Hokage's Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed thoughtfully on his pipe, eyes fixed on a large map of Konoha spread out across his desk. Each clan's gathering area was marked in detail. He was trying to figure out the best way to allocate space for all the clans starting tomorrow.
Kiyosuke pushed open the door and got straight to the point.
"Hokage-sama, what's the plan for the Uchiha tomorrow?"
"Still working on it. Why, you have an idea?" Hiruzen knew Kiyosuke had some kind of connection to the Uchiha, but he didn't bring it up. Instead, he said,
"If you've got something useful, I'm listening."
"Well, you'd better handle the Uchiha properly. That bunch of lunatics isn't easy to deal with."
Kiyosuke walked over and glanced at the map.
Scattered throughout the village were various ninja clans. Even the Hyūga were mostly gathered in one spot, with a small group living elsewhere. The Uchiha, however, were all concentrated in one area.
That was no coincidence. It was to make surveillance easier. They weren't allowed to move elsewhere—not even for rebuilding. Everything had to be reconstructed on the original foundations. Buying houses in other parts of the village? Out of the question.
All of it was designed to keep an eye on them, and the Uchiha were understandably resentful.
Kiyosuke spoke up.
"Are you planning to push the Uchiha to the village's outskirts—near the prison?"
Hiruzen's face stiffened. That had been the plan. Keeping the Uchiha near the prison would make surveillance easier, allow them to manage the facility, and keep them away from civilians if anything went wrong.
"I haven't made that decision."
"This'll only deepen the wedge between the Uchiha and the village. Are you trying to push them into rebellion? I don't want to be Hokage, but I know what's best for the village's safety."
He pointed to the Uchiha's location on the map.
"Don't give them the worst deal. Let them buy their own houses—one household, one home."
"You want us to let them buy property?"
"Of course. The money from the sales could even boost the village's economy. Why not? You think the Uchiha want to rebel? No—they only do it when they're pushed too far. Constantly suppressing them only makes rebellion more likely. Weed out the traitors bit by bit, and shape a Uchiha clan that's willing to bleed for Konoha."
Hiruzen fell into a long silence, deep in thought. Kiyosuke made himself comfortable on the couch nearby. After a long while, Hiruzen exhaled a mouthful of smoke.
"Alright. We'll leave the Uchiha where they are. Relax the restrictions. Let them buy houses and live outside their district."
But increasing surveillance would likely be necessary...
Whether or not to monitor the Uchiha wasn't Kiyosuke's concern. As long as the clan wasn't provoked, that was enough.
Keeping them stable was the top priority.
"What's your angle with the Uchiha, Kiyosuke?" Hiruzen asked.
"For Konoha's future." Kiyosuke looked him in the eye. "With the Senju stepping down, Konoha's two most powerful clans are the Hyūga and Uchiha. Losing either one would be a blow. If the Uchiha rebel, it'll be a disaster on par with the Nine-Tails' rampage."
Hiruzen puffed silently on his pipe as Kiyosuke continued.
"Most of them are still obsessed with their clan's past glory—short-sighted, unable to see the bigger picture." Kiyosuke shook his head.
"But their Sharingan..."
It was the Sharingan they feared—those eyes capable of controlling tailed beasts.
Kiyosuke looked up at him.
"Hokage-sama, sometimes I wonder if you were really the Second Hokage's student. It seems more like Orochimaru-sensei was."
"Ahem! Don't be ridiculous. I'm a direct disciple of the Second!"
"Then why do you act like you don't even know about the Mangekyō Sharingan? Only Mangekyō-level Sharingan can control tailed beasts. Didn't you know that?"
"I—I knew," Hiruzen replied, but his voice lacked confidence.
"If you knew, why the surveillance? How many of those so-called failures can actually awaken the Mangekyō? Your focus shouldn't be on suppressing the Uchiha, but on monitoring which of their friends or relatives have died. Follow the threads—if someone close to them dies, that's your suspect for a Mangekyō awakening."
"After all, those who awaken the Mangekyō change—personality shifts, erratic behavior. It's easy to spot."
All deaths in the village were registered. If an Uchiha awakened the Sharingan—or even the Mangekyō—due to grief, you just had to check whether the deceased had any ties to the Uchiha clan. If yes, then that Uchiha should be watched. Monitoring individuals was far easier than surveilling an entire clan.
"Uh... that..."
After mulling it over, Hiruzen realized the method was surprisingly effective—worth implementing.
But how did this kid know so much about the Sharingan's secrets? Did Fugaku tell him?
He didn't ask. If Fugaku trusted Kiyosuke with that information, then clearly the Uchiha held Kiyosuke in high regard. That was good enough. With this, they could track which Uchiha had awakened the Sharingan—or even the Mangekyō—and maintain the upper hand.
"Danzo might be a problem."
"I'll deal with him tomorrow."
"Alright. I'll let you handle the clan territory allocations."
"That works for me."
Kiyosuke's main job was to keep Danzo in check and stabilize the Uchiha. As for the other clans, Hiruzen would assign them plots based on previous requests.
After discussing a few more matters, Kiyosuke took his leave.
"Has Jiraiya returned?" Hiruzen muttered with a sigh. "Ask him if he's willing to be Hokage."
His head throbbed.
He couldn't stay in this seat forever. A capable successor had to be chosen.
Kiyosuke didn't want the job. But judging by the strategy he just laid out, he was certainly capable. If he changed his mind and agreed to learn, becoming Hokage wouldn't be out of reach.
But for now, maybe Jiraiya would accept...
...
Outside the Hokage Building
Kiyosuke bought a fruit basket and headed to the Konoha Hospital to visit Rin.
She'd been impaled through the abdomen, losing a dangerous amount of blood. If she hadn't gotten to the hospital in time, she might not have survived. Even now, she was still extremely weak.
Kakashi was sitting by her side, taking care of her. Neither of them seemed to have much energy.
Minato's death had hit them hard.
Seeing Kiyosuke arrive, Rin forced a smile.
"Kiyosuke... How's Naruto?"
"He's fine. Eating well, sleeping well. Whatever the Uchiha clan leader's son gets, he gets too. No need to worry."
He set the fruit basket down.
"Now, tell me—what was Obito's expression like when he attacked you?"
Rin pressed her lips together.
Even now, she still couldn't believe the man who'd looked at her with such cold eyes was the same Obito she once knew—kind, hardworking, and full of hope.
"He... tried to kill me without hesitation."