So, after spending seven years within the Akatsuki, Itachi only managed to uncover the "Eye of the Moon" plan without fully understanding what it truly entails?
Well, that makes sense. It seems that the true nature of the "Eye of the Moon" plan was known only to a select few—Obito, Nagato, and Konan. The other members of the Akatsuki were indeed unaware of the plan's full scope. They were merely given tasks, like capturing the tailed beasts.
"If the Akatsuki's target is the nine tailed beasts, then it's only a matter of time before they come for Naruto," Fugaku Uchiha said seriously.
"So, what's your plan, Lord Hokage?" Akira Uchiha asked, looking at Fugaku.
"I'm planning to convene a Five Kage Summit to discuss the threat of the Akatsuki with the other Kage. Ideally, we could unite the five great ninja villages to eliminate the Akatsuki," Fugaku responded.
"That will be difficult," Akira sighed, shaking his head.
Perhaps Itachi's intelligence had sufficiently alarmed Fugaku, making him acutely aware of the threat posed by the Akatsuki. Fugaku was now considering actions that could potentially reshape the entire ninja world. Judging by the Akatsuki's behavior, it was clear that their plans were far from benign. Therefore, Fugaku's first instinct was to call for a Five Kage Summit.
However, Akira was skeptical.
Why? Because the other villages had not yet fully grasped the danger of the Akatsuki. To suggest that the five great ninja villages set aside their differences and unite against a single organization seemed almost laughable.
It's like in the real world, where getting the five major powers to band together just to deal with one organization would be a hard sell. Anyone suggesting such a thing would likely be accused of fearmongering.
In the original series, when was the Five Kage Summit actually convened? It wasn't until all the tailed beasts, except for the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, had been captured by the Akatsuki. Only after each of the villages had confronted the Akatsuki and recognized their threat did they finally agree to meet and discuss countermeasures.
"I don't expect to succeed fully, but at the very least, it will serve as a warning to the other villages," Fugaku said.
"Hmm, that's a good point," Akira nodded in agreement.
If Fugaku were counting on Konoha's call alone to rally the other villages, Akira would have seriously questioned his fitness for the role of Hokage. Only someone like the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, or the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, could pull off such a feat due to their overwhelming power.
After discussing the Five Kage Summit in detail, they wrapped up their conversation. Fugaku then shifted topics, asking, "So, I heard you visited the Hyuga Clan today. You seem to have taken a liking to the younger Hyuga daughter, Hanabi?"
"Instead of gossiping about my affairs, why don't you focus more on Sasuke?" Akira retorted, rolling his eyes.
That comment left Fugaku speechless. Indeed, if he had the time to think about Akira's situation, shouldn't he be more concerned about Sasuke, who was around the same age?
"And what about Itachi? Isn't he already in his twenties and still single?" Akira pressed on, not showing any mercy.
This line of questioning left Fugaku completely at a loss. While Sasuke and Akira were only fourteen and could afford to wait a few more years, Itachi was already in his twenties, making the matter more urgent.
"You are a strong candidate for the next Hokage, so your relationship with the Hyuga Clan isn't just a personal matter," Fugaku said, his tone becoming more serious as he elevated the conversation to a political level.
"Actually, I'm more interested in the older Hyuga daughter, Hinata. I've arranged to go out with her tomorrow," Akira replied, giving Fugaku the respect he deserved by being straightforward.
"Hinata Hyuga?" Fugaku frowned slightly, clearly not pleased with the choice.
"What's wrong with Hinata?" Akira asked, surprised by Fugaku's reaction.
"It's not that there's anything wrong with her, but…" Fugaku hesitated before explaining, "First, from a talent standpoint, Hanabi has shown more promise than Hinata. And second, Hanabi has a more outgoing personality, which could be more beneficial to you. Hinata, on the other hand, is too introverted and shy—qualities that may not be as helpful to you."
Akira couldn't help but laugh at Fugaku's reasoning.
"What's so funny?" Fugaku asked, perplexed. As the strongest candidate for the next Hokage, Akira's marriage was not something that could be decided solely based on personal preference.
Think about the First Hokage's marriage. His wife was Mito Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. The Fourth Hokage's wife was the same. While the First Hokage could do whatever he wanted without question, the Fourth Hokage likely faced significant opposition. Had Kushina Uzumaki been just an ordinary woman, their marriage might have been much harder to arrange.
Akira's situation was similar. With a seemingly better choice available, why would Akira choose Hinata?
"First of all, in terms of talent—or rather, in terms of bloodline quality—Hinata's bloodline is superior to anyone else in the Hyuga Clan," Akira explained.
Indeed, in the original series' movie, Toneri Otsutsuki came from the moon to abduct Hinata as his bride, recognizing the value of her bloodline. So, there was no doubt about her bloodline's superiority.
"Hinata's bloodline is stronger than anyone else in the Hyuga Clan? How do you know that?" Fugaku asked, surprised.
"I have my sources, and I can assure you that this is the truth. Just like how I'm confident that Sasuke's talent is among the highest in the ninja world," Akira said seriously.
Fugaku fell silent, pondering Akira's words. If Akira was so adamant about it, there was no reason to doubt him. But if Hinata's bloodline was truly the best, why had she always seemed so ordinary?
"Also, I prefer Hinata's introverted personality," Akira added.
It's like a modern man traveling back to primitive times. Back then, men might have preferred strong women who could be capable partners—maybe even one who would knock them out and drag them back to the cave! But a man from modern times would likely be more attracted to a gentle, delicate woman.
The same logic applied here. Akira, who had come from a Chinese background, naturally preferred someone like Hinata, who was gentle and demure.
"Well, alright. It's your life, so you should make your own decisions," Fugaku finally conceded. Politically and personally, Hinata seemed like a good match for Akira. Besides, they were only fourteen, so there was plenty of time to reconsider. With that, Fugaku decided not to press the matter further.
Seeing that Fugaku was done with the conversation, Akira waved goodbye with a smile.
With nothing else to discuss, Akira left the Hokage's office and headed to the Anbu headquarters to make the necessary arrangements for the Five Kage Summit. Since Fugaku had entrusted this task to him, it was only natural for him to select a few people to alert the other four great ninja villages.
After completing these tasks, Akira left the Anbu headquarters.
He thought for a moment, then slapped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten something important.
Akira quickly returned to the Hokage's office, pestering Fugaku until he finally agreed to pay him for the past seven years of work. Eventually, Fugaku, in a fit of exasperation, threw 2 million ryo at him to get rid of him.
"Just 2 million ryo? That's not nearly enough to cover seven years of work!" Akira protested.
"If you don't want it, give it back. Honestly, you've been AWOL for seven years!" Fugaku shouted back.
"Fine, fine. Even a little money is better than none," Akira grumbled as he left the Hokage's office with the money.
Walking through the streets of Konoha, Akira decided to do some shopping. After all, this was his first date, so he needed to bring a gift.
Meanwhile, back at the Hyuga household, Hanabi was busy helping Hinata choose an outfit for tomorrow. Even though it might seem like her sister had "stolen" her potential boyfriend, Hanabi wasn't upset. The two sisters were very close, and Hanabi was more than happy to help Hinata.
Returning home, Akira informed his grandfather of his upcoming date with Hinata. The old man didn't object—he just wanted his grandson to be happy.
After dinner, Akira went to bed early.
He had spent 800,000 ryo on a gift for Hinata and still had over a million left. Being a bit of a spendthrift, Akira didn't see much point in saving the money. After some thought, he decided to use the Life Simulator, marking his first time using it since his seven-year hiatus.
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 201 at patreon.com/Emik01.
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