Naruto: Fooling the Ninja World, I'm Hailed as a Savior

In front of Konoha's main gate, where the morning mist still lingered.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in his Hokage robes and wearing the Hokage hat, stood solemnly at the very front. To his sides were the three high-ranking advisors, Shimura Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado.

Further behind waited the clan heads of the Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, Inuzuka, and other shinobi clans.

They stood on the street in front of the gate, while both sides of the street were a scene of a human sea.

Even with the Konoha Military Police Force maintaining order, they couldn't stop the villagers from continuously flocking towards them. People rubbed shoulders, and voices buzzed with excitement.

"Lord Clan Head."

An Uchiha clan member named Uchiha Yashiro Shunshined (Body Flicker Technique) behind Uchiha Fugaku. Seeing Fugaku's slightly lagging position among the clan heads, he first frowned, then lowered his head and calmly said, "It's all arranged."

Uchiha Yashiro wore a black tight-fitting inner shirt, with a green sleeveless jōnin flak jacket over it, embroidered with the Konoha Military Police Force's emblem on both shoulders.

Uchiha Fugaku, however, wore a deep blue long robe with the Uchiha clan's fan crest embroidered on the back, indicating that this time he was present as the Uchiha clan head, not as a captain of the Konoha Military Police Force.

"Good. You must maintain order there. There absolutely cannot be any mistakes, otherwise it will be the entire clan's disgrace."

Uchiha Fugaku's face was stern and rigid. After a slight turn to give his instructions, he turned back around. He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who stood at the forefront of the procession, his gaze flickering as he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"After Konoha and the Hidden Cloud form this alliance treaty, the Third's prestige in the village will surely grow even stronger. I wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing."

The Konoha Military Police Force was established by Tobirama Senju, with its members primarily drawn from the Uchiha clan. The main work of the Police Force was to maintain internal public order and stability in Konoha, responsible for setting village regulations, strengthening and maintaining the village's order and security, and arresting people and ninjas with criminal tendencies—excluding those directly under the Hokage, like the Anbu.

Tobirama Senju's original intention for letting the Uchiha control the Police Force was actually good. Although he did consider the Uchiha clan, with their Sharingan, a destabilizing factor, he consistently tried to integrate and guide their power during his lifetime.

However, with Hiruzen Sarutobi's ascension as the Third Hokage, the Anbu, a de facto "special operations organization," had some of its functions replaced by the Root.

Thus, the Anbu began to interfere with some internal security matters, leading to conflicts in function with the Police Force.

One could say that Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzo truly lived up to their long-standing friendship, both coincidentally promoting their directly subordinate "personal guard units." One must remember that the full name of the Anbu is the "Assassination Tactics Special Force," responsible only for intelligence gathering, assassination, protecting the Hokage, and preventing external intrusion.

Yet, most of the Uchiha clan members were unyielding and inflexible. Compared to the adaptable Anbu, Konoha villagers who were penalized generally disliked the outcomes of the Uchiha clan's handling.

Therefore, the Anbu and the Police Force often had conflicts and disputes over enforcement issues.

And Hiruzen Sarutobi's firm but subtle approach to handling their disputes caused the Uchiha clan's dissatisfaction with the Third Hokage to deepen, affecting even the usually calm Uchiha Yashiro with the clan's atmosphere…

Thinking of these matters, Uchiha Fugaku felt a headache coming on, even feeling nostalgic for the time when Minato served as the Fourth Hokage.

Not only because he and his wife were friends with the Fourth and his wife, but also because the Uchiha clan respected that Hokage, who came from a civilian background.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had already retired, but after the Fourth's death, he took office again and showed no inclination to seek a successor, which truly seemed unseemly.

"I'll wait until the alliance is sealed, and then, while the Third is in a good mood, I'll bring up my suggestions again," Uchiha Fugaku mused, looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi ahead.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed in a good mood at the moment. Listening to the excited and adulatory chatter of the villagers behind him, he felt deeply comforted, completely ignoring Danzo's sulking face beside him.

However, his peripheral vision caught sight of an empty spot behind him, and he instinctively frowned.

"Has Hyuga Hiashi not arrived yet?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked without turning his head.

Shikaku Nara, standing behind him, gave a bitter smile internally. He could only pretend ignorance, stepping forward and quietly saying, "We sent someone to urge him half an hour ago, but…"

Before he could speak well of the Hyuga clan, an Anbu ninja Shunshined next to Hiruzen Sarutobi and whispered a report into his ear. Shikaku Nara only vaguely heard words like "Today is the third birthday of the Hyuga Main Branch heiress," and sighed deeply in his heart.

The Hyuga clan's behavior this time was rather foolish. Perhaps in terms of self-preservation, the Hyuga clan was more adept than the Uchiha clan, but neither clan truly possessed political wisdom, and today's event clearly demonstrated that.

And Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze also flickered slightly, a flicker of displeasure passing through his turbid eyes.

Hyuga Hiashi, as a father and clan head, could choose not to come, but if the Hyuga clan truly cared about this matter, they could have sent a respected Main Branch elder.

Their current behavior simply showed their indifference. In their eyes, the three-year birthday of the Main Branch heiress represented the future of the Hyuga clan, its importance far surpassing a "minor matter" like the alliance between the Hidden Cloud and Konoha.

And what Hiruzen Sarutobi hated most was these ninja clans placing their own interests above the village's interests. The Uchiha clan was like this, and the Hyuga clan was no different.

"The Hyuga clan has important matters and cannot attend," despite his deep displeasure, Hiruzen Sarutobi still spoke calmly. "Fill their position and prepare to receive the Hidden Cloud Village's envoy group."

Hearing this, many present were startled. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado frowned. Danzo, whether intentionally or not, let out a faint chuckle from the corner of his mouth, which also darkened Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.

But Danzo did have credit this time, and it was hard for Hiruzen to be angry at him for taking the credit, so he could only direct his resentment towards the Hyuga.

"They're here! They're here!"

Among the villagers crowded like a surging tide on both sides of the street, a child who had climbed a tree to look into the distance suddenly shouted, and the previously noisy crowd instantly erupted.

In the distance, several figures, led by Konoha ninjas, walked through Konoha's main gate.

The three leading Hidden Cloud ninjas wore Hidden Cloud forehead protectors, their dark, rugged, distinctive appearance contrasting sharply with the people of Konoha.

Women leaning out of windows in the buildings on both sides, seeing this, sprinkled the prepared flower petals from their baskets into the air.

In the crowd, Hyuga Kawa watched this scene calmly, a cold sneer in his heart. What a magnificent scene of burning bright, embroidered with flowers. The joy they showed now would be matched by their terror later.

Exchanging peace for compromise? There would be no such opportunity.

"The world is already a labyrinth, why build another?" Hyuga Kawa's eyes flickered slightly. The ninja world held too many secrets, enough for him to do many things.

However, only by stirring up this stagnant water of the ninja world would he have the chance to fish in troubled waters. Therefore, he wanted to bring war early.