Chapter 82: Who Is Truly the Strongest in Konoha?
Previously concealed by Shimura Danzo, the news of the Uchiha Clan's contributions on the battlefield had begun to spread rapidly across Konoha after being deliberately leaked.
The villagers soon learned that a genius ninja had emerged from the Uchiha Clan—someone capable of taking on hundreds of enemies alone.
This one man had single-handedly neutralized threats on the eastern, northern, and northwestern fronts, defeating forces from the Hidden Mist, Hidden Cloud, and Hidden Stone Villages.
His strength was said to surpass even that of the "Yellow Flash," Minato Namikaze.
With that, the entire village of Konoha erupted in excitement.
Many who had never heard of Uchiha Dali began inquiring about him.
"Uchiha Dali? He's an incredible ninja!"
"I can't believe another genius like that has come out of the Uchiha Clan. No wonder they're known as the strongest ninja clan in Konoha!"
"I heard Lord Third has already decided to pass the position of Hokage to him!"
"But what about Lord Minato? Isn't he also one of the top candidates for Hokage?"
"Even so, the Uchiha Clan's contributions this time were clearly greater. They truly fought for Konoha, fearless in the face of danger and sacrifice. That spirit is remarkable!"
"The Hokage should be the strongest ninja in the village—that's the only way to truly protect everyone. Honestly, both have a shot. Who's really the strongest?"
"Maybe they'll need to battle it out to decide. Still, it's reassuring to know that Konoha has both the Yellow Flash and Uchiha Dali!"
"…"
Word spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the Hidden Leaf Village.
More and more people came to know the name Uchiha Dali.
They gained a deeper understanding of the sacrifices and dedication the Uchiha Clan had made for Konoha, and of Uchiha Dali's bravery and strength.
With some people among the crowds subtly guiding public opinion, many villagers began to change how they viewed the Uchiha Clan.
Some even started to believe that supporting Uchiha Dali as the next Hokage might not be such a bad idea.
Public sentiment continued to build.
No one realized that all of this had been orchestrated from the start.
Just as the Uchiha Clan's momentum peaked, more news broke.
"Have you heard? Tomorrow morning, Lord Minato Namikaze and Lord Uchiha Dali—two of Konoha's most talented ninjas—will be facing off in a public match!"
"It's true! I guess they really do need to settle who's stronger once and for all…"
"Rumor has it that the Third Hokage suggested it, to help determine who's better suited to succeed him. I can't wait! Whoever wins will probably be named Hokage, right?"
"So then… who really is Konoha's strongest ninja? The Yellow Flash or Uchiha Dali?"
"But I heard they're not allowing regular people near the match site, just in case someone gets caught in the crossfire. That's kind of disappointing."
"…"
That bit of news spread just as quickly through the village.
Thanks to the earlier PR push for the Uchiha Clan, many villagers had drastically changed their attitudes toward them.
And with rumors swirling that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, favored Uchiha Dali as his successor, public expectations for the Uchiha "supernova" only grew.
In the end, whether Minato or Dali became Hokage didn't matter much to the average citizen.
What they really cared about was that the Hokage be strong enough to truly protect Konoha—to safeguard every villager's life and property.
…
At that moment, Uchiha Dali was still in the Hokage's office, working through official matters with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze.
Regardless of whether Sarutobi was sincere or not, after a full afternoon of briefings, Dali had gained a fresh understanding of the village's top-level operations.
He was gradually transforming from a complete novice into someone with the presence of a ruler.
Seeing that Dali had become familiar with most of the office's procedures, the transition was nearly complete.
The rest would have to wait until the formal succession ceremony before being taught.
With that, Sarutobi left the office alongside his two advisors.
Only Minato, the Hokage's assistant, remained.
The atmosphere instantly became a bit awkward.
Uchiha Dali casually flipped through a stack of reports submitted by the Anbu.
These documents detailed the identities and numbers of ninjas who had yet to return to the village.
As he scanned the list, his gaze naturally fell on three names: Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, and Obito Uchiha. Just above them was the name of their squad leader.
"You were their team leader, weren't you?"
Uchiha Dali suddenly asked.
Minato glanced at the list in his hands, his expression shifting slightly.
"The situation on the battlefield was dire. To improve our odds, I split up and acted separately from the three of them. Unfortunately, that led to Obito's death."
His eyes settled on Obito's name, assuming Dali was pressing him for answers on behalf of his fallen clansman.
"Kakashi and Rin still haven't returned, right? This is a summary of all the missing ninjas to date. No news. No bodies."
"I was just about to bring this up. Once things settle here, I plan to personally head out to search for them."
Minato quickly replied.
"If you're using Flying Thunder God, it shouldn't take too long. But will it affect your condition for tomorrow?"
"I don't want to take advantage of someone who isn't at their best. That would cheapen the victory."
Uchiha Dali closed the folder and looked up at him.
"Don't worry—it won't take much time. Kakashi is an excellent ninja. I was actually planning to introduce him to you once he's back."
"It's just a shame I won't be able to invite you to my home tonight."
Minato smiled wryly and scratched his head.
"Invite me to your home?"
Dali raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Well, we do need to build some rapport. After all, we'll be working side by side from now on. I'm your Hokage assistant—if we don't get along, how are we supposed to get things done?"
Minato half-joked in response.
Dali chuckled.
It seemed this guy truly intended to maintain a long-term friendship with him.
Not a bad thing, actually.
"Go on, Minato."
"We can postpone that dinner invitation. Right now, what matters most is finding those missing ninjas."
"And don't forget tomorrow's duel."
Dali waved him off, then pulled out another classified intelligence file from the Anbu to review.
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