Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

Under the radiant sunlight, the village of Konoha gradually began to regain its vitality.

Following the chaos caused by the Nine-Tails' attack, the rebuilding efforts were in full swing. In a world where war was an everyday occurrence, people's adaptability was truly remarkable.

Since the news of Konoha producing two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan users and the rumored awakening of the Wood Style by Senju Tsunade spread, the borders of the village had been unusually quiet for some time.

As the iconic Hokage Rock resonated with the sounds of construction, Konoha's skilled craftsmen were busy erecting scaffolding to carve a new statue. Meanwhile, no one spared a glance at the defaced statue of the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage had become synonymous with taboo. After all, experiments on human bodies, harming fellow villagers, stealing bloodline limits, and even allegedly orchestrating the Nine-Tails attack to regain power—any one of these crimes was enough to make Konoha's shinobi despise him, let alone all of them combined.

Shirou followed the original handling method of the Third Hokage in the manga and, after letting these rumors ferment for a few weeks, issued a gag order to curb their impact. He strictly prohibited all Konoha shinobi from discussing matters related to the Third Hokage in public, citing the need to maintain a positive image.

...

Hokage Office.

"Hokage-sama, here are the latest curriculum materials for the ninja academy."

Konan, clad in her sleek black outfit patterned with red clouds, bowed respectfully as she placed a stack of documents on the office desk.

Shirou, seated in the Hokage's chair, looked up in surprise at the sight before him, then shook his head and said, "Konan, even though bad news has come from Amegakure about the Akatsuki organization, I believe in Nagato's strength—he'll be fine."

The news about the Akatsuki being wiped out in the Land of Rain was the handiwork of Obito. Though saddened by the loss of her companions, Konan donned her black-and-red Akatsuki attire once more.

Konan, who always exuded a fresh and elegant aura, now carried a touch of cold beauty in her new outfit. Facing Shirou's concern, Konan smiled faintly and nodded, saying, "Lord Shirou, I also believe Nagato will be fine. I'm wearing this outfit because you once said the rising sun symbolizes Akatsuki—and now, the dark clouds that loomed over Konoha's skies have dispersed, and dawn has arrived."

Seeing Konan's smile, Shirou nodded gently. The next moment, his gaze shifted toward Tsunade, who was stretching lazily and playing with a set of dice nearby.

"Tsunade, as Hokage's assistant, you seem to be quite relaxed…"

Before Shirou could finish, Tsunade's expression turned serious. She nodded solemnly and said, "Shirou! The lessons of the past are still fresh in my mind. Back then, it was the obsession with setting up Hokage advisors that caused so much trouble for Konoha.

Although I'm now your assistant, I'll only advise and assist you in times of major village events. Otherwise, I won't interfere with your decisions as Hokage."

Good grief!

 Watching Tsunade's serious demeanor, one might think she was genuinely acting in Konoha's best interest. But the dice in her hand and her nonchalant attitude made Shirou's eye twitch.

It was absurd—but somehow heartwarming. A smile crept onto Shirou's face.

The Uchiha clan was known for their pride, but so were the members of the Senju clan. Tsunade's behavior was meant to reassure others and prevent them from harboring unnecessary suspicions.

"Tsunade, here are the latest revised materials for the ninja academy," Shirou said, handing the documents to her. Despite her initial reluctance, Tsunade's eyes sparkled with interest as she flipped through the pages.

"Shirou! You even included Uchiha Madara in the curriculum?"

Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at him. After all, Madara was a taboo figure in Konoha. To see him featured in the history books was unprecedented.

Shirou smiled and shook his head. "No one is perfect. Just because I'm a Uchiha doesn't mean I should avoid certain parts of history. Nor should we erase the achievements of our predecessors.

Let future generations judge right and wrong for themselves. We must face history with honesty."

As he spoke, Shirou gazed out the window at the busy shinobi outside. With a hint of melancholy, he continued, "This is a world dominated by shinobi, yet even we treat ourselves as tools. That must change. Shinobi are the true masters of this world, and we must remember our history…"

In this distorted shinobi world, it had only been a few decades, yet the villagers had already forgotten the struggles of the past. Shinobi were treated as mere tools for killing.

But under Shirou's leadership, he vowed to change this perception. He wanted every shinobi to realize the glorious history of their village and the great deeds of their ancestors.

Tsunade was momentarily entranced by Shirou's philosophical vision of changing the shinobi world. But the next moment, she smiled and said, "You've got some bold ideas. To think that shinobi, who has always been regarded as tools, might truly change under your leadership."

She shook her head, her eyes filled with admiration and surprise. She had expected Shirou to expand Konoha's military power, suppress dissent, and consolidate his authority. Instead, his priority was to elevate the status of shinobi, granting them the highest respect and establishing them as the rightful leaders of the world.

By giving Shinobi a sense of cultural and historical significance, he was essentially creating a system of belief.

"Even samurai and onmyoji were briefly mentioned—nice touch," Tsunade remarked as she flipped through the materials. The descriptions were brief but effectively captured their combat styles and histories.

Shirou nodded with a smile. "The previous curriculum's lengthy and hollow rhetoric about the Will of Fire was too dull and lacked substance. True ideals of protection and loyalty should be learned from the experiences of our predecessors, not from empty words."

The old curriculum, filled with pages of the Third Hokage's ideology, was nothing short of propaganda. Though effective as a tool for indoctrination, Shirou found it childish and shallow.

"The old content filled five entire books. I've condensed it into two. One covers Konoha's history and the heroic deeds of its shinobi. The other documents the customs and history of the major shinobi villages."

As Shirou explained, Tsunade's brown eyes sparkled with excitement as she flipped through the books. The illustrations were vivid and detailed, featuring figures like the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama; the Demon of the Shinobi World, Uchiha Madara; and the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. Each was accompanied by accounts of their achievements and failures.

This method of recording history was unprecedented.

However, when Tsunade reached the section on the Third Hokage, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. Looking up at Shirou, she teased, "You're petty! All you included was a faceless statue of him on Hokage Rock. And his accomplishments? A single sentence about his long tenure as Hokage.

But his mistakes? Oh, you've detailed those quite thoroughly—even if briefly."

Shirou laughed and nodded. "It's not about targeting him. It's just that the Third Hokage truly didn't accomplish much worth writing about. His policies were all inherited from the Second Hokage and remained unchanged. What should I highlight? His suppression of the Uchiha and Senju clans? His relentless grab for power?"

Faced with Shirou's teasing, Tsunade nodded in agreement. It seemed as though the Third Hokage had governed for decades, but upon careful reflection, there wasn't much in terms of tangible achievements.

It was nothing more than the same old conservative steady progress.

"That's right. During the wars, Konoha had too many heroes, so many that even we nearly forgot. If it weren't for this book of yours, I might not have even thought about it—how many of our heroes were almost buried and forgotten."

After roughly flipping through the new manual, Senju Tsunade couldn't help but sigh with melancholy.

The mortality rate among ninjas was too high, and countless heroes had sacrificed themselves—so many that their names were forgotten. Over time, even their descendants would forget them.

"Therefore, I will arrange for people to carefully compile a record of our Konoha heroes so that the younger generation of Konoha knows who they are."

When the conversation shifted to the Ninja Academy, Shirou smiled and handed over a scroll. "You and I will jointly serve as the heads of the Ninja Academy. As for the shortage of teachers, I've already arranged for some experienced ninjas from the Senju and Uchiha clans, along with a few others, to fill those roles.

As for the ninja training curriculum, there's almost no need to modify it. After all, it's based on the blood-earned experiences of countless ninjas. However, now that the war is over, we can assign even more experienced and skilled teachers to guide the students."

If there's one thing this world excels in, it's the perfection of ninja combat training. Shirou couldn't find any faults with it.

After all, these methods had been honed through thousands of years of brutal conflict—something that couldn't be denied even with decades of criticism.

The most important thing for a person is self-awareness. Professional matters should be entrusted to professionals.

"There's such a shortage of teachers?"

Seeing the contents of the scroll, Senju Tsunade was momentarily stunned before her expression turned into one of anger.

"Damn it! Those old geezers are shameless. To cultivate loyalty to themselves, they refused to let ninja from the major clans take teaching roles, only assigning their people."

But Shirou simply smiled and nodded. This was precisely what the world lacked most, and what he excelled at.

"Only those lacking confidence would do such things."

Although Shirou spoke lightly, his heart was filled with disdain. He respected the ninja combat training system, but when it came to other areas, calling it a pile of trash would be an overstatement.

True belief, he thought, could come from the stories of past heroes he had compiled. These stories alone would be enough to instill the Will of Fire in the new generation.

There was no need for dry, lengthy lectures to forcibly cram these rigid ideals into their minds.

"Not only should ninja academy teachers come from a wider pool, but after graduation, even the jonin assigned to lead teams must include Kekkei Genkai clan members as well."

When it came to team leaders, Shirou pointed out that if a large number of Uchiha jonin were to take on this role, it would be easy to imagine wave after wave of new genin forming bonds of loyalty with their mentors, creating a strong and unified force.

Previously, the Third Hokage had employed a similar method. Even when his clan lacked sufficient personnel, he resolutely avoided using ninjas from the major clans, relying instead on civilian ninjas as mentors.

While this was a means of cultivating his faction, one couldn't deny the simple truth that ninjas from the major clans, especially those with Kekkei Genkais, were inherently stronger.

Not only could they ensure higher survival rates, but they also surpassed ordinary ninjas in ninjutsu and other disciplines.

This was the difference in foundational strength.

"Shirou, the ninja world will change because of you!"

After seeing the changes to the Ninja Academy, Senju Tsunade was truly shaken.

Such open-mindedness, especially in areas that she had considered taboo, was being embraced by Shirou without hesitation, allowing everyone to participate.

During the Third Hokage's era, such actions would have been seen as overly ambitious, clearly aimed at cultivating his power.

This was the difference in perspective. Shirou was standing on the shoulders of giants as he looked out at the world.

"Do you think I would be worried about such things?"

Beneath Shirou's relaxed smile, his eyes radiated unparalleled confidence.

With the transmission of beliefs and ideals, everything he did was for the sake of strengthening the village. As for hidden ambitions? What could they possibly use to manipulate others?

More importantly— power! This was a world where power reigned supreme!

"Lord Hokage!"

At that moment, two figures appeared in the office: a masked Senju Nawaki and Namikaze Minato.

Senju Nawaki, who had been somewhat apprehensive, now looked at his brother-in-law seated in the office with genuine admiration, thanks to the policies implemented during this time.

Even Namikaze Minato's initial worries had lessened. He had thought he would be purged—perhaps not killed but certainly sidelined.

"The Anbu has been completely reorganized. All of the Third Hokage's close confidants have been replaced, and now the force is entirely composed of our people," Senju Nawaki said with a smile, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief after completing his task.

However, Shirou raised an eyebrow, shaking his head and saying:

"Anbu Commander Senju Nawaki, remember this: the Anbu is a force to protect the village, not us!"

Beside him, Senju Tsunade could only hold her forehead in exasperation. Her younger brother had matured considerably but still had the mindset of an average ninja—unfit to be a Hokage or clan leader.

What does "our people" even mean? Everyone understood it internally, but you just had to say it aloud. There's no saving you.

Under his elder sister's glare, Senju Nawaki scratched his head awkwardly.

Meanwhile, Namikaze Minato, clearly more composed, respectfully handed over a scroll and said:

"Lord Hokage, the Root division has been fully investigated. All of Danzo's loyalists have been imprisoned, and the curse marks have been replaced. Some of the older, destroyed records remain irretrievable…"

Listening to Namikaze Minato, Shirou nodded in approval, while Tsunade cast another glare at her brother, as if to say, See? Learn something from Minato.

"Although the Root division acted excessively, this was all under Danzo's leadership. Some of the village's darker operations do require such a unit."

After reviewing the scroll, Shirou looked at Namikaze Minato and said with a smile:

 "Minato, are you sure you don't want to stay in the Root division? Or perhaps the Anbu or the Police Force? You can choose any department in Konoha—you're more than qualified to serve as a director or deputy."

Shirou greatly admired Namikaze Minato, especially now that he was Hokage. He had no intention of letting such talent go to waste.

Feeling the sincerity in Shirou's invitation, Namikaze Minato felt a pang of guilt. He had thought he might face retribution.

However, after a moment of thought, Namikaze Minato shook his head and sighed:

"Lord Hokage, I've seen the darkness of the Root division, and now that I have Naruto, I'd rather remain a jonin for the village."

The explanation was reasonable enough, and Namikaze Minato appeared sincere, but Shirou understood the truth.

Minato was a smart man. He simply didn't want to involve himself in these sensitive departments.

"In that case, you can't refuse the position of Head Security in the Police Force's sub-division."

Moved by Shirou's genuine attitude, Namikaze Minato nodded solemnly and said:

"Thank you for your trust, Lord Hokage. I'll do my best to train Asuma as quickly as possible."

Namikaze Minato was still trying to maintain his neutrality.

After all, as someone who had once competed for the position of Hokage, the only way to avoid suspicion was to steer clear of departments with real power and remain a pure Konoha ninja.

Seeing Namikaze Minato's stance, Shirou nodded with a smile. He knew that some things required time to prove, so he wasn't in a rush.

"Alright, leave the root division to Orochimaru, but let Tsunade handle the arrangements for the deputy division leader."

Although the ninja world operates based on power, he also wouldn't go out of his way to create unnecessary trouble for himself.

All departments are intertwined with various forces, so there was no need for secrecy in his view. As long as everything remained within his sight, Konoha wouldn't be able to turn the tables.

"Minato, you may leave now. As for some matters regarding Naruto, we'll discuss them tonight."

At the mention of Naruto, Namikaze Minato immediately showed a serious expression and nodded solemnly.

He had heard Shirou mention before that there was a deeply hidden, special chakra within Naruto's body, one that even he couldn't detect after multiple investigations.

But he understood—Naruto was just a child and not a Jinchuriki. With Shirou's current position, there was no reason to make baseless claims.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage!"

After Namikaze Minato left, Shirou continued to busy himself with handling all of the Hokage's political affairs in the office.

From time to time, Tsunade would lend a hand, but for the most part, she took the rare opportunity to relax and slack off.