Chapter 119: Do You Want to Be Hokage? (Part 4)
"And beyond that?"
Now that he'd thought everything through, Minato Namikaze sat down at last. His posture was calm, his expression relaxed—as if he had finally come to terms with everything Uchiha Kei had said.
Across from him, Kei allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of his mouth.
That simple action—Minato sitting down—had said it all.
He'd accepted Kei's proposal.
He hadn't given a full commitment yet, true.
But did Uchiha Kei ever let a fish off the hook after it had bitten this deep?
Of course not.
He never allowed that to happen.
"To avoid stirring up too much trouble in the village," Kei began again, "we won't be purging too many people."
As he spoke, he was calculating in his head—just how much should he reveal?
In the end, he made up his mind: go all-in.
Lay his cards out on the table.
It was a risky move.
Revealing too much meant giving others a clear view of your bottom line. And once people knew where your limits were, they could use that to push back—or worse, negotiate you down.
But there was an upside: it conveyed honesty and trust, making it easier to build rapport.
Kei had studied a bit of negotiation theory back in his previous life at university. He never expected those lessons would end up useful in a world of ninjas—but here he was, putting them to work.
"We'll remove the most problematic ones—those hard-headed types as stubborn as stone."
His voice was calm, as though he were discussing the weather.
"The rest? We'll give them a choice—either integrate into the larger Konoha family, or become outsiders… and lose everything.
Even their lives."
That phrase—"integrate into the Konoha family"—made Kei want to gag.
But when dealing with someone like Minato, he knew exactly which phrases needed to be said.
Minato was loyal to Konoha, though not blindly loyal to the Third Hokage.
As such, if the Uchiha clan wished to earn his support when he became Hokage, they had to show the will to cooperate.
No leader wanted a rogue clan constantly bucking authority, no matter how well-meaning.
Even if Minato wanted to help, it would be meaningless if the Uchiha clan refused to meet him halfway.
"A sound idea," Minato nodded after thinking for a moment.
"Less bloodshed is always the better path. And after that?"
Despite having inherited Jiraiya's ideals, Minato was no naïve idealist.
He understood that true reform sometimes required a controlled application of force.
"After that," Kei continued, "the clan head will restructure the Konoha Military Police. We'll weed out certain individuals and enforce stricter conduct during missions."
He shrugged slightly, voice casual:
"You know how it is. Some of them have gone too far.
To fill the vacant spots, we plan to recruit from other minor clans, and even from among the civilian shinobi."
Minato nodded thoughtfully.
It was clear now: both Kei and Fugaku had not only committed to this plan, they had put serious thought into it.
The Military Police had long been seen as a blight on the village.
Civilians and lower-ranking ninja resented them deeply, especially because of their harsh methods and arrogant behavior.
If the Police Department underwent reform…
If its composition changed…
Then the Uchiha's public image could dramatically improve.
"And finally, we turn inward."
Kei didn't bother to guess what Minato was thinking.
He kept speaking in his usual steady tone.
"The Uchiha clan has remained too isolated from the rest of Konoha.
People like me, who were born on the margins, are less affected—but some others..."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"We need to suppress, or even eliminate, that isolationist mentality.
We must find a way to change the fact that the Uchiha refuse to integrate into the village."
This was everything Uchiha Kei and Fugaku had planned.
Kei had laid it all out—he had nothing left to hold back.
These countermeasures were designed to tie the Uchiha clan firmly to the village's chariot. Kei could already imagine how many of the so-called elders would jump out in protest once the plan was set into motion.
Accusations like "traitor to the Uchiha" and "destroyer of the clan's last pride" would no doubt be hurled at both him and Fugaku.
But—did Kei care?
Not in the slightest.
For one, Fugaku would be the one taking most of the heat up front.
And two—what the Uchiha became in the future wasn't Kei's problem.
He had no intention of being sacrificed in some self-righteous power struggle between paranoid madmen and deluded zealots.
No matter how the Uchiha changed, Uchiha Kei would still be Uchiha Kei.
The real sinner wasn't him—it was Fugaku.
And who knows? A few decades down the line, maybe the descendants of the clan would even thank them.
Not that Kei cared.
Future gratitude or present condemnation—it was all meaningless to him.
All he wanted was for his plan to succeed.
All he cared about—was surviving.
He gazed silently at Minato.
And Minato, for his part, stared back—lost in thought.
"Your plan is... impressive," Minato finally said.
"In fact, it seems like you don't even need me to prevent a conflict between the Uchiha and the village."
Kei chuckled lightly, unconcerned.
"But who wants to live with a sword hanging over their head?" he said casually.
"Besides, these changes we're making—they could serve as a great boost to your momentum once you take office.
A gift, you might say. Something to strengthen your position."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Do you really believe—whether now or in the future—that you'll be free to do whatever you want once you're Hokage?
You'll need to prove yourself on certain fronts."
"Kei-kun," Minato interrupted sharply, his expression hardening.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak so lightly about the Third Hokage."
Though deep down he suspected Kei wasn't wrong, Minato didn't want to dwell on it.
And more importantly—
"You speak as if my victory is guaranteed.
But what if I fail? What happens to your plan then?"
Kei offered a reassuring smile.
"You need our support.
And we need your cooperation."
Come on, Kei thought to himself, you're the only viable option. Not just for the Uchiha—but for Hiruzen as well.
Of course, he didn't say that out loud.
Instead, he tilted his head again and spoke calmly:
"We've made preparations for that scenario, too.
We'll be reaching out to the smaller clans and civilian shinobi, supporting and funding them to create a shared interest alliance."
"If you succeed, this becomes one of your greatest assets—
a foundation of support for your candidacy."
"And if you fail...
then this alliance becomes our final line of defense."
With that, Kei fell silent.
He had said everything that needed saying—laid out every angle, every justification.
Now, all that remained was Minato's answer.
And though Kei was confident Minato had already agreed in his heart, he kept up appearances—a mix of hope and tension on his face.
Fortunately, Minato seemed to have come to a decision.
His eyes hardened with resolve—exactly the look Kei had hoped for.
"Looks like I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Minato said, rising to his feet.
"There are still plenty of details to iron out. I'll need to speak with Fugaku."
"Of course." Kei stood up as well.
"The clan head is eagerly awaiting your arrival."
"Then let's work well together, Kei-kun."
"Looking forward to it, Minato-kun."