Chapter 100: Clearing the Obstacles
Chapter 100: Clearing the Obstacles
Uchiha Fugaku had lost count of how many times he had sighed inwardly.
Every time he interacted with Uchiha Kei, he found himself feeling the same way:
he had underestimated this boy yet again.
Whether in strength or intellect,
he had completely misjudged this thirteen- or fourteen-year-old.
Uchiha Kei's true strength was still unclear,
but Fugaku had no intention of ever fighting him.
After all, Kei possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
With those eyes,
even a Kage would hesitate to claim victory against him easily—
no matter how young Kei might be.
Such was the overwhelming deterrence,
such was the terrifying allure of the Mangekyō Sharingan!
As for intellect—whether it be combat IQ, strategic thinking, or political savvy—
Uchiha Kei demonstrated a depth of understanding and a level of capability
that defied all expectations.
Faced with such a youth, Fugaku knew he would never be able to control him.
Now, recalling the conversation they once had beside the small pond,
he couldn't help but find his earlier thoughts laughable.
Still, Fugaku's mindset shifted quickly:
If you can't control him, then cooperate with him.
A man sipping tea by the pond needed a chess partner after all.
"Is it Danzo?" Fugaku sighed, then immediately adjusted his tone,
"The one stirring the pot? Oh, Danzo is..."
"I know who he is, Clan Leader."
Uchiha Kei noticed the subtle shift in Fugaku's attitude,
but when Fugaku was about to launch into a lengthy explanation,
Kei cut him off calmly:
"Back on the battlefield, the interrogation and reconnaissance was mostly done by his people, thus we learned plenty about this so-called 'Darkness of the Leaf.' "
"That's right—Danzo, the Darkness of Konoha."
Fugaku nodded.
"The one manipulating things behind the scenes is likely him.
He's always dreamed of becoming Hokage.
And he has both the strength and the resources to pull it off."
Fugaku was far from foolish—
on the contrary, he was extremely astute.
With just a few words from Kei,
he had already deduced a great deal.
Orochimaru had practically been preordained as the next Hokage,
yet at this critical juncture,
such a scandal had suddenly exploded.
And the public outcry that followed
seemed almost too perfectly timed.
Konoha had tried to suppress the news—
the Third Hokage had issued veiled orders to that effect—
but it was useless.
If there weren't powerful forces fanning the flames behind the scenes,
Fugaku would never have believed it.
And if Danzo were to step forward as Hokage now,
he probably wouldn't even survive the jonin trust vote—
and even if he somehow did,
the Third Hokage would never allow it to happen.
Fugaku saw the situation clearly:
not just him,
but practically every major ninja clan in Konoha
despised the so-called "Darkness of the Leaf."
In truth, Kei himself also suspected Danzo.
Though Danzo had nominally supported Orochimaru,
his ultimate goal had always been to take the Hokage seat for himself.
As for why he later backed Orochimaru instead—
it was likely due to the severe losses he had suffered during the Rain Country incident,
leaving him too weakened to pursue the title directly.
"If that's the case," Fugaku mused after a moment of contemplation, "then things have gotten very interesting indeed."
"Orochimaru is being dragged down by Danzo.
Tsunade, the Senju Princess, has already left Konoha.
And Jiraiya refuses to inherit the title."
"That leaves only two real possibilities—"
"Either they find a young, capable pawn to act as their puppet,
or the Third Hokage finds a way to continue sitting on the throne himself."
Uchiha Kei gave a cold smirk as he finished Fugaku's sentence:
"But judging from the current situation—"
"Konoha has suffered heavy losses, and the Third Hokage has grown old.
He might soon be forced to make a decision.
And that decision..."
At this point, Uchiha Fugaku fell silent.
Clearly, he had already realized what was likely to happen.
Guessing was one thing—
but until everything was truly settled,
he didn't dare to jump to conclusions.
If the Third Hokage stubbornly chose to cling to his position no matter what,
then all of their speculation would amount to nothing.
The probability was low—
but not impossible.
Fugaku felt it was time to make some preparations, just in case.
"Still, it's always wise to prepare for both the best and worst outcomes."
Fugaku now treated Uchiha Kei as someone on his own level—
a peer rather than a junior.
Though still slightly guarded,
he spoke candidly:
"Should we consider applying some pressure?"
"There's no need for that," Kei said calmly.
"Instead of trying to create pressure,
we should think about how to establish contact with the future Fourth Hokage,
position ourselves as allies,
and help boost his reputation."
"Besides," Kei added,
"there are many ways to seize influence within Konoha.
You don't necessarily have to sit in the Hokage's chair to control the village."
Indeed—
to hold real power,
one didn't need to be the leader;
often, it was even better to remain behind the scenes.
Kei had seen too many examples of this abroad in his previous life.
He believed that with careful planning,
this approach would not only be less troublesome—
but also far safer.
Fugaku was deeply interested in Kei's proposal.
After all, why Uchiha clan wouldn't desire greater influence over Konoha?
"I understand, Kei-kun," Fugaku nodded approvingly.
"It's a very constructive idea.
However, it seems both you and I will have to act.
You have a good relationship with Namikaze Minato,
and his wife is close to mine."
"Of course," Kei replied with a small nod.
"I'll make time to meet with him."
"By the way, Kei-kun,"
Fugaku said thoughtfully,
"earlier you mentioned a method for seizing influence within Konoha... could you elaborate?"
"It's simple," Kei said, his tone steady.
"Form a coalition of shared interests.
There are many ways to do it—through business, politics, or other means.
And the potential allies are plentiful:
the smaller clans, and even commoner ninjas.
Once the coalition grows large enough,
even if the Third Hokage remains in power,
he wouldn't dare to act recklessly."
It was true—
when a powerful coalition was formed,
with enough numbers and enough unity,
no one could afford to ignore it.
Kei's implication was clear:
focus on the minor clans and the civilian ninja.
The major clans were already largely aligned with the Hokage.
For the Uchiha, it would be difficult to break into that inner circle—
though it was still worth trying.
However, their main focus should be
the small families and the ordinary ninjas.
It was ironic—
the Third Hokage had always emphasized uplifting civilian ninjas and small clans,
yet in reality,
the major families still dominated Konoha's political stage.
Only a very few minor clans had managed to "leap over the dragon gate"
and join the ranks of Konoha's power holders.
"How exactly should we go about it?"
Fugaku asked seriously.
"Support them," Kei said with a faint smile.
"Support the very people you once looked down upon.
Invite them into business ventures,
share profits with them,
help them elevate their status,
earn their gratitude and loyalty."
"Also, don't forget—
those 'dove' factions you mentioned are very good at these kinds of things.
Let them handle it."
"However," Kei added meaningfully,
"before we start..."
"Good idea,"
Fugaku sighed heavily.
"But before that..."
"We need to clear out the obstacles.
Like those hardliners..."