Orochimaru was completely unaware of the subtle moves Homura Mitokado had been making inside the village.
The Third Hokage had not informed him.
One was an old friend he had known for years, and the other was his disciple. Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly preferred to keep the situation contained between himself and the advisors, rather than letting unnecessary friction spread.
Even without being told, Orochimaru's instincts in matters of politics were sharp. He could still sense that something within the village was off.
That was why he intended to ask Hayashi if there was any inside information.
And Hayashi actually did.
The village was not governed by a single elder, and the Third Hokage was not the only one aware of Danzo and Homura Mitokado's actions.
Utatane Koharu had held influence in the village for many years. At times, her understanding of the internal structure was even clearer than Hiruzen Sarutobi's.
As a disciple of the Second Hokage, she also carried no particular fondness for the Uchiha Clan.
Normally, she would have stayed out of such matters.
But since this involved Hayashi directly, she chose to give him a warning, ensuring he would not be caught in any schemes laid by Homura Mitokado or Danzo.
Her words were not fully direct, but combined with what Hayashi already knew from his own understanding of the original timeline, he quickly pieced everything together.
"I didn't expect something like this to be happening," Orochimaru said with a cold laugh after hearing the explanation. "The war is still ongoing, yet internal conflict has already begun inside the village."
He understood Danzo's intentions very well.
It was never about the village itself.
It was about power.
If Orochimaru or Hayashi were to rise to a position of authority, Danzo would immediately lose control of Root. The same applied to the three senior advisors appointed by the Third Hokage, their influence would eventually be absorbed by whoever became the Fourth Hokage and replaced with trusted personnel.
The Third Hokage trusted them.
Orochimaru did not.
And neither did Hayashi.
Orochimaru had long been puzzled by Danzo's behavior. His involvement in war command and even experiments related to Wood Release made one thing clear, the old man had never given up on the position of Hokage.
"What do you plan to do?" Orochimaru asked.
Hayashi shrugged slightly.
"They are elders and senior advisors. What can an ordinary shinobi do? Just because I feel slighted, I should go and kill them?"
He continued with a faint smile.
"I'm planning to return and take over as Uchiha clan head. Since we are not welcome anyway, I might as well return the clan's authority back to the village. Let's start with the Konoha Military Police Force."
By dusk, Hayashi walked out of the underground laboratory.
A cold wind swept through the Land of Earth as autumn rain began to fall steadily.
A familiar figure stood waiting outside, waving at him. Hayashi walked over, took the umbrella, and the two of them moved forward side by side.
Looking up at the gray sky, Hayashi spoke casually, though his words carried weight.
He had not been joking earlier. He meant every word.
With both of the so-called "anti-Uchiha" figures currently absent, one stationed in the Land of Hot Water Springs and the other in Iwagakure, neither would be able to interfere with village affairs for a while.
This was the perfect opportunity to begin restructuring the Uchiha Clan and gradually integrate it more naturally into Konoha.
With those obstacles temporarily removed, there was no one positioned to stop him.
Timing mattered. Too early or too late would not work.
The Uchiha Clan needed change.
For decades, the clan had drifted further away from the main structure of Konoha like a damaged vessel separating from a larger fleet. Under normal waters it could still sail, but once storms arrived, it would inevitably sink.
The Nine Tails incident in the original timeline was one such storm. Suspicion and manipulation turned it into a breaking point that destroyed trust completely.
Now that Hayashi was preparing to take control of that vessel, he intended to correct its course himself.
As they approached the tents, Mikoto spoke softly.
"Yakushi Nono is heading to the Land of Hot Water Springs."
Hayashi nodded.
"Tsunade-sensei has gone there as well. Nono is following her. Nawaki will definitely go too."
Mikoto gave a small sound of agreement.
Hayashi added with a faint expression of amusement.
"So he got beaten today, right?"
"Yes," Mikoto replied with a light laugh.
It was almost predictable.
Nawaki would definitely be on the receiving end of Tsunade's fist.
Yesterday, Tsunade had asked him to accompany her to the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water Springs, and Nawaki had refused without hesitation.
But today, the moment he learned that Nono was going with Tsunade, he immediately changed his stance and insisted on going as well.
Tsunade had clearly set the trap, and he had walked straight into it.
It would have been strange if he had not been punished.
Hayashi sighed slightly.
"It's fine. With Minato and Tsunade-sensei there, nothing serious should happen. Nawaki can carry Samehada for now, along with its little snacks, Shukaku's chakra."
Samehada had always shown a strong preference for chakra with high Yang nature. It found it warm and satisfying to consume.
When they returned to the camp, they noticed Himeji and Kushina sitting at the entrance, two chairs placed side by side.
A small fox had several half ripe and half ripe red fruits tucked into its clothes, though it was unclear where it had gotten them.
Himeji was whistling softly, the tone light and pleasant.
When she saw Hayashi and Mikoto approaching, she smiled.
---
At the Konoha Ninja Academy, evening classes were still in session.
Nishimura Sensei was continuing his lesson while the students grew increasingly restless.
He sighed internally.
Soon these children would become shinobi, yet their patience was still so lacking.
It was only a slight extension of class time, yet they were already unable to sit still.
After Kushina left, responsibility for the class had been handed to him.
Despite earning considerable income from his weapon shop over the years, he still preferred teaching and never abandoned it.
People often assumed his life was comfortable because of his business, but that was far from the truth.
His greatest mistake in life might have been opening that shop with Hayashi and Might Duy.
"Ahem, once we finish this final question, class is dismissed."
The noise in the classroom grew louder, forcing him to raise his voice.
"In the third year of Konoha, a ten centimeter insect in the Land of Waterfalls drank Hero Water containing 9.8 grams per liter of chakra concentration at a speed of 0.1 milliliters per second. After resting for five minutes every ten hours, calculate how much chakra it absorbs in the thirty ninth year of Konoha."
"Obito, answer this."
Obito stood up reluctantly, scratching his head.
"Nishimura Sensei, Kushina Sensei never taught this kind of problem. I don't know how to solve it."
He truly had no idea. He had not studied properly, yet still complained about the difficulty.
Nishimura felt a wave of disappointment.
"If you don't know, then listen carefully. This type of question did not appear in previous Chunin Exams, but it will definitely appear in the exam after you become Genin."
Obito frowned slightly.
"Sensei, I don't believe that."
"Then let's make a bet," Nishimura said casually. "A bread maker."
Obito fell silent.
After sitting down, he felt embarrassed from being called out in front of Rin.
However, Rin was not paying attention to him at all. She was listening to Kakashi explain the problem instead.
Obito leaned slightly forward, trying to listen, but after a few seconds his expression twisted in discomfort and he moved further away.
Even Might Guy was struggling. His head kept nodding forward as if he was about to fall asleep on the desk.
Obito instantly felt better about himself.
He reached over and pressed Guy's head down just before it hit the desk.
Guy suddenly jerked upright, alert again.
The class turned to look at him.
Guy's face turned red immediately.
After being scolded by Nishimura Sensei, he sat back down quietly.
"Obito, why did you do that?" he whispered.
"Just helping you wake up," Obito replied with a grin.
"Ah, I see. Thanks," Guy said sincerely.
Obito smiled, clearly satisfied.
At least talking to Guy did not make him feel intellectually overwhelmed.
"I really want to graduate early," Obito muttered.
Guy paused.
"You didn't hear? Kakashi is applying for early graduation."
Obito froze.
"Didn't Kushina Sensei reject him before?"
Guy shook his head.
"I heard it in the village. The Land of Earth forces are returning, and Hayashi is among them. That's why Kakashi can graduate early."
Obito immediately reacted.
"Then I'll apply too."
Before he could finish, two pieces of chalk struck both him and Guy squarely on the head.
Nishimura Sensei sighed.
"You can't even dodge chalk. You are the worst class I have ever taught."
===
Get access to the entire catalog on Patreon, where all chapters are conveniently organized into collections.
If you prefer not to pay for a monthly membership, this is a more affordable option that gives you access to the content you want.
(Buying the collection gives you access to all chapters in it.)
Search for "_Zeph" on P@treon to get started.