"Gekko Chizan, are you serious? I and Fugaku are going to serve as Hokage? Why didn't you give us a heads-up about this?"
"Hmph, that bastard probably just decided on a whim. If you want to target Danzo, go after him — why drag the two of us into it?"
Leaving the Hokage building, the three of them walked arm in arm — well, mostly Gekko Chizan had his arms around the other two. Listening to their complaints, he simply gave a chuckle.
"Fugaku, you're right. I do plan to go after Danzo a little. You know about my teacher's situation."
"That bastard used that as an excuse to vent — how much has he suppressed me?"
"Do you think I can stand for that? Hmph, he wants to be Hokage? He must be out of his mind."
Gekko Chizan looked disdainful. Damn Danzo — if he didn't pressure him a little, he really took him for a pushover and could do whatever he liked.
And trying to recruit him into Root? Dream on.
"Ah, if Orochimaru hadn't defected, he would have been the most suitable for the Hokage seat."
"It's hard to imagine — one of the legendary Sannin taking such a crooked path."
Minato frowned; he still couldn't understand why Orochimaru had turned out the way he did, just like his teacher Jiraiya couldn't either.
Fugaku seemed more open-minded than him.
"They simply pursued different things. If the reports are true and Orochimaru sought some forbidden existence, then leaving the village without harming comrades might already be the lesser evil."
"As for the Hokage position, I'm interested. The Uchiha are the greatest clan in Konoha — it would be natural for one of you to become Hokage."
"Alright, you bastard, let go — I need to go home and see my son."
Uchiha Fugaku disentangled himself from Gekko Chizan's arm and headed toward the Uchiha district. He was the model family man: his wife and son were everything to him.
Did he truly care about the Hokage position?
"That guy — I think all he sees now is Mikoto and his son Itachi. Hokage? He wouldn't care about that for the world."
"Uchiha are proud."
Gekko Chizan watched Fugaku leave and the smile faded — he thought of the Uchiha's later tragedy. Although Uchiha Obito didn't become that executioner, Uchiha Madara still found a substitute.
What the future held, no one could know.
"Minato, good luck. Someday you'll be Hokage — don't forget us."
"I need to prepare. The return to the Rain Village is coming; Hanzō the Salamander — hmph."
With Fugaku gone, Gekko Chizan patted Minato Namikaze's shoulder and planned to leave as well.
After all, he had volunteered to go to the Rain Village; he needed time to get ready. Revenge wasn't something to be settled in two shakes.
He intended to teach Hanzō a lesson he wouldn't forget.
"Being Hokage is a responsibility. If I were to become Hokage, I'd put all my heart into the village."
"But Chizan, be careful in the Rain Village — that person isn't weak."
At Minato's warning, Gekko Chizan shook his head, then used Flying Thunder God and vanished from sight. Seeing that, Minato also used Flying Thunder God and disappeared.
Unconsciously, Minato had grown more like Gekko Chizan: with Flying Thunder God so handy, why walk?
Gekko Chizan didn't go home. He went to the academy instead — after all, his wife and younger brother were at school.
On the training field, Pakura's basic ninjutsu class was in session.
Watching a demonstration of the Three Body Technique made Gekko Chizan want to laugh, while on the other side of the student line a child with bags under his eyes was standing in punishment.
It was his younger brother, Gekko Hayate.
"Huh? Why are you standing in the corner?"
"Did you make your sister-in-law angry again?"
Gekko Chizan materialized through Transparent Release and stood behind Gekko Hayate with a question.
Gekko Hayate remained calm — of course he recognized his big brother's voice.
"I don't want to practice ninjutsu. If I have to choose, I'd rather practice swordsmanship..."
"My swordsmanship can already beat everyone at school. Hmph, I'll become Konoha's greatest swordsman someday — even Konoha White Fang wouldn't stand a chance."
"My sister-in-law confiscated my sword and forbade me from practicing, so she made me stand here."
Hearing that, Gekko Chizan's eyes darkened. No wonder Pakura had sent him to punish Hayate.
This kid had totally gone astray — obsessed with swordsmanship to the point of no return.
"Serves you right. Why insist on sword training anyway?"
"Is our Transparent Release no good? Is the ninjutsu we taught you useless?"
"You could be sneaky, but instead you run at people with a blade? What were you thinking?"
"If it were me instead of your sister-in-law, brat, I'd make you run laps around Konoha and have Kurohebi supervise you!"
Gekko Chizan wasn't pleased. He had tried so hard to keep this brat on the right path, but it had all been ruined by a single manual Orochimaru had sent long ago.
"Hmph! Stand there then!"
Saying that, Gekko Chizan canceled his Transparent Release and strode toward Pakura.
"What? Do you see that?"
"Your little brother really won't listen."
"He's stubborn about swords — what can we do?"
Pakura frowned as Gekko Chizan approached. She had no idea how to handle Gekko Hayate.
"No choice. I'll have Uchiha Obito teach him."
"If we can't get him under control, hand him over to his peers."
"I think Kakashi and his group will sort him out."
Gekko Chizan smiled with a mischief that was almost wicked.
A rebellious kid, huh? Then get a pack of kids to deal with him.
It wasn't as if he couldn't — as an older brother he should have been able to guide his little brother onto the right path.
"Is the meeting over?"
"Yeah. In a few days I'm heading to the Rain Village. There's something I need to take care of."
Gekko Chizan wrapped an arm around Pakura and explained his upcoming plan.
Pakura frowned slightly.
"To get revenge?"
"Heh heh, you figured it out."
"Hmph. With your temper, you wouldn't volunteer unless the Rain Village did something to you."
"Hahaha, true, my wife — yes, I'll get revenge. I can't stand being wronged."
Pakura nodded. She wasn't worried about his strength; after all, the Konoha twins weren't called that for nothing.
And she'd heard what the Rain Village had been doing in the Land of Grass. When Gekko Chizan suddenly announced he was going there, she immediately understood — he was going for revenge.
At that moment, an angry shout rang from the roof of the school building.
"Idiot! If you don't go to class, get out of the academy!"
"Is this the place for you to be flirting?"
Gekko Chizan rolled his eyes and looked toward the familiar figure. It was the headmaster, Hatake Sakumo.