Iruka approached Kuroto and humbly requested, "Hokage-sama, may I have your instructions? The assessnt is about to comnce!"
Observing the students in the playground as they prepared themselves for what lay ahead, Kuroto nodded approvingly. "Very well, let us begin!"
Iruka nodded in acknowledgnt and then proclaid to the students on the playground, "The school's monthly assessnt will consist of a battle drill, and I will now announce the pairings."
"Hyuga Neji versus Rock Lee."
"Uchiha Sasuke versus Uzumaki Naruto."
"Hyuga Hinata versus Shion!"
"Uchiha Kiyomi versus Shimizu a!"
"Haruno Sakura versus Yamanaka Ino!"
"Abura Shino versus Nara Shikamaru!"
"Inuzuka Kiba versus Akimichi Chōji!"
"Kurama Yakumo versus Tenten!"
"Sai versus Shin!"
"…"
After Iruka announced the list of matches for the first round, the trainees readied themselves to face their respective opponents.
Perhaps due to the presence of Kuroto, the Hokage, the children appeared remarkably enthusiastic and eager to give their all.
Witnessing this scene, Kuroto's face lit up with a smile.
Ever since he appointed Kakashi as the ‘Hokage's Hand,' Kuroto had delegated most of the minor official duties to Kakashi and the mbers of the elder council, lightening the burden on his shoulders. Even his Hokage Guard Platoon was no longer by his side; instead, they followed and protected Yui, per his strict orders.
Consequently, Kuroto found himself with an abundance of spare ti to engage in activities he enjoyed. At present, he was simply passing the ti by visiting the Konoha Ninja Academy to observe the progress of Konoha's future pillars.
In this manner, days turned into weeks, and ti slipped away unnoticed. Besides the occasional discussion about the ongoing carving of Kuroto's face on the Hokage rock, which intrigued the villagers, the newly appointed Hokage was no longer the talk of the town.
The aftermath and lively atmosphere of the Godai Hokage Election had gradually subsided, and the village had returned to its daily routine.
However, those with keen observation skills sensed that this apparent calm was rely the calm before the storm, as an undercurrent was brewing. The Uchiha Clan's passive response upon returning to their clan district after their defeat signaled their planning for sothing significant that would impact the entire village.
Consequently, the top managent of the Hokage Faction convened daily etings in recent days to deliberate possible counterasures.
Kuroto did attend the initial few etings—after all, he was the Godai Hokage and was expected to participate in these secretive gatherings. However, as the discussions revolved around the sa tedious issues and counterasures each ti, his boredom eventually got the better of him, and he beca too lethargic to attend.
While the Elder Council expressed disappointnt at Kuroto's lack of interest in such a critical matter, deep down, they didn't truly anticipate Kuroto to resolve this predicant. Consequently, they didn't attach much significance to his absence either.
And so, the days slipped away, and before anyone realized, two weeks had elapsed, approaching the end of the month, signifying the ti for the other Kages to return to their respective villages.
…
Hokage Building, Konohagakure
Uchiha Izumi entered Elder Sarutobi Hiruzen's office with trepidation, and all eyes in the room turned toward her the mont she appeared.
At that mont, Tsunade inquired, "Izumi, have there been any developnts?"
Izumi nodded, her voice sowhat faltering as she replied, "The ti for the rebellion is set at the end of this month, coinciding with the departure of the other Kages from the village."
Sandai took a slow draw from his pipe and uttered softly, "So, it has truly co to this…"
Upon hearing Izumi's report, the faces of the others in Elder Hiruzen's office grew somber. While they had long anticipated the Uchiha clan's rebellion, the actual arrival of this day left them with complex emotions, unsure of the rightness or wrongness of their forthcoming actions.
Observing the silent atmosphere in the office, Izumi tearfully spoke, "Could there possibly be… no chance for redemption?"
Tsunade let out a sigh and shook her head. The situation had reached a point where one side had to unequivocally admit defeat, and neither the Hokage faction nor the Uchiha Clan would willingly concede.
Elder Koharu inquired, "What are their specific plans? Have you discovered anything?"
Izumi nodded, relaying all the details she had gleaned from Itachi regarding the rebellion.
As the occupants of Elder Hiruzen's office learned about the Uchiha clan's intention to infiltrate Konoha Prison and employ a group of hired rcenaries, ronin, and rogue samurai from outside the village, a collective frown appeared on their faces.
The Uchiha clan's preparations were evidently far more substantial than they had anticipated.
Kakashi remarked, "If we allow them to complete these preparations, the situation will beco dire!"
Jiraiya nodded, "While those prisoners, rcenaries, ronin, and rogues may not possess great individual strength, if they are allowed to sow chaos throughout the village, we will need to double our forces to swiftly quell them! Otherwise, they can cause significant harm to both the people and property within the village."
Elder Koharu spoke up, "This is where the Uchiha clan has shown their cunning. Once this ragtag army is unleashed, unlike true shinobi, they will not hesitate to harm innocent villagers. While they may be weak, if we fail to disperse our forces to address this in due ti, the casualties will be incalculable. We must not allow them to breach the village walls under any circumstances!" She then turned to Elder Hiruzen and said, "Hiruzen, the Uchiha Clan poses a grave threat… we cannot afford to be passive this ti."
Hiruzen sighed, "I understand."
If Danzō were present, faced with such a situation, he would propose dealing with the entire Uchiha Clan before they could strike.
Hiruzen was well aware that it was the safest course of action, but pre-emptive strikes against the Uchiha clan before they officially rebelled, would undoubtedly bring about great trouble. Given the current reputation of the Hokage faction, they could ill afford such a loss of trust.
Moreover, if no one else raised the idea, it would not be wise for him to broach the subject either. After all, apart from Danzō, nobody else was willing to bear the bla for "slaughtering fellow village ninjas without just cause."
Sensing Yui's anxiety, who was attending the eting in place of Kuroto, Tsunade quickly reassured her, "Do not fret, everything will pass!"
After so ti, Sandai handed a docunt to Izumi. "This contains the layout and deploynt plans of various institutions within the village. Take it with you!"
Since the Hokage faction was utilizing Izumi's position as Uchiha Itachi's betrothed to gather internal information on the Uchiha Clan, the Uchiha Clan, in turn, was using her status as Tsunade-hi's disciple to acquire intelligence on the Hokage faction.
Thus, Uchiha Izumi served as a double agent, loyal to both her clan and the Hokage faction.
To ensure Izumi could continue extracting covert information regarding Uchiha's rebellion, the Hokage faction needed to provide her with so insider knowledge in order to maintain the other side's trust.
After receiving the docunts handed to her by Sandai, Izumi turned and departed, her expression filled with sorrow. "Am I to be the lone Uchiha who betrays her clan? Is this truly the right path for ? If Itachi-kun were to discover my treachery, he would never forgive !"
…
Uchiha District, Konohagakure
Shinichi, Shisui, and Itachi convened at the secluded training ground of the Uchiha Clan. Assured that they were not being observed, Itachi spoke in hushed tones, "There is a ssage from Hokage-sama. Tonight, the three of us shall et with him to relay the precise details of the deploynt."
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