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TUS Chapter 366: Freedom? Not for a Hokage
🕑 Added 2025-04-25 20:03:05 +0000 UTC“Are you out of your mind?!”
Funan was so furious he nearly exploded.
He couldn’t even resign!
“You were too naive,” Yako replied calmly. “I warned you back then, didn’t I? You wouldn’t be able to step down—but you didn’t believe me. Do you believe it now?”
“But why?” Funan was completely bewildered. “Back then, I figured Itachi would want the position, and others would oppose him. I was ready to crush the dissent.”
“Why wouldn’t anyone want to be Hokage? Has the role really lost its appeal? Or are they afraid of being under my shadow?”
“You’re part of the reason,” Yako said nonchalantly. “But more than that, the situation has grown too complicated. Uchiha Itachi is worried he won’t be able to keep everything under control—and the others? They know they don’t even stand a chance. So why stir up trouble?”
“Complicated?”
“What did you think?” Yako laughed softly. “Look at the shinobi world right now—calling it chaos would be an understatement. It’s a boiling mess.”
“The countries run by civilians—the nobles and daimyō—do you think they’re happy to bow their heads? To them, shinobi were always just tools. And now they’re expected to kneel to those tools?”
“If they resist, would we really go on a killing spree?”
“I actually am prepared to do just that,” Funan snorted coldly. He had zero patience for nobles and daimyō.
Yako shot him a glance but said nothing.
Funan’s brow twitched. “Alright, alright—go on. What else?”
“The three major shinobi villages are starting to merge. No—” Yako paused, reconsidering. “All shinobi are starting to merge, with the three villages at the center—and among them, Konohagakure takes the lead. You think there won’t be problems?”
Funan did a quick mental calculation—and felt a wave of dizziness.
Even without thinking too hard, he knew the complications would be endless.
Interwoven power struggles. Competing interests. Who knew what underhanded tactics people would resort to?
Kirigakure, Sunagakure—even Amegakure, which had followed Konan…
With so many factions mixed together, who wouldn’t try to grab a bigger slice of the pie?
Uchiha Funan could hold the line—but could the rest of the Uchiha?
Itachi didn’t have his strength, nor his madness.
So many of Funan’s methods—Itachi could never replicate them.
Funan rubbed his temples, his headache worsening. “I really did oversimplify everything.”
“That’s not all,” Yako added evenly. “What about your loyal followers? They wouldn’t accept Itachi’s leadership either.”
“What?” Funan was stunned. “Yako, you’re one of my followers—don’t they all know Itachi was my chosen successor from the very beginning? Do they seriously reject him?”
“It’s not rejection,” Yako explained. “You forget—Uchiha Itachi is also the son of the previous clan head. Even if he inherited your will, he still represents a separate power base. Family ties—who dares to ignore that?”
“This…” Funan frowned deeply. “Then why didn’t you warn me sooner? If that’s the case, wasn’t all my effort in grooming a successor completely pointless?”
“Let’s talk about that ‘warning,’” Yako said with an exaggerated eye roll. “How was I supposed to know you’d try to retire this early? You’re only in your twenties! You’ve still got years before you even hit thirty. For a shinobi, you’re still in your prime. Who could’ve guessed you were thinking of stepping down?”
"As for the matter of succession, don't worry—there’s no issue with Uchiha Itachi. Him becoming Hokage is just a matter of time. All of us who follow you would gladly accept him as your heir."
Funan's brow furrowed deeply.
What kind of nonsense was this?
First, they rejected the idea—and now they accepted it?
Just because I stay a few more years as Hokage?
Yako seemed to catch onto Funan's thoughts and smiled slightly. "Exactly. It all depends on how many more years you stay in the Hokage seat. If you stay long enough, everyone agrees. If you step down too soon, everyone opposes it."
Funan seemed to understand. "The longer I stay, the more benefits they can secure. But if I retire early..."
"If you step down now, no one knows what might happen next. No one knows what Itachi plans to do," Yako said with a chuckle. "And don't forget—Uchiha is a massive clan, the foremost family in the shinobi world. If Itachi decides to play hardball, no one else could match him, even if they ganged up together."
"That's it?"
"What else did you expect?" Yako shrugged. "Everyone's been risking their lives—for what? For themselves, for their families. If you stay as Hokage a few more years, they’ll reap more benefits, and they'll have time to prepare. That way, once you do retire, things won't spiral out of control."
"But if you suddenly step down now, before the 'cake' has even been divided—or worse, while it's still baking—what then?"
"Itachi understands this too. He doesn't want to inherit a mess right after taking over. Even if the Uchiha can suppress the chaos, there are countless ways the others could stir up trouble. And since many of those causing trouble are your own people, Itachi wouldn’t dare be too heavy-handed."
Funan was speechless.
Yako raised her head and continued working while casually adding, "So you better stay put. Let everyone keep maneuvering behind the scenes, let the dark games continue. Once everything stabilizes and the spoils have been fairly divided, then you can step down. But for now—even Naoto and Itachi would object if you tried to leave."
"Alright then..."
Funan sighed helplessly and collapsed onto the desk.
"Fine, I get it!" Funan sighed again. "I'll just endure the pain a little longer."
Yako couldn't help but laugh. "Pain? You? Right now you’re Hokage—you don't have to lift a finger and yet you’re bathing in fame and fortune. And you're calling that suffering?"
Funan said, “Alright, what else is on the agenda?”
“And White Zetsu?”
“This… better leave it to a professional to explain,” Yako said, sending out a signal.
[Knock, knock, knock!]
A series of knocks sounded at the door.
Moments later, someone walked in.
Seeing who it was, Funan raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Second Hokage—you’re here to explain it to me?”
“Yes,” Senju Tobirama said seriously. “When it comes to White Zetsu, I certainly know more than Yako does.
But, Fifth Hokage, let me ask you a serious question: Are you truly planning to provide Kaguya with soldiers?”
“It’s not just for her.”
Funan thought for a moment and then said, “Tobirama, have you considered this? Kaguya’s enemies are, in truth, our enemies as well.
Do you really believe that once her enemies arrive in the shinobi world, they'll just dispose of Kaguya and then leave us alone?”
“That’s why—we need more soldiers too.”
“But…”
“No buts!” Funan interrupted with a smile. “Tobirama, you have to trust me. I’m still young. My power is still growing at a rapid pace.
I’m advancing even faster than Kaguya.”
“…Fine.”
Tobirama could only sigh helplessly.
The truth was, Funan and the others were operating at a level far beyond his reach now.
Even if Tobirama wanted to intervene, he simply had no say anymore.
They could squash him like a bug if they wanted to.
“There’s… one more thing.”
“What is it?”
Tobirama’s expression turned a little awkward. “It’s not really about me.”
“Hm?”
“Forget it—you explain it yourself,” Tobirama said, glaring toward the door.
The door creaked open, and a cautious head peeked inside, casting a pitiful glance toward them.
Funan’s forehead twitched violently.
“First Hokage, what are you doing? Sneaking around like that? That’s not exactly fitting for the so-called ‘God of Shinobi.’”
Tobirama scoffed. “God of Shinobi, my ass. He never had an image like that in the first place.”
"Funan, Funan..."
Senju Hashirama called out to Funan twice, looking guilty as his eyes darted around nervously.
Funan thought for a moment, then said, "You went gambling again?"
Hashirama froze.
"You lost a lot, didn't you? And now you’re here to borrow money?"
"No, no, no!" Hashirama quickly waved his hands. "Why would you even think that?"
"Gee, I wonder," Funan replied dryly, staring at him.
If I weren't thinking that, what should I be thinking?
Senju Hashirama had no love for power.
As for women...
The man looked at dice more affectionately than he did his own wife.
Honestly, Hashirama probably valued Uchiha Madara more than he did his own wife.
Huh?
Uchiha Madara?
Funan paused, then asked in surprise, "First Hokage, don’t tell me you’re here to ask about Madara?"
No wonder Senju Tobirama had been wearing that constipated expression the whole time.
Hashirama immediately lowered his head.
Tobirama looked at Funan in astonishment. "You figured that out?"
Funan chuckled. "Second Hokage, your sister-in-law must have been furious back then, huh?"
"You don't even know the half of it!" Tobirama snorted, glaring at Hashirama. "It was 'Madara this' and 'Madara that' day in and day out. My sister-in-law would often scream that he should just move in with Madara already. She even joked that the Senju clan’s matriarch might as well be Uchiha Madara!"
"Pfft!"
Even Yako couldn’t hold back a laugh.
