bark. The louder they bark, the faster they die. Remember, no matter how fiercely a dog barks, it's still just a dog. To step on it, no reason is needed, nor is anger."
Uchiha Akira closed his eyes and began to feign sleep, as if he truly intended to wait there indefinitely.
At the same time, in the Daimyō's mansion's main hall, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, a portly middle-aged man, was lazily reclining on a tatami mat, with 2 beautiful maids kneeling beside him, massaging his shoulders and legs. In front of him knelt the butler from earlier.
"Your Highness, they have been arranged in the side hall," the butler reported respectfully.
"Hmm, well done," the Daimyō grunted with satisfaction, picked up a grape, and popped it into his mouth.
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