Naruto: Uchiha Rejects Konoha

For Yagami, dealing with Obito remains challenging. The main issue is Obito's Mangekyō ability—it's extremely troublesome. Ignoring the phasing ability, if Obito isn't careful, he'll slip into the Kamui dimension, making capture nearly impossible.

It's not entirely hopeless, though; Kakashi also possesses Kamui. If he were brought in, it could be used to catch Obito off guard.

However, Kakashi is currently part of the Hokage's Anbu. Doing anything to him now would undoubtedly worsen the already delicate relationship between Uchiha and Konoha.

The Uchiha clan's preparations aren't yet perfect, and acting impulsively is not an option unless absolutely necessary.

Still, while Obito is difficult to handle, he's not invincible. Under the effect of Kotoamatsukami, even he would be vulnerable. There are risks, however, as the eye technique requires time to activate. If the timing is missed, there's no way around it.

But that's not critical—merely deterring Obito would suffice, as he certainly wouldn't want his will forcibly altered.

Yagami then handed Fugaku a letter of endorsement signed by the daimyo of the Land of Water, instructing him to pass it to Itachi. Once the pier was established, Shisui could lead half the clan to the station there.

With the daimyo's approval, even if Konoha had objections, they would be unable to say much. After all, Uchiha's presence at the pier aligns with Konoha's security responsibilities.

This arrangement mirrors the shinobi stationed at the borders—only this time, the contingent consists solely of Uchiha.

Following Fugaku's orders, Shisui departed from the police department. Having temporarily taken on the captain's role, he returned it to Yagami upon his arrival.

Yet Yagami found himself exasperated: Shisui, who'd simply clocked in daily to fulfil his duty, had left a mountain of paperwork behind for him to handle.

Though Shisui's mindset had shifted, his habits clearly hadn't!

Regarding the stack of documents on his desk, Yagami organized them briefly before delegating them to various Uchiha liaisons. If Shisui was willing to handle things himself, that was fine. But now that Yagami had returned, each division could handle its own tribe's affairs.

Seeing the stern expression on Yagami's face, the Uchiha liaisons realized he wouldn't be as lenient as Shisui. They collected the documents and left.

Danzo was keeping quiet, and the Third Hokage had been polite toward the Uchiha. Whether Obito was lying low out of caution was unclear, but since Yagami's return, Obito hadn't appeared within the Uchiha compound, and Shisui's watch had turned up nothing.

For a while, Konoha enjoyed a semblance of peace, and Yagami returned to his previously calm life. But this tranquillity was shattered when a letter from the Fire Country's daimyo arrived.

As Yagami had anticipated, the Daimyo Mansion readily approved the maritime trade project without issue. This approval wasn't just for establishing trade routes with the Land of Water but also for Yagami's broader Shinobi Shipping Plan.

Trade between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water would benefit both countries' daimyo, though it wouldn't directly impact the Uchiha clan much. Yagami, however, wasn't focused on the profits from goods but rather on securing the rights to operate the sea routes.

If others wanted to use Uchiha's sea freight, they'd have to pay fees. And with piracy always a risk, Uchiha would provide protection—services that, of course, would incur additional costs. Also, only this route could successfully transport goods to other countries' seaports, justifying a route access fee.

As the Uchiha clan lacked the resources to support international trade independently, they aimed to profit from their role as intermediaries.

Upon receiving the daimyo's letter, the Third Hokage immediately called in the two elder advisors.

"What does the daimyo mean by assigning Uchiha to guard the pier? What about the other shinobi in the village?" Utatane Koharu asked impatiently, mindful of the limited posts in the village.

Beyond completing missions for payment, each shinobi relies on village positions for income.

After all, not every shinobi has a sizable clan or business, as Uchiha does, to support them without relying on the police department.

For shinobi without industrial backing, the jobs provided by the village are crucial, as they're the primary source of their income.

Small shinobi clans like Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado have now developed into larger clans, but their foundation is weak, with minimal industrial support.

If not for having family members at the top of the village hierarchy, leveraging policies and power to benefit their clans, they wouldn't be able to support so many shinobi.

Beyond the village, another income source for shinobi is being summoned by the daimyo and assigned to strategic locations throughout the Land of Fire, similar to border patrols. These positions are funded by the daimyo himself.

This seaport pier seemed like an excellent revenue source, but the daimyo explicitly assigned it to the Uchiha, which the elder advisors found hard to accept.

"Sarutobi, the relationship between Uchiha and the daimyo is becoming too close. This isn't a good development," Mitokado Homura commented.

"I know it's problematic, but the daimyo even had a rationale prepared."

During the Third Great War, Danzo proposed having the Uchiha clan block Mist shinobi, using their combined strength to halt the offensive.

The daimyo's reasoning is that if Konoha's other clans can also accomplish such feats, he might reconsider his decision," the Third Hokage sighed. The Uchiha's combat prowess is undeniable.

With the primary trading partner for this route being the Land of Water, Mist shinobi are the most likely opponents. There's no one else who can match their force and guard the area.

The air route opening poses risks, as it might inadvertently provide Mist shinobi with a prime launching point for attacks on the Land of Fire.

"Then why not have more than just the Uchiha clan stationed there? Konoha has so many clans—we can form a joint force to fend off Mist Shinobi. Why should Uchiha have exclusive rights..." Utatane Koharu protested.

"This is precisely why I called you here. The Uchiha and daimyo have indeed become too close. According to Anbu reports, nearly all of the daimyo's guards are now Uchiha. It's hard to say that the daimyo's recent decisions haven't been influenced by them," the Third Hokage said, looking weary. Although the daimyo is an ordinary person, he is the leader of a nation and a key financial pillar for a shinobi village. Who would Konoha turn to for funding without the daimyo?

The Land of Fire has rich resources and a favourable climate, but without economic infrastructure, how could Konoha fund itself solely on village earnings? Development aside, even retaining enough shinobi would become challenging.

"So, Hiruzen, are you suggesting... strengthening ties with the daimyo?" Utatane Koharu asked hesitantly.

"We have no choice. We have indeed neglected the daimyo recently. I propose we cooperate with him by forming the Guardian Twelve, a team of elite shinobi the daimyo suggested previously."

At this point, both Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura looked slightly embarrassed, the memory coming back to them.

Initially, the daimyo of the Land of Fire wanted to assemble a personal guard of twelve Jōnin and sought Konoha's collaboration. However, Konoha's higher-ups, including Danzo, dismissed it, feeling the daimyo faced little threat and such a guard force was unnecessary.

As a result of that rejection, the daimyo had distanced himself from the village, occasionally delaying funds to express his displeasure.

Although funding was delayed, it was still allocated eventually, so they hadn't taken the daimyo's discontent seriously.

Now, however, with Uchiha forming a hiring company, the daimyo had hired over 30 Uchiha Jōnin as his guards, including Mangekyō wielder Itachi, who had become a trusted figure by the daimyo's side. The daimyo had effectively adopted Konoha as a "stepchild."

"Is it even useful to agree to this plan now? The daimyo already has more than twelve Jōnin around him!" Utatane Koharu said, frustrated. Other clans' Jōnin couldn't compare with Uchiha's, especially with someone as powerful as Itachi in the daimyo's service.

"So we'll need to negotiate with the Uchiha! If they're willing to advise the daimyo, this arrangement might change..."

The Third Hokage's face looked worn and tired. In hindsight, agreeing to send twelve Jōnin to the daimyo would have been far better; there would have been no risk, and it would have kept the daimyo's goodwill.

Truthfully, the Third Hokage had little desire to provoke the Uchiha. Several recent events had taken their toll on him, but he felt he had no choice.

He knew that his own clan, the Sarutobi, could only maintain its current status through favouritism and privilege. The pier was a lucrative position, both from the daimyo's payment and as a hub for trade. Such an opportunity was hard to pass up.

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