The appointment of the Fourth Hokage marked the beginning of a new era for Konoha.
To stabilize Minato Namikaze's position, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, assisted him in implementing policies that appealed to both the people and the various influential clans. These measures significantly bolstered Minato's prestige.
Interestingly, whether intentional or not, many of these policies prominently featured Hiruzen's name, as if to remind everyone that the Third Hokage was still very much present in Konoha.
A Time of Peace
With these changes, Konoha entered a relatively peaceful period.
Time flew by, and soon it was December 25th of Konoha's 47th year.
Perhaps because the year was drawing to a close, the atmosphere of peace and progress in the village became even stronger. Thanks to Konoha's victory in the Third Great Ninja War, its reputation soared across the shinobi world, solidifying its status as the strongest village. The other Great Shinobi Villages—Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure—were hesitant to challenge Konoha's dominance.
However, beneath the surface of this prosperity, unseen tensions were beginning to rise within the village, signaling the onset of change.
A Leisurely Evening
At the end of another uneventful day at work, Yuta Uchiha invited Yugao Uzuki and Kurenai Yuhi out for dinner.
Now an Elite Jonin, Yuta held a high-ranking position within the Konoha Military Police Force. This meant he no longer had to deal with trivial tasks, allowing him to enjoy a more relaxed routine.
This led to an amusing dynamic—whenever Yuta arrived at the police force headquarters, he simply issued a few orders and then spent the rest of the day leisurely avoiding work.
At Ichiraku Ramen…
"Ahh, I'm stuffed! That was so good!" Yugao stretched with a satisfied smile.
"Teuchi's ramen really is the best," Kurenai added, rubbing her stomach happily.
Yuta let out a contented sigh and patted his belly. "Yeah, that hit the spot."
During this period, life had been peaceful. The Uchiha clan no longer bothered him, and in fact, the clan leader, Fugaku Uchiha, even increased his resource allocation. Meanwhile, Konoha's leadership was busy stabilizing Minato's rule, temporarily halting their usual political maneuvers against the Uchiha.
But Yuta knew this peace wouldn't last.
A Shadow Looming
With a quiet sigh, he thought to himself, If I remember correctly, next year—Konoha Year 48—the Nine-Tails attack will change everything. The fate of the Uchiha clan… and the entire village will be rewritten.
"Yuta-kun, are you okay?" Kurenai's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She looked at him with concern.
"I'm fine," Yuta replied with a relaxed smile. "Let's head to the training ground."
"Hm? Oh, sure!" Yugao nodded eagerly.
Kurenai also smiled. "Alright, let's go!"
Yuta had been training them for a while now. He often reminded them that their strength was still lacking and that if war ever came again, they needed to be able to protect themselves.
A Chance Encounter
Fifteen minutes later, the trio arrived at one of Konoha's training grounds—only to run into three familiar faces: Might Guy, Kakashi Hatake, and Asuma Sarutobi.
"Hahaha! Yuta! Are you here to train too?"
Might Guy beamed at him, his thick eyebrows rising as he flashed his signature grin. "I just passed my Jonin exam! From now on, I'm officially a Taijutsu specialist!"
Tears of joy streamed down his face as he declared his success.
"…That's great, Guy," Kakashi muttered, rubbing the back of his head. Asuma, standing beside him, simply sighed, clearly used to Guy's antics.
The two had only tagged along with Guy because they had nothing better to do. They hadn't expected to run into Yuta.
Kakashi glanced at Yuta and said, "It's been a while."
"Yeah, it has," Yuta responded casually.
They weren't strangers to each other. Ever since Minato became Hokage, Kakashi had joined the ANBU and frequently crossed paths with the Konoha Military Police Force during joint operations. Over time, he and Yuta had grown somewhat familiar with each other.
A Small Conflict
Asuma, meanwhile, seemed irritated about something. He took out a cigarette and was about to light it when—
Whoosh!
Before he could react, his cigarette vanished from his fingers and reappeared in Yuta's hand.
"No smoking here," Yuta said flatly.
Asuma's jaw dropped. "Wha—"
Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly in surprise. That speed… He had activated his Sharingan for a brief moment, yet he still hadn't caught Yuta's movement clearly.
Might Guy, on the other hand, erupted with excitement. "Yuta, your Taijutsu has improved again?! Incredible! The flames of youth burn even brighter!"
Inspired, he immediately dropped to the ground and began doing push-ups on the spot.
Yuta ignored him and turned back to Asuma, tossing the cigarette away. He then casually took Yugao's and Kurenai's hands, leading them toward the training area.
Asuma clenched his fists, his frustration clear. He glanced at Kurenai, who hadn't even noticed him, too focused on Yuta.
"…Tch."
Although he wanted to protest, he ultimately said nothing.
This was the difference between strength and weakness. Against his father, the Hokage, he could argue and rebel all he wanted. But against someone like Yuta Uchiha—someone stronger than him—he had no choice but to accept his loss in silence.
As he watched Yuta walk away, Asuma took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing with determination.
I have to get stronger…
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