Chapter 80: The Blade of Majestic Fire (Double-Length Chapter)
Not long after Yusuke officially assumed the position of clan head of the Uchiha, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire summoned the Third Hokage, the two Hokage Advisors, and Yusuke to the capital. The topic of the meeting: a formal proposal to appoint Yusuke as a new Hokage Advisor.
Before the group meeting began, the Daimyō requested a private audience with Yusuke.
Although Yusuke had implanted his will into the Daimyō using Kotoamatsukami, the genjutsu did not alter the Daimyō's personality or his grasp of reason. He remained his usual self—except for one thing: an unwavering trust in Uchiha Yusuke. This was the brilliance of Kotoamatsukami—subtle yet absolute control.
During the private meeting, Yusuke did not mince words. He openly criticized the management of Konoha under the leadership of the Third Hokage. Under their rule, he pointed out, the once-glorious village had fallen into sharp decline within just a few short years.
Years ago, Konoha was home to legends: the White Fang, the Sannin, the Yellow Flash, Danzō, and Uchiha Fugaku. It was a golden era. No other village dared to challenge Konoha's might.
Now? The White Fang had taken his own life. The Sannin had scattered. The Yellow Flash lay in a coma. Danzō and the Root were annihilated after turning on the Uchiha, and the Uchiha themselves had suffered heavy losses in the fallout.
Each of these disasters, Yusuke argued, was proof of the incompetence of the current administration.
Backed by solid reasoning and subtly reinforced by Kotoamatsukami, the Daimyō agreed wholeheartedly. He grew visibly dissatisfied with the Third Hokage and his advisors.
Seizing the opportunity, Yusuke presented his own plan to restructure Konoha's leadership—a proposal the Daimyō fully endorsed.
During the official meeting with the Third Hokage and his two advisors, the Daimyō personally introduced Yusuke's proposed changes. In addition to the existing structure, two new positions would be added: Chief Hokage Advisor and Honorary Advisor, both meant to assist in high-level decision-making.
Though nominally framed as "assistance," it was clear to all involved that this was a move to limit the Hokage's authority.
The Third and the advisors objected, but the Daimyō remained firm. In the end, they could only grudgingly comply.
Upon returning to Konoha, the Third Hokage was left with no choice but to publicly announce the Daimyō's three new appointments. The news shocked the entire village, and all factions quickly realized: the balance of power in Konoha was about to be reshuffled.
The three appointments were as follows:
First, Uchiha Yusuke, head of the Uchiha clan, was named Chief Hokage Advisor, a position with more authority than the standard advisors. The appointment recognized his role in exposing the crimes of Danzō and the Root, and acknowledged the historic contributions of the Uchiha clan to the Land of Fire.
Second, the Daimyō appointed an Honorary Advisor, someone handpicked by Yusuke to represent the Daimyō's interests and monitor Konoha's leadership. This advisor would have veto power in the event of major internal disputes.
Third, a new division would be formed—the Konoha Research Institute, tasked with developing new jutsu and ninja tools. Yusuke would serve as its first director, with full control over its construction and operations. All former Root researchers would be transferred under his command.
With this, the Uchiha clan had fully returned to the political heart of Konoha. And Uchiha Yusuke's name now echoed across the entire shinobi world.
Yusuke now held four major titles: Chief Hokage Advisor, Director of the Konoha Research Institute, Head of the Konoha Police Force, and Uchiha Clan Leader.
Wielding immense authority, Yusuke moved quickly to reform his clan. He stripped the three Uchiha elders of their power and handed clan affairs to Souichirō and Itachi.
At the same time, he formed a special disciplinary unit led by Itachi to crack down on rogue or disruptive elements within the clan—most of whom were from the radical faction.
Had Fugaku tried this in the past, he would've faced fierce backlash—possibly even a coup. But with Yusuke's immense popularity and power, no one dared oppose him. The internal purge succeeded swiftly.
Having dealt with the Uchiha's internal instability, Yusuke then restructured the Police Force, opening recruitment to ninjas from smaller clans and unaffiliated individuals.
Larger clans such as the Aburame and Nara also assigned a few of their own to the Police Force. It was both a gesture of goodwill and a sign that they no longer saw the Uchiha as adversaries.
Nearly every faction in Konoha had begun to sense a shift—the Hokage was no longer the true center of power. That position now belonged to the young, calculating man with the Daimyō's full backing:
Uchiha Yusuke, Chief Hokage Advisor.
In the Office of the Konoha Police Force Chief, Yusuke, Itachi, and Souichirō were in the midst of discussing recent family affairs.
"How are those radicals in the clan doing lately? Any signs of more trouble?" Yusuke asked.
Souichirō chuckled, "None at all. They've quieted down for good. It's all thanks to your overwhelming presence, Clan Leader!"
Ever since Fugaku's death, Souichirō had become Yusuke's trusted right-hand man. Although his personal strength was average, he was steady, dependable, and well-respected within the clan—qualities that made Yusuke confident in delegating matters to him.
But Itachi shook his head. "Your presence is part of it, sensei. But if we were relying on sheer force alone, the clan would eventually relapse into old patterns."
"The reason the radicals have calmed down is mainly because of the measures you've taken. You brought the Uchiha back to the village's core, slowly integrating us into leadership. Even the extremists have accepted it—grudgingly or not."
Souichirō nodded in agreement at Itachi's words.
Yusuke waved his hand. "I'll handle these day-to-day matters for now, but soon, I'll hand full control of the Police Force to the two of you."
"I intend to focus my energy on training. Only contact me if there's something you truly can't handle."
"Understood!" Itachi and Souichirō responded in unison.
Just then, a young Uchiha clan member knocked and entered the office carrying a bundle of clothes.
The boy's name was Uchiha Haruyuki, a promising young ninja within the clan. Though a bit on the chubby side, he was nimble and had already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan. Yusuke saw potential in him—sharp, clever—and assigned him as a personal assistant to handle errands. In return, Yusuke regularly guided him in ninjutsu, which greatly benefited the boy.
Incidentally, Haruyuki was also the one who, during a previous clan meeting, timidly suggested: "If we're naming a disciple, why not just appoint Lord Yusuke as clan head directly?"
"Lord Clan Leader, here is the custom-made advisor's cloak and scarf. Please try them on," Haruyuki said, holding out the garments.
Yusuke picked up the pale green cloak and immediately thought of Homura Mitokado's old getup, instantly losing interest in the so-called "Advisor Set."
Waving dismissively, he pulled a white overcoat from the rack and put it on. "Just store those in the cabinet. From now on, I'll stick with the Research Institute Director's coat."
He still wore the standard Konoha jonin vest underneath, but the white overcoat draped above it clearly symbolized his status as the head of the Konoha Research Institute.
"Itachi, Souichirō—I'm leaving the Police Force to you two. I need to head over to the Hokage Tower." With that, Yusuke left the office.
---
When Yusuke arrived at the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi and several advisors were already gathered.
The day before, Konoha had received a formal letter from Kumogakure, stating that a diplomatic envoy would soon arrive to continue peace treaty negotiations between the two Hidden Villages.
Hiruzen had summoned his advisors to discuss how to receive the envoys and finalize the treaty terms.
But as a transmigrator, Yusuke was well aware of the scheme hidden beneath Kumogakure's visit.
The so-called peace talks were merely a front. The real target was the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan.
In the original timeline, the visiting ninja from Kumogakure attempted to abduct Hinata Hyūga. When he was killed by her father Hiashi, Kumo responded by demanding that Konoha hand over the killer.
After deliberation, the Hyūga and Konoha leadership agreed to sacrifice Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, a member of the branch family. Branded with the Caged Bird Seal, Hizashi's corpse kept the secrets of the Byakugan safe while defusing the crisis.
From Konoha's standpoint, this was the "perfect solution"—no grounds for war, and the clan's secrets remained protected.
But Yusuke had no intention of allowing that outcome.
To him, Konoha was already his property. He wasn't about to roll over and let Kumogakure trample his pride.
A slight smirk tugged at his lips as he thought to himself:
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"If Kumo dares provoke us, we'll have every justification to launch a righteous war in defense of our village!"
"This isn't just about capturing their Tailed Beasts—this war will catapult my reputation and the Uchiha name to the very top of the village!"
After the meeting with Hiruzen and the others, Yusuke left the Hokage Tower and returned to his laboratory.
There, he entered his spiritual realm and began his daily training session.
---
Deep within his soul realm, Yusuke could sense it—his control over Ryūjin Jakka had reached a critical point.
Today, he would once again attempt to unleash the power of Bankai.
As before, his training involved battling Ryūjin Jakka's manifested spirit. Even though Yusuke had split off one-fifth of his soul not long ago, Ryūjin Jakka felt that Yusuke's strength had not diminished. On the contrary, he now carried a momentum that had never been there before.
Blades clashed again and again in a flurry of heat and sparks. The scorching flames danced wildly around them. Though Yusuke was still technically at a disadvantage, the battle now felt... evenly matched.
"Interesting."
Ryūjin Jakka blocked a powerful slash, locking blades with Yusuke as he observed him closely.
"You've changed quite a bit. You used to struggle to draw out the tyranny of flame, but now… now I'm starting to look forward to your progress," the spirit said calmly.
Staring at the embodiment of Ryūjin Jakka, a mirror image of himself, Yusuke's eyes seemed to blaze with fire. He grinned. "People change with their environment. And it's time for my change to begin."
"Bankai — Zanka no Tachi (Longsword of the Remnant Flames)!"
In an instant, Yusuke's spiritual pressure surged, forcing Ryūjin Jakka to take two steps back.
The fiery pressure didn't dissipate outward but instead coiled tightly around him, merging with the flames and pouring into his blade. The once silver edge turned a deep crimson-black.
Ryūjin Jakka's eyes gleamed as he looked at the deceptively plain-looking sword now radiating raw, searing power.
"Good. I didn't expect you to actually pull it off!"
"I thought you'd have to endlessly grind down your limitations and brute-force your way to Bankai. It seems you're not as hopeless as I assumed."
Ever since becoming Uchiha clan leader and later Konoha's Chief Advisor, Yusuke had felt something shift within him. His mindset, his aura—everything was evolving.
A forceful charisma, a commanding presence, had begun to form around him. Not yet on par with monsters like Genryūsai Yamamoto—whose overwhelming dominance was innate—but a presence forged from rising status and real power.
"If someone like Madara Uchiha had wielded Ryūjin Jakka," Yusuke mused, "he might've conquered the entire shinobi world by now."
Ryūjin Jakka smirked. "Well? Why not test out that new power of yours?"
The Zanka no Tachi, one of Ryūjin Jakka's Bankai forms, compressed all of the user's spiritual pressure into the blade. Upon striking a target, that sealed energy would detonate in a wave of flames, reducing the enemy to ash.
In terms of raw destructive force, it was the most basic form of Ryūjin Jakka's Bankai—far inferior to more advanced forms like East: Blade of the Rising Sun. But even so, Yusuke could feel it:
With this power, even Shisui's Susanoo could be incinerated in a single strike.
He released the Bankai. The deep crimson hue on the blade slowly faded.
"It's hard to gauge the full potential of Bankai without a real enemy."
"But luckily… I already have the perfect test subject in mind."
---
The next day, the Third Hokage formally announced the upcoming visit of Kumogakure's diplomatic envoy.
He also appointed Nara Shikaku as the official in charge of reception.
Everyone in Konoha believed this to be a peaceful, diplomatic event. No one realized that it would become the spark that ignited a great war.
Meanwhile, Yusuke arrived at the Hatake clan compound.
---
Note:
Thanks for the continued support, everyone!
Regarding the political hierarchy between the Feudal Lord and the Hokage, the reference comes from Naruto: Heir of the Will of Fire, where the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, meets the Daimyō. In that scene, the Daimyō is portrayed as overwhelmingly authoritative—Tsunade has little room to argue. He even declares that if she doesn't resolve the situation with Hiruko, Konoha itself has no right to exist.
Therefore, in this story, the Daimyō is written as being above the Hokage in rank and able to suppress the Hokage's authority.