Coming out of the underground prison, Fugaku still felt a bit stifled. For years, he had been pondering one question. If the clan hadn't had someone like Masashi, what would have happened on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack? How would the clan have responded?
The more he thought about it, the more fear crept into his heart.
Fugaku was well aware, if it hadn't been for Masashi forcefully advocating for a proactive defense during the clan meeting, if the Nine-Tails' rampage had caught them unprepared, he knew exactly what he would have done. There would have been only one survivor between the Uchiha clan and the Hokage's administration... no, between the Uchiha and the entire Konoha.
The villagers wouldn't have remembered that the Police Force protected them and helped them evacuate, they would only have remembered the destruction caused by the Nine-Tails. With just a little manipulation after the fact, the entire village would have come to hate and reject the Uchiha.
And after that, only one path would have remained: The Police Force versus the Konoha ninja army.
Obito, how utterly vicious his intent was! Yet, precisely because of Masashi, the clan not only survived the Nine-Tails crisis, they actually found an opportunity in it. A crisis turned into a chance.
So…
Masashi! Just be the clan leader already!
He clenched his fists tightly in his heart, kept his usual expressionless face, and marched toward the Hokage Building. He had already entrusted clan affairs to Yaku for the time being, and with Masashi around, there was nothing to worry about. What mattered most now was ensuring that, in his position as Hokage Advisor, Masashi's overwhelming war achievements were officially recognized.
Killing on the battlefield counted as military merit.
Strategic planning also counted as merit, and it was a crucial part of the resume needed to enter the Hokage building.
Take the current Hokage, Minato, for example. Known as the Yellow Flash, at first glance, it sounded like a reference to his speed. But the high-ranking leaders of all the villages knew the truth: He earned his fame not just from his speed, but from his extraordinary battlefield reflexes and decision-making skills. As the captain of the jonin corps, he was responsible for mobilizing all of Konoha's elite ninjas in real-time, a critical ability.
Minato was the most outstanding individual since the founding of Konoha. It was true that Kushina's status as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki was one of the key factors for Minato's nomination as Hokage. But it was his own talent and flawless resume that formed the foundation.
Masashi also needed a resume like that. Back then, Minato had the support of Jiraiya, and Hiruzen, along with the entire Sarutobi faction.
Today, he had the joint support of two major clans: the Uchiha and the Hyūga, even though he himself might not realize it.
While his real-time battlefield planning might not quite rival Minato's, he wasn't inferior in any other respect, and in many areas, he was even superior. Most convincingly, in his ability to govern. No matter how difficult the problem, he always seemed to find a way. This had already become a deeply ingrained impression in most people's minds.
With the combined support of the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, Masashi's resume could only look better than Minato's did in his day. And among his generation, there wasn't a single person who could match him, let alone surpass him.
Clan Leader? That was too small a title. Clan Leader was just the beginning. Masashi had to enter the Hokage administration. Otherwise, neither the Uchiha nor the Hyūga would accept it, and many others wouldn't either.
Over the years, he had made so many friends, he probably couldn't even count them all himself.
But Fugaku could feel it.
Whether it was the Hokage role or an advisor position, there would always be difficulties to face. Unlike Danzō, who was a solitary figure and thus could act recklessly, Fugaku couldn't do the same. But whenever he ran into a tight spot, some completely unknown "friend" would always suddenly appear to help.
Upon inquiry, they'd all claim to be "friends" of Masashi.
Leaving the clan compound, he quickly entered the village center. By this time, the Konoha had fully transitioned into a cleanup phase. The villagers had returned from the shelters and were actively assisting the ninja in clearing debris. As part of this military base of a village, the people were highly organized.
He was a well-known figure, not just because he was the Advisor to the Hokage, but because most villagers could recognize his face. Along the way, people constantly greeted him, to the point where his usually stone-cold face could no longer hold the expression. By the time he reached the Hokage Building, the excessive and prolonged smiling had triggered a whole new kind of facial paralysis.
That wouldn't do, showing up like this, he'd be knocked flat before he even said a word. Sure, Minato always smiled too, but for him, it was a weapon.
So, before entering the building, Fugaku patted his cheeks, trying to relax the facial muscles. Once he felt sufficiently recovered, he walked inside. As the political heart of the Konoha, the Hokage Building was naturally a primary target for enemy attacks.
This was where both the administrative and educational departments were housed, the most experienced group of internal affairs personnel in Konoha. Destroying this place would have crippled the village's war coordination ability by at least half.
Unfortunately for the enemy, their plan was sound, but the execution was lacking. Konoha had long since stockpiled enough fighting strength here to trap the elite advance units from Kumo that had infiltrated in advance. Though the main Kumo forces later launched fierce assaults, until a certain top-tier figure regained his freedom, only scattered enemy squads were able to penetrate this deep.
Once that powerhouse arrived, forget breaking through, they'd be lucky to even escape. Even so, a few enemies did manage to infiltrate, and the building did suffer some damage.
After entering the building, he could still see signs of battle as he made his way straight to the top floor. After Masashi took over the ANBU, he quickly drew in former members of Root. Because of that, the Uchiha clan now had "friends" in the ANBU as well.
For Fugaku, it was something he had never imagined, that one day the Uchiha clan would actually become friends with Root. But thanks to these former Root allies, he had greatly improved his ability to track the movements of certain people within the Hokage Building, and with impressive timeliness.
He also knew that Minato now intended to separate the former Root members from the main ANBU. The reason he gave was solid: special operations were a crucial part of ANBU's function, and thus would now be directly overseen by the Hokage's office. That meant that, on paper, these units were still part of the ANBU, but operationally, they were independent. In effect, they would now handle only special operations, still receiving the perks of being ANBU, but without the authority that came with it.
The Hokage position really was a trial by fire.
Clearing these unnecessary thoughts from his mind, Fugaku stepped onto the top floor. The corridors were full of bustling ninjas, all busily relaying orders.
Fugaku passed by them and headed to the large conference room adjacent to the Hokage's office. He pushed the door open and stepped in.
This was where the ninjas were coming and going.
Seeing the setup of the meeting room, Fugaku schooled his expression. The so-called God of Shinobi was currently sitting at the head seat, wearing a goofy, harmless grin. Beside him, though technically in the deputy's seat, was the Second Hokage, whose commanding presence made it feel like he was the one in charge. With his Edo Tensei face, he was offering advice to Minato on various matters.
Despite being the current Hokage, Minato wore an expression full of eager curiosity, quickly signing documents like a pecking chick, as though he weren't the Hokage himself but just the Hokage Advisor.
On the other side of Hashirama sat Hiruzen, alongside his two old companions. The three of them were respectfully keeping the great God of Shinobi company to ease the awkwardness of having nothing to do.
The Senju were everywhere. When Fugaku entered the room, everyone turned to look at him.
Hashirama's eyes lit up.
Tobirama's expression remained blank.
Minato greeted him with a friendly smile.
"Fugaku, you're finally here. How's the southern sector?"
"The main threat to the south came from enemies who infiltrated through the forest in the western district, but their numbers were limited and the damage minimal. The ones who attacked the south were all held back between the prison grounds and the southern wall. None of them broke into the city."
"Well done!" Hashirama clapped with joy. "That's the Uchiha clan for you, reliable as always!"
Tobirama shot a glance at his older brother. His eyes conveyed… quite a lot. Then he turned to look at Fugaku.
"Madara has returned to the Uchiha compound, correct? Do not let your guard down. He's a dangerous man. If anything unusual happens, we'll provide support immediately."
If it had been anyone else saying this, Fugaku might've fired back with some barbed sarcasm. But this was Tobirama. Everyone knew he wasn't exactly fond of the Uchiha clan. Though the Uchiha didn't revere him like they did Hashirama, they still maintained a level of formality and respect.
Why? Because even though Tobirama's dislike for the Uchiha was no secret, none of the measures he had taken against them had ever provided ammunition for criticism. On the surface, he always appeared to employ the Uchiha, and in practice, he had given them real resources to support the clan's development.
A man like that, dislikable, perhaps, but still worthy of respect. Still, that last comment of his was hard to respond to. Suddenly, a hand reached out and patted him on the shoulder.
"Hey! Are you the current leader of the Uchiha clan?" Hashirama asked cheerfully, his face full of curiosity. No one even knew where he had popped out from.
Tobirama furrowed his brows. He seemed like he wanted to get annoyed, but upon seeing Hashirama's Edo Tensei face, he softened.
Forget it...
Tobirama thought to himself, then addressed Fugaku again, this time with a noticeably gentler tone.
"Apologies. Maybe our old ways of thinking don't quite fit this era anymore. Do things the way you see fit. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."
"Aw, Tobirama, you're always so serious. You've got to believe in the kids!" Hashirama happily chimed in. "I think Fugaku's doing a great job!"
"Nii-san."
"Hm?"
"Shut up."
"Sorry…"
After a brief scuffle, the topic finally came to an end. Tobirama shifted focus and resumed discussing other matters with Minato.
Fugaku felt a wave of relief. Given his position, no matter what he said, it could backfire.
"Come sit here," Hashirama waved at him. Unlike his brother, he had the opposite attitude toward the Uchiha clan. He practically wished the Senju and the Uchiha would intermarry and merge into one family.
Fugaku walked over and sat down.
Among the Uchiha, the First Hokage had an extremely favorable reputation. The Uchiha were a warlike clan, not brainless fools. There was no way they would've casually allied with their sworn enemies, it took real belief to trust in someone like him.
Only Hashirama could have become the First Hokage. Only he had the power to unite all ninja clans.
"Talk to me," he said enthusiastically. "I was just chatting with Hiruzen, and he mentioned that the Uchiha clan is full of talented young people these days."
"That's true," Fugaku suddenly realized this was a golden opportunity. If he could earn praise from the First Hokage, it would be an invaluable political asset for Masashi.
Why was Hiruzen able to smoothly become the Third Hokage under such complicated circumstances? Because Hashirama had once publicly declared that Hiruzen was the most suitable successor among the new generation.
That endorsement gave Hiruzen an overwhelming political advantage. Due to Hashirama's unique position, his words often became synonymous with political correctness. If even the First Hokage was satisfied with someone, everyone would naturally be more tolerant of that person.
"All right, what would you like to know?" Fugaku suppressed the excitement inside.
Anyone who thought Hashirama was a fool was the real fool. As the long-time rival of the Senju, the Uchiha had extensively documented the personalities of key Senju figures, including Hashirama.
He was recorded not as a "goofball" but as someone "thoughtful and prudent," and was considered the best representative of ninjas interests. He had changed the social status, warfare methods, and economy of ninjas... He was a true God of Shinobi.
Tobirama, on the other hand, was recorded early on as "bold and passionate," only later becoming described as "stoic and deeply calculating." Others like Muzo were also documented.
For example, Muzo was described as "vicious and cunning," but just now, Fugaku didn't sense that kind of vibe from him at all. Still, he didn't believe those early records were just made up for fun. After all, people stood on different sides at the time.
Of course one treats enemies differently than comrades.
However, he really couldn't reconcile Tobirama with the words "bold and passionate."
"Tell me how the Uchiha clan has been doing over these years."
To be fair, Hashirama's interest in the Uchiha wasn't just because of his bond with Madara. He also knew very well... After his death, Tobirama would almost certainly move against the Uchiha. Although the Uchiha now had an Hokage Advisor, he still cared about the village and was genuinely interested in how the Uchiha had developed in Konoha over the years.
Fugaku knew, this was a test of his eloquence.
Only an idiot would start grandstanding and boasting in a setting like this. After so many years as clan leader, he had at least that much political sense. So he began explaining, in a very "objective" tone, about what he had personally experienced during his time. He didn't hide the growing tensions between the Uchiha and the Hokage administration, including the various cautious, self-preserving strategies they had employed during that period.
He never once cursed or openly expressed dissatisfaction with the Hokage leadership.
Hashirama listened attentively. He didn't interrupt Fugaku even once. As the most powerful human of his era, he embodied collectivism, altruism, friendship, and bonds. He believed in the power of cooperation.
Though he once said, "Anyone who threatens the village, whether they are a friend, brother, or family, I will not forgive them," this statement still left room for compromise. In the original timeline, when Sasuke arrogantly declared before the resurrected Hokage that he intended to destroy Konoha, Tobirama immediately wanted to eliminate this "evil Uchiha brat." But Hashirama insisted on answering Sasuke's questions first.
He didn't easily sever bonds. He would try his best to repair relationships, and even when things were beyond saving, he wouldn't allow hatred to escalate. Though Fugaku hadn't said a single harsh word, Hashirama could sense the emotions that he unintentionally revealed.
He also clearly understood what those emotions meant for the Uchiha ninjas. Barring any surprises, the Uchiha would likely choose a desperate, all-or-nothing path, mutual destruction. But the fact that Fugaku was standing here now meant, there was a surprise.
Sure enough, that "surprise" came in the form of a name: Masashi.
Hashirama could tell that Fugaku had deep admiration for this clansman. Through his words, Hashirama began to see a different Uchiha clan.
An Uchiha that was gradually integrating with Konoha. Not only Hashirama, Tobirama's attention was caught too.
Many of Masashi's actions even won approval from this "#1 Uchiha-hater." At the same time, there was a strong sense of familiarity. He suddenly found himself really wanting to meet this Uchiha.
Meanwhile, Minato could only watch Tobirama's shifting attention with a bitter expression, and cast a resentful glance at Fugaku.
He was such a jerk, the relaxed, easygoing atmosphere of the meeting had completely vanished. Fortunately, everything he said was straight to the point. He didn't ramble or go off-topic, and before long, he had finished his account.
Hashirama stroked his chin, he was now extremely interested in Masashi.
Even Tobirama, despite his dislike for the Uchiha clan, had to admit after listening that if the Uchiha continued to develop along their current path, there would be no need for the Hokage administration to target them anymore.
In fact, there could very well be a Hokage with the Uchiha surname.
The way the Hokage legacy was passed down in Konoha had always been based on teacher-student relationships. The reason for this was to maintain continuity in governance. But from what Tobirama heard in Fugaku's account, it became clear that his own policies had veered off course under Hiruzen's leadership.
They had almost pushed the Uchiha clan to the brink. But it wasn't entirely Hiruzen's fault, nor could all the blame be placed on Danzō. At the end of the day, both he and his older brother had passed away too suddenly. Many of their long-term plans hadn't had time to come to fruition, and the young Hiruzen and Danzō, when facing external pressures, naturally made misjudgments due to inexperience.
By the time they had gained experience, a powerful inertia had already taken hold.
"This clansman you mentioned, he's made significant contributions to the village. Has he not held any official position?" Tobirama asked.
"He's currently the head of the ANBU," Fugaku replied.
"ANBU…" Tobirama nearly couldn't stop himself from complaining aloud.
Someone of his level of restraint shouldn't have had that kind of reaction, but the current state of the ANBU... If he were alive right now, his blood pressure would've spiked.
The ANBU he had personally founded, had become useless! Despite only having been here a short while, he already had a very clear idea of how far the ANBU had fallen.
"Hiruzen, you really didn't manage the ANBU well…" Tobirama sighed.
In this regard, Hiruzen truly couldn't compare to Danzō. If only those two students had learned to balance each other's strengths and weaknesses, things would've turned out much better.
"…I'm sorry," Hiruzen said.
When Tobirama said he had failed to manage the ANBU, he didn't take it at face value. He knew Tobirama was using the ANBU as an example, pointing out the flaws in many of his policies. Especially in how he had handled the Uchiha clan. Not only had he failed to make full use of their strength for the village, but he had also allowed the conflict to become almost openly hostile.
If he'd just been a department head, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But as Hokage, this was undoubtedly a major failure.
Tobirama waved his hand, signaling Hiruzen not to blame himself.
The reason was the same, both he and his brother had died too early.
And so had Muzo.
If he had been alive, things wouldn't have been as difficult for Hiruzen.
As the three former Hokage sat reminiscing in the conference room, a man and a woman arrived at the entrance of the Hokage building.
They were far from ordinary people.
"Finally locked up all of them," the white-haired man muttered. "Sensei really dumped all the work on me."
"Isn't that a good thing?" the woman beside him said coolly. "Who knows, maybe you'll even get the chance to become Hokage."
"Hey, hey, Tsunade, don't joke around like that."
The man and woman were none other than Jiraiya and Tsunade. As for why they were here now…
"Let's head up," Jiraiya said.
Tsunade furrowed her brow slightly and looked at the doors ahead, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
Jiraiya noticed this but pretended not to.
"What's wrong?"
"…Nothing. Jiraiya, you go on ahead. I'll go check on the hospital."
"No way!" Jiraiya immediately grabbed her arm. "We've come all this way, at least curse out the old man before you leave!"
Heck no, after all the trouble he went through to drag this girl here, he wasn't about to give up now.
Jiraiya thought to himself: if anyone could heal Tsunade's emotional wounds, it had to be one of those three legends currently inside with the old man and Minato.
Even if it meant getting beaten to a pulp today, he was going to drag Tsunade upstairs.