That's right.
This really was a different kind of Chūnin Exams—a competition involving not just shinobi, but also civilians.
Uchiha Shisui looked seriously at the still-pensive clan head and said,
"If during the race, the Uchiha can show our bond with the village… prove that we're not as terrifying as they think… that we can have fun, dance, even rap—then maybe, just maybe, the ninja and civilians of Konoha will start seeing us differently."
And, if possible, they might even be able to assist the Konoha shinobi from the shadows, helping them win. Proving that the Uchiha Clan also upholds the Will of Fire.
But…
"Have you considered this?" Uchiha Fugaku folded his arms, calmly staring at Shisui. "The higher-ups won't even allow us to leave the village."
They both knew the truth.
The events surrounding Uchiha Madara, the Nine-Tails' attack, and the years of Uchiha dominance over the Konoha Police Force had left many clan heads discontent with the Uchiha. Especially given the clan's power…
"I'm sure Lord Third and the council already know everything."
He sighed inwardly and shook his head.
"These days, it doesn't matter what we want to do. It's what the village lets us do."
Indeed, some members of the Uchiha had grown resentful—talking of revolt, of reshaping their future. After all, even the higher-ups had begun to openly dislike them, so what hope was there for public opinion?
Right now, whatever the Uchiha did was seen as wrong. The only thing they could do was stay quiet, wait for the rumors to fade, and hope to be accepted again someday.
Yet, despite everything…
Fugaku couldn't shake the feeling that some invisible hand had been manipulating the downfall of the Uchiha ever since Madara betrayed Konoha.
"What did we really do wrong?"
Sure, Uchiha Madara betrayed the village. And then there was the Nine-Tails' incident.
But that was it!
And they had refused to follow Madara, choosing instead to stand by the First Hokage and Konoha. As for the Nine-Tails attack… that was a total setup.
Right now, Fugaku was the only one in the clan with the Mangekyō Sharingan. There was no second pair—he was certain of that.
Unfortunately, no one was willing to listen to their side of the story. The elders understood, sure, but they seemed to have reached a consensus: isolate the Uchiha, banish them to the far corner of the village.
They had shed blood for Konoha, contributed to its success. And this was their reward?
Naturally, over time, resentment grew within the clan. People became more and more discontent, more extreme.
As clan head, Fugaku had to regularly organize family meetings, just to let people vent their frustrations about the village leadership—maybe even mock the Hokage's absurd policies.
If he didn't… the anger would pile up. Eventually, something terrible would happen.
Especially because he, a Mangekyō wielder, knew just how dangerous the Uchiha truly were.
He had no intention of betraying Konoha. Peace was what the Uchiha truly desired.
Things had been going well with the Fourth Hokage. He believed things were slowly improving…
Until the Fourth chose to die with his wife that night, leaving their child behind to be mistreated by the very village he died for.
"Sigh… it's hard to even talk about."
Looking at Shisui—who had now furrowed his brows and seemed deep in thought—Fugaku added,
"For the Uchiha right now, what matters most… is peace."
Let the hatred fade. Let the Nine-Tails incident fade. Let that terrifying eye… fade.
"Clan Head…" Shisui gave a bitter smile and nodded.
"You're right. I didn't think it through."
As a descendant of Uchiha Kagami and a true inheritor of the Will of Fire, he understood his duty—to ease tensions between the clan and the village.
"Then… how about I go ask Lord Third for his opinion?"
"…"
Fugaku fell silent again.
After a moment, he nodded.
"Go."
Meanwhile…
Konoha Commercial District
In order to better understand what these 4WD cars were all about—and to keep Naruto from figuring out that he was just a shinobi and not some pro racer—Kakashi had brought him to the official 4WD store.
It was also a good chance to buy a car of his own.
He glanced at Naruto, who had wandered off the moment they walked in and was now eagerly exploring the store.
Making sure the kid was far enough away not to overhear, Kakashi lowered his voice and asked seriously:
"Where can I buy a car?"
"???"
The shop assistant stared blankly at him, wondering why he was acting like some shady underground informant.
Of course, being a well-known Konoha shinobi, the clerk immediately recognized him.
"Why's he here? Don't tell me… is it for that 100 million prize?"
With a polite smile, he leaned in and lowered his own voice to match.
"Are you looking for a pre-built, a self-assembly, or fully custom?"
"…What's the difference?"
Kakashi frowned, confused by the terminology.
"Which one's better?"
"Well… pre-built ones are cheaper. DIY kits cost more. Fully custom builds are the most expensive."
"…"
That didn't help at all!
Kakashi rubbed his temples in frustration, then lowered his voice even further:
"Which one's faster? Especially in the shinobi division… what kind should I get?"
"For the ninja division… well, honestly, the speed is about the same. The format is different, though. The self-controlled ones are more expensive," the clerk replied with a smile.
"As for which is fastest… there are too many factors. I couldn't say. It all comes down to how the racer assembles and tunes it."
"So in the end… it depends on the driver?"
"Exactly!"
"…"
Kakashi sighed, glancing at Naruto still lost among the car parts.
"This mission is not as easy as I thought…"
The clerk noticed his troubled expression and hesitated for a second before saying,
"You're new, aren't you? If that's the case, I'd recommend reading [Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!!]—it'll help you understand the basics. Of course, it's just a manga, so real life is a little different. But you can also head to the back of the store—there's a test track where lots of racers are practicing lately."
"The back?"
"Yup!"
"Alright then…" Kakashi furrowed his brows again and cautiously glanced at Naruto.
Seeing that the kid still hadn't noticed, he nodded.
"I'll take a look."
With that, he quickly slipped through the back door.
The moment he opened it, a roar of cheers and shouts erupted.
"Charge, Thunderbolt!"
"It's all up to you now, Blazing Cyclone!"
"My Crimson Falcon's unbeatable!"
The place was a chaotic mess of noise.
But the moment he spotted a certain green-clad man sprinting nonstop down the track…
Kakashi groaned and held his forehead.
"Why… why is he here?"
Suddenly, he really didn't feel like going in anymore.