After bidding farewell to Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Ketsue came to the Raikage Building.
As soon as he entered the office, he saw a man in brocade robes angrily slamming the table.
The Third Raikage, on the other hand, remained silent.
Seeing Uchiha Ketsue walk in, the Third Raikage finally spoke, "Ketsue, you're here."
Uchiha Ketsue nodded, and before he could speak, the man who had been slamming the table had already rushed up to him.
"You're Uchiha Ketsue?"
"I've long heard that the ninjas of your Uchiha clan are arrogant and unruly, but I never expected you'd dare to release a criminal clan imprisoned by the Daimyo without authorization."
"Remember, tools are always just tools. No matter what kind of prestigious ninja clan others perceive you to be, or what kind of powerful figures who awe the ninja world you are, you must always remember your place and never do anything out of line."
"I order you to immediately go and capture all the members of the Chinoike clan and bring them back to Hell Valley."
"Otherwise…"
The Daimyo's envoy deliberately paused, a hint of threat appearing on his face: "Otherwise, the fate of the Chinoike clan will be the future of your Uchiha clan!"
"Is that so?" Uchiha Ketsue smiled, then suddenly reached out and grabbed the Daimyo's envoy by the neck, lifting his slightly short and stout body. "I think you want to dance."
The Daimyo's envoy never expected Uchiha Ketsue to suddenly make a move. Feeling the undisguised killing intent, the Daimyo's envoy turned his head towards the Third Raikage.
"Raikage, are you trying to rebel?!"
"If you kill me, you will never be able to bear the Daimyo's wrath."
The Third Raikage remained silent.
Feeling the increasingly strong sense of suffocation, the Daimyo's envoy finally panicked.
He shouted at the Third Raikage, "Raikage, Lord Daimyo has always supported you. Is this how you repay him?"
Hearing this, the Third Raikage seemed conflicted. He opened his mouth, "Ketsue, why don't we first…"
Crack!
Before he could finish speaking, the Daimyo's envoy's neck had already been twisted by Uchiha Ketsue.
"Third Raikage, you heard what he just said. In their eyes, they have always treated us as mere tools."
"Their so-called support is merely because you can bring them greater benefits."
"Once their interests clash, they will turn hostile without hesitation."
"This is just about releasing a Chinoike clan that was once slandered, and they're reacting so violently."
"If one day we don't follow their orders, what will they do?"
Uchiha Ketsue said calmly.
Just like capitalists in his previous life, no matter how kind they appeared on the surface, they were essentially constantly exploiting their workers.
Being grateful to them for a little kindness was the most foolish thing to do.
"Third Raikage, you must remember, this isn't a game of make-believe; this is a life-and-death struggle."
"If you're going to do it, you absolutely cannot be soft-hearted."
After hearing Uchiha Ketsue's words, the Third Raikage sighed, "I know, otherwise I wouldn't have supported your decision in the first place."
"It's just that when it comes to actually facing it, I still feel a strange reluctance to be ruthless."
"But Ketsue, rest assured, I won't lose sight of the bigger picture."
He was also very dissatisfied with the current system.
All those who followed him were brothers who had faced life and death together; they had flesh, blood, and emotions.
But those high-and-mighty nobles treated them as tools, to be discarded at will to achieve their goals.
As a Kage, he had seen too many such things.
Now that such an opportunity was before him, he absolutely couldn't miss it!
"You don't need to worry about this matter; I will personally go to the capital."
Uchiha Ketsue finished speaking and turned to leave.
The Third Raikage had such a character, valuing loyalty and righteousness, so he naturally wouldn't force the other party to act personally.
After leaving the Raikage Building, Uchiha Ketsue found Ay, Hatake Sakumo, and Uchiha Fugaku.
After he explained the situation to them, they almost dropped their jaws.
Overthrowing the Daimyo… could such a thing really be done?
Ay couldn't help but ask, "Ketsue, does Father know about this?"
Uchiha Ketsue nodded, "Of course he knows. My release of the Chinoike clan also had his consent."
"No wonder…" Ay took a deep breath, then grinned. "I don't want to think too much. Since you and Father have decided, let's just do it!"
Uchiha Ketsue then looked at Uchiha Fugaku.
Uchiha Fugaku quickly spoke, "Ketsue, you told me not to overthink things in the future, so like Ay, I'll do whatever you say."
Uchiha Ketsue nodded with satisfaction.
Uchiha Fugaku's biggest flaw was his indecisiveness and hesitation.
However, as a subordinate, Uchiha Fugaku was quite excellent.
Uchiha Ketsue patted Uchiha Fugaku's shoulder, then turned his gaze to Hatake Sakumo.
Hatake Sakumo said in a deep voice, "Ketsue, I will help you achieve everything you want to do."
"Very good."
Uchiha Ketsue showed a smile on his face.
Hatake Sakumo was somewhat like a traditional "samurai"; once he decided to pledge loyalty, he would obey orders unconditionally.
To Hatake Sakumo, Uchiha Ketsue telling him to kill the Daimyo was no different from telling him to kill a dog.
Of course, the prerequisite was that his faith in the object of his loyalty must not collapse.
After understanding everyone's thoughts, Uchiha Ketsue waved his hand, "Let's go!"
"Yes!"
— — — —
— — — —
Land of Lightning.
Capital.
Daimyo's Estate.
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning sat at the head, speaking to the ministers before him: "I have already sent someone to Kumogakure to have the Raikage re-imprison the Chinoike clan. I believe the news will return soon."
Hearing this, a minister spoke in a deep voice, "Lord Daimyo, this matter is not so simple. They released the imprisoned criminal clan without seeking your permission, which means they don't regard you at all."
Another minister echoed, "That's right, we should make them kill all the Chinoike clan to show their loyalty."
"We also need to cut back financial support to Kumogakure, to let them know the consequences of acting recklessly."
"And we must demand the Raikage come to the capital personally to apologize!"
"You were too lenient with them before, which is why they've become so emboldened."
"Those ninjas must be constantly suppressed. I think we should be like the Land of Wind; only when they are hungry will they know who their benefactor is."
Listening to the suggestions of several ministers, the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning was a bit conflicted: "What you're saying isn't wrong, but what if the Raikage resists?"
"That guy's temper has always been quite volatile."
As his voice fell, the room fell silent.
Then, all the ministers couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha… Lord Daimyo, you must be joking. How could those lowly ninjas possibly dare to defy you?"
"That's right, you're being a bit overly worried. You are the master of the Land of Lightning after all."
"If they dare to disobey your orders, the entire ninja world wouldn't tolerate them. The Raikage isn't that foolish."