At the waterfall, Uchiha Fugaku, after nervously confirming no one was around, finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. However, as he looked at Shirou, his face showed a helpless expression.
"Shirou, you need to be more careful when speaking like this in the future."
Shirou, with a confused look on his face, pretended not to understand, though he had already guessed what Fugaku was thinking.
At this moment, White Fang was undoubtedly the brightest star in Konoha, enjoying a reputation across the ninja world, where encountering him made abandoning a mission acceptable. This hero, White Fang, was even being considered as a candidate for the next Hokage.
It was surprising—Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, was only in his early forties and still in his prime. Why had talk of a future Hokage already started? Without forces pushing this idea from behind, no one would believe it.
Shirou scoffed inwardly, while Uchiha Fugaku, after a slight hesitation, lowered his voice and spoke seriously:
"During the First Great Ninja War, the Third Hokage was only a temporary appointment. That war was won because all the clans worked together. However, after the war, the clans suffered heavy losses, but the lost benefits..."
As Uchiha Fugaku's words echoed, Shirou's expression turned to one of realization. It was just as he suspected: though White Fang was strong, the fact he was being considered for the next Hokage indicated forces were pushing for this. And these forces were likely the major clans. The fact that even the Third Hokage was silent on the matter hinted that the Senju clan might also be involved.
From the First to the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha had experienced twenty years of peace. Based on some knowledge from the original series, certain things could be deduced. For one, the number of civilian ninjas in Konoha had greatly increased, but training ninjas required extensive resources, and Konoha's resources were limited. The outcome was obvious.
When the village was first established, the ninja academy hadn't fully allowed civilian ninjas to rise to prominence. After the First Ninja War, though Konoha had won, the major clans suffered severe losses. The Third Hokage took this opportunity to build his power base and nurture civilian ninjas.
"I see now. No wonder our clan has been getting closer to the Hatake family. When White Fang becomes the Fourth Hokage, the Uchiha will finally gain the village's trust."
Shirou feigned sudden understanding, which made Uchiha Fugaku smile and nod.
"Exactly. By then, the Fourth Hokage will act as a bridge for our clan, easing tensions with other clans in the village."
Damn!
Seeing Uchiha Fugaku's reasoning, Shirou was speechless. Following the Uchiha always seemed to lead to failure! In the original series, even the Fourth Hokage Minato had a good relationship with Fugaku, proving that the Uchiha's ability to place bets was truly remarkable—and ill-fated.
Yet, Shirou looked excited.
"The clan leader is indeed wise. The Third Hokage was a disciple of the Second Hokage. I've heard about this before!"
As he spoke, Shirou suddenly seemed to recall something and an awkward expression appeared on his face. Uchiha Fugaku, standing nearby, softened his expression slightly and waved his hand dismissively.
"It's all in the past."
Seeing it was just the two of them, Shirou, acting like a close confidant, whispered:
"Captain Fugaku, I've heard about the policies during the Second Hokage's rule, but I understand. At that time, it was necessary to be cautious of the Uchiha clan."
During that period, there had been an incident with Uchiha Madara and later troubles with Uchiha Elder Setsuna. Anyone in power at that time would have been wary. Seeing Shirou's cautious demeanor, Uchiha Fugaku reassured him:
"It's fortunate. While the Third Hokage inherited the Second Hokage's caution toward the Uchiha, the new Hokage won't."
At this moment, Uchiha Fugaku didn't realize he had fallen into Shirou's trap. He had just acknowledged that the Third Hokage inherited the Second Hokage's caution toward the Uchiha. Though he felt something was off, Shirou, with a resolute nod and bright smile, said, "Brother Fugaku, I believe the Fourth Hokage, White Fang, is a true hero, and the clan will receive the treatment it deserves."
Beneath Shirou's smile, he didn't give Fugaku a chance to reflect. In one sentence, Fugaku had condemned the Third Hokage, while Shirou had seemingly said nothing but simply agreed.
From another perspective, had the Third Hokage truly trusted the Uchiha during his reign? And as a disciple of the Second Hokage, how could he not have inherited his teacher's caution toward the Uchiha?
Normally, such thoughts would make Fugaku frown in slight disagreement, but Shirou had already introduced the idea of White Fang as the future Fourth Hokage. In comparison, everything else seemed insignificant. Fugaku even smiled and reassured Shirou:
"Don't worry, Shirou. I know White Fang well. He has no prejudice against the Uchiha, especially since he wasn't around during that time."
And he wasn't the Third Hokage's disciple! Naturally, he hadn't inherited that mindset. The thought flashed through Uchiha Fugaku's mind, but he dismissed it with a self-deprecating laugh. The clan had already placed their bets on the future Fourth Hokage. Why was he overthinking it?
Recalling the time of the Second Hokage—when Madara controlled the Nine-Tails and then the First Hokage passed away—calling it a "special period" was no exaggeration. After all, it was almost as if the Uchiha had indirectly caused the First Hokage's death. The Third Hokage had lived through that period; how could he not have been influenced?
But Uchiha Fugaku's worries faded. Now, all he could think about was White Fang, the future Fourth Hokage, and the smile on his face grew. Whatever happened in the past would soon be history; all they needed was to build a good relationship with the future Hokage.
Seeing Uchiha Fugaku's smile, Shirou smiled inwardly. First, make him accept that the Third Hokage had inherited the Second Hokage's suspicion of the Uchiha, then introduce the hope of a new Fourth Hokage.
When he eventually realizes White Fang, the Fourth Hokage, is gone—tsk tsk!
With that thought, Shirou's lips curled into a smile, his expression sincere. Once the seed of doubt was planted, it wouldn't show immediately, but with a little watering, it would sprout and grow. Eventually, it would become a towering tree.
After all, Uchiha Fugaku held an important position within the clan. Shirou was determined not to let the Uchiha repeat their past mistakes. He refused to believe that a Uchiha who saw the truth early could still be led to the same fate of clan extermination.
As the two continued talking, a tiny slug hidden among the leaves observed them from the shadows. Back in the tent, Tsunade opened her eyes and snorted proudly.
"Those Uchiha brats sure have wild ideas!"
But she couldn't suppress a smile. At the very least, it proved one thing: for now, the Uchiha were focused on gaining the village's trust and improving relations. That was a good sign. At least, Uchiha Shirou and the Uchiha clan leader's son weren't the ambitious types.