The sound of rushing water echoed against the rocks by the waterfall.
After carefully scanning the surroundings to ensure no one was nearby, Uchiha Fugaku finally exhaled in relief. When his gaze returned to Uchiha Ye, however, his face revealed a trace of helplessness.
"Ye-kun," Fugaku began quietly, "you should be more cautious with your words from now on."
Uchiha Ye blinked innocently, though deep down, his thoughts were already spinning.
Right now, Konoha's White Fang—Hatake Sakumo—was the most dazzling star in the village. In the ninja world, his name carried such weight that even enemy shinobi would abandon their missions rather than face him.
A true hero. A living legend.
And yet, there was something peculiar about his sudden rise. Many people whispered that White Fang had already been chosen as the next Hokage. But how could that be? Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, was barely in his early forties and still at the height of his power.
How could there already be talk of a successor?
No one would believe that such momentum appeared on its own—there had to be people working behind the scenes.
Uchiha Ye smirked inwardly.
Fugaku, watching him, hesitated for a moment. Then, lowering his voice, he leaned in and spoke seriously.
"During the First Great Ninja War, the Third Hokage was only a temporary appointee," Fugaku said. "The victory belonged to the combined strength of all the great clans. But after the war, those clans were devastated. Their losses were enormous, and when it came time to divide the spoils…"
His voice trailed off meaningfully.
Ye's eyes lit up in understanding.
So, as he had suspected—White Fang's support didn't come from nowhere. His backers were none other than the powerful clans of Konoha, the very same families capable of pressuring even the Hokage himself. Perhaps… even the Senju Clan had a hand in it.
From the tales of the original history, certain patterns could already be seen:
After the founding of Konoha, the number of civilian-born ninjas had risen dramatically. Yet training shinobi required vast resources—money, land, teachers, and supplies. Konoha was not a large village.
The conclusion was obvious.
When the village was first established, the ninja academies were still young, and civilian ninja were rare. The clans—Uchiha, Hyuga, and others—had carried the burden of war. When the fighting ended, their strength was broken, and their numbers decimated.
That was when the Third Hokage seized the opportunity to expand his personal influence, investing heavily in the academy and cultivating a new force—his loyal civilian shinobi.
"I understand now," Uchiha Ye said suddenly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "No wonder the clan is trying to strengthen ties with the Hatake family. If White Fang truly becomes the Fourth Hokage, our Uchiha Clan will gain the trust of the village again."
Fugaku's stern face softened. He nodded with quiet satisfaction.
"Indeed. The Fourth Hokage could act as a bridge between the Uchiha and the rest of the village, easing the tension between us and the other clans."
Uchiha Ye nearly rolled his eyes.
Following the clan's logic will get us all killed, he thought bitterly.
Even when Minato eventually became the Fourth Hokage in the original timeline, the Uchiha had placed their hopes on him too—and where had that led? Ruin.
It seemed the Uchiha were masters of betting—and losing.
Still, Ye kept his expression calm and even let a hint of admiration show. "The clan head is truly wise," he said. "The Third Hokage was the disciple of the Second, after all. I've heard the stories…"
He trailed off, as if embarrassed, and an awkward smile crept across his face.
Fugaku noticed, and his expression softened even further. He waved a hand dismissively. "It's all in the past now."
Seeing they were alone, Ye leaned closer, lowering his voice as though sharing a secret between brothers.
"Captain Fugaku," he said, "I've heard that the Second Hokage had strict policies toward our clan. But I also understand—it was a special period in Konoha's history. It's only natural he'd be cautious of us."
He paused deliberately before adding, "After all, there was the incident with Uchiha Madara, and later Uchiha Setsuna…"
Fugaku gave a faint, knowing smile. "You're right. Those times were… complicated."
Encouraged by his response, Ye continued carefully, his tone both respectful and sincere.
"During such times, anyone would be on guard. But that era is over, and we're not like our ancestors. The Uchiha want peace."
Fugaku nodded approvingly, his expression gentle. "Yes. It's true that the Third Hokage inherited some of the Second's caution toward our clan, but the next Hokage won't."
The corner of Ye's mouth twitched. That was exactly what he'd wanted Fugaku to say.
Without realizing it, Fugaku had walked right into his verbal trap—openly admitting that the Third Hokage had indeed inherited the Second Hokage's distrust of the Uchiha.
Although a flicker of discomfort crossed Fugaku's face after he said it, Ye quickly smiled brightly, disarming him.
"Brother Fugaku, I believe in White Fang. He's a real hero. Under his leadership, our clan will surely earn the recognition we deserve."
Fugaku hesitated, but Ye's confident smile was infectious.
From another point of view, Ye wasn't even lying. It was true—the Second Hokage had always been wary of the Uchiha, and the Third, being his disciple, couldn't have escaped that influence.
Ordinarily, such remarks might have made Fugaku frown, but Ye had already guided the conversation toward the idea of hope—the promise of a fair and impartial Fourth Hokage. Compared to that bright vision, the past seemed insignificant.
"Don't worry, Ye-kun," Fugaku said warmly. "I know White Fang personally. He bears no prejudice against the Uchiha. He's not from that era, after all."
A glimmer of relief flickered in his eyes.
White Fang wasn't one of the Second Hokage's disciples. He hadn't been raised under the shadow of suspicion. That alone made him different.
For a moment, Fugaku wanted to question his own reasoning, but then he gave a self-deprecating chuckle. Why am I overthinking this?
The clan had already decided to support the future Fourth Hokage. There was no reason to dwell on the past.
When the First Hokage died, Madara's betrayal had thrown the village into chaos. The Second Hokage had every right to fear the Uchiha back then—it had been a period of crisis. And after experiencing those events firsthand, how could the Third Hokage not inherit some of that fear?
Fugaku sighed quietly. His worries began to fade, replaced by cautious optimism.
Yes. The past was the past. Soon, it would all be history. What mattered now was the future—the Fourth Hokage, White Fang, a man free from prejudice.
When Fugaku's lips curved into a rare smile, Uchiha Ye hid his own satisfaction behind a calm expression.
Perfect.
He had planted the seed.
First, he'd led Fugaku to acknowledge that the Third Hokage had inherited the Second's distrust of the Uchiha. Then, he'd offered hope—a reason to look forward to White Fang's era.
And once that belief took root… once they saw that the "future Fourth Hokage" truly had power and influence…
Heh.
Ye's lips curled ever so slightly. Once planted, a seed of doubt didn't bloom overnight. But with time—and careful nurturing—it would grow. And when it did, it could change everything.
After all, Fugaku's position within the Uchiha clan was special. If Ye could influence him early, perhaps the clan's tragic fate could be averted.
He refused to believe that the Uchiha, once enlightened, were doomed to repeat the same mistakes.
As the two continued their conversation, a faint glimmer on a nearby leaf caught the sunlight.
A tiny slug, almost invisible, rested there silently.
Far away, inside a medical tent, Tsunade opened her eyes. Her lips curled into a faint, amused smile.
"Hmph. That Uchiha brat… he dares to think so boldly?"
Her tone was half disdain, half amusement. But she couldn't suppress the small upward tug at the corners of her mouth.
At the very least, this proved something—something important.
The Uchiha were thinking.
They were considering how to gain the village's trust again, how to ease the long-standing tension. It was a sign of maturity, not rebellion.
At least this Uchiha Ye, along with the clan leader's son, weren't like those power-hungry fools from the past. They weren't plotting to overthrow the village. They were seeking coexistence.
That, in itself, was a good omen.
Tsunade exhaled, leaning back slightly as her slug vanished from the leaf.
Outside, the waterfall continued to roar, drowning out the sounds of the world.
And on its banks, two young Uchiha stood together—one smiling in quiet satisfaction, the other lost in thoughts of hope and ambition.
Neither realized that their conversation, simple as it seemed, had already set invisible gears in motion.
The Uchiha's future was beginning to shift, quietly and inevitably.
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(End of Chapter 3)