HSU: Ch. 351

The election for the Fifth Hokage of Konoha finally kicked off in a lively fashion. The one in the best mood about this was Minato, who greeted everyone he met.

Fugaku was also in quite good spirits. The smell of ink on him was even stronger than usual, to the point that there were signs that "Fugaku scripts" were about to circulate on the black market again.

Don't misunderstand, none of that merchandise came from him. All of his precious originals were safely stored away. Those guys on the black market claimed that because the ink smell on him had grown heavier, it meant he'd been slacking off recently, busy writing instead of properly going to work.

Even more outrageous was the fact that everyone believed it.

Could this be tolerated?

As Acting Hokage, such profiteering and speculative behavior had to be struck down with an iron fist. With the ANBU of Konoha now operating at peak efficiency, they followed the trail and rounded up a whole bunch of people, sending them all to prison.

These guys didn't use particularly sophisticated methods: they colluded to manipulate the market, buying low and selling high.

Step one: forge documents to open a batch of trading accounts under other people's names.

Step two: select targets and mix the fake with the real.

Step three: move goods from the left hand to the right, using multiple accounts to create sham transactions, driving up prices while fabricating an illusion of supply shortages, then selling in large quantities at high prices.

Fugaku had long been fed up with them. This time, those fools even dabbled in other things as well, bundling everything together, finally giving him a legitimate excuse to clean up the market.

It could be considered a small, practical service he rendered to the villagers in his role as Acting Hokage. After all, the era of the Fifth Hokage was about to begin. As for this matter, even the Fifth Hokage, still going through the formal procedures, personally weighed in on it:

"Tetsuka and I didn't even have time to make a move! It's definitely fake!"

As everyone knew, when the Fifth Hokage said something like that, he was certainly being serious and not lying. After all, every time, he was the one supplying the goods. Although he always denied it, claiming it was Tetsuka's private operation, no one believed him.

In everyone's eyes, Tetsuka was an honest man. There was no way he'd have the nerve to scam his own clan head.

But when the villagers saw Tetsuka, bruised around the eyes yet still keeping order at the polling site, they were convinced the goods on the market must be fake. If they had been real, he certainly wouldn't have been beaten so easily.

---

The villagers' voting lasted roughly three days.

After all, during Minato's era, Konoha had undergone several rounds of major infrastructure projects and large-scale planning adjustments. The population had only grown, and getting every single villager to cast a vote and tallying the results naturally took time. However, to avoid influencing the next round of voting, the results were not announced for the time being.

On the fourth day came the voting by lower- and mid-ranking ninjas.

On the fifth day, the jonin cast their votes.

At this stage, even Minato was required to vote.

All Kage-level figures, within the official structure, were considered jonin. Only the nominees themselves did not need to vote. And just as the people of Konoha were eagerly awaiting the results, a carriage entered the village along with a merchant caravan.

Inside the carriage, a middle-aged man pulled back the curtain and looked out at the bustling streets. His expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he was astonished.

In the villagers' conversations, three sentences out of every five mentioned the Fifth Hokage. And they all mentioned Masashi. On the rare occasions when others were brought up, the background and style were far too obvious.

The man felt deep admiration in his heart.

What kind of people are ninjas, really? They are people who do not take the concept of a nation seriously at all.

What ninja villages care about the least is the state. Don't be fooled by how they constantly talk about "the nation" this and "the nation" that. Deep down, a nation means jack shit to them. Only the daimyō, as an ally of the ninja village, is someone they will truly regard with respect.

If they have no clan, then ninjas care only about themselves. As for the individuals within the organization they choose to attach themselves to, even with collectivist ideas like the Will of Fire, most ninjas are, at their core, refined egoists. For ninjas who won't get out of bed without profit, without visible benefits, expecting these people, who live on the edge of life and death, revel in it, and have no sense of loyalty to country or homeland, to run around for the sake of any one person is pure fantasy.

The last time Konoha's hearts were this united was when the God of Shinobi was still alive. No wonder the Fire Daimyō wanted to come in person.

In the history of the Fire Daimyō's family, such a move had never happened since the time of Hiruzen. This world belongs to clans. The alliance between the daimyō's court and the ninja villages is also a clan alliance.

The Fire Daimyō's family governs the manpower, finances, and material resources of the land known as the "Land of Fire," while the Hokage's ninja clan commands the strongest ninja army in the world. Depending on and supporting each other to ensure the long-lasting prosperity of their clans, this was the original intent. On that list, there were only the Senju, the Uchiha, and the daimyō family.

When the Senju withdrew, only the Uchiha and the daimyō family remained.

A Fire Daimyō who receives strong backing from the Hokage will inevitably be a powerful daimyō. Likewise, a Hokage who receives the Fire Daimyō's full support will hold unquestioned authority within Konoha.

The man lowered the curtain, sealing himself once again inside the small carriage. He touched his chest, where a handwritten letter from the Fire Daimyō to Masashi was kept. Involuntarily, he recalled the first time he had met Masashi.

Back then, the boy was not yet famous. Compared to his clansman who had already earned the title "Shisui of the Body Flicker," he seemed far more seasoned, with a commanding air in both word and deed. Even then, he had known that this youth would not be someone to take lightly, and indeed, that proved true.

Now, he was about to become Hokage. A Hokage with the surname Uchiha!

The carriage suddenly slammed to a stop, nearly throwing the man forward as he drifted in thought. Before he could get angry, the curtain at the front was yanked open, and a head poked inside. Dark bruises rimmed the man's eyes, perfectly symmetrical.

"Who are you?" the bruised-eyed man barked. "Not many people come charging straight at our gate these days. In three years, you're the only one. Impressive. You've got guts."

The man froze for a moment, mostly because the other's eye markings had a strong Land of Wind vibe, and he didn't immediately know how to respond. But he quickly realized the truth.

It wasn't makeup. He'd been beaten up.

"May I ask, are you from the Uchiha clan?" the man asked.

By all rights, someone of his standing shouldn't have asked such a stupid question or given such a low-level "hint." After all, in Konoha, there shouldn't be idiots dumb enough to block the road and rob people. But this guy's face screamed "simpleton." And the behavior of a simpleton was hard to judge by normal logic.

What if he really was just some bored idiot stopping people for fun?

"Yeah. Don't you recognize this?" The simpleton pointed irritably at the flak jacket he was wearing.

The man took a closer look. Sure enough, the Uchiha clan crest was visible at the collar.

The problem was that the other party's "eye makeup" was far too symmetrical. It had drawn his attention, making him overlook that detail.

"I am the Fire Daimyō's special envoy, here to pay a visit to Masashi-sama," he said hurriedly.

---

At home, Masashi was in his study revising documents. Because of the election, he could no longer work at the ANBU office, so he simply moved the paperwork home. The ANBU guard unit was responsible for transporting the documents.

The Police Force had also specially assigned a squad to provide protection along the route. If any spy thought they could make a quick profit from this, they would soon learn the true value of the three great dōjutsu. Since the house had effectively become a temporary ANBU office, it wasn't just anyone who could interrupt Masashi while he worked.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The knocking was so loud that Masashi could hear it clearly from the upstairs study. That familiar rhythm, without a doubt, it was Tetsuka.

Fugaku was, after all, someone about to retire. His ferocity was far less than before. This time, Tetsuka didn't even need to stay in bed afterward.

Masashi first put away the documents, then walked over to the window and drew back the curtain. Through the glass, he saw a carriage parked at the entrance to his home.

How strange. Who could possibly drive a carriage into the Uchiha clan grounds?

Oh, it was Tetsuka leading the way. Then it made sense.

An ANBU guard member darted out.

Although Masashi was already a candidate for Fifth Hokage, and even if something unexpected happened, he would still most likely be elected, he was still the ANBU commander for now.

"Organize all the files. That's it for today. I've already handled the urgent ones. Send them back as soon as possible."

"Yes."

As the ANBU guard reopened the drawers and took out the documents to sort them, Masashi closed the curtains, left the study, and went downstairs to the entrance hall. When he opened the door, he was greeted by Tetsuka's face.

"Masashi-nii, this guy wanted to see you, so I brought him along."

"You could've just brought the person. Why did you bring the carriage in too?"

"I was just being polite. If that's the case, I'll have him take the carriage back out."

Looking at Tetsuka's eyes, Masashi could only say that Fugaku truly lived up to his reputation as a calligrapher. Even when beating someone up, he paid attention to left-right symmetry.

"So, who is it?"

"He says he's a special envoy of the daimyō."

"A special envoy?" Masashi was a bit surprised. He hadn't even gone to the daimyō's residence yet. Why had the daimyō sent someone first?

Could it be that something had gone wrong?

It did seem that during Hokage succession periods, the daimyō's side was always especially lively. The daimyō's children were always eager to build connections with Konoha's ninjas, but they had never managed to extend those ties to Masashi.

In Masashi's view, the Fire Daimyō's children were still far too immature, lacking the ability to be his friends.

He walked toward the carriage.

When the driver saw him, he hurriedly pulled open the curtain, revealing the envoy inside. This man, entrusted with the daimyō's mission and specially come to pay a visit to Masashi, was embarrassed at this moment.

What was wrong with the other Uchiha clansman?

He had shoved him back into the carriage, grabbed the driver's seat, and driven the carriage at full speed straight into the Uchiha clan grounds.

Was this supposed to be "politeness"?

This felt more like he couldn't wait to see him meet a miserable end.

"Masashi-sama." He forced an awkward smile at Masashi. As long as Masashi was satisfied with him, he wouldn't be done for.

"So it's you." Masashi laughed. Wasn't this the same special envoy from when he took on his very first S-rank mission? So many years had passed, and this guy had aged quite a bit. Being a daimyō's trusted aide came with no small amount of pressure.

"That you still remember me is an honor." The man had already stepped down from the carriage and approached Masashi with respectful courtesy. "I come at the daimyō's command to pay you a visit."

"You're far too polite. There's no need for talk of a 'formal visit.' Does the Fire Daimyō have any instructions?"

"I wouldn't... Actually, the daimyō is already on his way to Konoha. He wishes to personally attend your inauguration ceremony."

"This is..." Masashi was shocked. "The daimyō is being far too considerate. The distance between the daimyō's residence and Konoha is great, and the route passes through many remote areas. It's far too dangerous."

"On the contrary, everyone knows that Konoha will soon be under your leadership. No one would challenge your authority. The daimyō will be perfectly safe."

"No. Though I have many friends, I also have enemies. Please inform me of the route. I will immediately arrange for an escort."

Masashi said this with complete seriousness.

Although the Land of Fire bore the character fire in its name, its territory was filled with towering mountains, crisscrossing rivers, and vast forests. Woodlands, gorges, and waterways intertwined, creating complex terrain. There were only a handful of decent roads. Even though Konoha ninjas were stationed along the way for maintenance and patrol, their presence was utterly insufficient for the Fire Daimyō's security needs.

"Come here!" Masashi called out loudly.

Another ANBU guard hurried over to await orders.

"Notify Itachi to lead the special operations unit to meet the Fire Daimyō's entourage. Ensure the daimyō's absolute safety. Also, report the situation to Hiashi and ask him to urgently dispatch a unit to cooperate."

"Yes." The ANBU guard responded, then turned to look at the Fire Daimyō's envoy.

The latter didn't waste any time and immediately provided the Fire Daimyō's travel route.

In truth, many within the daimyō's residence had opposed such a hasty journey, but the Fire Daimyō attached great importance to this matter and was unwilling to miss Masashi's inauguration ceremony. He had traveled light and set out early, which was why he could arrive so quickly. However, when the Fire Daimyō himself traveled, things were far more complicated. There would be accompanying officials and guards, ceremonial processions, advance clearances, and heralds shouting commands. It was a tremendous hassle and made rapid travel impossible.

The envoy had been sent ahead as a vanguard to communicate in advance, hoping that Konoha would fully understand the Fire Daimyō's intentions and cooperate with the schedule. Above all, he needed to convey this sincerity directly to Masashi.

There was also another matter.

"Oh, by the way, the daimyō also instructed me to deliver this letter to you," the envoy said this as he took out a sealed letter from his robes.

It bore the wax seal of the daimyō's family crest. Extremely formal, clearly meant for no one else's eyes.

Masashi first apologized to the envoy, then stepped aside and opened the letter alone. After reading just a few lines, his expression changed.

Madara had appeared at the daimyō's residence some time ago, and had even intruded into the Fire Daimyō's bedchamber. Of course, "intruded" was perhaps an overstatement. He hadn't done anything to the Fire Daimyō. He had merely left a few words behind. As for what those words were, the Fire Daimyō said he would explain them in person.

From the wording of the letter, he inferred that Madara had been fairly courteous toward the Fire Daimyō. The daimyō's emotions seemed stable, his tone not that of someone who had been frightened, but he clearly attached great importance to the matter, so much so that he was unwilling to spell it out in writing. It seemed that Madara had discovered something. Otherwise, he would never have appeared before the Fire Daimyō in person.

Back when cooperation with the daimyō's family had been discussed, Madara had gone less frequently, but his views aligned most closely with theirs. Both believed that the Senju and the Uchiha should take turns ruling Konoha. And for the daimyō's family, Madara, as the original partner, held a status even higher than that of Hashirama.

After finishing the letter, Masashi had a clear idea of the situation.

With a rub of his fingers, the letter crumbled into powder in his hand. Then he turned back to the envoy with a smile.

"Thank you for waiting so long. Please come inside and have a cup of tea."