Anya knew the challenges ahead. If it were that easy, wouldn't Wood Release be widespread by now and the Tailed Beasts rendered useless?
Experiments were always a slow process, full of failure and gradual learning. This had been true over the past several months working with Orochimaru, as well as during the collaboration with Tsunade on medical system reforms.
Looks like there's no shortcut, Anya thought. I guess I'll be stuck here for a while.
While Anya was deep in his underground experiments, major changes were already taking shape in Konoha.
First, the official list of ninja who had died during the Third Great Ninja War was released, and a collective cemetery was built for them. Because Anbu members' identities were confidential, they weren't included in the list. Nearly all of Konoha's ninja visited the cemetery to mourn the fallen.
Second, the Third Hokage announced that, due to his leadership failures which had led to heavy losses among the village's ninja, he would soon step down from the Hokage position. Konoha would officially hold an election ceremony for the Fourth Hokage.
Lastly, some details of battles during the Third Great Ninja War were revealed. The name "Deadly Poison Valley" appeared for the first time in public, and commoners were strictly forbidden from approaching it. The location "Mount Hakuto" was erased from records entirely. Additionally, the Kannabi Bridge, an important logistical stronghold for Iwagakure, had been destroyed, ending the war on the Iwagakure battlefield. This resulted in Konoha honoring two Heroes of the Sharingan.
Within the Uchiha clan compound, Fugaku had returned. A large number of Uchiha clan members had gathered here, making the atmosphere lively.
One Uchiha clan member loudly shouted, "What two Heroes of the Sharingan? That dead-last Obito actually had the nerve to give an Uchiha eye to an outsider. That's unforgivable!"
Another speculated, "Maybe that eye was secretly implanted into Kakashi Hatake by himself."
"That's right, clan head. Kakashi Hatake's Sharingan should be reclaimed. We can't allow it to fall into foreign hands."
As the discussion continued, more and more Uchiha clan members agreed with this view.
Seeing the situation escalating, Fugaku finally spoke up: "Don't cause trouble. Regardless of everything, Kakashi Hatake is now a hero of the village. Moreover, his teacher was the legendary Minato Namikaze. I recognize both their character and ability. There's no need to reclaim the Sharingan."
Fugaku clearly understood who stood behind Kakashi—not just Minato Namikaze, but also Anya. Anya had been the White Fang's only disciple during his lifetime, while Kakashi was the White Fang's only son. Given their relationship, if Fugaku dared to reclaim the eye, Anya would come barging in with a blade the very next day.
With the matter seemingly settled, some clan members, though discontented, refrained from further discussion and changed the topic: "Clan head, the Third Hokage is about to step down. Rumor has it the next Hokage will be selected from among the ninja who distinguished themselves during the Third Great Ninja War. As the overall commander on the Kumo Battlefield, you should consider competing for this position."
"Exactly, clan head! It's time for our Uchiha Clan to produce a Hokage."
"The village's higher-ups have always kept a close watch on us. Otherwise, the Second Hokage wouldn't have created the Anbu to monitor us. Our development resources have been limited all along, and no one has ever had the opportunity to enter Konoha's core leadership. This is a golden opportunity."
As the head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku sincerely sought an opportunity to change the difficult situation his clan faced. Now, this opportunity lay before him, and truthfully, he felt tempted.
In his heart, those qualified to compete for the position of Hokage were the Konoha Sannin. However, among them, Orochimaru had defected, Tsunade had left the village, and Jiraiya was too free-spirited. So who else, if not himself?
"Fine, then I'll make a move for it," Fugaku declared his decision in front of his clansmen.
Compared to the stir within the Uchiha Clan, Minato Namikaze remained calm. He only wanted to share this news with one person—Kushina, his childhood friend with whom he had once shared the same dream.
When he arrived home, Kushina was cooking. Hearing movement from behind, she turned and asked, "What are you standing there for? What did the Third Hokage want with you?"
"Uh..." Minato hadn't yet figured out how to break the news.
Kushina teased him, "Did he give you a serious scolding? Don't worry about it; stuff like that isn't worth thinking about."
"No, it's not that."
"Then what is it?" Kushina asked curiously.
Minato pointed at himself and said, "Well... he asked me to become the Fourth Hokage."
Kushina replied casually, "Oh, the Hokage thing, no big deal..."
But a moment later, realization suddenly dawned, and she exclaimed in shock, "Wait, what did you just say?"
Minato nodded confidently, "I've been appointed as the Fourth Hokage."
Overjoyed, Kushina hugged him tightly and said, "Aaaaa... Congratulations!"
With gentle eyes, Minato said, "Thank you."
Before the election meeting was even held, rumors had already spread across the village. Among the candidates, Namikaze Minato and Fugaku were undoubtedly the most popular choices.
Over the past few days, Fugaku had visited nearly every senior figure in Konoha, but unfortunately, they were all old foxes who kept their lips tightly sealed. He gained no useful information, and it left him feeling uncertain.
Though the Konoha Sannin no longer posed competition, their student—Namikaze Minato—had distinguished himself during the Third War, leaving Fugaku under immense pressure.
Mikoto noticed Fugaku's frown and asked, "What's been bothering you lately?"
"The clan wishes for me to run for Hokage. At first, I thought my chances were good, but after these days of fruitless efforts, I've started to feel uncertain," Fugaku finally voiced his concerns. "The Uchiha Clan has long been restricted within the village. Now that the Third War is over, it's the perfect chance, and I have to take it."
Mikoto understood the Uchiha Clan's difficult position within the village. She sighed and asked, "Can't you just give it up?"
"No," Fugaku stood up, carefully considering other potential allies he could bring in. Suddenly, his eyes landed on Mikoto, and his face lit up.
Caught off guard by his gaze, Mikoto opened her mouth to speak, but Fugaku beat her to it, "Right! How could I forget Anya? With his support, my chances of becoming Hokage will greatly increase."
"Anya—the foster father of Itachi, whom you know well."
Fugaku said excitedly, "I found out about it by accident myself. This time after returning to the village, Anya has actually taken the position of Anbu Commander. This position has always gone to someone close to the Hokage. Plus, he's also a member of the Uchiha Clan, so naturally he should support me becoming Hokage. Mikoto, you go find him and let him know my thoughts."
Mikoto hesitated. She wasn't sure how to bring this up with Anya.
Fugaku rested his hand on Mikoto's shoulder and said firmly, "Mikoto, you should understand our current standing in the Hidden Leaf (Konoha) as the Uchiha Clan. As the clan head, I must change this situation. This is our best opportunity. If I become Hokage, the Uchiha Clan will grow even stronger."
After Fugaku kept pressing her, Mikoto sighed softly and agreed, "Alright, I understand."
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