Uchiha Fugaku walked in front, his face showing no emotion, but a fire burned in his heart.
Money, power... and one more thing.
The daimyo manor was recruiting new concubines.
If he could send an Uchiha woman to bear a child with the Sharingan... Uchiha Fugaku suddenly realized that the position of Hokage he had clung to in the past had become insignificant.
Hyuga Hiashi followed not far behind him, his face dark.
He also thought of the daimyo taking concubines.
This was a more difficult problem for the Hyuga than the Twelve Guardian Shinobi. The Byakugan could not be leaked.
But to refuse the daimyo was to openly defy him.
Hyuga Hiashi felt that he was at a dead end, no matter which way he turned.
Nara Shikaku walked leisurely behind them.
He glanced at Uchiha Fugaku's back, then at Hyuga Hiashi.
Genius training, the Twelve Guardian Shinobi... these were all out in the open.
What was truly deadly was what couldn't be seen.
For example, taking concubines.
The Uchiha saw a shortcut.
The Hyuga saw an abyss.
"Things are about to change!"
Nara Shikaku muttered to himself in a low voice.
Without turning his head, he gently waved to the people behind him.
"Inoichi, Choza, come to my house for a drink."
"Okay!"
Inoichi Yamanaka and Akimichi Choza responded in deep voices with almost no hesitation.
Three figures separated from the crowd, silently walking toward the Nara clan's compound.
In the Nara family's courtyard, deer grazed leisurely on green grass in the backyard, unaware of the chaos outside.
On the stone table, the warmed sake gave off a rich aroma.
Akimichi Choza grabbed a wine glass and drank it in one gulp, placing it heavily on the table with a thud.
His voice was hoarse, and his tone was frustrated.
"What kind of situation is this! The daimyo wants to reach into our minds!"
"Not just our minds." Inoichi Yamanaka gently swirled his wine glass, his eyes sharp. "I can feel that the morale of the village has already begun to waver."
Nara Shikaku leaned against the veranda pillar, watching the deer, and spoke slowly.
"Because this isn't a conspiracy. It's an open scheme."
"Money—giving those civilian shinobi without background a chance to rise. They'll only be grateful to the daimyo."
"Power—the glory of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi can drive any family that wants to prove itself mad."
"Look at Fugaku just now. He couldn't wait to package and offer the entire Uchiha."
Akimichi Choza and Inoichi Yamanaka fell silent.
"Then... what about taking concubines?"
Inoichi Yamanaka's voice was a bit dry.
A child with the daimyo's bloodline—the status of their family would immediately surpass the Hokage.
"This is the cruelest part."
Nara Shikaku sighed, looking helpless. "The Uchiha see a ladder to heaven. The Hyuga see an abyss. And us..."
"We can't do anything."
Akimichi Choza said, "What if we refuse?"
"Refuse? What do we have to refuse with? Do we dare to refuse?"
"Even if our three clans are tied together, can we stop the fanaticism of the entire Konoha? If things go wrong, we'll be isolated."
Akimichi Choza's fists clenched, making a cracking sound. "So we just watch?"
"What else?" Nara Shikaku countered. "Choza, go to the Hokage building now and tell Minato that our Ino-Shika-Cho three clans firmly oppose the daimyo's decision."
"Then tomorrow, the Uchiha will receive double the training funds, and our three clans' children might even have their shinobi academy subsidies cut."
"This is an open scheme. The daimyo puts fragrant bait in front of everyone. If you don't eat it, you'll starve to death."
"If you eat it, you have to listen to him."
A long silence fell over the courtyard.
Finally, Nara Shikaku broke the silence.
"Don't participate, don't oppose, don't take a stance."
"We... just need to watch."
At the same time.
Uchiha clan territory, Naka Shrine.
Uchiha Fugaku sat in the main seat with dozens of clan members below him. The atmosphere was serious.
"The situation is as it is."
Fugaku's voice was steady, but his excitement was hard to hide.
"The daimyo is willing to bypass the Hokage and directly support the geniuses of our various great families. This is an unprecedented opportunity!"
An old man with white hair and beard frowned and said, "Clan head, the daimyo's move is clearly to divide Konoha."
"Divide?"
Fugaku sneered. "Elder, when has Konoha ever been united? When Danzo suppressed us, why didn't he think of unity?"
"Now there's an opportunity for our Uchiha to bypass the Hokage and directly communicate with the highest authority of the Land of Fire. Why should we refuse?"
His gaze swept over the people present, seeing that the clan members were still hesitating.
He suddenly stood up, spread his arms, and his voice was full of temptation.
"Money! Power! These can all make us stronger! But these are not the most important things! The most important thing is—the daimyo is taking concubines!"
"Clan members, think about it!"
He emphasized his tone, each word striking the hearts of the crowd. "If an Uchiha woman can bear a child with the Sharingan for the daimyo!"
"What would that mean!"
The air in the entire shrine was instantly ignited.
An elder excitedly crushed the teacup in his hand.
Another elder breathed heavily, staring intently at Fugaku.
Hokage?
Compared to a future monarch with the bloodline of the daimyo and the Uchiha, what was the kage of a village!
"By then, my Uchiha clan will surely become the true number one prominent family in the Land of Fire!"
"I have decided!"
Fugaku's voice echoed through the shrine. "Immediately select three of the most outstanding women in the clan. Whether shinobi or ordinary clan members, as long as they're beautiful and virtuous, and of firm mind, send them to the daimyo manor as candidates!"
"This matter is decided by me. No further discussion is needed!"
Hyuga clan territory.
The atmosphere was completely opposite to that of the Uchiha.
Hyuga Hiashi's face was pale, listening to the fierce arguments of several main family elders below.
"Absolutely no daughter of the main family can go!"
"The purity of the Byakugan is the foundation of the Hyuga. It must never be allowed to leak out!"
"But... but if we refuse, it's openly defying the daimyo!"
"Then choose one from the branch family and send her!"
"No!" Hyuga Hiashi slammed the table, his voice cold. "The branch family also has the Hyuga bloodline! The Caged Bird Seal cannot lock down the legacy of the bloodline! Once a child is born, the Hyuga will have no more secrets!"
The entire secret room fell silent.
Everyone looked at Hiashi, this young clan head of the main family, who was under immense pressure.
On one side was the thousand-year-old iron rule of the family. On the other was the irresistible authority of the daimyo.
No matter which he chose, it could lead to complete destruction.
He closed his eyes, veins bulging on his forehead. The weight of the entire family was crushing him.
"Stall..."
After a long time, Hiashi squeezed out a word from between his teeth.
"As long as we can stall, we will..."
He opened his eyes, and only despair remained within them.
Hokage building.
Minato Namikaze stood by the window, overlooking the entire Konoha.
The village was as before—people coming and going, peaceful.
But he could feel that beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were surging wildly.
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado sat behind him, their faces pale and drawn, as if they had aged ten years in an instant.
"The Uchiha... have already begun selecting women to send to the daimyo manor." Utatane Koharu's voice was dry.
"The smaller families like Inuzuka and Aburame have also sent people to ask about the specific allocation of genius training funds and the selection criteria for the Guardian Shinobi." Homura Mitokado added, his tone filled with obvious weariness.
"And the civilian shinobi..."
Utatane Koharu closed her eyes, unable to continue.
Without her saying it, Minato also knew.
For those shinobi without background who had to fight their way up, the daimyo's decision was a godsend.
Their support for the daimyo even surpassed their respect for the Hokage.
In just a few days.
Konoha, this village once united by the Will of Fire, had been clearly divided into two halves.
One half consisted of the beneficiaries and those eager to gain benefits, who fanatically supported the daimyo.
The other half consisted of them—the remnants of the old era who held onto the village's autonomy.
"We... lost."
Homura Mitokado's voice was filled with powerlessness.
Minato Namikaze did not turn around. His golden hair looked somewhat dim in the setting sun.
His mind was racing, analyzing every move of the daimyo.
First, use money to buy off the lower ranks, dividing civilians and families.
Second, use power to tempt the upper ranks, intensifying the conflict between the great families and the Hokage.
Third, use intermarriage to bind the shinobi clans, making them his blades.
Every step was open and above board. Every step directly targeted the weakest desires of the human heart.
Flawless.
He frantically considered all possible countermeasures, but every possibility ultimately pointed to the same outcome—civil war, division, the complete collapse of Konoha.
Unless... he bowed to the daimyo.
He once again recalled what the Third Hokage had said.
Do not second-guess. Do not resist.
Only consider how to gain the greatest benefit for the village under the rules set by the daimyo.
But would such a Konoha still be Konoha?