Hokage Tower — Conference Room
By the time Uchiha Yusuke arrived, Konoha's top brass and the major clan representatives were already seated.
The Third Hokage only gave a small nod, signaling for Yusuke to take his seat.
Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyūga, on the other hand, warmly stepped forward to greet him.
Shikaku Nara's expression was… complicated.
He wanted to move closer to Yusuke, but he also didn't want to estrange the Third Hokage. Caught between both sides, he could only force an awkward smile across the room.
Offend no one. Stand with the Hokage faction.
Even smart people had their own kind of pain.
Once everyone settled, the Third Hokage cleared his throat and moved to the agenda.
1) Itachi's "Defection"
The first topic: Uchiha Itachi killing comrades and defecting from Konoha.
Fugaku's face darkened.
He had raised that son with his own hands—only for the village to shove him into some unknown organization as an undercover pawn.
Anyone would find that hard to swallow.
The Third Hokage knew he was in the wrong, so he didn't push too hard on the Itachi issue.
When two hawkish jōnin proposed sending a pursuit squad to execute Itachi, the Third Hokage shut it down with a single excuse:
"We don't have the manpower."
Yusuke watched coldly.
This "incident" was entirely scripted by the Third Hokage from start to finish. No outsider would be allowed to interfere.
If Itachi was gone, so be it. At least now Yusuke didn't have to worry about how to "place" him.
Someone who could be completely brainwashed by the Will of Fire was exactly the kind of person Yusuke would never dare to reuse heavily.
Even if Itachi stayed in the village, Yusuke would at most stick him in the Police Force or ANBU.
He would never over-promote him.
Compared to Itachi, Uchiha Shisui was far less troublesome.
After the series of political clashes earlier, Shisui had effectively become a member of the "Yusuke camp."
Of course—
On the surface, Shisui still maintained his usual "neutral" stance.
That was Yusuke's deliberate arrangement.
Only like that would the Third Hokage keep trying to win Shisui over.
And only like that could Yusuke maneuver Shisui into higher office at the right moment.
Right now, despite Yusuke's rising momentum, most of Konoha's real power was still held by the Sarutobi faction centered around the Third Hokage.
A foundation built over decades wouldn't collapse overnight.
If Yusuke wanted to shake the structure the Third Hokage had spent his entire life constructing, he had to move step by step.
After Danzō's death, the Third Hokage formed a tight alliance with the two advisors.
Beyond bringing Tsunade back as an outside force, he also used old ties to gather support from many clans.
At this point, the only great clans still able to completely resist pressure from the elders were the Uchiha and the Hyūga.
Many younger clan heads couldn't fully break free from their seniors' control.
That was exactly why Shikaku, Inoichi, Chōza, and others kept their stance so ambiguous.
The Third Hokage might be "setting," but his disciple Tsunade still existed.
And for now, Tsunade clearly leaned closer to him.
If Yusuke could marry Tsunade, people like Shikaku would stop wavering completely.
2) Stripping Tsunade's Authority
After the Itachi topic, the Third Hokage shifted the spear to the next issue:
Konoha's internal distribution of power.
When Tsunade first returned, the Third Hokage gave her a short "honeymoon period."
But now she'd made enough noise.
It was time to take some real power back.
The moment the Third Hokage opened his mouth, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane jumped out to complain.
They accused Tsunade of being overbearing, of ignoring elders, of acting like she owned the village.
Once they finished their theatrics, the Third Hokage "reluctantly" proposed:
Reclaim a portion of Tsunade's core authority.
The room fell quiet.
Everyone could see the improvements Tsunade's medical reforms had brought.
Many had hoped she would drag Konoha into a new era—
But in the end, the conservative faction crushed her without mercy.
The Third Hokage was still the same seasoned politician.
On the surface he supported Tsunade.
In practice he was tightening his grip.
Good thing Tsunade was hospitalized.
If she were here, she might've smashed the conference room to pieces.
Even knowing he couldn't change the outcome, Yusuke still stood and said what had to be said:
"I believe Tsunade's medical reform is beneficial to Konoha's development."
"This project shouldn't be shelved."
After Yusuke spoke, Fugaku and Hiashi also voiced their support.
But the Third Hokage had already controlled the board.
A dull vote followed, and Tsunade's core power was stripped away.
Finance and Logistics returned to the two advisors.
Tsunade was left with only the Medical Department—a "cold bench" position.
Medical reform required immense funding and supply chains.
Without Finance and Logistics, Tsunade would be shackled at every step.
The reform project wasn't officially declared dead—
But it was reduced to a final weak breath.
3) ANBU Leadership
With the first two issues concluded, the meeting arrived at its real centerpiece:
ANBU authority.
Not long ago, the Third Hokage's son and daughter-in-law had died during a mission, leaving the positions of ANBU Captain and Vice-Captain vacant.
ANBU held enormous influence inside the village.
The Third Hokage wanted to put two of his own people in again—
But Yusuke wasn't about to let that happen easily.
The Third Hokage made a long speech, then proposed "Elephant" and "Rin-kaku" as replacements.
Yusuke immediately opposed.
In the past, ANBU Captain and Vice-Captain were at least elite jōnin-level.
Those two were merely standard jōnin—not enough to carry the burden.
The Third Hokage felt a wave of helplessness.
Those were the best he could pull out.
And Yusuke's rebuttal was airtight.
He couldn't just force the decision through.
He still had one card—Kakashi Hatake—
But Yusuke had already stolen him away.
The room split into factions and argued for a long time.
In the end, a compromise was reached:
Tsunade would become ANBU Captain.
And Uchiha Shisui, the clan's genjutsu prodigy, would become ANBU Vice-Captain.
Tsunade might be disobedient, but she was still considered part of the Hokage's orbit—appointing her was "compensation" after stripping her of power.
As for Shisui—
On paper he was neutral.
Promoting him was both elevation and attempted recruitment.
The Third Hokage believed he'd calculated everything perfectly.
But all of it was exactly what Yusuke expected.
Shisui had successfully climbed the ladder.
And Konoha's "changing of the sky" was no longer far away.
4) Akatsuki Intelligence
With ANBU leadership decided, the Third Hokage finally brought up Akatsuki.
"Yusuke, you led the team out—what were the results?"
"I've received word that Tsunade was injured on the mission. What exactly happened?"
Yusuke stood and briefly summarized their encounters.
The room went cold.
Kakuzu—an immortal bounty hunter with multiple hearts.
Yagura—the Fourth Mizukage, leading patrol forces at the border.
Sasori—a puppet master who could fight Tsunade head-on.
And Orochimaru—the Third Hokage's former beloved student…
The Third Hokage glanced at Yusuke without showing it, but inside his heart was full of dread.
So many Kage-level battles in succession—
And Yusuke still returned intact.
That depth of strength was terrifying.
Sarutobi Hiruzen once carried the titles "Professor" and "Hero of Shinobi."
But next to Yusuke, even he felt inferior.
Many clan representatives couldn't stay calm anymore.
From Yusuke's report, Akatsuki clearly contained a large number of S-rank criminals wanted by multiple nations.
A group like that didn't gather to do volunteer work.
Watching the unease spread, the Third Hokage's mouth curved into a small smile.
"Everyone doesn't need to worry."
"I've already sent someone in the shadows to handle it."
The room finally relaxed.
Hiruzen still had enormous prestige.
If he said it, people believed he had it under control.
Most didn't understand what he meant.
But Yusuke did.
"Handle it" meant: sending Itachi into Akatsuki as a planted spy—and securing a flimsy oral agreement from the masked man.
Honestly… Hiruzen really was old.
A veteran politician, yet in his final years he repeatedly trusted "agreements" with no binding power.
In Yusuke's eyes, Itachi's sacrifice was meaningless.
A nameless hero guarding peace in the dark?
No—just a tool used to let others enjoy temporary comfort.
Once the important issues were settled, the Third Hokage announced the meeting adjourned.
Yusuke invited Hiashi Hyūga to dinner.
Fugaku should've been included too, but having just "lost" a son, he obviously wasn't in the mood.
…
Konoha Hospital
After several days of rest, Tsunade gradually escaped the grip of her hemophobia.
Hemophobia, in the end, was a psychological scar.
As long as she didn't see blood, she could return to normal quickly.
Early in the morning, Shizune arrived carrying a stack of paperwork to report.
When Tsunade learned her authority had been taken back, she slammed her palm down—
And shattered an entire row of hospital beds.
She had believed the Third Hokage truly supported her.
But he was still the same as ever: two-faced.
Smile to your face, stab you behind your back.
Tsunade considered storming over to confront him.
But reason told her it wouldn't change anything.
When she was younger, she had hit walls countless times.
Now she was older. She understood.
After Tsunade calmed down, Shizune wiped sweat from her forehead and continued:
When the Third Hokage made the decision, only one person stood up for her.
Uchiha Yusuke.
Hearing that, Tsunade couldn't help feeling moved.
In the past, she hadn't truly hated Yusuke—
But she had definitely bullied him with her princess temper more than once.
She was the unreasonable one, and he kept accommodating her.
And when it truly mattered—
He showed loyalty.
Tsunade thought quietly:
Fine. I won't call you "Uchiha brat" anymore…
From now on, I'll call you "Uchiha little brother."
She didn't go to argue with the Third Hokage.
Instead, she silently accepted her new post as ANBU Captain.
The Medical Department was still hers, even if the reforms would be slowed.
Those old fossils couldn't cling to power forever.
Sooner or later, they would have to step aside.
Returning to Konoha had made Tsunade steadier.
She'd originally leaned toward the Third Hokage—
But now she felt a faint pull toward Yusuke's side.
Taking over ANBU work made Tsunade and Shisui official colleagues.
As a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, Shisui was one of the clan members most devoted to the village.
His ideals aligned closely with Tsunade's.
The two got along surprisingly well.
And through Shisui, Tsunade's impression of the Uchiha changed dramatically.
Back then, the Third Hokage always said:
Uchiha and Senju were destined enemies.
Uchiha were born evil, ambitious, power-hungry.
Now Tsunade realized—
That wasn't the full truth.
According to Shisui, even in Tobirama's era many Uchiha had stepped beyond the clan and served the village wholeheartedly.
The rift between Uchiha and Konoha's upper layers was largely the result of:
Hiruzen's long rule—and Danzō's tyranny in the shadows.
Tsunade had never liked Danzō much either.
If Hiruzen hadn't been protecting him, she would've beaten him senseless countless times.
Now that she thought about it—
Those old men in the upper layer didn't seem like good people at all.
Even her teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen, wasn't exempt.
She didn't completely condemn him—
But her respect had greatly faded.
After the last power redistribution, Konoha's political field became a three-legged balance:
Old faction: Third Hokage + the two advisors
New faction: Uchiha Yusuke + Fugaku + Hiashi
Neutral faction: Tsunade + Shisui
With old and new constantly clashing, the neutral camp's stance became critical.
Shisui was Yusuke's hidden blade.
And Tsunade was now slowly tilting toward him as well.
On top of that, Kakashi, Kurenai, and Guy—the high-potential stocks—were growing rapidly.
Yusuke believed it:
The era of the Third Hokage's one-man rule was ending soon.
…
Moonlit Night — Akatsuki Entrance
A small boat drifted in with two shadowy figures aboard.
"Everyone calls me Tobi," the masked man chirped. "I'm not a formal member—more like an intern who's kinda useless! So… watch your attitude toward me, okay?"
Uchiha Itachi remained expressionless.
"Why hide your identity?"
Tobi answered with shameless nonsense.
"Because if people find out Uchiha Madara is still alive, it'll be troublesome."
"Next I'll take you to meet Akatsuki's leader."
The moment Itachi stepped off the boat, a sinister voice whispered near his ear.
"Well, well… isn't that Itachi? Long time no see…"
Itachi's gaze sharpened.
"Orochimaru?"
Tobi instantly switched to goofy mode.
"Eh? So you two are from the same hometown? What a touching reunion!"
Orochimaru didn't spare Tobi a glance.
"I've heard what happened. You did well. Clan, village, comrades… all of that is nothing but baggage…"
Then Pain spoke calmly.
"Akatsuki's goal is to bring true peace to the world."
"And for that… we will replace the Five Great Nations and rule the world ourselves."
Itachi's expression stayed cold.
"A grand goal."
Pain continued.
"For this purpose, we have gathered many exceptional shinobi."
"We do not ask about origin or background."
Itachi removed his forehead protector and drew a kunai, lightly slicing across the metal.
"From this moment on… I am Akatsuki's Suzaku."
Pain nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
"Uchiha Itachi—welcome to Akatsuki."
...
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