Naruto: Uchiha Rejects Konoha

Listening to Utatane Koharu's words, the Third Hokage sighed silently in his heart. Why hadn't he thought of that?

But it was useless! People like him knew that Danzō wouldn't do such a thing, yet no one believed it.

"Hiruzen, what do you want?"

Considering his own situation, Danzō was no longer calm. He looked at the Third Hokage with a hint of trepidation and asked.

"It's not what I think; it depends on what the daimyo thinks! Danzō, tell me honestly—have you sent anyone to the daimyo's mansion?"

The Third Hokage stared firmly at Danzō and asked. As long as the people who appeared at the daimyo's residence were unrelated to Danzō, then everything would be easier to handle. He could definitely shift the conflict between Uchiha and Danzō in front of the daimyo.

Not only could it explain what happened this time, but it could also make the daimyo lose favour with Uchiha.

"No!"

The corner of Danzō's mouth twitched, knowing the Third Hokage too well. He didn't dare mention that he had indeed sent people to the daimyo's residence to target the Uchiha.

When it comes to the village's survival, no matter how tolerant the Third Hokage is towards him, he would be abandoned if he crossed the line.

At this point, he had no choice but to deny it. As for what the Root operatives could do for him, that was uncertain.

"Phew! That's good; at least the daimyo won't have concrete evidence in his hands.

Now that the matter is clarified let's discuss how to resolve it. First, we have the village's financial problems.

The most urgent thing is to maintain the stable operation of the village, so let's get through the difficulties together. Does anyone have any objections?"

The Third Hokage took a long breath, relieved that they hadn't reached a point of no return.

Danzō and the others also recognized the urgency of the village's economic issues and nodded in agreement. After all, they had gained much from Konoha, and their families still had some resources left.

"Next is the daimyo. To stabilize the daimyo, we'll need to soften his stance. However, aside from Uchiha, the daimyo doesn't trust the village at all. I intend to get in touch with Uchiha. Danzō, you don't mind?"

As he said this, the Third Hokage glanced at Danzō angrily. Ultimately, this situation was Danzō's fault. If he hadn't persecuted Uchiha so severely, there wouldn't be any reason to slander him like this.

"Hiruzen, do as you see fit. This time… this time…"

Hearing the word Uchiha, Danzō gritted his teeth in anger. The Third Hokage and the others only suspected that Uchiha might be manipulating the situation, but he knew the real story.

Forcing him to cooperate with Uchiha was almost unbearable, as he had dedicated himself to destroying them.

"All right. Uchiha Fugaku, the Clan head, has stepped back from the forefront. Now, Uchiha is led by Yagami. He's not easy to deal with, so don't expect his help without a price. Danzō, you may need to swallow some pride."

The Third Hokage continued while Danzō opened his mouth to speak but ultimately held back. Compared to the risk of being crushed by the daimyo, swallowing his pride was insignificant.

"That's it. After negotiating with Uchiha, I'll go see the daimyo in person. In the meantime, I'm entrusting the village to you. Don't make any foolish moves before I return!"

This last statement held great weight for the Third Hokage, but given the current situation, even Danzō couldn't argue.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for exchanging the daily random product and receiving a chakra internal combustion engine blueprint!]

Hmm? It's actually available!

Yagami, who purchased random items daily, was taken aback. Seeing the blueprint in his hand, he immediately had a new idea.

A chakra internal combustion engine—since this has emerged, it's a shame not to spark an industrial revolution in the ninja world.

To say that the technology tree of this ninja world is a mess is an understatement. There are high-tech instruments, such as computers, in Orochimaru's lab, yet people in this world still travel on foot or by basic means.

Kiri shinobi have developed scuba gear, but boats are still made of wood, and paddling is done manually…

After all, the ninja world has severe class divisions. Those at the top rarely think about improving the lives of those at the bottom. This means that all technological advancements primarily serve the upper class, lacking widespread implementation.

Without broad promotion, technology cannot develop comprehensively, resulting in a disorganized technological landscape across the ninja world.

Furthermore, in a world where strength is paramount, technology mostly serves an auxiliary function. With powerful shinobi around, those at the bottom rarely think of changing their lives through other means.

Currently, Uchiha has established the Uchiha Hotel, leading in the service industry, with clothing design also well-developed, making chain expansion a certainty.

Due to the nature of relationships among various countries and villages, Uchiha's security company cannot expand widely, but its business in the Land of Fire is thriving.

Future shipping management also looks promising. With Uchiha's growing industries, forming the Uchiha Group could establish a strong reputation in the ninja economy.

Regarding the chakra internal combustion engine, the first idea that came to Yagami's mind was to build a car, though not a vehicle for mass consumption.

The control of core technology is crucial, and Yagami does not intend to share the principles of the chakra internal combustion engine freely. Besides normal confidentiality, production control is necessary.

Despite the ninja world's population, few can afford high-priced items, so targeting a luxury market is logical.

By controlling production, they could make the car a status symbol—a product of such exclusivity that even the wealthy might struggle to obtain it.

"Oh! This is a bit complex! The ninja world has links with puppet techniques; perhaps the puppet masters? Sunagakure seems to excel in this field, so I'll check it out another day."

Admittedly, Mingfeng could barely understand the blueprints. After some thought, he abandoned the idea of specializing in research. Success was uncertain, and he lacked the energy to dedicate to it.

After storing the blueprints, Mingfeng felt Konoha had been too quiet lately. Despite his recent actions at the daimyo's mansion, there had been no reaction.

After all, the daimyo is a national leader. Why be so passive? Criticize me! Instead of persistently reaching out to me...

While Mingfeng brooded, the letters from the Fire Daimyo to other nations' daimyos were already delivered one after another.

In Iwagakure, Ōnoki looked at the daimyo's letter, his expression thoughtful.

The Third Shinobi World War had ended inconclusively, leaving Ōnoki deeply unsatisfied, especially since Konoha proclaimed itself the so-called victor. This made him yearn to start a war with the Land of Fire.

After all, Iwagakure gained little from the three wars and was somehow labelled as a loser. Despite never admitting defeat, Konoha continued to assert otherwise.

"I see this as an opportunity. With friction between Uchiha and Konoha, Konoha's overall strength has seriously declined. Now, the relationship between the daimyo and Konoha has soured. Without financial support, Konoha might follow in Suna's footsteps. This benefits us!"

The Land of Earth's daimyo told Ōnoki. Unlike the Fire and Wind Daimyos, who have tense relations with their villages, the Earth Daimyo maintains a collaborative relationship with Iwagakure.

In fact, the Earth Daimyo often participates in the decision-making of the village, making him as influential as the Tsuchikage himself.

"You intend to form a coalition?"

Ōnoki glanced at the Land of Earth daimyo and asked.

"That's right! But for Danzō to act against a daimyo is intolerable."

The Land of Earth Daimyo did not conceal his distaste for such actions.

"Tsuchikage-sama, the Land of Lightning daimyo and Kumogakure have issued an announcement publicly condemning the Third Hokage for covering up Shimura Danzō's actions against the daimyo."

Ōnoki was about to respond when Kurotsuchi entered with the latest news from the ninja world.

"In that case, let's add fuel to the fire for Konoha too! I hope it spreads…"

Following the Land of Lightning, the Lands of Earth and Wind also issued statements. Rumors quickly spread across the ninja world, and many assumed that Danzō's assassination attempt on the Fire Daimyo was a fact.

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage could no longer sit still and rushed to the Uchiha compound, hoping to discuss arranging a meeting with the daimyo.

He could go directly to the daimyo's residence, but there was no guarantee of a welcome! Given the circumstances, who would believe Sarutobi Hiruzen was there to negotiate rather than escort the daimyo to meet the Sage of Six Paths?

If the daimyo refuses to meet, the Hokage cannot force his way in. Doing so would only solidify misunderstandings, potentially preventing any resolution…

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