According to the intelligence gathered by Kakashi, this Minister of State for the Right named Miura Kazuo, by worldly standards of evaluation, was definitely not a good person.
He was greedy and lustful, and after becoming Minister of State for the Right, he used his power to amass wealth, possessing countless beautiful wives and concubines in his mansion. However, Uchiha Touhuan saw many traces of the former daimyo in the intelligence Kakashi obtained; in other words, this Minister of State for the Right named Miura Kazuo was likely a black glove promoted by the former daimyo.
However, recently, this Minister of State for the Right had not had a good time. He and his cronies had suffered a complete defeat in their political struggle against Abe Taiichi. If it weren't for Orochimaru's assassination attempt on the daimyo, it would probably be long before this Minister of State for the Right was framed by the daimyo, and after his last act of influence, both his political and physical life would come to an end.
Therefore, after the daimyo was assassinated, and Uchiha Touhuan entered the Land of Fire and was entrusted with a heavy responsibility by the daimyo, Miura Kazuo, although still unaware of the specifics of what had happened or why the daimyo would issue such an absurd order, saw Uchiha Touhuan's arrival as a sudden glimmer of hope for him and his followers, a time of utter desperation.
Thus, without Uchiha Touhuan's prompt contact, Miura Kazuo and his followers readily offered their loyalty.
Uchiha Touhuan, of course, welcomed this. Whether Miura Kazuo had a criminal record was irrelevant to him; in fact, a criminal record made him easier to control.
Furthermore, Uchiha Touhuan now firmly controlled the entire Land of Fire, and the vast wealth Miura Kazuo had amassed over the years was merely a readily available source of money for him.
Now, the process of three resignations and three concessions was complete, and Uchiha Touhuan was the universally acclaimed Grand Minister of Fire.
Even Abe Taiichi, who had been somewhat unconvinced from the start, had to accept this outcome. However, when he saw Uchiha Touhuan standing at the forefront of the officials in the robes of the Grand Minister of State, a strange light flashed in his eyes.
In the following days, the officials of the Land of Fire also noticed that something was amiss. All government affairs required Uchiha Touhuan's approval before they could be passed. Compared to the four-year-old child sitting on the throne, Uchiha Touhuan seemed more like a true daimyo. This situation made Abe Taiichi and the others secretly anxious. What alarmed them even more was that Uchiha Touhuan withheld all the memorials requesting the repair of the palaces destroyed by Orochimaru and Manda.
This situation alone wouldn't be a problem, but recently, rumors have been circulating in the Fire Capital that its dragon veins, after years of depletion, are no longer able to protect the Land of Fire, hence the great calamity facing the imperial city.
At this time, the Fire Capital is under the control of the Hidden Leaf Village ninjas, and it's obvious to everyone that these rumors were deliberately spread by Uchiha Touhuan. Combined with his decision not to repair the palace for the time being, Uchiha Touhuan's intentions are crystal clear:he wants to move the capital.
After finishing their duties that day, Abe Taiichi's henchmen, after dinner, all rushed through secret passages from their homes to a secret room in Abe Taiichi's residence.
In recent days, with Uchiha Touhuan's tacit approval and even support, Miura Kazuo's forces have reversed their decline and launched repeated attacks against them. Although Uchiha Touhuan would always step in to mediate at the last stage, he meticulously collected all the evidence that the other side had gathered and fabricated. This made them anxious; Uchiha Touhuan clearly intended to accumulate enough evidence to eliminate them all at once. Therefore, as soon as everyone arrived, someone couldn't wait to speak: "I really don't know why the late king left such a will. Uchiha Touhuan is arrogant and domineering, controlling the government. Corrupt officials are rampant in the court. If this continues, the country will cease to exist." As soon as this person spoke, someone burst into tears, and Abe Taiichi sighed repeatedly.
However, their complaints were meaningless. For Abe Taiichi and his followers, this gathering was more like a huddle together for warmth. After all, the entire Fire City was now under the control of Uchiha Touhuan. The Susanoo that Uchiha Touhuan used to force Orochimaru to retreat that day was no less than a god descending to earth to them.
"Why are you gentlemen weeping here? Do you think crying will kill Uchiha Touhuan?" Just then, a strange voice suddenly rang out from the secret chamber, startling everyone.
"Who is it?" Abe Taiichi exclaimed in surprise.
From the shadows of the secret chamber, a man wearing a blank headband slowly emerged. A belt with the character for fire was tied around the hem of his robe.
"It's you?" Someone recognized the newcomer. It was Kazuma, one of the twelve guardian ninja of the daimyo.
After recognizing the newcomer, Abe Taiichi calmed down. Although these civil officials and the twelve guardian ninja of the daimyo weren't particularly familiar with each other, he had heard of some of the man's ideologies. He strongly agreed with the man's belief that the ninja power of the Land of Fire should be in the hands of the daimyo, and that the ninja villages and the Hokage system shouldn't exist.
"Since this righteous man has spoken like this, do you have a way to deal with Uchiha Touhuan?" Abe Taiichi asked.
"Of course," Kazuma nodded. "Uchiha Touhuan is strong, but not invincible. I once learned a technique that can summon the dead. I only need to use it to summon my former comrades, the Lightning Release Four, and set up a combined attack ninjutsu, Lightning Release: Lightning Dream Lightning Man, around the perimeter of Uchiha Touhuan's residence. Everything within the range of this technique will be reduced to ashes. Even Orochimaru, who attempted to assassinate the daimyo, didn't dare to directly withstand this technique. I think killing Uchiha Touhuan with it shouldn't be a problem."
"Is that so?" Abe Taiichi was delighted upon hearing this. If he could truly eliminate Uchiha Touhuan as Kazuma said, it would be a great achievement.
"However," Kazuma changed the subject, "the conditions for this technique are too demanding, and the necessary medium is extremely precious. I cannot gather it all at once."
"However much the righteous man lacks, we have some wealth at home, which you may use as you see fit," Abe Taiichi hurriedly said.
"You gentlemen are indeed pillars of our Land of Fire!" Kazuma said, moved.
"Please don't say that, righteous man. Although this action is dangerous, for the sake of the stability of our Land of Fire, please do not refuse."
...
In the luxurious tea room of the temporary residence requisitioned from a minor nobleman, Uchiha Touhuan leisurely brewed tea.
"You seem quite relaxed," Kakashi, who had been appointed by Uchiha Touhuan as the commander of the Fire Capital's security, said with a smile as he entered.
"You know what, even a minor noble in the Land of Fire knows how to enjoy life better than the Uchiha clan," Uchiha Touhuan said with a smile, glancing up at the valuable antiques displayed in the tea room.
"The person who's going to kill you is coming," Kakashi said, handing Uchiha Touhuan a intelligence report.
These usually aloof officials and nobles of the Land of Fire had clearly underestimated the intelligence-gathering abilities of Konoha's elite Jonin.
Their secret gatherings were no different from the tricks of a kid fresh out of the Ninja Academy in front of Kakashi.
While Kazuma's strength would qualify him as an elite Jonin even in Konoha, his self-taught background meant his skills in stealth and investigation—the hallmarks of ninjas—were barely better than those of a Genin in the village. He might fool ordinary people, but he was full of holes in Kakashi's defenses.
Uchiha Touhuan picked up the intelligence report and glanced at it. Seeing Kazuma's plan, he couldn't help but laugh: "Trying to kill me with Lightning Release? That's ridiculous."
"How should we handle this?" Kakashi asked. "These conspiring officials have considerable wealth. Should we just take action?"
Having spent a long time in the Land of Fire, having amassed considerable wealth, Kakashi was already itching to seize the vast fortunes hidden in the homes of these officials and nobles. If it weren't for the fear of disrupting Uchiha Touhuan's plans, he would have already ransacked the homes of these nobles and officials.
As for Kazuma's assassination plan, Kakashi didn't really care. He might have been a little worried about other methods, but a combined Lightning Release ninjutsu? Forget about it.
As fellow masters of Lightning Release, the two had trained together regularly. He knew firsthand the extent of Uchiha Touhuan's Lightning Release prowess. Under Uchiha Touhuan's unique Lightning Release chakra mode, his control over lightning was terrifying; no lightning-attribute attack could harm him in the slightest. Instead, the lightning would be directly seized and used as it approached him. This was why Uchiha Touhuan could move freely within a vast range of Lightning Release ninjutsu without injury during battle.
"Let's wait until they make their move. Since they've given me a reason to attack, I won't hold back anymore," Uchiha Touhuan said with a smile.
Frankly, if he hadn't known that the Land of Fire still needed time to develop and couldn't directly wage war against the entire ninja world, Uchiha Touhuan would have already begun purging the court of the Fire Capital. Before, in the village, he was willing to play political games with Hiruzen Sarutobi, and even in formal confrontations, he used relatively mild coup tactics, simply because neither of them wanted to destroy their own village. But now, facing these officials and nobles, as long as they gave him a reason, Uchiha Touhuan didn't need to give anyone face.
"By the way, during this time, have someone keep an eye on Asuma. If necessary, send him back to the village. The Third Hokage has already had a hard time; don't let him experience the pain of losing a son again in his later years."
**Need support**
o(>﹏<)o!
Read 10+ Chapters Advanced chapters ahead at Patreon.
[email protected]/Horizons685
(End of Chapter)