UTBW: Ch. 73

The banquet lasted until late at night.

Junichi saw off all the guests, then returned to the clan with several elders.

On the way back, Yuki rubbed his face, sobering up a little, then spoke, "We received a message. It's about Kakashi."

"What kind of message?" Junichi asked casually.

At this point, the only thing worth noting about Kakashi was the Mangekyō Sharingan in his left eye. Beyond that, he wasn't worth mentioning. Once you reached a certain level, even the most dazzling genius became insignificant.

"Yesterday, when our men went to eliminate our enemies, they ran into Kakashi on the way," Yuki said, as he looked at Junichi. "They didn't attack him. But Kakashi warned Hiruzen, who then arrived at the Sarutobi compound much earlier than we expected."

The other elders also cast their gazes his way.

"What do you think?" Yuki asked.

Junichi chuckled lightly, then shook his head and said, "Invite him to the clan compound tomorrow."

If you step forward yourself, then I might as well take care of you.

He hadn't planned to do anything originally.

That Mangekyō should return to the hands of the Uchiha clan. And that Chidori technique, it was quite suitable for the Uchiha as well.

"Invite him to the clan compound?" Yuki asked in surprise.

Junichi turned his head expressionlessly. "When I say 'invite,' I'm just being polite. Understand?"

Yuki immediately understood. The other elders also had an enlightened look. So it wasn't really an "invitation."

---

After the banquet ended, a group of jonin didn't return home but instead gathered secretly at a hot spring inn. Kakashi was also invited to this secret meeting.

"If everyone's here, I assume we all share the same understanding." The host was the acting clan leader of the Senju clan.

The rightful leader of the Senju was Tsunade, but since she had left to wander, the position had to be temporarily held by an elder.

"That is, the Fifth Hokage must absolutely not be an Uchiha!" the acting leader said with a clenched fist, angrily. "Even the Sixth, or the Seventh, none of them can be an Uchiha! Especially not Junichi! If he rises to power, will we even have a path to survival?"

These words stirred the room. All the jonin present nodded with serious expressions.

Junichi was terrifying! Not only was he powerful, but he was also deeply calculating, socially adept, and good at operating within rules. He lacked all the typical flaws of other Uchiha.

What's more, he was only fifteen years old! To be this formidable at this age, what would he become in the future? So, for their own survival and interests, neither civilian jonin nor those from other ninja clans wanted to see an Uchiha ascend to the Hokage position.

"The key now is to ensure the Fifth Hokage is chosen smoothly." The acting clan leader of the Senju wore a solemn expression and spoke in a low voice, "I suggest that once Jiraiya and Tsunade return, we immediately initiate the Hokage selection process."

"Once the process begins, we all vote for one candidate, and completely block any chance of the Uchiha winning!"

Upon hearing this, none of the jonin present objected.

"I have no issue," said Hiashi first. "Whether it's Jiraiya or Tsunade, the Hyūga clan can accept either."

"The Senju clan can also support Jiraiya," the acting leader added.

Seeing this, the others grew more confident. Either Jiraiya or Tsunade becoming the Fifth Hokage would be acceptable to all.

Internal disagreement had vanished. Now, with unified effort, they could definitely suppress the Uchiha threat.

"It seems there are no objections," the Senju acting leader smiled and nodded. "We'll finalize the candidate once they return."

After a brief pause, he turned his gaze to Kakashi. He suddenly called out, "Before Jiraiya and Tsunade return, there's an important task for you."

"Me?" Kakashi was momentarily stunned, looking puzzled.

"Yes," the Senju elder nodded. "We need you to take control of the ANBU and maintain village order."

Kakashi shook his head immediately. "The ANBU only follow the Hokage's orders. I can't do that."

"No, you can," the elder said, eyes sharp and focused on Kakashi. "Your status and reputation are more than enough to temporarily lead the ANBU in this situation."

Kakashi frowned at the words and fell silent. He was the Fourth Hokage's student, trusted by the Third Hokage, and had served in the ANBU for years.

He was also the only son of the legendary White Fang.

With so many honors, he did indeed have the qualifications to control the ANBU, at least temporarily.

The only issue was, it wasn't within proper protocol.

"If the ANBU aren't stable, the village's safety can't be guaranteed," Hiashi chimed in to persuade him.

"You don't want to see the village fall into chaos, do you?"

"This is just a temporary measure."

"We're also worried about what the Uchiha might do at this time."

"Exactly, you know how Junichi operates…"

As everyone chimed in one after another, they gradually swayed Kakashi's resolve. The balance in his heart began to tip.

"…Alright. I'll do it." Kakashi finally nodded after a long pause.

For the village, sacrificing a little of himself was nothing. The Fourth Hokage, Obito, Rin... they had all sacrificed themselves for the village. Now, it was his turn.

"Excellent!" The Senju acting leader beamed with excitement. "With your help, everyone can sleep easy!"

"Yes, yes…" the others agreed.

Kakashi couldn't help but smile faintly.

---

The next day, Junichi woke up early in the morning and began chakra training.

---

[You have practiced Chakra Molding. Proficiency +2]
[You have practiced Chakra Molding. Proficiency +3]
[You have practiced Chakra Molding. Proficiency +1]

---

After understanding that the essence of dōjutsu lay in the completeness of chakra manifestation, he picked up Chakra Molding, which he had once set aside.

It was common knowledge, elite ninjas were able to develop new chakra natures. The underlying logic of this "development" was mastery in chakra molding and control, allowing the spiritual and physical energies to merge more efficiently.

Especially in producing chakra of higher quality.

"I suspect that once Chakra Molding reaches Mastery-level, I'll be able to grasp the ultimate form of jutsu described in legends… Truth-Seeking Balls."

After a round of practice, he paused, deep in thought. He was still far from the realm of the Truth-Seeking Balls. But as his proficiency increased, certain traits were beginning to show.

For example, his chakra nature. He took out a piece of chakra paper and infused it with his chakra.