Konoha, Uchiha Clan Head's Residence.
Behind the corridors, beside a small pond, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Haori sat within a pavilion.
Uchiha Fugaku was calmly drinking tea, but the expression on the face of Uchiha Haori, seated across from him, was anything but pleasant.
"Haori-kun, this mission is extremely important and highly confidential. Even I don't know the details,"
Uchiha Fugaku said after taking a sip of tea, smiling as he continued.
"But I believe that once you complete it, you will surely become a hero of Konoha. Your name will resound throughout the ninja world!"
"But, Clan Head-sama, I've just come back from the battlefield in the Land of Whirlpools. Isn't this a bit—"
Haori's expression darkened. He had no intention whatsoever of taking this mission, even though a notification had already appeared in his mind—
[New Side Quest Acquired]
[1. Assist Minato's squad in destroying the Kannabi Bridge]
[2. Help Iwagakure defend the bridge]
[Quest rewards: Unknown]
Uchiha Haori was a transmigrator, though the timing of his arrival could not have been worse.
He had landed right in the midst of the vibrant, all-consuming Third Shinobi World War. With no parents to argue on his behalf, he became a glorious piece of cannon fodder.
Of course, even if there had been someone to argue for him, it probably wouldn't have mattered.
With the great nations locked in chaos, Konoha—trapped in the center of the map—felt as though it had reached a crossroads shaped like the character.
Fortunately, plenty of people in Konoha took pride in being ruthless, the sort who wouldn't lose out even in a fight with a dog, and they offered a simple suggestion—
Students who graduate are qualified cannon fodder, aren't they?
For the sake of Konoha, a decision had to be made!
Thus, a large batch of students "graduated with honor" and threw themselves into the effort of protecting the village.
Haori was one of them.
Whether it was because of his decent talent or because he carried memories from a previous life, after his first bloody battle on the battlefield, he awakened the Sharingan.
However, as he grew more accustomed to everything on the battlefield—and more numb to it—the growth of his Sharingan became increasingly difficult.
Thankfully, his system finally arrived.
You couldn't exactly call it cutting-edge craftsmanship, but it also wasn't entirely slapdash.
Simply put, based on his identity as a ninja and the situations he encountered, it randomly issued quests that allowed him to obtain rewards.
No artificial intelligence. No chatting. Just stiff, mechanical task distribution.
And the quests themselves were extremely bizarre—almost always two completely opposite options. You could choose whichever you wanted.
He could accept up to three side quests. Do them and you'd get rewards; ignore them and they'd just sit there, blocking progress.
As for main quests, there was only one at a time. His previous main quest was called [Survive].
That system was precisely what allowed Haori to cling to life under the relentless offensives of Kirigakure until now.
What he never expected was that he had just returned, his meal barely even warm, and Uchiha Fugaku had already gone mad again.
Fugaku didn't know the mission's specifics—only that it involved assisting Minato's squad in an important and secret operation.
But Haori's system, along with his memories, had already given him the answer.
"For the village, for the clan—even if it's a bit hard, I believe you can overcome it, Haori-kun."
Uchiha Fugaku set down his teacup and looked directly at Haori, speaking calmly.
"I assume you wouldn't want Elder Setsuna to learn that you refused and end up disappointed, would you?"
"…"
Haori nearly lost his composure at those words. If he weren't so clearly outmatched, he really would have liked to throw a punch.
Haori was an orphan. His deceased parents had both been hawks, so from childhood he had been classified as part of the hawkish faction.
Yet before he awakened the Sharingan, he had never even met Uchiha Setsuna.
He survived only through clan relief and the help of those at the very bottom of the clan—people who couldn't become ninja—until he was finally "graduated."
After awakening the Sharingan, his treatment did improve dramatically.
The materials he wanted became available. Some of the jutsu he desired were provided. The reason was simple enough.
What was worse was that he had intended to keep a low profile, but the hawks spared no effort in spreading the word that "their side had produced another genius."
As a result, the doves completely ignored him, and even on Konoha's side, he was probably already on some kind of watchlist.
As for Uchiha Fugaku's line about "for the clan," Haori genuinely felt the man's brain hadn't fully developed—cerebellum included.
If anyone else said it, fine. But coming from Fugaku? It felt like watching a breeding pig drool—who do you think you are?
"Enough, Haori-kun. I'll leave this matter to you."
Uchiha Fugaku clearly didn't want to talk any longer. He lightly tapped the table.
"Shisui wanted to take this mission, but I refused him. You are the clan's true genius, and I hope you can shoulder this responsibility.
I've already submitted the roster. You have two days to prepare. I look forward to good news."
"I understand."
With things having reached this point, Haori had no room left to object.
The roster had already been submitted—how could he possibly refuse?
Still, a thought was becoming clearer and clearer in his mind:
I'm going to replace this man.
What Uchiha Fugaku had done for the clan could hardly be called good governance—it was a record of crimes too numerous to write down.
Leaving aside how he allowed himself to be suppressed by Danzo during the Nine-Tails incident, too afraid even to leave the compound and assist the Fourth Hokage, ultimately giving others an excuse—
After that, when Konoha reorganized its districts, he chose to move along with everyone else, relocating the clan to a remote area of the village.
At that time, rumors were already spreading that the Nine-Tails incident was connected to the Uchiha. His actions were tantamount to forcing the entire clan to shoulder the blame.
Most ruthless of all, the clan had three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan. Two followed Hiruzen Sarutobi, while his own pair quietly waited to be slaughtered.
And it wasn't just him who died—every member of the clan, old or young, guilty or innocent, was wiped out.
All of it just to satisfy the wishes of his precious eldest son, while leaving behind a single Sasuke.
"If someone like that can be clan head, then why can't I?"
As the thought formed in Haori's mind, his system reacted.
[New Main Quest Acquired: He Can Be Replaced!]
[Generating quest details]
[Main Quest: Survive — Completed]
[Calculating rewards]
Seeing this, Haori raised an eyebrow.
Without revealing anything, he casually accepted the quest [Assist Minato's squad in destroying the Kannabi Bridge], then stood and spoke.
"I'll do my best to complete it. However, before I depart, I hope to review some of the clan's secret historical records.
I want to further improve my eyes, but I can't find a way. Perhaps the records of our predecessors will give me some inspiration."
"That's fine. Go tonight. I'll make the arrangements,"
Uchiha Fugaku said after a moment's thought, nodding.
Haori turned and left immediately. Spending even one more sentence with Uchiha Fugaku felt unbearable.
Once he exited the clan head's residence, his system finally refreshed.
[Main Quest: Survive]
[Reward Acquired: (Outstanding Beyond the Ordinary)]
[Adapt to the current world. When the host's power reaches its present limit, a bloodline evolution may be completed.]
[Number of evolutions: 4]
"???"
Haori was stunned.
His side-quest rewards had always been fragments of other ninja's abilities.
He never imagined the reward for a main quest would be this explosive.
Before he could even get excited, the system refreshed once more.
[New Main Quest Acquired: He Can Be Replaced!]
[Your heart is filled with rage toward Uchiha Fugaku, and you are convinced that you can take his place.]
[Overthrow Uchiha Fugaku's tyrannical rule, become the clan head of the Uchiha, and his wife will be taken care of by me.]
"…"