Uchiha Ascendant: Rewriting the Ninja World

By the waterfall, Uchiha Fugaku cautiously scanned the area to confirm no one was around. Only then did he relax, though his expression toward Uchiha Yo was one of helplessness.

"Yo-kun, you should be more careful with your words in the future."

Uchiha Yo feigned a clueless expression, though he had already guessed the underlying truth.

Currently, White Fang was the most dazzling star in Konoha's ranks, revered even across the Shinobi world with the saying: "If you encounter Konoha's White Fang, you may as well abandon the mission."

It wasn't just his strength. The buzz about White Fang being the next Hokage made the situation even more peculiar. After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen was only in his early forties, at the peak of his career. How could talks of a successor arise so early?

The idea that there wasn't a hidden hand pushing this narrative was laughable.

Uchiha Yo sneered internally. Fugaku hesitated briefly before lowering his voice.

"During the First Great Ninja War, the Third Hokage was a temporary appointee. That war was won through the combined efforts of all the major clans. But after the war, while the clans suffered enormous losses, the distribution of the rewards…"

As Fugaku's voice resonated, Uchiha Yo's eyes lit up with a look of sudden realization.

As expected, White Fang's candidacy for the Hokage position wasn't just due to his strength. Powerful forces behind the scenes—likely the major clans—had orchestrated this, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Senju clan were among them.

Between the First and Second Wars, there had been two decades of peace, during which Konoha saw a sharp increase in civilian ninja. However, training ninjas required tremendous resources, and Konoha's capacity was limited.

The conclusion was obvious.

When the ninja villages were first established, and the Academy hadn't yet produced a civilian ninja base, the First Great Ninja War left Konoha victorious but heavily reliant on its noble clans, who bore the brunt of the casualties.

This allowed the Third Hokage to seize the opportunity to cultivate his own faction and promote civilian ninja under the guise of rebuilding.

"So that's why our clan aligns so closely with the Hatake family. Once White Fang becomes the Fourth Hokage, the Uchiha will finally earn the village's trust."

Uchiha Yo acted as though he'd just pieced it all together. His realization brought a rare smile to Fugaku's face.

"Exactly. Once White Fang becomes Hokage, he'll serve as a bridge between the Uchiha and the village, easing the tensions with the other clans."

Unbelievable.

Uchiha Yo held back an eyeroll. It was painfully clear the Uchiha's track record with bets was abysmal. From Hatake Sakumo to Namikaze Minato, it seemed their knack for supporting the losing side was a family tradition.

Still, Uchiha Yo responded with enthusiasm.

"You're absolutely right, Captain! The Third Hokage was, after all, the Second Hokage's disciple. I've heard so much about this."

Suddenly, Uchiha Yo feigned embarrassment, as though he'd stumbled upon an awkward topic.

Fugaku also caught on and waved it off, his expression softening. "It's all in the past."

Seeing they were alone, Uchiha Yo leaned in slightly, adopting a conspiratorial tone.

"Captain Fugaku, I've read about the policies during the Second Hokage's reign. Given the circumstances of that time, his precautionary measures against the Uchiha are… understandable."

The era had been fraught with challenges—the Uchiha Madara incident, followed by the trouble stirred by Uchiha Setsuna. Any leader would have taken similar measures.

Fugaku, seeing Yo's cautious demeanor, reassured him. "It's true that the Second Hokage was wary of the Uchiha, but fortunately, times have changed. While the Third Hokage inherited some of those ideas, the next Hokage will not."

Unknowingly, Fugaku had walked right into Uchiha Yo's carefully laid trap. He had tacitly admitted that the Third Hokage carried forward the Second Hokage's distrust of the Uchiha.

Though Fugaku felt something was amiss after his statement, Uchiha Yo offered no time for reflection, flashing a radiant smile of confidence.

"Captain Fugaku, I truly believe White Fang is a real hero. When he becomes the Fourth Hokage, our clan will finally be treated fairly."

Without giving Fugaku time to dwell on his earlier remarks, Uchiha Yo firmly endorsed Fugaku's words.

All the criticisms of the Third Hokage's distrust? They were Fugaku's, not his. Uchiha Yo had said nothing but praise for the next Hokage.

From another angle, it was undeniable. The Third Hokage had been mentored by the Second, and his policies mirrored his master's wariness of the Uchiha. These facts, which might have made Fugaku uncomfortable under normal circumstances, now seemed trivial compared to the hope presented by White Fang's candidacy.

Fugaku's concerns melted away, replaced by a hopeful smile. "Don't worry, Yo-kun. I know White Fang. He holds no prejudice against the Uchiha. He's not like those from that time."

Fugaku's thoughts flashed briefly to the past, recalling the complicated era of the Second Hokage. After Madara's manipulation of the Nine-Tails and the First Hokage's untimely death, the Uchiha had inadvertently become a source of suspicion.

The Third Hokage, having lived through that period, would undoubtedly have inherited some of his master's biases.

Fugaku laughed at himself for overthinking. With the clan's future tied to White Fang, dwelling on the past seemed pointless.

Looking at Fugaku's brightened expression, Uchiha Yo's internal smirk grew wider.

First, make him subconsciously accept that the Third Hokage follows the Second's anti-Uchiha stance. Then, offer the hope of the Fourth Hokage.

When Fugaku realizes White Fang's tragic end, well…

The thought brought a genuine smile to Uchiha Yo's face. Once the seed of doubt was planted, it only needed occasional watering to grow into a towering tree.

Fugaku's loyalty and status within the Uchiha made him a valuable ally, and Uchiha Yo couldn't let the clan repeat its mistakes.

There's no way a clear-eyed Uchiha will end up annihilated again.

As the two continued their conversation, a tiny slug hidden among the leaves silently retreated.

Back in her tent, Tsunade opened her eyes and let out an indignant snort.

"That Uchiha brat really dares to dream!"

Still, the corner of Tsunade's mouth quirked upward. Despite her complaints, there was one undeniable fact:

The Uchiha, at least for now, seemed focused on gaining the village's trust and improving relations. This was a

good sign.

At least, neither Uchiha Yo nor Fugaku appeared to harbor the ambition to rebel.