The news that the Uchiha were going to choose a new clan head was definitely shocking enough to the outside world.
Changing the clan head was truly not a good thing for a clan, because it could be filled with conspiracy and betrayal.
Bloodline clans were like this by nature. The clan head basically came from a specific branch, and that position almost never fell into someone else's hands.
Unless the people of that clan head's branch all died out, only then would another branch be considered, and one of its members would become the new clan head to lead the clan forward and develop it.
For the Uchiha to have such a situation, even though it was not the first time, decades ago, Uchiha Madara had defected from Konoha, which caused the position of clan head to fall to Uchiha Fugaku's branch.
But back then, it had been a forced choice, so naturally, no one said anything bad about it.
Either follow him and defect from Konoha together, or stay in Konoha and change the clan head. Anyone with a normal mind knew how to choose between those options.
But the current situation was truly different. Uchiha Fugaku was alive and well, and he even had two sons, yet the clan was going to replace him.
If one said there was no conspiracy or betrayal involved, no one would believe it.
However, to Natsuhiko, this matter was not really a big deal, because he had already been working on replacing the Uchiha clan head for many years.
Although he had never told anyone his thoughts and methods, people with clear minds all knew what Natsuhiko had done for the Uchiha, and they also guessed some of his goals.
Because of that, this could hardly be considered surprising news. Many of the major clans were well aware that something unusual might one day happen to the Uchiha.
However, that day had taken far longer to arrive than expected, especially for Natsuhiko.
He had originally thought that having Uchiha Shin truly take control of the Police Force, while pushing Sora to a higher position, would make it easier for him to act.
But after going around in circles, even Uchiha Sasuke, that little boy, had already turned eight, and yet Uchiha Shin still had not acted.
Speaking of it, there was something interesting. Three years ago, after Natsuhiko's battle with Senju Hashirama ended, he received a piece of information that slightly stunned him. Naruto had returned.
This information also suddenly made Natsuhiko realize that Naruto and Sasuke, those two little boys, were about to enter school.
The Uchiha's development over the past few years had been rather good, especially with Natsuhiko backing them, which allowed them to receive a certain amount of support from Konoha.
However, that support was given to the Police Force and to Uchiha Shin. It had truly nothing to do with Uchiha Fugaku.
Uchiha Fugaku also seemed to have noticed his current difficult position, especially after Natsuhiko came to power. He knew that his own situation was becoming worse and worse.
Because of that, he also began looking for ways to struggle. He had long since understood that the one behind Uchiha Shin was Natsuhiko, or rather, he believed that it had once been Namikaze Minato and was now Natsuhiko.
Since Uchiha Shin could do it, why could he not?
Had Uchiha Shin not sent Uchiha Shisui to the ANBU, using this to build a connection between Konoha's upper level and the Uchiha Clan?
And Shisui had a very good relationship with his own son, Uchiha Itachi. His son was also a recognized genius of the Uchiha, having already graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of six.
On top of that, with the identity of being the clan head's son, if he were sent to the ANBU, would the effect really be inferior to that kid Uchiha Shisui?
However, what Uchiha Fugaku had not expected was that Natsuhiko had no intention of accepting Uchiha Itachi at all. This also led to Uchiha Itachi still being a mission ninja from early graduation until now.
Even though this boy still showed talent and had already become a chūnin at a young age.
Uchiha Fugaku would probably never understand that because of his overly indecisive personality, Natsuhiko had long since given up on him.
Uchiha Itachi was very powerful, and he was also an Uchiha with the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But so what?
Would the current Natsuhiko place that much importance on a pair of Mangekyō?
Konoha still had Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama. Was a pair of Mangekyō really worth that much attention and expectation?
Putting aside Uchiha Itachi's potential, Uchiha Fugaku also had the Mangekyō Sharingan, but what was the result?
Had Natsuhiko not quietly dug out one of his eyes, leaving him unable to resist at all?
It could be said that from the moment Natsuhiko chose Uchiha Shin, and after Uchiha Shin made the correct choice no matter what his purpose was, Natsuhiko had never had any intention of replacing him.
Are they going to replace him? This really is a good thing.
After Kakashi left the office, Natsuhiko could not help thinking this silently.
The changes over the past few years had truly been great, and the current Konoha was also becoming closer and closer to the one in his memories, but many people had become different.
Naruto had been sent back by Namikaze Minato. This little boy was no longer the "Nine-Tails demon fox" from the original story, the one no one cared about and even hated.
He knew who his parents were, and he had received a decent education from a young age. It could be said that even if this little boy returned to Konoha alone, he was no longer the Naruto from before.
Moreover, how could Namikaze Minato possibly let his own child suffer after returning to Konoha alone?
Originally, Namikaze Minato had planned to have Kakashi take care of Naruto, but now Natsuhiko was already the Fifth Hokage, and to a certain extent, he had also received Minato's favor.
Because of that, Namikaze Minato finally decided that he hoped Natsuhiko would take care of his son.
Natsuhiko did not refuse this matter. In any case, he already had one "Ashura inheritor" beside him, so having one more was not a big deal.
And Natsuhiko was also full of a strange amusement. He knew Naruto's special identity, and on top of that, this boy no longer had the Nine-Tails' chakra.
He was very curious about what Naruto would become in the future, especially after being trained by Senju Hashirama.
Because of that, Natsuhiko had Senju Shōma arrange a residence for Naruto that was not too far from his own, so it would be convenient for him to look after him.
At the same time, he also asked Renge's mother to go over often and help take care of his daily life, and Renge's mother completely agreed.
She could naturally see that her daughter had already formed a real relationship with this most outstanding young man in the clan, who had already become the Fifth Hokage.
She had no objection to this matter at all. Leaving aside the fact that Natsuhiko had saved their mother and daughter, just the fact that Natsuhiko and Renge had originally been engaged meant that she could not oppose it.
In truth, she had long wanted to move out, but she had not dared to bring it up herself. Now that Natsuhiko hoped she could help take care of the Fourth Hokage's son, she was naturally more than willing.
With her care, Naruto's current life was very good. Moreover, after being taught by Namikaze Minato and his wife, Naruto was also a very outstanding and well-mannered person.
On top of that, Senju Hashirama did not oppose teaching Naruto either. The two of them seemed to take a liking to each other from their very first meeting.
It could be said that Naruto's future was very worth looking forward to, and now, he had already stayed in the Ninja Academy for three years.
Unlike in the original story, he was very popular at school, but there was one point that was still the same. He seemed to have formed a good relationship with Sasuke earlier than expected.
However, Sasuke's days were not going so smoothly now. Even though his father did not say anything, he could still feel something from the atmosphere at home.
Moreover, Natsuhiko also noticed that this time period seemed to be the time when the Uchiha Clan was wiped out in the original story.
...
"Father, I am sorry. I failed again."
Inside the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Itachi quietly stood before Uchiha Fugaku.
His expression looked fairly calm, but helplessness and confusion flickered in his eyes.
He himself did not know how many times this was that he had participated in the ANBU selection. It seemed to have started when he graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of six.
After so many years, he was now thirteen, but he still had never received the ANBU's approval.
He was confident that he was not inferior to Brother Shisui, but Brother Shisui had already been a squad captain in the ANBU for many years, and he was also one of the strongest competitors for the position of division commander.
He knew Shisui should not talk about such things, but their relationship was truly too good, so Shisui would still tell him some things that should not be said.
However, Itachi could also be considered someone with a very tight mouth. He had never revealed things he should not say to anyone else, and that included his father.
Of course, aside from being tight-lipped, there was also the fact that he had learned a piece of news, a piece of news that made him unable to speak.
That was, Konoha's current Fifth Hokage simply did not think highly of his father. Shisui himself was not too clear on the reason, but he had still tentatively given Itachi an explanation.
"Perhaps when the thoughts within the Uchiha Clan were not unified, the clan head chose to stand with the radical side."
The radical side's idea had been to seize the position of Hokage through force, thereby achieving control over Konoha.
In truth, Shisui had really misunderstood Uchiha Fugaku, because back then, Fugaku had racked his brain trying to balance the two sides, or waiting to see which side would win before supporting that side.
To put it nicely, he had stood with the majority. To put it badly, he had not had the slightest courage as a clan head, and it was completely a reflection of his indecision.
But Uchiha Itachi did not know these things. He still rather agreed with everything Shisui said, so he became even more afraid to tell his father such matters.
"Failed again?"
Hearing this, Uchiha Fugaku could not help shaking his head. This news truly disappointed him greatly.
He truly did not understand why Uchiha Shin could succeed, but he himself could never succeed from beginning to end. He also never felt that Uchiha Itachi was inferior to Uchiha Shisui.
What he could not understand even more was why Senju Natsuhiko had chosen Uchiha Shin. Was he not more worth investing in than Uchiha Shin?
Unable to understand or see through it, Uchiha Fugaku's heart was truly filled with confusion and gloom. This feeling truly made him hate it deeply.
There were only three things he hated most in his life. The first was that when his close friend had been killed, he had been so powerless.
Under such helplessness, despair, and mad hatred, he awakened the power the Uchiha Clan dreamed of, the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The second thing was that he hated himself for not properly using his eyes.
It was because he was worried about going blind, and also worried that exposing his eyes would cause thoughts within the clan that should not exist, that he had never properly used his eyes.
And the result of that was that he was attacked by Orochimaru and his accomplice, and in the end, one of his eyes was taken.
Such pain was hard for anyone to bear. Especially as an Uchiha, he had still failed despite possessing the Mangekyō Sharingan, and he had even lost one of them.
The pain he endured was ten thousand times that of ordinary people, and the hatred in his heart was also ten thousand times that of ordinary people.
And the third thing that filled his heart with resentment was that, even now, he still did not understand why Konoha's higher-ups had not chosen to cooperate with him.
Instead, they had chosen the most dangerous and most chilling path, which was to overthrow him and choose a new clan head and collaborator.
"Is Konoha not afraid that such an approach will cause the other clans to push back?"
This thought had always lingered in his heart. Yet what made his heart feel even colder was that as the Police Force grew stronger and stronger, the other clans seemed to have silently accepted this matter.
This truly made Uchiha Fugaku feel bitter inside. He really did not know what had happened.
In such an environment, even his own child had been dragged down.
He had always wanted Itachi to enter the ANBU so that he could connect with Konoha's higher-ups, but his idea had never been realized.
What was most troubling was that Itachi could not enter the Police Force either. This meant Itachi could only remain an ordinary mission ninja, so how could Fugaku not feel angry and resentful?
The atmosphere began to grow somewhat heavy. Whether it was Uchiha Fugaku or Uchiha Itachi, neither of their hearts was calm at this moment.
Even though they looked as if they did not care about the result, and each appeared extremely calm, how could something like this truly leave them at peace?
"Father, Brother, I'm back!"
Just then, a young voice suddenly came in, and that voice instantly broke the silence between Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Fugaku.
In the end, Uchiha Fugaku let out a heavy sigh and closed his only remaining eye.
Uchiha Itachi also turned around with the flow of the moment and revealed a smile, preparing to welcome the child who was about to come in.
Regarding the clan's matters, Itachi had already become somewhat dissatisfied in his heart. According to Shisui, his father's actions were already equal to betraying Konoha.
He had been young back then and did not understand many things very clearly, but now he had grown up, and he truly could not understand his father's choice at that time.
What was wrong with Konoha now?
Even putting aside the present, Konoha was a whole, and the Uchiha were members of the village. So why had his father still made such an unacceptable choice?
After accepting Shisui's explanation, Uchiha Itachi had already sincerely decided that the mistake lay with his father, not with the Fifth Hokage.
On the contrary, this Fifth Hokage, who had resolved the war between Konoha and Kumogakure with his own strength, seemed to him like a rational and tolerant Hokage.
The current Uchiha were developing very well. There was no doubt about this, even if this development had nothing to do with his father.
But the fact was that they had developed, and under the Fifth Hokage's instruction, Elder Uchiha Shin had already gradually brought the clan and the village closer together.
Was this not a good thing?
Besides, even the position of Hokage, such an important position, could be replaced and selected based on actual leadership ability. So why could the clan not do the same?
In Uchiha Itachi's heart, he did not actually feel that changing the clan head within the clan was anything bad.
Even though he did indeed want to enter the ANBU and use his own strength to contribute to Konoha.
But if he entered the ANBU with other personal motives, he himself did not have much willingness to do so. Or rather, even if he did enter, he would not provide any information to his father.
Taking a deep breath, Uchiha Itachi turned and went to find his younger brother. Even if he had many emotions in his heart, he would absolutely not let his younger brother see those emotions.
Because his younger brother was one of the people he loved most in his heart.
...
"Word is your clan is going to hold an election. Is that true?"
Inside the Hokage's office, Natsuhiko endured the wait for the end of work while smiling at Sora beside him, who was organizing documents.
Three years had passed, and Sora had become even more beautiful. Especially that unique gentleness belonging to Uchiha women, which Natsuhiko truly enjoyed very much.
Sora's strength was also quite good now. Especially after Natsuhiko gave her the fruit that belonged to the Sharingan, she also possessed the power of the Sharingan.
Of course, Natsuhiko still defined this matter as a secret, and no matter how shocked Sora was by what Natsuhiko had given her, she would never say a single word.
Perhaps it was because she had seen Natsuhiko's power, which could be called that of the God of Shinobi, and had also experienced the fire-nature chakra fruit that Natsuhiko had given her.
She did not feel especially surprised that Natsuhiko could let her awaken the Sharingan, but the change in her attitude toward Natsuhiko was still very obvious.
This attitude let Natsuhiko know that he probably did not need to be forceful at all. He could directly bring this girl home, and everything that should happen would happen.
After all, their relationship since childhood was already there, and Senju Hashirama was also speaking for Natsuhiko, so Natsuhiko did not need to worry about anything.
Even Uchiha Shin, that old man, seemed to have understood something. Because of that, even though he knew Natsuhiko had a fiancée, he no longer interfered with Sora's affairs.
Even if there were people in the clan who hoped to become engaged to this woman who had, in reality, grasped the greatest power within the Uchiha Clan.
The only result they received was a stern warning from the clan, and after that, they had no other choice. However, this made them understand one thing.
That was, this Miss Sora probably already belonged to someone, and they absolutely had no possibility or hope.
"Yes, there is such a matter."
Sora nodded lightly, then revealed a faint smile and spoke in a gentle voice.
"So much time has already passed, and Grandfather has also taken almost all the major powers within the clan into his hands. Although his style of doing things is a little conservative, it is more stable this way."
"It is indeed a little conservative. Thinking about it, so many years have passed in the blink of an eye, but I still remember the way he looked when he discovered that I was an ANBU captain."
As if thinking of something amusing, Natsuhiko could not help revealing a smile.
Sora, meanwhile, smiled helplessly and shook her head. She also knew the story between her grandfather and Natsuhiko, and her grandfather had truly been frightened badly by Natsuhiko.
But it was not only her grandfather. Even Sora herself had been shocked when she learned Natsuhiko's true identity.
Back then, she truly had not expected that the civilian-born boy who had taken such special care of her at the Ninja Academy had already reached such a high position.
One had to know that she had once thought about finding a chance to help Natsuhiko.
"You hid it too well."
After organizing the documents, Sora quietly walked behind Natsuhiko, then reached out and gently massaged the muscles of his shoulders.
"If I had not accidentally met you and Renge at the dango shop that time, I probably never would have imagined in my life that someone as gentle as you would be a member of the ANBU.
"And not only that, you were also the highest-ranking commander in the cold-blooded ANBU. Natsuhiko, you really frightened me back then."
"Is that so?"
Natsuhiko smiled slightly, then reached out with his right hand and held Sora's left hand.
Sora did not resist, nor did she show any discomfort. Instead, she let her hand fall naturally and wrapped her arms around Natsuhiko.
She also lowered her head, resting her chin on Natsuhiko's shoulder and pressing her face against his.
"Then I can only apologize. After all, back then, I also had no choice. In truth, there are many things where I have no choice.
"For people like us, who are not purely ninja, sometimes there are truly too few choices we can make."
"But we still succeeded, did we not?"
Sora's voice sounded beside Natsuhiko's ear, and the warmth and moisture of her breath brushed against his ear as she spoke.
"Actually, even if you had been an ordinary ninja, I would have thought of a way to help you.
"There are still many ninjutsu scrolls within the Uchiha Clan. As long as they suited your nature, I would have found a way to bring them to you.
"There is not much I can do, but I think I would have done everything I could so that you would not fall into being ordinary."
Sora's voice was still so gentle. The words she spoke did not show much emotional fluctuation, but Natsuhiko could hear the determination in them.
He could imagine that if he really had been an ordinary ninja and had met her again, she might truly have done such a thing.
"Thank you."
With a light sigh, Natsuhiko finally only said these two words, then fell somewhat silent.
Of course he could feel this woman's feelings for him. Sometimes, Natsuhiko truly found it strange.
He clearly had not done much, so how had he managed to win over such an Uchiha girl?
Could it be that when he accidentally learned from Naruto back when he was young, it really had such an effect?
Gently stroking Sora's hand, Natsuhiko no longer planned to dwell on this matter. After all, if something was his, he would not give it away.
Moreover, his strength and position were right here. If anyone dared to say something against it and made him unhappy, it was hard to say whether he would make that person's whole family unhappy as well.
Besides, Sora could not possibly be unaware of his relationship with Renge. Since she had already made her choice, would he still be afraid?
After thinking for a moment, Natsuhiko suddenly smiled and asked, "By the way, are you confident about this election?"
"We are very confident."
Once Natsuhiko began talking about proper matters, Sora wanted to stand up straight.
However, she discovered that Natsuhiko was still holding her hand and would not let her leave, so she smiled and cooperated with him, no longer moving around.
"Actually, in my view, we should have complete confidence, but my grandfather is too cautious.
"Clan Head Fugaku does not have anyone with enough prestige supporting him. He has always wanted his child to enter the ANBU, but Kakashi stopped it.
"He has no channel to contact or communicate with us, and this makes him lose even more points. I believe he will not have a chance."
"Is that so?"
Natsuhiko nodded. He knew about Uchiha Itachi wanting to enter the ANBU, and it had been under his orders that Kakashi blocked Itachi.
Since he had already acted against Uchiha Fugaku, even if he knew Uchiha Itachi was a perfect traitor, he knew that others did not know this.
He did not want to cause misunderstandings with Uchiha Shin and Sora, so how could Natsuhiko possibly let Uchiha Itachi enter the ANBU?
However, considering Uchiha Itachi's extremely traitorous personality, Natsuhiko suddenly had a somewhat mischievous idea.
Was the Uchiha Clan not about to hold a full-clan vote?
If Uchiha Itachi stabbed Uchiha Fugaku hard in the back at this moment.
And considering that this time seemed to be exactly when the Uchiha Clan was destroyed in the original story, would that not be very interesting?
"Come on. Accompany me to meet someone."
Thinking of this, Natsuhiko immediately made his decision.
"Oh?"
Sora blinked and asked curiously, "Who are we going to meet?"
"A very interesting person, and he is also someone from your clan."
"Then I really want to see who this interesting person is in Natsuhiko-kun's eyes."
...
"Today's training ends here."
In the forest behind the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Itachi smiled as he spoke to Sasuke.
It was already close to dusk, and Sasuke was so tired that he kept gasping for breath. Naturally, Itachi could not let the training continue.
Although he also wanted to, because when he was with Sasuke, he did not need to think about so many troubling matters, and he could feel joy in his heart.
But Sasuke was still a child, and his body could not withstand such high-intensity training.
Although he was truly not especially satisfied with the results of Sasuke's training.
Sasuke was still his younger brother. He hoped even more that his younger brother could grow up safely and peacefully, while he himself could fully shield Sasuke from the wind and rain.
"Damn it…"
Sasuke gasped heavily a few times before looking unwillingly at the wooden targets scattered around them.
The positions of these wooden targets could not really be called regular, but on them, or around them, there were quite a few kunai.
Clearly, this kid Sasuke was training his kunai-throwing technique. Unfortunately, his throwing method was completely unable to compare with his brother's.
When Uchiha Itachi was young, he had already been able to easily use ricochets to make every kunai hit its target.
Sasuke, however, simply could not do all of this very well. Even if the kunai stabbed into the wooden targets, they still did not hit the center.
"Brother, let me rest a little, then I'll try again. I…"
"Your body has already reached its limit. There is no need to force yourself."
Hearing Sasuke's words, Itachi could not help smiling. Especially when he saw the unwilling look in Sasuke's eyes, he slowly walked over.
Reaching out, Itachi gently moved his finger toward Sasuke's forehead, but at the instant he touched it, he also added a little strength.
With this gentle push, Sasuke could not help taking a step back, and because he was far too tired, he actually sat down on the ground.
"Look at yourself. You are already this tired. It is good to be motivated in training, but you also need to balance work and rest. Otherwise, you will get hurt."
As he spoke, Itachi reached his hand out to Sasuke, while Sasuke pouted before finally taking his brother's hand.
"I know, fine. Then we'll stop here for today."
Looking at Sasuke's appearance, the smile on Itachi's face could not help becoming a little stronger.
However, at this moment, his expression stiffened slightly, and then his smile also became somewhat forced.
He looked at Sasuke before him, and a trace of urgency flashed in his eyes. In the end, he still forced himself to maintain a smile and spoke.
"Sasuke, you go back first. I'll clean this place up."
"Brother, I'll wait for you. I can help you too."
Hearing Itachi's words, Sasuke could not help shaking his head. He did not want to separate from his brother so quickly.
"Listen to me. Go back first. I will catch up soon. Do not make our parents worry."
Itachi stopped Sasuke without the slightest hesitation. He absolutely would not let Sasuke stay here.
"Brother…"
Seeing Itachi's firm attitude, Sasuke became somewhat angry as well. He only wanted to help, yet his brother was acting like this.
However, he also knew that once his brother made a decision, he could not change it, so in the end, he could only pout and turn around to leave.
Itachi stood quietly in place the entire time. He slightly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they had already become a pair of crimson three-tomoe Sharingan.
Uchiha Itachi's talent was still terrifying. Even though he had not entered the ANBU, his strength at the chūnin stage was still very strong, and he had also received quite a few high-level missions.
Through the training of these missions, his eyes had also improved greatly. At this moment, he had quietly reached the level of three tomoe.
"Come out," Uchiha Itachi said coldly. "There is no need to act like this in Konoha. It will create unnecessary misunderstandings."
"You are quite alert, little guy."
At this moment, a gentle voice suddenly sounded, and this voice made Itachi's body stiffen slightly.
Because this voice had appeared behind him, and he had heard this voice before. Although the owner of this voice was truly far away from him in status, he did indeed remember it.
Turning around, Uchiha Itachi looked at the two people who had suddenly appeared behind him. He immediately closed his Sharingan and knelt on one knee.
"Hokage-sama, Sora-sama!"
"Get up, kid."
Natsuhiko smiled lightly. Holding Sora's hand, he slowly walked in front of Itachi.
"Your alertness is very good, and your eyes are also very good. Among the younger generation of Uchiha, aside from Shisui, there is probably only you."
"Thank you for your praise, Hokage-sama."
Itachi slowly stood up, still keeping his head lowered and not daring to raise it easily.
One of the people standing before him was the Uchiha Clan member who, in reality, held the most power in Konoha.
The other was the Fifth Hokage, who had led Konoha to defeat Kumogakure and brought Konoha's development to a new height.
No matter which of these two it was, they were people Uchiha Itachi respected greatly. At first, he had only sensed chakra approaching and had no idea who the people coming were.
Now that he had confirmed their identities, how could Uchiha Itachi not feel excited?
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