Believed Uchiha Fugaku Would Be the Next Uchiha Madara
Uchiha Kei's pitch to the two eighteen-year-olds worked flawlessly.
Even though they were far more mature than most people their age—especially Namikaze Minato, who had already become the most outstanding of the new generation—they still ended up completely swayed by Uchiha Kei.
Their personalities were textbook examples of family devotion. They would do anything for their loved ones. That loyalty was also their greatest vulnerability.
Uchiha Kei laid out future family planning concerns they might face once they started households of their own. He even told them all the major clans in the Hidden Leaf Village handled things this way. Bit by bit, he chipped away at their resistance until they wholeheartedly accepted the idea of going into business with him.
And to be fair, Kei wasn't lying. Minato's current home really was tiny—comfortable for two people, but once a third arrived, it would start to feel cramped. Add a fourth, and it'd be unlivable.
Sooner or later, he'd have to follow in the footsteps of the future Uchiha Sakura and take out a mortgage—seriously, what kind of absurd world was this, where even a top-tier medical ninja, one of the new Three Legendary Sannin, would need a loan to buy a house? Was there *really* nothing wrong with the Hidden Leaf housing market?
But then again, in a village where most resources were monopolized by powerful shinobi clans—over 95% of them—ordinary ninja truly had a hard time surviving.
Of course, that was Uchiha Kei's outsider perspective. To the locals, that's just how it had always been. In fact, many believed life in the Hidden Leaf was already paradise—prosperous, orderly, and peaceful.
At the very least, they didn't have to worry about being randomly slaughtered by rogue ninja or bandits. There were no random nobles extorting people or causing families to fall apart. Taxes weren't backbreaking. By comparison, life was good.
In a rotten world, expecting too much from your so-called paradise might just make people call you insane.
Or worse—you might be reported as a potential spy from a rival nation.
Uchiha Kei had neither the idealism nor the power to change any of that, so he chose to go with the flow.
Of course, if a few *minor* changes happened along the way... well, that wasn't his fault, now was it?
All he wanted was to promote his game and fulfill his system's mission. That's all!
——
Later that night, Uchiha Kei and Namikaze Minato walked the Uzumaki sisters home.
They lived in small apartments not far apart—perfect for orphans of the Hidden Leaf.
Although Uzumaki Kikyo didn't share a roof with Uzumaki Kushina, the home the village assigned her was literally next door. So calling them neighbors—or even housemates—wasn't much of a stretch.
While Kei and Minato walked the sisters home, a clan meeting was beginning at the heart of the Uchiha district—a meeting of the Uchiha elite.
Sitting at the head of the room was Uchiha Masanobu, the current clan head, now over fifty. His sharp, stern face bore a striking resemblance to his son, Uchiha Fugaku.
Though his eyes showed fatigue and his aura hinted at old age, as long as he still breathed, no one questioned his authority.
To Masanobu's right sat Fugaku, back straight, expression cold and solemn. He looked like a carbon copy of his father.
Facing them sat the elders—real power players in the clan, all wielders of fully awakened three-tomoe Sharingan.
Normally, they'd be equally grave. But right now, their faces showed disbelief—eyes wide in astonishment.
Because what Fugaku had just told them was... astonishing.
Then, the elder known as Uchiha Setsuna spoke. A seventy-year-old hawkish hardliner who had lived since the Warring States era, he rasped out his words in a voice hoarse with age:
"Fugaku, are you certain? That genjutsu game—is it truly that miraculous?"
Fugaku, despite his status as heir, spoke with proper respect:
"Yes, Elder Setsuna. I came to this conclusion after personally experiencing it this afternoon. In fact, during the genjutsu game, I even felt changes in my Sharingan."
"However... perhaps because I knew it wasn't real no matter how extreme the illusion, I couldn't break through that final barrier."
The room erupted in tremors—first one, then another, and then a crescendo of full-body shudders. Shock and excitement swept through the room.
Fugaku hadn't said exactly *what* changed, but they all knew. His eyes were already at peak three-tomoe. What could be next? What boundary could he mean?
Every person present was privy to the clan's secret: the existence of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
To the average Uchiha, it was myth. To these elites? Fact.
Uchiha Madara was only forty-some years gone. And Setsuna had survived since before Madara's glory days. It didn't take much for these old warriors to connect the dots.
The elders all opened their eyes wide. Dozens of three-tomoe Sharingan flared to life, their tomoe spinning with anticipation.
Honestly, the fact those tomoe *rotated* at all was bizarre. Any Earth ophthalmologist would be begging to study it.
Setsuna, the old war hawk who had followed Madara, witnessed the Uchiha's golden age and then suffered under the Hidden Leaf's First and Second Hokage, now exuded a terrifying power no man his age should possess.
"Fugaku, can you swear what you said is true?"
His intense gaze locked onto Fugaku's. The pressure was immense.
But Fugaku had trained his composure well. Even as he panicked internally, his surface remained perfectly calm. He seemed like a born hardliner.
In a steady voice, he replied:
"Elder Setsuna, do you truly believe I'd lie about something like this?"
It was a counter-question. He even activated his three-tomoe Sharingan, matching Setsuna's gaze. Sparks seemed to fly in the air.
The other Uchihas were thrilled. To stand so firmly in front of Setsuna—now *that* was a true heir! He embodied the natural dominance of the Uchiha!
And if Fugaku really had the potential to awaken the Mangekyō...
They all thought of another young genius who had once led the clan—Uchiha Madara.
Genius. Clan heir. Wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan. A future destined for greatness.
Was history about to repeat itself?
Their minds raced with the possibilities.
Masanobu beamed, pride glowing in his eyes. If this were another kind of story, he'd be shouting, "My son Fugaku has the makings of a great emperor!"
Setsuna closed his eyes and deactivated his Sharingan. Smiling gently, he whispered:
"Wonderful. The Uchiha have found a worthy leader once more. Masanobu, you've raised a fine son."
Though Masanobu was clan head, his status couldn't compare to Setsuna's. He bowed immediately:
"You flatter us, Elder. My son still has much to learn."
A humble response, but nobody took it seriously. The room buzzed with praise for Fugaku. Younger Uchihas—like Uchiha Hachidai—stared at him with fanatical devotion.
In their eyes, the future was clear: they would follow Fugaku to restore the Uchiha's former glory.
At this moment, Fugaku had fully established his authority among the clan's elite. His calm demeanor, his unshaken expression, his potential to awaken the Mangekyō—all of it made them believe in his limitless future.
Only Fugaku himself, faced with so many admiring gazes, was panicking inside.
He had barely managed to endure Elder Setsuna's pressure without collapsing. His heart was still pounding.