Chapter 237

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[Sorry about yesterday, took a sick day off!]

"Uchiha Madara... His technique can prevent the regeneration of Edo Tensei? It seems this power goes beyond even a Kekkei Tōta."

After escaping, Tobirama used the Body Flicker Technique and the Flying Raijin Technique to make his way to safety, only stopping when he was far away.

Once he stopped, Tobirama noticed that the hole in his chest caused by the black rod hadn't healed, which surprised him. That black rod could nullify ninjutsu.

"If it weren't for the chakra bestowed upon me by the Sage of Six Paths in the Pure Land, my chakra would've been thrown into disarray the moment the black rod pierced me."

And those eyes, the Rinnegan, just like the Sage of Six Paths.

Reflecting on his memories, Tobirama felt that the trouble posed by Madara was even greater than the individual the Sage of Six Paths had mentioned. After all, if Madara were to collect all nine tailed beasts, the ninja world would face ruin.

"Madara's Rinnegan, and the newly awakened Rinnegan, both need to be stopped. But I only trust myself."

With that, Tobirama decided to head back to Konoha and bring his brother back through Edo Tensei.

"Since they sought me out, the Sage of Six Paths must have contacted my brother too. Once back in the village, I'll have Saru mobilize Konoha's forces to seal Madara."

Having made up his mind, Tobirama surveyed his surroundings and started heading toward Konoha.

The place where he was summoned appeared to be in the Land of Grass, and in his rush, he had ended up in the Land of Earth.

...

[Daily Sign-In]: Randomly sign in daily to receive an item, the type varies.

A simple description like that left Yoichi feeling somewhat disappointed. Such uncontrollable abilities left little room for exploitation and relied solely on luck.

If lucky, he could get something incredible; if not, sometimes he'd end up with a rat's tail.

Having accumulated three chances to draw superpowers, he could exchange them for previously drawn powers to handle any unexpected situation. So each month, Yoichi used the new opportunity to draw a new power.

However, luck didn't seem to be on his side this time. He'd have to wait until next month to try again.

Knock, knock!

Someone knocked on the door. Rumi got up to open it, feeling a bit displeased. She had just managed to get Kurenai to leave, and seeing Yoichi lost in thought, she was about to start a conversation when someone else arrived.

Opening the door, Rumi found it was Inoichi, the head of the Interrogation Squad, and she stepped aside to let him in. "Yoichi-sensei, Yamanaka Inoichi from the Interrogation Squad is here."

"Please make some tea, Rumi, and then let me have a word with Inoichi-kun."

After Rimi prepared the tea and served it to Inoichi, she left Yoichi's office.

Once it was just the two of them in the room, Yoichi spoke, "Inoichi-kun, you should be aware of the relocation and re-enrollment plans for the Ninja Academy. Do you have any concerns regarding the academy's enrollment?"

The Ninja Academy had been moved to the outskirts of the village. The school buildings and training grounds were expansive, and starting this year, the enrollment would increase to 300 students per class. The graduation rate was typically around 40%.

Those who didn't pass would undergo three years of additional training in other skills, and by the time they finished, they would be about fifteen or sixteen years old. These skills would contribute to Konoha's development, so the years in school wouldn't be wasted.

Up until now, children of suitable age from various clans had already enrolled, except for four clans that hadn't cooperated.

"No concerns, Yoichi-san," Inoichi said, keeping his expression neutral despite the weight he felt in his heart. "The expansion of the Ninja Academy is a good thing for the village, and the Yamanaka clan fully supports it."

"Is keeping your clan's suitable-age children from enrolling in the Ninja Academy considered full support, Inoichi-kun? I don't like beating around the bush. If you have any issues with me, just say so!"

Yoichi stated bluntly, using chakra to toss a document towards Inoichi, landing it precisely on the table in front of him.

The document contained the names of children from the Ino-Shika-Cho and Sarutobi clans who hadn't enrolled in the Ninja Academy. The Yamanaka clan had enrolled three, but seven suitable-age children had not been enrolled.

Traditionally, three to four children from the Yamanaka clan enrolled in the academy each year, while most remained within the clan.

But this time, with the academy's reform under Yoichi's direct orders, the Uchiha had taken the lead, and Yoichi had convinced the Hyūga clan to follow. Other clans also responded positively.

While every clan had responded, four clans stood out, hiding most of their children within their own clans for training, as they had done for several years.

"There is no dissatisfaction, Yoichi-san. You misunderstand," Inoichi replied, trying to maintain his composure.

"I know whether it's a misunderstanding, and so do you, Inoichi-kun. We both know the reason, so there's no need for pretense. As I've said before, I don't like beating around the bush."

Yoichi pulled out two dismissal notices, throwing them in front of Inoichi, then handed another document over to him.

"When you leave, give this to Shikaku. You three clans should think things through. I don't want to see disloyalty in the village's development, especially when I become Hokage!"

Inoichi's heart trembled at Yoichi's blunt words, and he sighed helplessly.

He took the documents Yoichi handed him, stood up, and left.

Not long after leaving Yoichi's office, Inoichi encountered Sakumo.

"Inoichi-kun, you seem upset," Sakumo observed. His keen intuition caught the slight shift in Inoichi's mood, and he had noticed Inoichi leaving Yoichi's office.

"It's nothing, Yondaime-sama," Inoichi replied with a smile, trying to mask his feelings, though he couldn't completely hide it from Sakumo.

Sakumo spoke earnestly, "Inoichi-kun, you've seen Konoha's changes over the past few years. While I am the Fourth Hokage, much of our prosperity is thanks to Yoichi's efforts. He's about to become the Fifth Hokage. It's best to support him in making the village even more prosperous."

Sakumo's advice was heartfelt. In his view, Yoichi was the best candidate for Hokage.

Comparing Konoha from three years ago to the present day, it was hard to believe the transformation had occurred in such a short time.

The village's strength had grown, and the villagers wore smiles of contentment. Everyone wanted to move to Konoha. Without Yoichi, even just recovering from the post-war trauma would have been challenging.

Sakumo had experienced the aftermath of war firsthand. After the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha took seven to eight years just to recover its strength.

Yoichi's contributions were unparalleled.

"I understand, Yondaime-sama," Inoichi nodded, watching Sakumo walk toward Yoichi's office. He guessed they were discussing the Hokage election.

Five days ago, the village announced the Fifth Hokage election, with Yoichi being the overwhelming favorite. Holding power, backed by the Police Force, village businesses, and the Ninja Park, his election as the Fifth Hokage seemed almost certain.

Inoichi decided to visit Shikaku at the Nara clan grounds, knowing Shikaku wasn't at the Hokage building today.

Upon arriving at Shikaku's house, he knocked on the door and heard a stern voice from inside.

"I'm coming! Oh, it's Inoichi-kun, please come in. Shikaku is resting inside."

The door was opened by Shikaku's wife, a woman who appeared gentle but was known for her fearsome temper, making even Inoichi hesitant at times.

"Sorry to bother you. I have some important matters to discuss with Shikaku," Inoichi said as he stepped inside, changing his shoes and walking into the house.

Seeing Shikaku looking tired in the hallway, Inoichi greeted him with a sense of relief. Shikaku scratched his head and said, "Come in for some tea. I was planning to have a drink with you and Choza tonight, but let's discuss the important matters first."

Sensing his wife's stern gaze, Shikaku quickly led Inoichi to the guest room overlooking the garden. After pouring some water, Shikaku sat across from Inoichi and asked, "What's going on? What brings you here so suddenly?"

"Take a look at this first. Yoichi asked me to bring it to you."

Inoichi handed Shikaku a document. Inoichi opened his own document and looked through it.

As he expected, it was a notice of his dismissal as the head of the Interrogation Squad. Although Inoichi had anticipated this, seeing it still made him feel uneasy.

"Shikaku, yours must be the same."

"Yes, I'm no longer the head of the jōnin squad. Is that one for Choza? I don't think he has any official village position aside from being a jōnin."

Shikaku noticed another document bag in Inoichi's hand and asked.

"No, this is also for me," Inoichi said, opening the document bag and feeling a chill run down his spine.

Inside were three applications, stating: "Application for the Entire Clan to Leave Konoha." Seeing this, Inoichi was at a loss for words.

"Shikaku, this..."

Inoichi showed Shikaku the applications, and Shikaku's face also paled.

If they signed these, their three clans would have to leave Konoha and might not even be able to stay in the Land of Fire. They'd have to find refuge in smaller nations. If they didn't sign, they would have to submit to Yoichi's will. But they had already conceded; they just wanted to preserve some of their old traditions.

'Can't he even tolerate this?' Shikaku clenched his fists slightly, unable to say a word for a long time. The three applications seemed to be meant for the Ino-Shika-Cho clans.

As for why the Sarutobi clan wasn't included, it was probably because Hiruzen was the Third Hokage.

It seemed that Yoichi wasn't afraid of them leaking Konoha's secrets or that he was waiting for them to do so, giving him a legitimate reason to act.

"Shikaku? Shikaku?"

Pushed twice, Shikaku finally came back to his senses, looking at Inoichi. The mere thought of the consequences had made him break out in a cold sweat.

"Inoichi, this may not be Yoichi's final move. He will continue to pressure us, forcing us either to fully comply with his wishes or leave the village. This time, he's serious."

Shikaku told Inoichi, realizing that Yoichi wouldn't stop now that he had sent these documents.

As Shikaku finished speaking, Nara Yoshino entered the room, her expression troubled. "Shikaku, some clan members are here to see you. They're at the door."

Exchanging glances, Shikaku and Inoichi both understood this was likely the next step in Yoichi's plan.

Shikaku stood up and headed to the door. When he and Inoichi reached the entrance, they saw some unfamiliar clan members. They soon recognized them as clan members who had joined the ANBU.

"Clan leader, we've been notified to leave the ANBU today."

"Members of the Yamanaka clan also left with us today. We noticed that only members of our two clans were being removed."

"Clan leader, what is going on?"

Shikaku felt a headache coming on. The first step had targeted him and Inoichi; the second step involved their clans' members in the ANBU. Would the third step prevent their clan's shinobi from taking on missions?

"I'm aware of your situation. Please go back and wait. This matter doesn't concern only our two clans. I need to discuss it with Inoichi and Choza."

Shikaku reassured his clan members and, after seeing them off, knew this matter needed a swift resolution.

"Inoichi, let's find Choza."

Although few members of the Akimichi clan held official positions in the village, they took on many missions. If Yoichi blocked them from taking missions, it would be a severe blow to the three clans.

Without mission income, they would have to rely on the clan's business earnings to support their members. Even so, Shikaku felt that Yoichi wouldn't let them off the hook.

"Such powerful chakra, and more than one... It feels familiar."

On his way back to Konoha, Tobirama sensed several strong chakra presences. Using a sensory technique, he finally recognized whose chakra it was.

"Saru? Why is he in the Land of Earth?"

Though puzzled, Tobirama headed toward Hiruzen's location. His sensory abilities wouldn't lie; it was definitely Hiruzen.

Since Edo Tensei didn't require chakra consumption, Tobirama continuously used the Body Flicker Technique to travel, quickly approaching Hiruzen's group.

As he got closer, Tobirama noticed that Hiruzen and his companions were already on high alert, likely mistaking him for an enemy. However, Tobirama didn't stop using the Body Flicker Technique and appeared directly in front of them, saying, "Saru, what are you doing here?"

"You, you're... Sensei?"

Hiruzen's face shifted from surprise to shock upon seeing the figure that had suddenly appeared before him.

Transformation techniques could deceive people, but chakra couldn't fool him. This person was indeed Tobirama-sensei.

(End of Chapter)