After sending off the Cloud Village envoys, Uchiha Ryosuke couldn't help but feel satisfied.
"Looks like I've completely conquered the both of them," he thought smugly.
Apparently, the "big stick" approach really worked.
Mabui glanced at Yugito Nii, a flicker of encouragement in her eyes. But the latter let out a soft internal sigh.
"Perhaps… they misunderstood something," Yugito mused.
She wasn't like Mabui, who clearly intended to have Ryosuke's child out of a twisted sense of revenge against Kumogakure.
Yugito understood the consequences of repeatedly sleeping with a man like Ryosuke—pregnancy was inevitable. Yet, to her surprise, she didn't feel outright disgust toward the idea.
Their motivations might differ, but the outcome would be the same.
"So be it," she thought, too tired to explain her reasoning to Mabui.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage Office…
The Third Hokage received an urgent report from a Leaf Village jonin stationed at the gates.
"Lord Hokage, Cloud Village has once again sent representatives. They delivered ransom money directly to the Uchiha Clan."
The Hokage's face darkened.
This wasn't a small transaction. This so-called ransom was, in fact, compensation for war damages. A massive amount.
He sighed deeply, troubled.
One of the Konoha jonin in the office spoke up:
"Lord Hokage, this ransom should belong to the village. You should be the one managing it."
But the Hokage just waved his hand dismissively.
"Forget it. The Uchiha are too powerful now. After all, they were the ones who crushed the Kumo and led the war effort. Even if we wanted the money, we wouldn't be able to take it."
He was being pragmatic. After Danzo's death—killed in a failed attempt to strip the Uchiha of the police force—he'd lost all his leverage. If he tried to claim the ransom, the Uchiha might very well force him to resign.
"Better to play it safe," he thought.
Still, the jonin protested:
"But Lord Hokage, are we really just going to hand over such a huge sum? Other ninjas also fought in the war! Are we saying their efforts were worth nothing?"
The Hokage agreed internally—they had contributed.
But antagonizing the Uchiha now, especially when they were at their peak, would be foolish.
"Of course they contributed," he said wearily. "But the Uchiha won't share it. If you want it, feel free to go ask them yourself."
The jonin froze. Ask the Uchiha for money? He'd sooner jump off the Hokage Rock.
He sighed and quietly left.
A Month Later…
Peace reigned over the village. It was the calmest month in recent memory.
The Third Hokage had stopped playing political games. Without Danzo, he had no operatives to stir up conflict. Worse still, several influential clans that once supported him were either neutral or leaning toward the Uchiha.
He couldn't afford to antagonize them further.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha Clan, surprisingly, kept a low profile. Even Fugaku, who once harbored thoughts of overthrowing the Hokage, had a change of heart.
Now, instead of taking power by force, he preferred a legitimate, political path. He wanted the Uchiha to integrate into Konoha's leadership, to earn the Hokage seat rightfully—through influence, not rebellion.
"We'll wait for Sandaime to slip up," Fugaku reasoned.
And when that time came, the Uchiha Police Force would move swiftly. The other clans—seeing which way the wind was blowing—would surely side with them. No one wanted to back a dying regime.
Even the most radical Uchiha factions—those once eager for revolution—didn't seek Ryosuke's approval for new conflict.
Why?
Because Ryosuke was no longer just a symbol of strength. To them, he was a hero. A legend.
He didn't need pressure or advice. His presence alone spoke volumes.
And what's more, the Uchiha were finally being respected.
No more hateful stares. No more whispering behind their backs.
Konoha had changed—and it was because of him.
Meanwhile, Ryosuke Trained… Relentlessly.
Day after day, he trained to enhance his physical stats. And at night… let's say he kept himself very "motivated."
All of it served one purpose:
To prepare for unlocking the Sixth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates.
After all this time, his body had reached a new level of durability. Opening the sixth gate wouldn't be reckless anymore—it would be efficient.
He pulled up his system panel:
System Status – Uchiha Ryosuke
Strength: 195 (Hyper-speed training)
Speed: 195 (Hyper-speed training)
Endurance: 195 (Hyper-speed training)
Mental Power: 99 (Hyper-speed training)
Chakra: 12 cards (Hyper-speed training)
Sharingan: Mangekyō Sharingan (Hyper-speed training)
Active Jutsu:
Clone Technique – hyper-speed training
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu – hyper-speed training
Eight Inner Gates – Fifth Gate unlocked
Overall Rating: Kage Level
He had boosted his stats by 60 points since last measurement—a huge leap.
His chakra had increased to 12 cards, thanks to the combined efforts of Mabui, Yugito, and Yūgao Uzuki.
His spiritual energy, oddly enough, seemed to be enhanced by his… nighttime activities.
"Guess love boosts more than just morale," he smirked.
Even without the Eighth Gate, he had grown powerful enough to match most Kage.
With the Eight Inner Gates?
He could easily beat the Fourth Raikage, perhaps in a single punch.
Now, it was time to learn the Sixth Gate.
He sought out Might Guy, asking to be taught the method. Although Guy hadn't yet mastered the Sixth Gate himself, he knew the proper chakra flow paths and acupressure points required for it.
One mistake, and a misaligned chakra path could cause serious internal damage. This wasn't something one could brute force.
Guy stared at him in disbelief.
"You want to learn the Sixth Gate already?"
He remembered how weak Ryosuke had been when they first met. A mere rookie.
Now, Guy himself probably couldn't last a round against him.
He hesitated, then asked:
"Ryosuke… we're still friends, right?"
Ryosuke blinked.
"Of course we are. Why would you even ask?"
He smiled sincerely.
"If it weren't for you teaching me the Eight Gates, I'd still just be a high-level Mangekyō user. Strong, yes—but not unmatched. The Eight Gates changed everything."
Without that power, even his impressive physique wouldn't let him dominate Konoha like this.
Guy relaxed a bit. But one lingering fear still gnawed at him.
"Tell me honestly—does the Uchiha Clan plan to overthrow the Third Hokage by force?"
Read ahead with 90+ chapters now and daily updates!
@patreon.com/Zefyrus