Crimson Winds Of Konoha

Under Might Dai's grueling and unconventional training regimen, Fenghuo's body had finally reached its physical limit. Unless he let his body mature naturally with time, he could no longer make significant improvements. Paradoxically, this was good news—it meant his current foundation had become solid enough to shift focus to other areas.

Although he still needed to maintain a consistent training volume to keep up his conditioning, he now had far more time to allocate to other pursuits.

Each day, Fenghuo dedicated ten hours to chakra refinement. His physical and spiritual energy reserves were both abundant, making chakra molding relatively effortless. He could clearly feel his chakra capacity increasing steadily—bit by bit, like water dripping into a vast reservoir. The accumulation of small amounts eventually became immense, like countless rivers converging into the sea.

At the same time, his mastery over the Shadow Clone Sealing Technique was accelerating. Initially, learning sealing techniques had been an uphill battle. With no foundational knowledge, every step felt slow and frustrating. But once he passed the initial hurdle—and with the guidance of a skilled teacher—his progress surged.

When it came to great teachers, Kushina Uzumaki deserved special mention. As Minato Namikaze was frequently away on missions, it was often Kushina who answered Fenghuo's questions and guided him through the complexities of fuinjutsu.

Their frequent interactions, however, caught the attention of Danzo Shimura. As Kushina was the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, Danzo viewed her as a high-risk asset. The idea of someone like Fenghuo—an Uchiha with rapidly growing influence—getting close to her triggered all his suspicions. If Fenghuo had any hidden motives, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Danzo dragged Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado to confront Hiruzen Sarutobi, insisting on investigating Fenghuo. But the Third Hokage remained unmoved.

Frustrated, Danzo resorted to more underhanded methods, fabricating intelligence that accused Fenghuo of being a spy planted by another village. The accusations were baseless, and the tactics were as dirty as they were transparent.

Even then, Hiruzen turned a blind eye, frustrating Danzo further.

"You think this ends just because you ignore it? Naïve fool…"

In a desperate ploy, Danzo leaked his false information to stir public opinion and isolate Fenghuo politically.

But he hit a wall—a steel wall.

The Konoha Galewind Newspaper, which had grown in reach and popularity, used nearly a quarter of a page in one issue to spotlight two of Konoha's rising stars: Kakashi Hatake and Uchiha Fenghuo.

Kakashi's reputation was already legendary. He had graduated from the Academy at age 5, become a Chunin at 6, and was known as a genius of his generation.

Fenghuo, however, was not far behind. Promoted to Chunin at age 7, he stood out for his all-around excellence in ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, and sealing arts. With the Sharingan awakened early, and potential that seemed limitless, Fenghuo's star was clearly rising. Moreover, as vice president of the Konoha Galewind Newspaper, he had made substantial contributions to its creation and success. His fame in the village soon matched—even rivaled—Kakashi's, and he became the talk of households across Konoha.

In such a climate, Danzo's smear campaign fell flat. His claims that Fenghuo was a spy from another village became laughable. Nobody believed them.

Over the next few issues, Fenghuo and Kakashi were regulars on the front page. In today's terms, they were headline material every few days. Within a month, they had cultivated a massive following. They became the role models of countless families—the kind of "other people's kids" parents constantly used to guilt-trip their own.

Danzo was livid, powerless to stop the growing wave of support.

It was then he realized the true power of the press.

"So that's it... this is the newspaper's real strength! Damn it!"

Danzo had long manipulated public perception through backdoor gossip and whispers in council meetings. But the newspaper could now shape public sentiment openly—and righteously. With such an influential platform, even Danzo's usual cloak-and-dagger tactics had become obsolete. Worse yet, if the newspaper ever turned on him, they could expose the murky activities of Root.

That thought made his scalp prickle. If the press ever publicized the darker secrets of Root, his ambition to become Hokage would be ruined.

"Hatake Sakumo, Uchiha Fenghuo…" he muttered bitterly.

If only he could control the paper... With it, he could force Hiruzen to step down at will.

Resolved, Danzo paid a visit to the Hokage's office.

Wearing a rare smile, Danzo said, "Hiruzen, I want to talk about Hatake Sakumo."

"Oh?" Hiruzen exhaled from his pipe slowly, already suspecting Danzo's angle. "Go on."

"The shinobi world grows restless," Danzo said solemnly. "When Kakashi was sent to the Land of Rain, Sand shinobi hunted him down. If the White Fang of Konoha had still been active, they wouldn't have dared. For the sake of deterrence, I propose Sakumo return as commander of the Anbu."

Hiruzen puffed his pipe calmly, then said, "Sakumo once abandoned a mission to save his comrades, which led to severe losses. As Hokage, I cannot allow him to lead again."

Danzo's expression twisted. That incident again!

If not for Sakumo's disgrace and retreat from public life, the Konoha Galewind Newspaper wouldn't even exist. It was a humiliating irony.

"Hiruzen," Danzo tried again, forcing calm into his voice. "The White Fang's combat ability is among the highest in the entire ninja world. Isn't it a waste to let someone like him rot away editing newspapers?"

Hiruzen remained firm. "No. I won't allow it."

Danzo trembled with frustration. If Sakumo wasn't removed from the newspaper, how could he insert his own operatives?

But he wasn't done yet. Politics, after all, was negotiation.

He offered up further incentives, bargaining in hushed tones.

Hiruzen wavered slightly… and finally agreed.

Danzo smiled coldly. "Since Sakumo will return to Anbu, I recommend myself as president of the Konoha Galewind—"

"Wait," Hiruzen interrupted, putting down his pipe. "Danzo, the Konoha Galewind is a private entity. We have no authority over its leadership."

Danzo's face darkened. "Surely you're not saying that Fenghuo should be president?!"

Hiruzen smiled cryptically. "Your information is outdated. The Konoha Galewind runs on a shareholding system. I, the Sakumo family, the Uchiha, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Nara, Aburame, and Inuzuka clans all hold shares. The president and vice president are selected internally by shareholders."

Danzo froze. His face drained of color.

He had been thoroughly outmaneuvered.

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