Rebuilding Uchiha By Removing Fugaku

However, whether it was Toki or Nara Shikaku, neither of them had any intention of relaxing the policies.

In the past, Sarutobi Hiruzen relied on favoritism to gain support, which resulted in all the blame being conveniently shifted onto the Uchiha clan.

The Uchiha, unwilling to bear the burden of unjust accusations, secretly turned to Root for assistance.

As a result, under Sarutobi Hiruzen's administration, there was no middle ground: he was either entirely innocent or entirely absent.

It wasn't until the Uchiha clan was destroyed that many ninja clans submitted to Sarutobi Hiruzen's leadership. After ANBU took over security in the village, they began gradually improving the rules and regulations.

At that time, ANBU had expanded to include members from all the ninja clans, meaning that any harsh law enforcement wasn't solely blamed on the Hokage.

But Toki and Nara Shikaku had no need to cater to civilians or win their favor.

Konoha had been divided under Sarutobi Hiruzen's leadership, but its safety still surpassed that of other villages.

Moreover, Toki's primary objective was the development of the Uchiha clan, and such civilians existed in abundance throughout the ninja world.

For those who didn't want to stay in Konoha, there were many others eager to move in. Especially after Konoha became a commercial hub, civilians found their living standards improving significantly due to the economic boom.

With steady wages, ninjas began engaging in regular consumption patterns.

With consistent demand, the villagers earned more money, supporting services like food, entertainment, and trade.

As they made more money, the villagers began developing additional infrastructure to support the growing ninja population.

In the few months since the factories began operations, the villagers earned almost as much as they had in an entire year before.

While inflation was an inevitable consequence, villages and nations outside Konoha couldn't replicate such economic success.

Sensing business opportunities, merchants began flocking to Konoha.

Similarly, ninjas from various villages set up embassies or established small bases.

In the past, Konoha, as a traditional ninja village, had to constantly guard against spies or foreign ninjas.

But now that Konoha had become a commercial center, the more foreign ninjas came, the better for its economy.

Increased activity led to greater liquidity, and greater liquidity meant increased village earnings.

In the ninja world, money ruled everything. In the era post-Kaguya, the ninja world had become a capital-driven society where wealth was often more influential than raw strength.

The only downside was that assassinations were an accepted part of business competition, which led to the bizarre concept of "ninja villages" in the first place.

...

Obito avoided Kakashi's confused gaze, anger flashing in his eyes.

Konoha now exuded prosperity and harmony, as if the wars of the ninja world had completely vanished from its streets.

"Damn it! Damn it! Why couldn't it have been like this earlier? If this had happened before, Rin wouldn't have died, and I wouldn't have had to kill my sensei and his wife!"

"Hmph, it's all fake. This peace is only because of the sacrifices of countless ninjas! The only true peace is the one I create with Rin!"

Suddenly, Obito's expression shifted.

"Wait… Kakashi didn't have the Sharingan?!"

A sinister thought crossed his mind.

"Could it be… that the Mangekyō belongs to me alone?"

With White Zetsu by his side, Obito wasn't entirely surprised by the advancements in cloning technology. After all, Hashirama's cells had already been replicated. It wasn't impossible for Mangekyō to be cloned as well.

"Damn you, Kakashi!" Obito cursed internally. "Those eyes belong to me!"

Now, the power of Kamui felt as common as a commodity, and Obito's mind raced with fury.

"Damn it! What's going on here? Why has the Uchiha clan suddenly grown so powerful? Uchiha Toki…"

The memory of Toki's condescending gaze burned in his mind. He turned to White Zetsu with determination in his eyes.

"Zetsu, leave my body for a moment."

The mask on his face opened, revealing his scarred and disfigured visage.

"Huh? Why? Are you going to the bathroom? Can't you hold the seal on your own?"

Obito smirked coldly.

"Why? Because I'm going to return to my clan. I'm the hero of Konoha! My name is engraved on the memorial stone!"

Yes, the best place to hide was right in the middle of it all!

Since he could no longer operate freely in Kirigakure, he might as well return to the Uchiha clan in Konoha.

No one knew his true identity, nor the deeds he had committed.

He could infiltrate the Uchiha clan, use their newfound power to develop himself further, and secretly gather strength to collect the tailed beasts—realizing the dream of Infinite Tsukuyomi!

A cunning smile spread across his face as he strode confidently toward the Hokage Tower.

...

Meanwhile, in the Hokage Tower, Uchiha Toki, Nara Shikaku, and Sarutobi Asuma were deep in discussion.

Though all three held equal ranks—Toki managed external affairs, Shikaku handled internal operations, and Asuma dealt with civil issues—it was clear Shikaku deferred to Toki's leadership.

Asuma, still only 17 years old, acted as a junior who dutifully followed orders.

In truth, Asuma owed his position entirely to Toki. Without Toki's support, he would likely have faced ridicule or criticism due to his father's controversial decisions.

Grateful for the opportunity, Asuma treated Toki with utmost loyalty, seeing him as an ideal mentor.

"I have to say, Asuma, you've done an excellent job," Toki praised. "I knew you were the right choice for this role."

The Urban Management Brigade, comprised entirely of anonymous ANBU operatives, operated under Asuma's leadership on paper.

Asuma, however, bore the brunt of public frustration caused by the reforms.

Despite his harsh reputation, Asuma took pride in his role as the peacekeeper of Konoha.

"Lord Toki, rest assured!" Asuma said passionately. "I will do everything in my power to maintain the peace and order of Konoha!"

Just then, an Uchiha clansman appeared next to Toki and whispered a message.

"Clan Leader Toki, Uchiha Obito has returned."

Toki's eyes widened.

"...What?"