"Well played, Fuma. As expected from the man about to take over as the leader of the Uchiha clan. You have my full support," said the elder Uchiha.
"Fuma, is this the business plan you've been telling me about since childhood? Does this mean I have a shot at becoming the Fourth Mizukage?"
"Blond brat, the Fourth Mizukage belongs to the Uchiha. Maybe we'll let Orochimaru have a shot at being the Fifth. You can wait until the Sixth."
"Old man with the red eyes, just because you have the Mangekyou Sharingan doesn't mean you can talk down to me. I've mastered the Flying Thunder God, so I don't care about your rank!"
At the Uchiha clan estate in the Hidden Leaf Village, two individuals were arguing out of nowhere over the future Mizukage position.
Fuma, sitting quietly on the sofa, could only watch helplessly as the old and young man bickered, waiting for them to finish before reflecting on recent events.
In the days following Orochimaru's departure, Fuma didn't pay attention to the rumors swirling around. Instead, he focused on improving his combat strength.
Although Fuma's strength was mostly the result of his own hard work, his abilities were also enhanced by the traits he possessed.
For instance, the tailed beast chakra Fuma absorbed from Shukaku was digesting at an incredibly slow pace, far below his expectations.
This meant that his [Earthly Furnace] ability was no longer sufficient to meet his current needs, and he needed to further increase its chakra absorption efficiency.
As Fuma grew stronger, his abilities evolved naturally, but with intense external stimulation, they could mutate into unexpectedly powerful effects.
Fuma scoured Uchiha historical records and various secret texts across the ninja world, searching for ninjutsu or artifacts that could absorb chakra.
If the [Earthly Furnace] could evolve further, Fuma hoped it would achieve an effect similar to the Preta Path, enabling him to hunt tailed beasts throughout the ninja world.
Dark Release, the Preta Path, Box of Ultimate Bliss, the Uchiha Fan, the Banana Palm Fan, and Samehada—all these tools or bloodline limits had the ability to absorb chakra.
Dark Release and Samehada were of a lower rank, while the Rinnegan was out of the question.
The Uchiha Fan and other treasures were either heavily guarded in the Hidden Cloud Village or in the elusive possession of Madara Uchiha, making them temporarily unreachable for Fuma.
After several days of contemplation, Fuma decided on the Box of Ultimate Bliss, which surpassed all the Six Paths treasures and was known as the ultimate weapon of the Sage of Six Paths era.
The Box of Ultimate Bliss, according to legend, could fulfill any wish made by the one who opened it. It was said that hundreds of years ago, the Hidden Grass Village nearly conquered the world with this box.
Currently, the Box of Ultimate Bliss was sealed within the Blood Prison of the Hidden Grass Village.
The reason it hadn't sparked a war among the Five Great Nations was that no one had figured out how to awaken it.
Opening the Box of Ultimate Bliss required an almost complete tailed beast's worth of chakra as a sacrifice.
Fuma quietly stayed at home, meticulously preparing his plan to obtain the Box of Ultimate Bliss, paying no mind to Danzo's dirty tricks.
However, as the unfavorable rumors about Fuma and the Uchiha clan grew, some informed ninja clans—guided by Danzo—joined in the effort to fan the flames.
Fuma had become a public enemy in the Hidden Leaf, and it seemed that many were ready to push him down.
The atmosphere within the Uchiha clan grew more intense. Empowered by the strength they'd regained during the war, they were eager to display their might.
As the focal point of the situation and the de facto leader of the Uchiha, the entire village waited for Fuma's response.
Yet Fuma remained silent and reclusive at home for several days, which prompted the fiery-tempered Uchiha Setsuna to storm into his house, demanding a plan.
Setsuna was a hardliner among the Uchiha, and the gossip within the village had ignited his rage.
"Who dares play these dirty tricks against the Uchiha? Fine, it's time to show them our strength," Setsuna thought.
He had no solid proof that Danzo was behind the rumors, but all the senior Jonin in the village knew that this underhanded style belonged to no one but Danzo.
Only the shadowy elements of the village would turn war intelligence into gossip to smear the Uchiha and apply pressure with such low tactics.
Bursting into Fuma's home, his Mangekyou Sharingan flared to life, the triangular pattern in his pupils swirling with sharp intensity as he shouted:
"What are you doing sitting around, Fuma? The whole village is slandering the Uchiha!"
"We're holding a clan meeting tonight. Bring all the three-tomoe clansmen. We'll confront Danzo and make him answer for this."
"Don't worry, we'll only break his legs. Even Hiruzen or Mito wouldn't dare say anything if we leave him breathing."
"Right now, no one in the Leaf Village can challenge the Uchiha's authority!"
Since Fuma's meteoric rise and his leadership that returned the Uchiha to the battlefield, increasing their chances of awakening their Sharingan, Setsuna had regained his former arrogance.
The Uchiha had staged a small rebellion when the Second Hokage established the Konoha Police Force, led by none other than Setsuna, who believed himself to be the heir to Madara's will.
But at the time, the Second Hokage was alive and easily suppressed Setsuna, humiliating him in the process.
From then on, the Uchiha formally submitted to the Hokage's line.
Setsuna had harbored this resentment for nearly twenty years, and now that the Uchiha were rising again, his heart was burning with impatience.
"Damn it, Shimura Danzo. I couldn't beat Tobirama Senju, but I can certainly take you down!"
Before Fuma could respond to Setsuna, Minato arrived at his home.
"Fuma, when's the coup happening? I've already set up Flying Thunder God coordinates for you."
Minato still wore his trademark sunny smile, but the words that came from his mouth were chilling. He held up a Flying Thunder God kunai and unfurled a map of the Hidden Leaf, dotted with red marks.
"Each red mark represents a place where I've left a Flying Thunder God seal. We can strike the Hokage building anytime."
Setsuna looked at Minato in surprise, realizing for the first time just how convenient it could be to have an ally who knew Tobirama Senju's jutsu.
Fuma, staring at Minato and Setsuna, felt a headache coming on.
"Minato, who said I was planning a coup? But thanks for the coordinates. And Setsuna, don't think I don't see through you—you just want an excuse to vent your anger."
Still, Minato and Setsuna were part of Fuma's plan, and now that they had gathered, he took the opportunity to brief them on his strategy to take over the Hidden Mist Village.
But to Fuma's surprise, after hearing the plan, Minato had already begun thinking about becoming the next Mizukage.
_______________________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/ShadySmuggler