Naruto: Uchiha Plunder System

"Something on your mind?"

"I don't think so."

When Mei responded, Genjo chuckled. "It's that Mirai Uchiha kid, isn't it?"

Mei's eyes widened. "Master Genjo, how did you know?"

Genjo said indifferently, "That guy is indeed good-looking, but he's also extremely dangerous, Mei."

"You'd better stay away from him for now."

Upon hearing this, Mei fell silent.

What Genjo said was true—Mirai Uchiha really was a dangerous individual.

Even if he perfectly matched her taste in men, she absolutely couldn't fall for someone like him.

But still...

Good-looking guys like him were so hard to find!

Shaking away the complicated thoughts in her mind, Mei glanced at Genjo. "Master Genjo, you seem to be in a particularly good mood today."

Genjo smiled. "Of course I am—the negotiations went very smoothly this time."

"As soon as we showed a bit of strength, the Third Hokage was willing to compromise—only demanding war reparations."

"And… to improve relations with Kirigakure, he even went so far as to return all seven of our ninja blades."

"Unfortunately, the Three-Tails has been sealed inside Mirai Uchiha, so there's no hope of taking it back."

"Having a Hokage like him in Konoha really is our luck."

After hearing what Genjo said, Mei felt genuinely surprised.

After all, Kirigakure had not only started the war themselves but had also suffered heavy losses during the conflict against Konoha.

Originally, they had come prepared to make huge sacrifices, yet Sarutobi Hiruzen had been unexpectedly magnanimous.

"Hahahaha... Looks like we've finally proven ourselves to everyone."

Genjo burst into laughter joyfully.

Mei initially felt happy too, but suddenly, an image of Mirai Uchiha flashed through her mind.

Recalling what Mirai Uchiha had told her before, Mei once again grew quiet.

The Third Hokage was indeed weak, but he was already old.

Once the next Hokage took over, would Konoha remain the same?

Especially considering Konoha's rising new generation representative—Mirai Uchiha—who even dreamed of unifying the ninja world.

If the power structure of Konoha shifted and they became the aggressor...

What kind of situation would the ninja world face then?

"Mei, why are you spacing out again?"

Hearing Genjo speak, Mei snapped back to reality and solemnly said, "Master Genjo, we mustn't let our guard down."

"Kiri must continue growing stronger!"

Genjo looked at Mei with slight surprise and softly murmured, "Mei... you've been different lately."

But rest assured, no matter how the ninja world changes, Kiri will always be one of the strongest villages.

Mei let out a light sigh.

Let's hope so.

———

The delegation from Kiri left.

Specific details of the negotiations were not revealed; in fact, many villagers didn't even know the delegation had visited Konoha.

In the past few days, the people of Konoha had been completely captivated by another event entirely.

"Have you heard? Recently, many rumors about Lord Orochimaru have been spreading. It seems like he's involved in something huge."

"Speak softly... I heard that Lord Orochimaru is secretly conducting human experiments."

"How could that be possible? Lord Orochimaru is the Third's disciple. After the Third steps down, there's a good chance he'll become the Fourth Hokage."

"Who knows? Anyway, everyone says Orochimaru secretly uses criminals and orphans for human experimentation. Rumors like this can't just come from nowhere, right?"

"I absolutely don't believe such things. Without Lord Orochimaru, I would've already died on the battlefield. This must be someone slandering him!"

In the beginning, everyone dismissed these rumors with contempt.

But as time passed, doubts began growing in the hearts of Konoha's villagers.

If these rumors were false, how could they spread so widely within the village?

And… until now, neither the Third nor Orochimaru himself had stepped forward to clarify anything.

Could there really be some truth behind it?

Hokage Tower.

Office of the Hokage.

Danzo Shimura pushed open the door and walked in slowly, leaning on his cane.

"Hiruzen, what did you call me here for?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely, "Danzo, was it you who ordered those rumors about Orochimaru to be spread?"

Shimura Danzo replied coldly, "What if it was?"

Hiruzen slammed the table furiously, "Danzo, you acted on your own authority again without my approval!"

"Do you want what happened to Sakumo Hatake all those years ago to happen again?"

Danzo snorted disdainfully. "First of all—you approved what happened to Sakumo back then."

"You were the one who personally elevated him to the position of 'Half-Hokage,' and you watched with your own eyes as he fell into ruin."

"Secondly—what I said about Orochimaru was nothing but the truth."

Hiruzen took a deep breath as he looked at the defiant Danzo. "Regardless, Orochimaru is my student. He's one of my top candidates for the next Hokage."

"Danzo, this time you have overstepped your bounds."

Upon hearing this, Danzo responded firmly, "Recently, Orochimaru and Mirai Uchiha have grown increasingly close. You should know this already, right?"

"You're appointing him Hokage," Danzo said. "The Uchiha Clan will certainly take advantage of this opportunity to regain power. All the efforts our teacher and we have made over the past few decades would be for nothing."

"And besides… Orochimaru is no longer that talent with no backing from a noble clan. He's now the leader of Konoha's legendary Sannin, with countless followers."

"If he seizes power, will there even be space left for us to wield influence in Konoha?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly sat down on his chair.

What Shimura Danzo said made sense. Orochimaru currently had high prestige and his own faction.

Once he became Hokage, judging from Orochimaru's personality, he certainly wouldn't be willing to share power with them old timers.

Furthermore, Orochimaru has always been closely linked with that fellow Mirai Uchiha.

Most importantly—

He himself wasn't planning to step down yet, but the younger generation of ninja kept speculating about when Orochimaru might succeed him…

If things continued like this, staying on as Hokage would inevitably invite criticism.

Noticing the shifting emotions on Hiruzen's face, Danzo rapped his cane against the floor. "Hiruzen, it was precisely because of your weakness back then that allowed Mirai Uchiha to grow into who he is today."

"Will you really allow yourself to make the same mistake twice?"

"Leave this matter to me. I will kill Orochimaru and eliminate all the ninja associated with him."

"That is precisely what Root was created to do."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen abruptly raised his head, his aura exploding outward unrestrainedly.

It was as if a lion had suddenly awakened, radiating an overwhelming pressure so intense that even Danzo felt his breath catch.

"Danzo, don't trouble yourself about Orochimaru."

"Since he's my disciple, I'll be the one to sever the bonds between us."

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