The Land of Fire, Konohagakure Village, Nanga Shrine. Today was the Uchiha family's monthly gathering.
The purpose of this gathering was to foster relationships between the various factions of the family, resolve conflicts among members, and, incidentally, strategize on how to ascend into Konoha's upper echelons, with the ultimate goal of producing a Hokage.
Although the Uchiha clan wasn't favored by Konoha's leadership, the relationship hadn't yet devolved into a life-or-death struggle. For now, it was mostly a matter of mutual disdain.
Bang! An old Uchiha with white hair and a wrinkled face slammed the table and stood abruptly. He glared at the clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku, who sat in the first seat, and the group of elderly Uchiha men gathered around him. His shrill voice reverberated through the room as he vented his frustration.
"The position of the Second Hokage was handed directly to Tobirama Senju by Hashirama himself. Then, because of the death of Uchiha Kagami, we watched the position of the Third Hokage fall to Sarutobi Hiruzen. Now, the Fourth Hokage is Namikaze Minato.
What happened to 'maintaining second place, striving for third, and aiming for fourth'? What a ridiculous plan! Decades have passed, and not once have we even touched the Hokage's chair."
At this point, he noticed the other elders avoiding his gaze. They either stared at the ceiling or down at the floor.
"What's wrong? Are you planning to aim for the Fifth Hokage now? Minato Namikaze is only 24 years old. He's got the face of someone who will live for decades—50 years, maybe more. By then, your sons will all be dead!"
Fugaku sighed quietly and removed his hands from his sleeves. As the clan leader, he'd grown used to these tirades. He gazed calmly at the furious elder before scanning the room, observing the reactions of the assembled members.
The attendees were all Uchiha who had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan. This gathering, meant to discuss the future of the clan, often devolved into these heated debates.
"Elder Ryoichi," Fugaku said, his voice steady, "please sit down."
"I won't!" Uchiha Ryoichi snapped, waving off Fugaku's attempt at diplomacy. He turned his ire to another elder across the room, gripping the man's collar with both hands and snarling through gritted teeth.
"You! You're the one who came up with the plan to 'maintain second, strive for third, and aim for fourth,' aren't you?"
"That's right," the elder admitted calmly.
"Well, the plan has failed."
"Ryoichi, don't panic. I have further plans—"
"Further plans? My foot!" Ryoichi shot back. "Your grandfather was just as delusional. Madara-sama dragged him into Konoha and—"
Pah! Ryoichi spat on the ground, then glanced at the two quarreling elders before turning away in disgust. Meanwhile, Uchiha Asuka sat silently, his mind wandering.
He had been in this world for 18 years. When he first realized he had transmigrated into the Uchiha clan, he'd been thrilled. But that excitement had faded quickly—by his first birthday, in fact.
The Second Ninja World War had left him orphaned, and by the age of three, when he'd gained some independence, he'd learned he had no golden finger—no cheats or advantages often bestowed upon transmigrators in such stories. He briefly considered defecting from the Uchiha clan to escape their madness, but his research into history quickly dissuaded him.
The Uchiha defectors of the past had all met untimely and mysterious deaths. Asuka suspected the hand of Black Zetsu—a manipulative figure working from the shadows—ensured that no Sharingan fell out of his control.
After dismissing the idea of defection, Asuka considered pursuing business ventures. Yet, the odd technological landscape of the ninja world made it an impractical path. Farming, medicine, and industry here relied heavily on chakra and manual labor. The lack of innovation frustrated him.
With business out of the question, Asuka turned to mastering the way of the ninja. He trained diligently, honing his skills, yet still found himself far from extraordinary.
He couldn't hope to match prodigies like Itachi Uchiha, whose first battlefield experience awakened his Sharingan. While Itachi pondered the meaning of life amidst the carnage, Asuka merely wondered if he should defect then and there to avoid dying in such a miserable place.
Despite his mediocrity, Asuka survived the war and was promoted to jonin, earning the right to attend clan gatherings like this one.
Today, he watched the elders squabble, barely suppressing his annoyance. Finally, with his stomach growling and the meeting dragging on, Asuka rose and walked to the center of the hall.
"Elders, please stop arguing. I have a suggestion for how the Uchiha clan can secure the position of the Fifth Hokage," he announced.
The room fell silent. Every eye turned toward him.
Ryoichi raised an eyebrow, his tone skeptical. "Oh? Let's hear what ingenious idea our young jonin has come up with this time."
Asuka took a deep breath, glanced at Fugaku, and spoke.
"Patriarch Fugaku, have you considered divorcing your wife and courting Lady Tsunade, the last remaining member of the Senju clan? If the Uchiha and Senju clans unite through marriage, the Fifth Hokage will undoubtedly come from our clan.
Moreover, the Senju clan will eventually be absorbed into the Uchiha, fulfilling a dream our ancestors once had—to dominate the Senju."
The silence in the hall deepened. Elders exchanged glances, unsure if they should laugh or be outraged.
Finally, one elder with a scarred face broke the tension. "A proud clan like ours relying on a marriage of convenience? Ridiculous! Even if the clan leader agreed, no one else would."
"Exactly!" chimed another elder, blind in one eye. "What a foolish plan. The Uchiha have always aimed high. This is beneath us."
Ryoichi, however, stood up again. "Enough! This so-called pride has brought us nothing but failure. If selling Fugaku's body will secure us the Hokage seat, so be it. When I reach the Pure Land, I'll explain it all to Madara-sama myself!"
As the room descended into chaos once more, Asuka quietly slipped out, shaking his head.
"These people are hopeless," he muttered to himself. "Time to pack my things and leave. I'll witness Minato's wedding and defect right after. No more stubbornness—I'm done with this insanity.