After finishing their al, Kiyosuke walked Itachi back to the Uchiha compound.
The surrounding Uchiha clansn were all eyeing him warily, as if he were an enemy. So of them had even activated their Sharingan.
No wonder the clan doesn’t get along with the village—how can you expect a good relationship when you treat your fellow villagers like enemies?
"Thank you, Kiyosuke-san. I’m ho."
Just as Itachi was speaking, the gate opened. The man who had t Kiyosuke once before, Uchiha Fugaku, stood in the doorway.
"So it’s Asakawa-san? Thank you for bringing Itachi back. Why don’t you co in for a bit?"
Kiyosuke had originally planned to decline, but after a mont’s thought, he stepped inside.
"Then I’ll take you up on your offer."
...
Kneeling on the tatami mat, he sat across from Uchiha Fugaku. His wife, Uchiha Mikoto, quietly served them tea.
"Please have so tea."
"Thank you."
After taking a sip of the hot tea, Kiyosuke asked,
"Is there sothing you wanted to discuss, Fugaku-san?"
"There is." Fugaku looked at the young man in front of him.
He still rembered how, just a few years ago, this boy had been a reckless child, newly accepted as a disciple of Orochimaru. In the blink of an eye, he’d beco a hero of Konoha and now stood alongside his friend Namikaze Minato as one of the heroes of the village.
Fugaku couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.
He said, "Asakawa-san, it’s often said that heroes erge in their youth. You achieved great rit on the battlefield in the Land of Water and have beco one of the heroes of Konoha. There’s even talk that you might one day beco Hokage."
"Oh? As far as I know, Minato-san is also a strong candidate. Not to ntion Orochimaru-sensei."
At present, the three people with real potential to beco the next Hokage were those three.
Danzo? Please.
That guy already missed his shot because of his slow reactions. There’s no way he’ll ever beco Hokage in this lifeti.
"I’m aware."
Kiyosuke narrowed his eyes and set his teacup down.
"You’re planning to place your bet on soone, aren’t you?"
"I am."
"For the future of the Uchiha clan?"
"Yes."
"I’m listening."
Fugaku took a deep breath and spoke openly.
"Our ancestor, Uchiha Madara, founded Konoha alongside the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. But after Madara’s defection, the Senju and other clans began to harbor resentnt. Over ti, trust in the Uchiha deteriorated, and the rift between us and the village grew."
Back then, Madara’s infamy in the shinobi world was enough to make children cry in fear. The title "Shinobi Asura" wasn’t an exaggeration.
Compared to the Senju, the Uchiha’s reputation wasn’t great to begin with. After Konoha was founded, their na had only just started to recover—until Madara’s betrayal sent it crashing down again.
Already wary of the Uchiha, the Senju and other clans began to ostracize them. Combined with the Uchiha’s prideful nature, the conflict between the clan and the village kept escalating.
"Asakawa-san, I’ll be frank with you today. I hope you’ll beco the next Hokage."
"Oh? Why not Minato or Orochimaru-sensei?" Kiyosuke raised an eyebrow, smiling.
"Minato is my friend, and I know his character well. If he beca Hokage, he would definitely try to nd the rift between the Uchiha and the village. But... his current foundation isn’t solid enough. Even if he took the position, it’d be difficult for him to manage village affairs properly. With the aftermath of the war, he won’t be able to tackle our issues for quite so ti. And the village has already lost trust in our clan."
"That’s true. Minato doesn’t have enough support yet. Even if he becos Hokage, he’ll be nothing more than a jōnin with the Hokage title—real power will still lie in the hands of the Third."
"Orochimaru-sama... You’re his student, so you should know what kind of man he is. He covets the Sharingan of the Uchiha."
Fugaku clearly held deep wariness toward Orochimaru. That man was as cold and calculating as a snake—one careless move, and you’d end up as his prey. Negotiating with him was like bargaining with a tiger.
"So you thought of . In terms of war achievents, background, and strength, I check every box—except for my age." Kiyosuke toyed with his teacup as he smiled.
Fugaku nodded.
"That’s right. Even though you’re Orochimaru-sama’s disciple, if you beca Hokage, there’s no way you’d allow yourself to be the Third’s puppet."
Kiyosuke was young and driven. He had his own beliefs and wouldn’t let Hiruzen Sarutobi pull his strings. He was the best choice.
"Exactly. If I beca Hokage and the old man tried to interfere, I’d send him ho," Kiyosuke said with a laugh.
"The Third isn’t exactly a good person. And don’t even get started on those so-called Hokage advisors. Those three geezers just want a piece of the pie—I’d send them all packing."
When Hiruzen had beco the Third Hokage, he’d given positions of power to his peers—Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Shimura Danzo—to stabilize his rule. But those three were all schers. Not only were they useless, they dragged the village down.
Fugaku spoke solemnly.
"If you aim for the Hokage seat, the Uchiha clan will fully support you."
There was no chance of soone from the Uchiha becoming Hokage. Fugaku saw no hope for it. All he could do was bet on soone else.
"No. I refuse. I’m not going to beco Hokage. That position doesn’t suit . Honestly, you should focus on your clan first. Walking around with your noses in the air—Sharingan isn’t all that special. Wait until soone gets the Mangekyō Sharingan, then we’ll talk. Fugaku-san, put your trust in Minato. If all goes well, he should be free to deal with the clan’s situation in about three years."
Assuming nothing goes wrong, of course.
Fugaku gave a bitter smile.
"I know. Minato truly does have a good shot. But if I were the one to personally push you into that position, maybe the Uchiha would benefit more."
"No. With my personality, if the Uchiha clan tried anything, I’d deal with it imdiately. Fugaku-san, let be clear—watch over your people. You’re a capable clan leader, but those old fossils in the village won’t show you any rcy. They’re waiting for the Uchiha to rebel just so they can crush you and eliminate the so-called ’internal threat.’ In peaceti, the Uchiha are the internal threat."
Fugaku clenched his fists, feeling frustrated—but he knew Kiyosuke had a point. Even if the Uchiha shed blood for the village, they still couldn’t earn the trust of its leadership.
All he could do now was hope that Minato or Kiyosuke would beco Hokage and diate the tension between the clan and the village.
"But I still appreciate your trust, Fugaku-san." Kiyosuke gave a slight bow. Even if Fugaku’s support ca from a desire to protect his clan, Kiyosuke was still grateful. At the very least, Fugaku believed in him—didn’t he?
"It’s nothing. I’m just doing what I can for my clan." Fugaku returned the bow.
He was a serious man, one who abided by proper etiquette—and one who had carried the burden of his clan all this ti.
...
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