"That's right," Fugaku nodded. "Your strength is impressive, and your cunning is no less. There's no reason you couldn't become Hokage."
"My achievements aren't enough. If I were to take the Hokage seat, it'd be hard to gain everyone's support." Akira shook his head and continued, "Besides, there's still Jiraiya and Tsunade. Even if the Third Hokage retires, they'd still be viable candidates."
"Hmph!" Fugaku scoffed. "Jiraiya has his connection to Nagatoб he'll never be Hokage with that stain on his record. As for Tsunade, she's already lost faith in the higher-ups. You don't need to worry about her."
"And achievements? Do they even matter?" Fugaku narrowed his eyes with disdain. "Back when Hiruzen Sarutobi succeeded as Hokage, what accomplishments did he have? His ascension was entirely the Second Hokage's decision, without following any formal process. Didn't he still secure the Hokage title?"
Akira pondered aloud, "Now that you mention it, that's true."
Previously, Akira hadn't given much thought to the position of Hokage, so he hadn't considered these details.
"You don't need to worry about reputation. That can be crafted afterward." Fugaku smiled.
Akira also smiled. He'd never entertained the thought before, but with Fugaku's words, he could now see the possibilities. Wasn't Hiruzen's reputation as the 'strongest Hokage' or 'God of Shinobi' just a product of clever propaganda? Every seasoned shinobi knew that.
"What? Tempted now?" Fugaku grinned.
From his observations, Fugaku had long sensed that Akira wasn't particularly power-hungry. He was content either way. For someone like him, if the chance arose to become Hokage, he'd give it his best shot. If it didn't work out, he'd maintain his calm and move on.
Akira laughed. "It's still the Hokage seat—the pinnacle of power in the ninja world. It's tempting, that's for sure."
Hearing Akira's response, Fugaku knew he had planted the seed.
"Then we'll wait for the right moment to cast Hiruzen aside and make him a relic of the past." Fugaku's voice brimmed with confidence.
After Akira left, Fugaku's lips curled into a smile as he thought to himself, So, my decision to mentor Akira after using my right eye's dojutsu, 'Amatsu Mikaboshi,' was the right one.
After unlocking his Mangekyou Sharingan, Fugaku gained two unique abilities. One was Amaterasu, hailed as the ultimate Fire Style technique, which he could use freely as long as his eye power sufficed. The other, Amatsu Mikaboshi, allowed him to glimpse into potential futures. But unlike Amaterasu, its cooldown depended on how much he observed and drained his eye power.
Even peeking at just one possible future would result in a cooldown of several months. The distance into the future, the specific events, and even the clarity of the glimpses were all random and unpredictable.
When he first unlocked these abilities, Fugaku was uncertain about the future of the Uchiha clan. As clan leader, he had no idea where to lead them. After much thought, he used Amatsu Mikaboshi in hopes of finding a way forward.
Through this ability, he witnessed many potential futures. Among them was an image of Minato Namikaze donning the Hokage's robe and ascending to the position. Because of that vision, he had placed great hopes on Minato.
The reason he focused on Akira was due to another vision—Akira ruthlessly dominating the battlefield. Though the glimpses were fragmented and disconnected, they convinced Fugaku to train him carefully.
At an opportune moment, Fugaku met Akira and, naturally, began teaching him various jutsu.
"Too bad that Amatsu Mikaboshi is so random… and its cooldown is ridiculously long." Fugaku shook his head.
The last time he'd glimpsed the future, the dojutsu had taken eight years to recharge.
"I suppose knowing the future doesn't guarantee the right choices. These glimpses are limited, and there's a risk of misinterpreting them. Better not to rely on it." With that, Fugaku left the shrine.
After Hiruzen resumed power, Danzo's Root reactivated in response to escalating border conflicts. Ever since Minato Namikaze's death, the other Hidden Villages had been growing bolder, sending squads into the Land of Fire to cause destruction along the border.
Kumogakure and Iwagakure were the most active, as they had managed to preserve much of their strength during the Third Great Ninja War. With the extensive border of the Land of Fire, Hiruzen had no choice but to dispatch large numbers of shinobi to defend against their provocations.
Even these small incursions were enough to give Hiruzen a headache.
In Amegakure, atop the tallest tower, Nagato gripped Hanzo's throat with cold detachment.
"You've grown… much stronger… I underestimated you…" Hanzo's weak voice rasped from behind his gas mask.
"Yahiko was the one who misjudged you!" Nagato's Rinnegan glowed with murderous intent. "He believed in you, and that led us straight into your trap."
Nagato tightened his grip, and with a sickening crunch, Hanzo's body went limp as life left him.
Staring down at the corpse, Nagato murmured, "This old man's body is stronger than I expected. He might make a better Deva Path."
Despite his age, Hanzo's physical condition far exceeded that of Yahiko. With his own growing power, Nagato had sensed that Yahiko's body, even strengthened by Yin-Yang Release, was struggling to keep up as the Deva Path vessel.
Hanzo's superior constitution and higher potential made him an ideal replacement.
"Rest in peace, Yahiko. I'll carry out your dream," Nagato whispered.
At that moment, he looked toward the entrance, where Zetsu's figure slinked into the room like a pitcher plant.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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