Tōu—a name as pleasing as her delicate appearance.
Unfortunately, her beauty held no power over Satori Hyūga. It neither moved nor deterred him.
Satori raised his hand and placed it atop her head, and began using his Tenseigan to peer into—and alter—her memories.
With that, one more of the Four was lost.
At this point, the remaining two finally grasped Satori's method.
"Curse you! You've used Genjutsu to control them—who are you, really?"
"Cunning deceiver! By joining the radical faction, do you seek to plunge the world into chaos and drag the Land of Fire into turmoil?"
Both glared at Satori with furious eyes, as though he were the vilest of criminals.
Being mistaken for a radical only made Satori laugh.
"Your vision is truly limited—you see only radicals and moderates, never considering other possibilities."
"If I can control you, controlling members of the radical faction would be just as easy."
His words struck them like lightning. Their hair stood on end, as if being watched by some unseen monster.
As they faltered in shock, Satori seized the moment, moving to another and rewriting their memories once again.
Indeed, the Twelve Guardian Ninja were formidable, far superior to ordinary Jonin.
Dealing with such opponents drained massive amounts of dōjutsu power from Satori's Tenseigan.
The strain exceeded even what he felt when manipulating Iwagakure's elite forces before.
Previously, he had used Moryō's dark energy like a battery—but now, he relied solely on his own strength.
Once this one was enslaved, the last of the Lightning Release Quartet met the same fate—he too became Satori's slave.
Seeing ten kneeling Guard Ninjas before him, Satori swelled with pride and youthful vigor.
With just these ten, he could conquer any small nation.
"You may return to the Daimyo and await my commands," Satori ordered, sending all ten back to continue their covert operations near the Fire Daimyo.
Now that he'd subdued ten of them, capturing the Fire Daimyo would soon follow. He had no plans to act within Konoha itself. Instead, he planned to strike only after the Daimyo had left the village.
By then, once he captured the Fire Daimyo, the entire Land of Fire would become his puppet state, bowing only to him.
At that time, he could rid the country of the corrupt nobility holding it back, gather their wealth for research purposes, and accelerate global progress.
Meanwhile, the Fire Daimyo remained unaware that nearly all of his subordinates had already turned against him.
He had truly become a lonely figure—without any loyal forces under his command.
After all, Asuma Sarutobi was the son of the Hokage of Konoha, meaning he naturally owed loyalty to Konoha.
Chiriku, meanwhile, was a disciple of the Temple of Fire, which Satori already controlled.
If Satori issued orders under the Temple's name, Chiriku would unquestionably obey.
Right now, the Daimyo was summoning several ninja clans based in Konoha whom he hoped to win over—including the Hatake clan.
In a brightly lit, lavishly decorated shop, the Daimyo sat high upon his seat, smiling warmly at those assembled before him.
"I am delighted to meet you all today."
"Especially today—we've also invited none other than Sakumo Hatake of Konoha, a man of great renown."
As he spoke, the Daimyo turned his head toward the middle-aged man beside him.
The man wore a form-fitting ninja uniform, with a tanto strapped across his back. Half his face was hidden behind a mask, and his entire presence exuded restrained power—like an invaluable blade on the verge of being unsheathed.
Though he remained silent and seated apart, not a soul could afford to overlook him.
This man was none other than Sakumo Hatake, Commander of the Jonin Division, a master swordsman with unparalleled sword techniques and strength rivaling that of a Kage.
The Daimyo had summoned him for one main reason—his heritage. Born into a respected samurai family of the Land of Fire, his roots ran deep within the nation's elite.
Due to ancestral ties, his clan had long maintained close relations with the Fire Daimyo.
The Fire Daimyo had invited him here with a clear intent—to sow discord through political machinations and weaken Konoha from within.
And Sakumo Hatake of the Hatake Clan was precisely the individual he aimed to win over and separate.
At this point in time, Sakumo Hatake was at the height of his power. Appointed by Hiruzen Sarutobi with critical responsibilities, he guarded the border near Sunagakure.
Having faced countless battles against Suna ninja, Sakumo emerged victorious time and again, earning himself the legendary title "White Fang of Konoha."
Most Sand ninja would flee in fear upon seeing Sakumo Hatake, completely terrified.
It must be understood—titles are not given lightly in Konoha. Only those of exceptional strength and broad recognition earn such an honor.
Take for example the Sannin of Konoha.
"Sakumo-san, it brings me great joy to see you," the Daimyo said warmly. "With you watching over Konoha, I feel nothing but peace."
The Daimyo showered Sakumo Hatake with endless praise, as if flattery cost him nothing, all in hopes of gaining his favor.
He assumed that since Sakumo agreed to come, he must have his own thoughts on the matter.
However, he hadn't expected that Sakumo had merely come out of respect for the Daimyo—and lacked any political cunning whatsoever.
Sakumo, unaccustomed to such flattery, responded with uncomfortable politeness.
This deeply pleased the Daimyo.
To see a figure of both power and prestige bowing so respectfully before him felt far more satisfying than dealing with Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.
By the end of the banquet, the Daimyo had already summoned his attendants, bringing forth waves of lavish gifts and rewards.
Determined to win Sakumo Hatake over, the Daimyo left no stone unturned, sparing no expense.
Taking Sakumo Hatake's arm, the Daimyo drew very close, feigning great intimacy.
"Sakumo-san, you have made countless great contributions to the Land of Fire. Today, as its ruler, I hereby bestow upon you the Hokage Sleeve."
He lifted a crimson half-sleeve embroidered in gold thread and tied it personally around Sakumo's arm.
Taken aback, Sakumo was both startled and deeply honored. He could hardly believe it and bowed low in gratitude: "Thank you, my lord."
Lacking political awareness, Sakumo believed at this moment that he truly had been granted the Hokage Sleeve due to his personal achievements.
Meanwhile, the other prominent ninja clans watched in stunned silence, their eyes widening at what they saw.
Each led powerful families and possessed sharp minds. They immediately sensed something was wrong.
They all knew at once—something was shifting in Konoha.
What exactly? The Hokage Sleeve.
Legends said only those who had made unparalleled contributions to Konoha were granted the Hokage Sleeve.
Possessing the Hokage Sleeve signified the right to contend for the title of Hokage.
Because of this, very few people had obtained the Hokage Sleeve. In all of Konoha, only a few had ever received it.
Furthermore, the Hokage Sleeve was a distinction that could only be granted by the Hokage himself.
Yet now, the Daimyo had produced it and bestowed it upon Sakumo Hatake. Didn't this clearly signal his intent to meddle in Konoha's internal politics?
Just as anticipated.
That very night, word of this event reached the ears of Konoha's major ninja clans and high-ranking officials.
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