Land of Fire. Konohagakure. The Nanga Shrine.
Tonight was the Uchiha clan's monthly assembly, a grand tradition meant to "strengthen bonds between factions," "resolve internal disputes," and of course, "strategize how to infiltrate Konoha's leadership, maybe even take the Hokage seat."
In reality, it was more like a group of aging war veterans shouting at each other about dreams they'd already failed.
Even so, the Uchiha weren't at the point of life-and-death conflict with the village. Not yet. It was more of a mutual glare across the dinner table. Daily annoyance. Chronic irritation.
Bang.
An elder with snow-white hair and enough wrinkles to map the entire clan's history slammed the table and shot to his feet. His voice cracked from pure rage as he glared at Fugaku at the head seat, then at the entire row of old-timers beside him.
"The Second Hokage seat went to Tobirama because his dear brother handed it to him!Kagami died, and the Third Hokage seat was handed to Sarutobi Hiruzen!And now the Fourth? Given to that blond brat, Namikaze Minato!
What happened to our great strategy of 'secure Second, fight for Third, rush Fourth'?
What kind of garbage plan did you old fools cook up?!
Decades! And I haven't even touched the Hokage chair once!"
His words echoed through the hall. The other elders suddenly found the ceiling fascinating. Some stared at the floor. Not one dared meet his eyes.
"What now?You want to charge at the Fifth Hokage position next?Minato is twenty-four! That boy is built to live a long life. Fifty more years easy!
Fifty!
By then your sons will be dead!"
Fugaku sighed quietly, slipping his hands out of his sleeves as he looked at the ranting elder. As clan head, he'd seen this many times. Uchiha weren't exactly famous for stability. A little setback and someone would challenge his position. A minor disagreement and someone would start a duel. Exhausting.
After a pause, he gestured calmly. "Elder Ryoichi, please sit."
"I refuse!"
Uchiha Ryoichi shoved Fugaku's attempt at diplomacy aside, marched across the hall, and seized another elder by the collar.
"You old fossil. You were the one who proposed the 'secure Second, fight for Third, rush Fourth' plan, weren't you?"
"That's right!"
"And the plan failed!"
"Ryoichi, calm down. I still have follow-up strategies."
"Follow up my—"
"My grandfather died the moment he entered Konoha with Lord Madara," the other elder spat back.
"Ptui!"
A glob of spit splashed onto Tobika's cheek.
I wiped it off and looked up at the ceiling in defeat.
I'd been in this world eighteen years. When I first realized I'd reincarnated as an Uchiha, I was excited.
That lasted about a year.
Then the Second Great Ninja War hit, and my entire family died. Just me left.
By the time I was three and realized I didn't have a cheat ability, I'd already started planning to abandon the clan and go live somewhere peaceful. Worst case, I could even become a… breeding asset… for another village. A steady life was still a life, right?
Then I read the clan history. That dream died instantly.
Defect in secret? Maybe. But if I tried to "leave descendants" in another village, I'd be hunted by Konoha. And hunted by my own clan. And hunted by the new village because no big village accepts defectors.
Realistically, they'd let me leave behind a child… then kill me the next morning.
Plenty of Uchihas had "mysteriously" died mid-escape. And the culprit?Probably that filial freak Black Zetsu, eliminating any Uchiha he couldn't control.
So no, defection through "contribution to foreign gene pools" was not happening.
Next idea: business.
Three days of research later, I killed that thought too.
This world's technology tree was insane.Electricity? Exists.Wind energy? Exists.Chakra-powered machinery? Exists.But also… everything else is done by hand with chakra-enhanced efficiency.
Light bulbs were cheaper than in my previous life.Paper was cheap.Cement was cheap.Farming and medicine were practically magic shows.
There was no way to create a monopoly in a world where a single medic-nin could outperform an entire pharmaceutical company.
So I switched to the ninja path.
People say hard work can change fate.Not in this world.Here, bloodline was fate.
I had an elite bloodline. I studied, trained, did everything right. I thought I had a chance. Maybe not Itachi-level, but at least enough to protect myself.
Then I went to war. Saw the battlefield. And realized something important:
I was not Itachi.
[Uchiha Itachi opens his Sharingan the first time he sees tragedy on the battlefield.]
I saw tragedy and my brain shut off.
[Uchiha Itachi contemplates the meaning of life upon seeing corpses.]
I contemplated if I should just run away. Corpses don't aim kunai at you. Living shinobi do.
[Uchiha Itachi evolves his Sharingan after witnessing a comrade's death.]
I witnessed a comrade die and evolved my… fear of dying next.
Still, everything followed the standard timeline. Academy. Graduation. War. Sharingan. War again. Three tomoe. By the end of the Third Great Ninja War, I'd somehow survived long enough to become a jonin and earn the right to attend these clan meetings.
That was my biggest mistake.
"Clan meeting??"
When I first arrived, I expected a solemn atmosphere, discussions on politics and Hokage succession.
Instead, it was a circus.A loud, chaotic, slightly unhinged circus.
They were talking about the Hokage seat, yes, but in the way retired gamblers talk about that one horse race they could have won sixty years ago.
This meeting was boring.Painfully boring.
My stomach growled. Loudly.
To end this torture, I stood up and walked to the center of the hall.
"Elders, stop arguing. I have a way for the Uchiha to claim the Fifth Hokage seat."
Silence.
Even the loudest elders froze and turned to stare at me.
Ryoichi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Let's hear what idea a young Uchiha like you has."
I scanned the hall, took a breath, and spoke.
"Clan Head Fugaku… perhaps you should consider divorcing your wife and pursuing Lady Tsunade of the Senju."
Dead silence.
"You'd unite two clans. Tsunade is the last Senju. Our future Fifth Hokage candidate would be guaranteed. And in time, the Senju would merge into the Uchiha. Our ancestors dreamed of defeating the Senju. Clan Head, you could accomplish it through matrimony. A feat worthy of engraving in stone."
Needle-drop silence.
Several elders' eyes darted between Fugaku and me.
"Hmph."
A scarred elder stood. "A prestigious clan relying on the clan head's… physical sacrifice… to seize the Hokage seat? Even if I agreed, the clan head would not."
"Exactly!"Another one-eyed elder nodded. "Mixing Uchiha and Senju blood again? Even if our past plans failed, we should still aim for the Fifth Hokage position with dignity!"
"Dignity my ass!"
Ryoichi exploded again, pointing at the one-eyed elder.
"When Lord Madara lived, we aimed for the Hokage seat! Then we gave it to the Senju! Then we aimed for Second Hokage! Madara leaves, and our sword breaks! Kagami becomes Tobirama's guard, we aim for Third Hokage! He dies on the way to Kumo, our sword breaks again!
Then the Second War ends, and we pick a candidate! That idiot loses more battles than I use the toilet! Clan reputation in ruins!
Third War comes, Fugaku gets a chance at Fourth Hokage, then Minato appears and our sword breaks before leaving the sheath!
And you want to aim for Fifth?Get lost!"
The hall was moments away from an internal brawl.
Perfect time for me to leave.
I slipped toward the exit and quietly closed the door behind me.
"Tch."
I glanced back at the shouting match.The Uchiha were… not well.And their clan politics reflected it.
They allowed free speech. Free insults. Even free combat during meetings. The fact that I'd ignited them with one sentence proved how unstable they were.
Suggesting Fugaku divorce and marry Tsunade had detonated thirty years of frustration all at once.
Insane.Utterly insane.
With a flicker of chakra, I shunshined away.I'd pack my things, attend Minato's wedding, and then?
I was out of here.
…Probably.