No matter how noble Uchiha Itachi's ideals may have been, he betrayed the Uchiha clan and even killed many of its members.
That alone is unforgivable.
Had he remained within the Uchiha territory, his inevitable fate would have been execution on the spot.
So, making a man who was doomed to die serve one last purpose by striving for the peace of the village—was that really a win-win situation?
No, that description doesn't quite fit.
Perhaps the term "waste utilization" is more accurate?
Of course, as Itachi's father, Fugaku could never bring himself to use such a term, and Uchiha Akira understood that.
But after I went out of my way to save your son, you should be grateful. Instead, you force me into the position of Anbu Commander?
Sure, it's a position of real power, second only to the Hokage, but still, Uchiha Akira would much rather have the position of Finance Minister!
"Yes, yes, apart from Young Master Akira, who else could possibly be qualified for this role?"
"I think the Hokage's decision is very appropriate!"
"Wait a minute, isn't our clan leader still just the acting Hokage? Isn't it a bit premature to call him Hokage now?"
"So what? Are you saying the Daimyo won't issue the Hokage's appointment to our clan leader? If that's really the case, then maybe it's time Fire Country found a new Daimyo!"
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Akira silently rolled his eyes.
Alright, it seems like this position of Anbu Commander is something the clan really wants me to take, and I have no way to refuse!
But, Uchiha truly remains Uchiha. Forcing the Daimyo to issue an appointment decree is just a formality, It's like Napoleon getting the French Senate to recognize him as Emperor, or how Henry VIII had Parliament declare him as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. There's no room for surprises!
If by some chance there were, the Uchiha would likely demand the Fire Country change its Daimyo.
Yeah, that's definitely the Uchiha way!
"Clan Leader, you're not just the leader of the Uchiha anymore; you're also the Hokage of the village. I think it's time for the Uchiha to change the way we interact with the villagers!"
"Back in the early days, the title of Hokage was originally meant for an Uchiha. But in the end, the First Hokage was Senju Hashirama, not Uchiha Madara. A large part of that was due to the Uchiha's arrogance, which made the villagers feel the Uchiha were hard to get along with. Now that we've taken the Hokage's seat, it's best to change that perception!"
Uchiha Akira spoke, taking advantage of the presence of the Uchiha leadership to lay out the situation.
The other Uchiha leaders, hearing Akira speak about the clan's arrogance and the estrangement from the villagers, were well aware of the issue.
Indeed, the title of Hokage was originally intended for the Uchiha.
But to this day, there hasn't been a single Uchiha among the four Hokage, which is indeed a disgrace to the clan.
Now that Akira has brought this up, the Uchiha leaders nodded in agreement.
"So, Akira, do you have any suggestions on how our clan members should interact with the villagers?" Fugaku asked, turning directly to Uchiha Akira. Since he brought up the issue, Fugaku wanted to hear his thoughts on the matter.
Naturally, beyond just assessing Akira's power, Fugaku also wanted to gauge his ability to handle matters as a leader.
"Well, the Third Hokage's public persona was actually quite admirable. His image of being just, upright, and approachable created a perception of him being down-to-earth," Akira began, offering his perspective. "Now, I'm not saying we should imitate the Third, but there is something to be said for his 'Will of Fire'—it's definitely effective."
"So, we can take the concept of the Will of Fire, blend it with our Uchiha traits, and create a version of the Will of Fire that's unique to the Uchiha!"
Uchiha Akira proposed, sharing his thoughts.
In simple terms, isn't this just another form of indoctrination?
The Third Hokage had his way of brainwashing people, so why can't the Uchiha create their own version?
Besides, the Uchiha are now arguably the village's sole founders, giving them a natural advantage that others lack.
"Not bad, Akira's words make a lot of sense!"
"Yes, our clan is indeed due for some changes!"
"An Uchiha-flavored Will of Fire? That sounds quite reasonable. I'm in favor!"
As Uchiha Akira finished speaking, the Uchiha leadership expressed their support, agreeing with Akira's idea.
Although they had no particular fondness for the Third Hokage, they had to admit that the Will of Fire was a pretty effective concept.
Especially when it came to the children at the ninja academy—the impact was even greater.
Case in point: look at how deeply Uchiha Itachi was influenced.
With that, the Uchiha leaders began a lively discussion on how to implement a Uchiha-specific Will of Fire.
Brainwashing tactics? Establishing a righteous image for the Uchiha?
The clan would undergo changes, and this new ideology would be a part of it.
After a lively discussion that lasted over an hour, the idea of an Uchiha-specific Will of Fire began to take shape. They also discussed how to implement it and how the clan members should change their behavior.
"What do you think, Akira? Do you have anything to add?" Fugaku asked, noticing that Uchiha Akira had remained silent after his initial suggestions.
"No, the elders have spoken wisely, and I have no objections," Uchiha Akira replied, first acknowledging the contributions of the senior clan members.
This response earned Akira more nods of approval from the Uchiha leaders, who appreciated his respectful demeanor.
Despite his power and high standing, Akira was neither arrogant nor domineering.
In fact, they began to see Uchiha Akira as the best candidate for the next Hokage.
And by "best," they didn't mean he was just a strong contender; they meant that within the entire Uchiha clan, there was no one else qualified to compete with him for the title of Hokage!
"However…"
But just as Akira said this, he added, "I think there's something else we need to address."
"What do you think needs to be added? Tell us," Fugaku urged, with the other leaders turning their attention to Akira once more.
So far, everything Akira had said had been highly constructive.
"Well, regarding the deaths of Danzo and the Third Hokage, I believe we need to make a public statement to the villagers."
"As I mentioned earlier, the Third Hokage's Will of Fire was quite powerful, and even now, there are probably many villagers and ninja who see us as usurpers!"
"Although no one dares oppose us outright due to our current strength, this sentiment could become a source of unrest in the future, perhaps even sparking future conflicts!"
"So, we need to expose the true, ugly nature of Danzo and the Third Hokage for all to see!"
Uchiha Akira explained, adding his final thoughts.
Indeed, in the world from which I came, when a rebellion succeeded, there was always a need to justify the actions by listing the sins of the deposed rulers. That way, it would seem as if the rebellion was an act of divine will!
Couldn't they just copy from history?
This approach is just as relevant now as it was then!
"Ah! Yes, that's a very timely addition!"
"Indeed, the Third Hokage's Will of Fire was quite strong, and even now, there are still many civilians and ninja who secretly believe that we Uchiha are evil usurpers!"
"Though no one can stop us from taking the Hokage's seat, these people are indeed an unstable factor!"
"Right, we need to expose the Third Hokage's dark side to make it clear that we Uchiha are the heroes who defeated the villains!"
"Akira may only be seven years old, but his insights are far beyond what we old men can come up with!"
"Elder, your grandson truly is remarkable!"
With Uchiha Akira's suggestion, the clan leaders began to see the wisdom in his words, one after another voicing their agreement.
At the same time, praise for Akira flowed freely, making his grandfather smile so widely that the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears!
As an old man, what's the one thing he loves to hear most? Praise for his grandson, of course!
That's even better than being praised directly or hearing compliments about his son!
At just seven years old, Akira had shown the courage and determination to confront the Third Hokage on his own!
He even possessed the strength to open the Eight Gates!
And now, he displayed such political acumen and strategic thinking!
Up until now, the clan had believed that Shisui and Itachi were the true geniuses of the Uchiha.
But now it seemed that Uchiha Akira was even more exceptional—perhaps even perfect!
Fugaku carefully considered Akira's suggestion and nodded in agreement.
"Alright, everyone, let's discuss the Third Hokage's failings—where did he go wrong, and how can we completely tarnish his image?"
With that, Fugaku turned to the Uchiha elders, encouraging them to brainstorm ways to discredit the Third Hokage.
"Clan Leader, I've already compiled a list of the Third Hokage's seven deadly sins, enough to completely ruin his reputation!" Uchiha Akira said, his voice low and ominous…
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 136 at patreon.com/Emik01.