Chapter 99: I Still Underestimated You
In the original story, Uchiha Fugaku had chosen this exact method.
However, after Kakashi's murmured words at the cemetery,
all of Fugaku's efforts crumbled into nothing.
Even more tragic,
as a hidden "dove faction" member,
Fugaku was eventually forced—under unbearable pressure—
to agree to the "hawk faction's" coup attempt.
In the end, whether because he lost his mind as a Uchiha or because he finally saw the reality and chose to protect his son's bloodline,
the Uchiha clan met its complete downfall under his leadership.
Uchiha Kei, on the other hand, had long made up his mind:
he had no intention of leaving Konoha.
For the sake of safety, familiarity with the timeline, and overall advantage,
remaining within Konoha was by far the best choice.
And in order to prevent the annihilation of the Uchiha clan,
and to ensure he could continue living comfortably,
he had even crafted a meticulous plan.
If Fugaku truly intended to follow the old path,
then Kei could already declare:
the plan had failed before it even began.
Especially after everything that had happened surrounding Uchiha Yuu,
Kei had further solidified a realization deep within his heart—
he probably couldn't continue acting as a lone wolf anymore.
This world was, in fact, quite strange.
No matter how powerful someone was,
they always seemed to have subordinates,
a team to support them.
Being a lone wolf was simply not a viable path here.
Even Uchiha Madara, the archetypal lone wolf,
had amassed a multitude of followers—
those White Zetsu creatures were, after all, his natural subordinates.
Even a genius like Orochimaru had Kabuto Yakushi assisting him,
along with many other subordinates Kei probably hadn't even heard of.
Uchiha Kei needed influence.
He needed manpower—people who could work for him,
handle fields he wasn't skilled in.
And the Uchiha clan itself was the most fertile ground he could cultivate!
How could he possibly allow someone else to ruin it?
Therefore, Kei had to act.
He couldn't let Fugaku recklessly drag the clan into ruin,
even if Fugaku was still technically the clan head!
Besides, Kei currently held a significant advantage.
If it truly came to a conflict,
it would likely be Fugaku who had more reason to worry.
After all, Fugaku's abilities were already partly exposed,
while Kei's powers remained completely hidden.
And it's the hidden blade that is the most terrifying.
"If you continue down this path,
it won't be long before the Uchiha clan plunges into crisis.
The conflict between the clan and the village will only escalate,
and even the smallest spark could ignite the powder keg.
I'm not pessimistic by nature,
but even I know that if this continues,
the clan will be in mortal danger—
and I have no intention of being dragged down with it."
Uchiha Kei let out a cold snort.
"Besides, why are you so certain that the next Hokage wouldn't inherit the ideals of the Second Hokage?"
"Are you suggesting that I run for Hokage?"
Uchiha Fugaku stared at Kei, a trace of disappointment flickering in his eyes.
"No," Kei shook his head, "you are not qualified. Or rather, as long as the Third Hokage and his faction remain alive, the Uchiha will never have that opportunity."
"Then what exactly are you proposing, Kei?" Fugaku took a deep breath.
"Do you really think they would hand over their hard-earned fruits of power to an outsider and dismantle their own faction?"
Fugaku saw the situation quite clearly:
Politics was nothing but an intricate web of interest groups stitched together.
The Third Hokage had inherited the ideology of the Second Hokage,
and thus had to operate within a strict framework.
If he ever crossed the line, he would face utter ruin.
In truth, during the later years of his reign, the Third Hokage did cross that line—
even the Second Hokage hadn't dared to forcibly conscript clan members into the Root division,
but Danzo had done exactly that!
Thus, when Orochimaru attacked Konoha during the Chunin Exams and trapped the Third Hokage,
almost no members of the major clans rose up to resist.
It was only after the Third Hokage died that these clan ninjas came pouring out,
swiftly clearing out the invading Sand and Sound ninja forces.
The Hyuga clan was the clearest example—
Hyuga Hiashi had been in the arena watching the exams,
but the moment he spoke briefly with Neji,
he was nowhere to be seen.
By the time he reappeared,
the Third Hokage was already dead.
At present, though, the Third Hokage still had some control over Danzo,
and despite his advancing age,
he still retained enough vigor to manage these matters.
Thus, Fugaku believed that the Third Hokage wouldn't make a mistake.
To preserve the ideals of the Second Hokage,
he would surely pick someone within their circle to succeed him.
In doing so, he could both uphold a consistent ideology and maintain a strong alliance of mutual interests.
"No," Uchiha Kei chuckled, "they wouldn't willingly hand power to an outsider. But what if someone within their circle... held different views?"
"You mean... Jiraiya?" Fugaku frowned, then sighed.
"Jiraiya would be a good choice, but he's too naïve. I've heard he has no intention of becoming Hokage, and the village's votes don't seem to favor him either."
"Exactly," Kei nodded.
"Jiraiya is indeed an excellent candidate, but as you said, he refuses to shoulder the responsibility."
"However," Kei's eyes sharpened, "don't forget—he has a disciple."
"Namikaze Minato?" Fugaku's frown deepened.
Was this some kind of joke?
The Third Hokage's own direct disciples hadn't even made it to the Hokage seat,
and yet this young man in his twenties—merely a grand-disciple—would?
Fugaku shook his head, feeling Kei was being far too idealistic.
Not to mention Minato—
even Jiraiya would struggle to claim the title!
After all, the village's upper echelon had already come to a consensus:
they were preparing to hand the Hokage position to Orochimaru!
Though the public votes and the jonin council's trust votes hadn't yet occurred,
Orochimaru undoubtedly had the highest public support at the moment.
"Yes," Kei affirmed calmly, "Namikaze Minato."
He could see the disbelief in Fugaku's eyes,
but Kei didn't mind.
He continued bluntly:
"I'm sure you've heard about the recent rumors, haven't you?"
"You mean the human experimentation allegations?" Fugaku pondered before replying,
"But so what? Can mere rumors really shake the Third Hokage's resolve? There's no solid evidence implicating Orochimaru."
"True, there's no direct evidence," Kei's lips curled into a cold smile.
"But isn't the sheer scale of the scandal already enough? Do you really believe no one is fanning the flames behind the scenes?"
"You mean..."
Fugaku's expression shifted.
He wasn't a fool—of course he had noticed something suspicious.
He just hadn't paid it much mind at first.
He had no desire to compete for the Hokage seat,
and thus stayed far away from such political quagmires,
barely even paying attention.
After all, in his mind,
the candidates had already been "predetermined."
But now, with Kei pointing it out...
Could it be that someone outside the established shortlist was aiming for the Hokage position?
Or worse yet—
Was the Third Hokage's faction already showing signs of internal fracture?
Thinking along these lines,
Fugaku couldn't help but sigh.
He had still underestimated this kid...