In the living room, Mikoto knelt on the tatami, gently playing with Itachi in her arms. They heard a laughter, deep, rich, and utterly out of place coming from the reception room.
They exchanged a look.
Fugaku rarely laughed, and when he did, it was never like that. To Mikoto, her husband was dignified, serious, and unshakably reserved. To Itachi, his father was an unmovable pillar, calm and stern. Hearing him laugh so openly left them both wondering what on earth Gen had said to him.
In the reception room, Gen smiled politely, though in truth, he was puzzled.
Was it really worth such a big reaction?
Then he remembered—Konoha didn't have anything close to a proper history or political education. Here, a little modern historical perspective made you look like a genius.
In his old life, Gen had read enough history to know how nations rose and fell. You could see patterns, anticipate mistakes. Here, most shinobi only learned how to fight and complete missions, making them easy prey for the village's self-taught politicians.
That alone gave him an advantage.
Still, the lack of any organized historical record in this world was… odd. Only a handful of scholars knew fragments of the past. The rest lived without context.
Gen couldn't help but wonder... was that Black Zetsu's doing?
"By the way, Gen, I have a question," Fugaku said once his laughter faded.
"Go ahead."
"You've given me a path to build ties with Minato using Kakashi's Sharingan… but what about Orochimaru? Without the right opportunity, it's hard to start a real alliance. Even if we did, without a strong foundation, it could crumble quickly."
Gen's smile was confident. "Don't worry, Young Clan Leader. I've already found the opportunity."
"Oh?" Fugaku leaned forward.
"When I was stationed on the Kumogakure front, I learned that Lord Orochimaru is… obsessed with ninjutsu research. And research costs money. The Uchiha are not short on resources. We can fund his work, on the condition that he takes on an Uchiha disciple."
Fugaku's eyes sharpened.
"That way," Gen continued, "we secure influence no matter who becomes Hokage. If Minato wins, we have someone in his camp. If Orochimaru wins, same story. Either way, our position improves."
Fugaku chuckled, this time with quiet approval. "We're the most powerful clan in the village. We have the jōnin votes. We have the Daimyō's recognition. We should be able to play both sides—but my people…" He sighed. "They don't think like this."
Gen stayed silent.
"You know the temperament of our Sharingan bearers," Fugaku went on. "At best, they're arrogant and tactless. At worst, they're proud to the point of stupidity, offending everyone who isn't Uchiha. Their battle instincts are unmatched but outside of combat…" He shook his head.
Gen didn't comment on his clan's flaws. Instead, he said, "I have one request, Young Clan Leader."
"Speak."
"If I fail to become Minato's disciple, recommend me to Orochimaru."
"That's reasonable," Fugaku agreed immediately. "If not my eldest son, then you. If not you, then Shisui. No one else is even in the running."
"Thank you."
"You've earned it. And—stay for dinner tonight."
Gen blinked. "It's only half past two."
"Then we'll have more time to talk."
Gen wanted to protest; today was supposed to be his day off, but refusing the clan leader's first invitation would be foolish. He smiled. "It would be my honor."
The rest of the afternoon passed in easy conversation, thankfully not all while kneeling on the tatami.
Mikoto's cooking was good, though Gen privately thought his own was better.
After the meal, Mikoto unable to contain her curiosity, asked Fugaku what had happened that day. He told her everything.
Her eyes lit up. "He's thirteen?!"
From that day on, both Fugaku and Mikoto often told young Itachi to learn from Gen. Slowly, Gen became that child—the example every parent used, and the figure Itachi quietly admired.
Fugaku wasted no time. He wrote to his father, who was commanding Uchiha forces on the Kirigakure front. The reply came quickly: full agreement with Gen's plan, and a request to train him further. He even recalled Shisui to Konoha just in case.
With two strong candidates in play, the clan wouldn't risk having none at all.
When Shisui returned, Mikoto invited Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze to dinner. She and Kushina were close, so the invitation felt natural and impossible to refuse.
Minato accepted without hesitation.
That evening, Fugaku greeted him warmly, speaking with a gentle tone that few outside the family ever heard. In the shinobi world, respect for strength was the unspoken law—and Minato had earned it.
After dinner, Mikoto left with Kushina and Itachi, giving the two men space.
In the reception room, tea steamed between them. Fugaku searched for the right moment to bring up the Sharingan. He didn't need to—Minato had come with the same intention.
Their ideas matched perfectly. Whether they could turn those ideas into a deal, however, was another matter entirely.