Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

The gates of Konoha were tightly shut for three full days, but the event caused a massive shockwave throughout the entire ninja world.

Three days later, when the gates of Konoha opened, spies, messengers, and merchants from various villages quickly spread news of the shocking events in Konoha across the ninja world.

The Uchiha and Senju clans had joined forces in an armed coup and overthrown the rule of the Third Hokage. Now, the ones in power in Konoha were none other than the Senju and Uchiha clans.

During these three short days, the Sarutobi, Mitokado, Utatane, and Shimura clans had their ninjas recalled to the village under various pretexts, even if they were performing missions within the Land of Fire.

When they returned to the village, still unaware of the situation, they were immediately escorted back by highly skilled Uchiha police force members stationed along the roads leading into the village.

Fortunately for them, except for the Shimura clan, the other three clans had a considerable number of ninjas, especially the Sarutobi clan, which ensured that the power of the Third Hokage's faction relied mostly on his clansmen.

If the majority of them had been ordinary civilian ninjas, this entire operation might have sparked some conflict.

However, after suspicions spread that the Third Hokage and his high-ranking officials had manipulated the Nine-Tails attack on the village to maintain their grip on power, countless Konoha ninjas erupted in anger.

For the first time, these four clans experienced the feelings of suspicion, exclusion, and even isolation that the Uchiha clan had endured in the original story.

...

Iwagakure.

At this moment, as he read the urgent intelligence from Konoha, Ōnoki's eyes widened in disbelief before he slammed his hand heavily on the table in frustration.

"Useless fools! What was Hiruzen Sarutobi doing? How could he be overthrown so easily by a bunch of juniors working together?!"

Ōnoki was furious. He had thought that such a monumental event in Konoha would inevitably lead to a civil war, creating an opportunity for him to reap some benefits.

But to his surprise, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been completely defeated, without even holding out for a single day.

"Useless! Absolutely useless!"

Although he had long seen that turmoil was inevitable in Konoha, he hadn't expected it to end so quickly.

Looking at the intelligence that showed Konoha had taken full control of the situation with minimal losses, Ōnoki couldn't help but lament:

"If I had known that the Uchiha and Senju would team up, I would have worked harder to drain those wolf cubs of their Sharingan powers on the battlefield."

"No! Wait a minute!"

As he processed the information, Ōnoki's mind suddenly clicked, and his eyes widened even further.

"The... the second Mangekyō Sharingan? And Tsunade of the Senju possibly awakening Wood Release?!"

Although the Nine-Tails attack on Konoha hadn't caused significant casualties, it came with explosive news: the Uchiha had been hiding a second Mangekyō Sharingan user all along.

At the same time, during the coup, the Hokage Rock bearing the Third Hokage's face had been obliterated by Wood Release, which was suspected to be Tsunade's doing.

"Mangekyō Sharingan! Wood Release!"

At this moment, Ōnoki's face turned pale, and the long-buried fear in his heart resurfaced. The Mangekyō Sharingan alone was enough to make him nervous, but now there was also the reappearance of Wood Release.

"Gather more intel for me! I need to know everything about what's happening in Konoha!"

The Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki slammed the table in anger as he spoke, but he couldn't hide the trace of terror in his eyes.

If Konoha once again had both Wood Release and the Mangekyō Sharingan, what chance did the other four great ninja villages have?

"No! This can't happen!"

As this terrifying thought crossed his mind, Ōnoki quickly calmed down, his eyes filled with a cold and calculating gleam.

"The Fourth Hokage! Then we must do everything we can to ignite conflict between the Senju and Uchiha clans. These two families have been at odds since the Warring States period..."

As he thought about it, an idea formed in Ōnoki's mind, and he barked orders to his trusted aide in the Tsuchikage's office:

"Have our spies stir up conflict between the Senju and Uchiha clans. If the Uchiha wants the position of Hokage, fan the flames to support Tsunade. If the Senju take the position, provoke the Uchiha..."

This was a common tactic between the ninja villages.

"Understood, Lord Third Tsuchikage!"

A ninja from Iwagakure quickly nodded and responded solemnly, while Ōnoki smirked coldly.

No matter how close the Uchiha and Senju seemed now, once interests were involved, their relationship would inevitably sour.

The position of Hokage came with too much filth and corruption. He didn't believe for a second that the two clans would remain united.

"Don't worry, Lord Tsuchikage. There's no way the Senju and Uchiha trust each other so completely—unless they were born of the same parents!"

A middle-aged elite ninja beside him voiced his thoughts, trying to ease the Tsuchikage's worries.

Hearing this, Ōnoki's expression relaxed slightly, and he nodded in agreement:

"You're right. The Senju and Uchiha are both ancient clans, and their pride is second to none. I refuse to believe these two families will marry into each other!"

"Exactly, Lord Tsuchikage. If they were to marry, which family name would the child take—Uchiha or Senju? And what about the risk of their Kekkei Genkai leaking? It's impossible."

"Lord Tsuchikage's strategy is brilliant. Throughout history, Kekkei Genkai clans have always guarded against outsiders. Most of them only allow marriage through matrilineal lines to protect their bloodline."

The elite ninjas in the Tsuchikage's office began to laugh, feeling confident in their plan.

Bloodline clans were not like ordinary families. Marriages had to ensure the protection of their Kekkei Genkai, and children were often required to inherit the mother's family name. If the father's strength was insufficient, he might even have to take the mother's family name himself.

This was the harsh reality.

With the pride of the Uchiha and Senju, neither clan would submit to the other, and with the temptation of the Hokage position, conflict was inevitable.

However, as the Iwagakure ninjas were basking in their confidence, a messenger suddenly rushed into the room.

"Report... Lord Tsuchikage, this is a letter from the Hokage of Konoha!"

As the letter from the Hokage arrived, Ōnoki opened the scroll with suspicion. But after reading its contents, he was completely dumbfounded.

"Lord Tsuchikage?"

The other ninjas in the office looked confused as they stared at Ōnoki's stunned expression.

The next moment, the Tsuchikage's office erupted with Ōnoki's furious shouting.

"Unbelievable! Konoha! Uchiha and Senju—fine! So this is how you want to play it?! Do you take Iwagakure for fools?!"

What had left the Third Tsuchikage so shaken was the letter from Konoha, sent in the name of the Hokage. It was an invitation for Iwagakure to attend two major events: the formal inauguration of Konoha's new Hokage and the official marriage of the Uchiha and Senju clans.

They were truly getting married!

And they weren't even hiding it. Uchiha would remain Uchiha, and Senju would remain Senju!

Not only that, but the letter also announced that intermarriage between the two clans would no longer be restricted. Marriages, funerals, and other ceremonies would proceed as normal.

In other words, if a Senju married a Uchiha woman and their child awakened the Sharingan, the child could still take the Senju name.

This revelation left Ōnoki completely stunned.

"Unbelievable! Are Uchiha Shirou and Tsunade insane?! Aren't they worried about their Kekkei Genkai leaking?!"

Even now, Ōnoki couldn't believe it. He stared at the letter in his hands with wide eyes. It was absurd!

This was even more shocking than the overthrow of Hiruzen Sarutobi. It shattered the rules that bloodline clans had followed for thousands of years.

And it wasn't just Iwagakure—Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and every other notable ninja village in the world had received the same letter.

An invitation to Konoha, to witness the Hokage's inauguration and the historic union of the two strongest clans in the ninja world. It was a blatant move to collect gifts!

...

Hidden Cloud Village.

"Damn it! How dare Konoha invite us Cloud Ninja to attend their ceremony! If I could, I'd crush Konoha into pieces!"

Upon receiving the invitation letter, A, the newly appointed Fourth Raikage who had just recently lost his father, roared in fury.

However, despite their anger, the group of Kumo ninjas in the Raikage's office were more helpless than enraged.

After the Third Great Ninja War, the Hidden Cloud Village once hailed as the second-strongest ninja village after Konoha, had fallen nearly to the bottom due to internal divisions among its populace.

"Lord Fourth Raikage, according to the intelligence brought back by merchants, during the Nine-Tails' attack on their village, the Uchiha clan revealed another pair of Mangekyō Sharingan. And on the day of their coup, many people claimed to have seen Wood Release techniques displayed on the Hokage Rock..."

Hearing this, the Fourth Raikage A's pupils contracted, and he slammed his fist into his desk, shattering it in anger.

"Damn it! Another Mangekyō Sharingan, and Wood Release too! Damn Konoha!"

"What about our spies? Why is intelligence coming from merchants? Why has our information network gotten so slow?"

A, still adjusting to his new role as the Fourth Raikage, erupted in fury. However, a Kumo ninja nearby sighed helplessly and explained:

"Lord Fourth Raikage, most of our former spies were either fair-skinned or mixed-race. After all, with our dark skin, it's far too easy for us to be identified. But because of the war..."

The tactful response made the usually hot-tempered Fourth Raikage A look visibly frustrated.

Due to the complete split between the dark-skinned and fair-skinned populations of the Hidden Cloud Village, the intelligence department was nearly paralyzed. The reason was simple: dark-skinned ninja excelled at strength and destruction, but their distinct appearance made espionage almost impossible.

As a result, intelligence work has always been carried out by fair-skinned individuals. Now, with the Hidden Cloud composed entirely of dark-skinned ninjas, while the village had stabilized, its intelligence capabilities had suffered severely.

"Strengthen the intelligence department's efforts immediately. No matter if we have to bribe or train new operatives, we cannot afford to be careless."

"Yes, sir!"

Despite his anger, the Fourth Raikage A knew the importance of the current situation. This was not the time to let his rage overtake him, nor was it the moment to avenge his father.

"Then, Lord Raikage, what about the ceremony?"

A Cloud ninja cautiously asked, and the Fourth Raikage A gritted his teeth and growled, "Go! Send someone to attend! We will go openly and with dignity!"

"While we're there, investigate Konoha thoroughly inside and out! The Uchiha and Senju have now openly displayed their power. I want to see just how strong these so-called strongest clans in the ninja world are!"

"Yes, sir!"

...

Wind Country – Hidden Sand Village.

"Lord Kazekage, withdraw the ninja from the front lines. This is the perfect time to visit Konoha for negotiations."

Ebizō sighed and shook his head. After the Third Great Ninja War, it had seemed inevitable that the Sand Village, as the first to stir up conflict, would suffer the greatest losses.

But unexpectedly, the Hidden Cloud's internal division and the Hidden Mist Village's chaotic rebellion had left the Sand Village in a relatively better position.

Rasa, the newly appointed Fourth Kazekage, turned his gaze to Chiyo upon hearing this suggestion.

After all, he had just ascended to leadership, and the true power of the Sand Village still rested in the hands of the two elders.

To his surprise, Chiyo snorted coldly in response to his silent inquiry.

"Rasa, you are the Kazekage now. The affairs of the village are your responsibility to decide. There's no need to consider us. Unlike Konoha's old relics, we won't cling to our positions until we're practically in the grave!"

"Ebizō's intelligence department and my puppet division secrets—train trustworthy successors for them as soon as possible. We won't make the same mistake as Konoha's Hiruzen Sarutobi."

Chiyo's blunt attitude left Rasa slightly embarrassed. However, deep down, he felt immense gratitude toward the two elders.

After all, it was thanks to their unwavering support that he had been able to assume his position so smoothly. Their willingness to step aside and encourage him to cultivate his loyal subordinates only deepened his appreciation.

This trust and willingness to relinquish power would earn anyone's gratitude.

"Elder Chiyo, I believe we should send someone to the ceremony. After all, Konoha has just endured the Nine-Tails' attack, as well as the Uchiha and Senju coup.

According to the intelligence department, Senju Nawaki is alive, and there are even rumors that Tsunade has awakened the Wood Release."

Rasa calmly shared his thoughts, prompting a nod of approval from Ebizō.

"Well said. We should indeed go and observe. If it's true that Konoha now possesses both the Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release, then this era is no longer one where the Sand Village should oppose Konoha."

Ebizō and Chiyo, having lived through that era, naturally understood the terrifying power of these abilities. Though they hadn't witnessed it firsthand, they knew of the legendary figures who had dominated their time.

The reappearance of the Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release in Konoha was nothing short of earth-shattering news.

At the same time, Konoha seemed to be deliberately spreading this information, allowing it to ripple through the ninja world like a hurricane.

The legends of Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release, which once suppressed an entire era, quickly reignited awe and fear across the lands.

Now, Konoha boasted not one but two Mangekyō Sharingan users, alongside the re-emergence of Wood Release!

After the Third Great Ninja War, every major village suffered significant losses. Even Konoha had not escaped unscathed. However, when it came to high-level combat power, Konoha had far surpassed the other four great ninja villages.

The fourth Hokage Uchiha Shirou and Uchiha Mikoto, wielders of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Senju Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya, the legendary Sannin. Tsunade was even rumored to have awakened the Wood Release.

Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.

Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash.

Might Duy, master of the Eight Gates.

Even their openly known Kage-level combatants were enough to intimidate the ninja world, not to mention the presence of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Danzō Shimura.

When the major ninja villages scrutinized Konoha's power, they were left in utter shock. This was after Konoha had lost two Kage-level ninjas in its internal power struggle.

If not for that, the other villages dared not imagine how overwhelmingly strong Konoha could have been.

Now they understood why it had taken four allied ninja villages over six years to fight Konoha, only to ultimately be pushed back.

The depth of Konoha's strength was nothing short of terrifying.