A Sage's Pursuit of Power

After more than half a month of ongoing investigations, the reckoning reached a dramatic climax.

On this day, Konoha's villagers watched as over a hundred members of the ANBU assembled and cordoned off an entire residential area.

Most people didn't know who lived there, but a select few were aware that this was the Sarutobi clan's district.

Deep within the residential area stood a large compound, not unlike the Uchiha clan's estate.

Inside, the current head of the Sarutobi clan, Nichien Sarutobi, glared furiously at Tsunade and the ANBU surrounding him.

"Hokage-sama, Hiruzen has only been dead for a short while, and you're already this eager to take action against the Sarutobi clan?"

Nichien wasn't a fool. He immediately tried to use the deceased Hiruzen Sarutobi as leverage against Tsunade. But Tsunade, who had long since seized the initiative, wasn't fazed.

"The Sarutobi clan? I'm afraid you're mistaken. This operation isn't targeting the Sarutobi clan but a group of dangerous individuals who have infiltrated Konoha, posing as members of the Sarutobi clan."

"..."

Nichien was stunned. He couldn't believe Tsunade would come up with such an absurd justification.

"Ridiculous! The Sarutobi clan has lived in Konoha for generations! Do you think being Hokage gives you the right to slander us?"

Nichien was fuming. He could somewhat understand Tsunade moving against the Sarutobi clan's assets, but to outright claim they weren't part of the Sarutobi clan was an insult he couldn't tolerate.

Yet in the next moment, he froze in shock. One of the ANBU standing beside Tsunade removed their mask, revealing none other than Sarutobi Asuma.

"Asuma, you..." Nichien faltered as he began to piece things together.

Asuma turned to Tsunade and spoke calmly.

"Hokage-sama, I've spent the past few days verifying and cataloging all the members of the Sarutobi clan. These people... are not on my list."

"!!!"

Nichien and the conservative faction behind him were dumbfounded. It was only now that they realized the true scope of the operation. This wasn't merely about reclaiming assets—it was a complete purge.

Somehow, the younger faction of the Sarutobi clan, led by Asuma, had allied with Tsunade and Aoba. Overnight, the elders who controlled the clan had been expelled from their own family and labeled as dangerous individuals.

Being deemed a "dangerous individual" by the Hokage was no trivial matter. The ANBU standing behind Tsunade were elite forces directly under her command, and it was clear that she was prepared to escalate the situation if necessary.

Nichien trembled as he pointed at Asuma, trying to form a rebuttal, but his lips quivered, and no words came out.

Some of the conservative Sarutobi clan members stepped forward, squaring off against the ANBU. Others quietly slinked into the shadows, pretending they didn't exist.

Behind Tsunade, Aoba gestured for his assistant to document the scene. Those who openly opposed the ANBU and those who chose to remain silent were categorized into separate lists.

Afterward, Aoba stepped out from the ANBU ranks to stand beside Tsunade. His presence alone caused the morale of the conservative faction to plummet.

As Konoha's strongest ninja, Aoba's reputation carried significant weight. The conservative faction knew full well they were no match for the Hokage's forces with Aoba present.

Aoba made no move to attack. While media control was in place, launching a full-scale assault within the Sarutobi estate would still be seen as excessive.

After all, Tsunade had only recently assumed the position of Hokage, and such extreme measures could undermine the trust of other ninja clans in the Hokage lineage.

Seeing Aoba take the stage, Nichien finally realized the futility of their resistance. He wanted to rally his side with a defiant cry but faltered as he looked around.

Under Asuma's leadership, most of the younger clan members had already sided with the Hokage.

While his side still had a respectable amount of combat power—enough to qualify as a mid-sized ninja clan—they stood no chance against the ANBU with Aoba in their ranks.

In the end, Nichien fell to his knees in defeat. "I implore Hokage-sama to show mercy."

Fortunately, the situation didn't devolve into violence, which was the outcome both Aoba and Tsunade had hoped for. However, the conservative faction still had to be dealt with.

Following Aoba's suggestion, Tsunade ordered the faction to be dissolved and assimilated into Konoha, similar to the treatment of the Senju clan in the past.

The entire process would be conducted under ANBU supervision. However, not everyone would be forcibly dissolved.

Those who didn't openly oppose the Hokage's forces were given an opportunity: they could join Asuma's faction and acknowledge him as the new clan leader. In exchange, they would retain the Sarutobi surname, though at the cost of aligning themselves entirely with the Hokage's faction.

Through a combination of Aoba's strength and Tsunade's authority, the reckoning proceeded smoothly.

A few minor clans had attempted to resist and shed blood, but these incidents were swiftly handled by the ANBU. Konoha's citizens, however, remained oblivious to these conflicts.

All they knew was that Konoha was preparing to reorganize its commercial district. The reclaimed land and shops were to be opened up for bidding to the village's residents.

This bidding process, of course, wasn't entirely fair. Absolute fairness would have made it impossible for civilians to compete with ninja clans.

Aoba had already reached agreements with the major clans, ensuring they received a portion of the assets as compensation for supporting the Hokage. However, beyond that, they were prohibited from interfering.

As a result, hundreds of shops and large plots of land were leased or sold to Konoha's civilians under the village's name.

The village also offered low-interest loans, enabling many civilians to start their own businesses.

This initiative would allow Konoha to collect significantly more rent from these properties than before.

While these revenues couldn't compare to the profits from maritime trade, Aoba still pushed for the reforms. His goal was to stimulate Konoha's economy, create jobs, and foster economic activity.

This growth would attract citizens from across the Land of Fire to settle in Konoha, bringing with them increased consumption and business opportunities.

Such a virtuous cycle would gradually transform Konoha from a mere "village" into a true economic hub.

Aoba had never hidden his ambitions for radical reform. The only reason people didn't recognize it was their lack of experience and foresight.

In reality, what Aoba was doing was undermining the very foundation of the Land of Fire. Killing the daimyo would be easy, but preparing the population for a world without a daimyo required groundwork that had to begin now.

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