Chapter 20 - Lottery, Eight Gates Technique!
Nara Shikaku believed he had made the best choice. How could he not know that Hiruzen had leaked the information to pit them against the Uchiha?
If the Hyūga hadn't compromised, neither would they.
But since the Hyūga had already returned the land to the Uchiha, they had no choice but to follow suit. Expecting the Ino-Shika-Chō to stand against the Uchiha was unrealistic.
Besides, holding onto the land brought no benefits. The Uchiha were merely reclaiming what was originally theirs. The majority of the land had been taken by the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado clans.
Yet, these four clans hid behind the scenes, letting the Ino-Shika-Chō and the Hyūga take the fall. What a joke!
They got little benefit but were expected to shoulder the blame?
"But if we do this, won't it cause problems later?"
Yamanaka Inoichi was also worried about creating a rift with the village's higher-ups.
"There's no other way. The Hyūga have already agreed. We don't have the strength to oppose the Uchiha, and the Hokage likely won't offer much help. Expecting us to resist the Uchiha is a pipe dream. Besides, Konoha can't continue to be ruled by a single person's whims."
Back then, Shikaku had seen hope for change in Minato.
But the Nine-Tails' attack changed everything. Hiruzen's return to power brought back the old order.
Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura once again stood at the center of power.
At its core, changing the Hokage was about redistributing the village's resources. But when the same people ended up with the lion's share, who would be happy?
"Actually, this incident serves as a wake-up call for the Hokage. The Uchiha have never been our enemies. We're all clans. Continuously targeting the Uchiha is going too far."
From a broader perspective, Shikaku saw that Konoha's high-pressure policy toward the Uchiha would inevitably lead to problems.
While clans competed for resources, they couldn't sit back and watch Konoha push the Uchiha to the brink. If the Uchiha rebelled, it would be disastrous for the village.
And enough was enough. The Ino-Shika-Chō supported the Hokage, but not blindly. Given the current state of Konoha, the higher-ups had taken too much.
"Alright, Shikaku. We'll follow your lead. Besides, the agreement's already signed."
Akimichi Chōza didn't want to hear any more lengthy explanations. He felt the matter was settled, and further discussion was pointless.
Even if they did this, would Hiruzen really do anything to them?
Let's not forget, the Ino-Shika-Chō had always been an alliance. And according to Shikaku's analysis, both the Hyūga and the Uchiha were dissatisfied with the Hokage. Hiruzen should be more worried about them.
"Sigh, it's a turbulent time."
Nara Shikaku looked out the door and shook his head. "Forget it. Let's not get involved in such troublesome matters. This is a problem between the higher-ups and the Uchiha. Why do we have to get caught up in political struggles?"
After all this, Shikaku decided to see who would come out on top.
Most clans in Konoha could see that the relationship between the Uchiha and the village had reached a breaking point.
That's why Shikaku chose to return the land to the Uchiha.
If they didn't, the Uchiha would explode. But by returning it, they'd buy some time. The Sarutobi and Shimura clans might be unhappy, but at least they wouldn't rebel like the Uchiha.
If it were Fugaku, Shikaku would have thought twice. But Renji was different. His approach was clearly radical. If Shikaku refused, the first to clash would be the Ino-Shika-Chō and the Uchiha.
He didn't want to get involved, at least not to the point of dragging the Ino-Shika-Chō into the abyss.
"Lord Hokage, my apologies, but you four will need to move out today."
After securing the land agreements from the Hyūga and the Ino-Shika-Chō, Renji immediately approached Hiruzen. He didn't want to give Hiruzen any time to maneuver.
Looking at the agreements, Hiruzen fell silent.
He had considered the possibility that Renji might succeed, but he never expected it to happen in a single day.
Danzō had only spread the news today. The entire village was watching. He hadn't even had a chance to talk to the Ino-Shika-Chō and the Hyūga, and Renji had already settled it?
"How is this possible!?"
Danzō's face was equally grim. According to the agreement with Renji, the four clans had to vacate immediately.
"Nothing's impossible. For them, these areas were just scraps. Selling them to us was the logical choice."
"Renji, moving will take some time..."
Hiruzen forced a friendly smile, trying to buy time.
After all, he hadn't even figured out the situation, and Renji had already resolved it. He wanted to see if he could still manipulate things.
"No need. You can leave right away. A day should be enough. With ninja helping, it'll be quick. If not, the Uchiha can provide moving services. I've already sent people to notify our clan to start moving. Lord Third, you wouldn't go back on your word, would you? The whole village knows about this."
Renji smiled at Hiruzen, who was doing his best to hide his anger, though Renji could still see the flicker of rage in his eyes.
Danzō, Koharu, and Homura were at a loss for words.
The Uchiha reclaiming the central area of Konoha was a blow. Their clans would undoubtedly have something to say. This was the heart of the village.
If they hadn't publicized the matter, there might have been room to backtrack. But now that the entire village knew, going back on their word would be a disgrace.
"Of course, we won't go back on our word. But at least give us some time to find new accommodations."
"No, we can allocate some of the Uchiha's current land to you. After all, you once said that living on the outskirts would help protect Konoha. We'll entrust this responsibility to you four. As the Hokage and elders, you should be better at protecting the village than the Uchiha, right?"
Was Renji really going to push this to the extreme?
Hiruzen's eyes darkened, and for a moment, a flicker of killing intent surfaced.
It wasn't just directed at Renji but at the entire Uchiha clan.
He felt his grip on Konoha slipping.
This was unacceptable to Hiruzen.
"I'll have them start moving immediately."
Hiruzen closed his eyes, saying no more. Koharu and the others were frantic. "Hiruzen!"
"Enough! We made a promise, and we'll keep it!"
They had gambled and lost.
Hiruzen admitted he had underestimated Renji.
But this was just the beginning. From now on, he would take Renji seriously as an opponent.
"Let's give it to them."
Danzō broke his silence, not wanting to show any weakness in front of Renji.
"I understand."
The other two, seeing Hiruzen and Danzō's stance, knew they had to relinquish the land.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage. In that case, I'll go organize the Uchiha's move."
With that, Renji stood up and left the Hokage's office.
After Renji left, Koharu immediately asked, "Hiruzen, what do we do now? The Uchiha are running wild!"
Her land!
The thought of leaving the center and moving to the outskirts made her heart ache.
"He's only won this round. The true winner is the one who comes out on top in the end. By giving in this time, we let them grow more arrogant. It'll make our plans easier later."
Danzō closed his eyes, clearly not as calm as he appeared.
"We lost this round, so we'll give them what they want. If we don't, how can we govern the village? That land originally belonged to the Uchiha. Returning it isn't a big deal."
Hiruzen's eyes were deep, his mind already calculating.
It seemed he needed to act faster. Fortunately, he still had a trump card: Itachi and Shisui.
The downfall of the Uchiha would depend on them.
Originally, Hiruzen had been torn between wiping out the Uchiha entirely or leaving some alive.
Now, he no longer hesitated. He realized that Renji was nothing like Fugaku.
He had been treating Renji the same way he treated Fugaku, which had led to his current disadvantage. But next time, he wouldn't make the same mistake.
"What about the Hyūga and the Ino-Shika-Chō?"
Homura asked.
Those four clans had betrayed them too quickly, leaving no time to prepare.
"We can't touch them. It would hinder our future plans. And Hiruzen, you need to consider this: with the Uchiha in the center, it'll be harder for us to act. I told you before to wipe them out early, but you didn't listen!"
Danzō was seething.
Back then, the Uchiha were on the outskirts, making it easy to act without being noticed.
But now, with them in the center, any move against them would be far more complicated.
"Danzō, I've told you, we can't act against the Uchiha yet!"
Hiruzen looked at Danzō. He wanted to, but he couldn't be the one to do it.
"As for the Hyūga, let it go."
Was it because of Hizashi?
Hiruzen sighed inwardly. He couldn't touch the Hyūga. He owed them, and their actions were justified. The Ino-Shika-Chō were even more untouchable. As allies of the Hokage, alienating them would weaken his control over Konoha.
This round was a loss.
---
In the Uchiha clan, the news that they could return to their original land spread quickly, filling the clan with joy.
Living in their current location meant constant surveillance, and the elderly and children had to walk long distances to reach the village center.
It was a far cry from their former treatment.
Now, with Renji reclaiming their land, many Uchiha believed that his leadership was the right choice.
In the meeting room, Uchiha Setsuna patted Renji's shoulder, his face filled with pride. "Renji, you did it. I knew I wasn't wrong about you!"
He had doubted Renji's ability, but Renji had accomplished it in a single day.
"Indeed. Although it worsened our relations with Konoha, reclaiming our land has made the clan very happy!"
Uchiha Tetsu stroked his beard, smiling.
Uchiha Jin remained silent, but his eyes showed clear approval. They were all very satisfied with Renji's actions.
"Sigh, maybe I wasn't cut out to be clan leader."
Fugaku's face showed a bitter smile. During his tenure, every confrontation with Konoha's higher-ups had ended in failure.
Now, Renji had achieved so much in his first act as leader. Although it had strained relations with the village, the clan was undoubtedly grateful for Renji's leadership.
Thinking this, Fugaku couldn't help but feel like a failure.
"We're not done yet."
Renji clasped his hands in his sleeves and walked to the door. Watching the Uchiha happily packing their belongings to move, a sense of pride welled up in him.
He had changed the Uchiha's situation. At this moment, perhaps everyone was thanking him, their clan leader.
[Ding! Successfully altered the plot. Congratulations, host, on receiving a lottery opportunity!]
Seeing the system notification, Renji's smile widened.
With this matter settled, the next plot change would likely involve Shisui and the others.
[Ding! Lottery used successfully. Congratulations, host, on obtaining: Eight Inner Gates.]
[Naruto Renji]: [The Eight Inner Gates? Can't anyone learn this?]
[One Piece Renji]: [It's about releasing the chakra gates to gain power. We probably can't learn it. It's likely just for you. By the way, you've done well over there. I'll get you a Devil Fruit to boost your strength!]
[Demon Renji]: [Oh? You're going for a Devil Fruit? Isn't your era the age of Rocks? Which fruit are you aiming for?]
[One Piece Renji]: [Ideally, the Nika fruit, but it's hard to find. That fruit has a mind of its own. I'll go for the Goro Goro no Mi on Birka instead!]
The Goro Goro no Mi, a fruit that Enel had used well but not to its full potential. He wouldn't leave it for Enel.
(End of Chapter)
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