A nimble figure leaped down from the rooftop.
Indeed, it was Hatake Sakumo.
Earlier, when Uchiha Yato had persuaded Hatake Sakumo, he had made a bet with him.
...
Uchiha Yato said, "Let's make a bet."
"If I can resolve the Sand's concerns for you, then you'll move to the Uchiha side and become a teacher at Uchiha Kindergarten."
Uchiha Yato's meaning was clear: since you can't return to the Hidden Leaf's leadership—they won't accept you—why not join me? The Uchiha Clan will always welcome you.
At the time, Hatake Sakumo was utterly disheartened and replied bluntly, "I accept."
"If you win, I'll become your teacher."
"If you lose, please take care of Kakashi for me."
Now that the bet was settled, it was clear Uchiha Yato had won.
Uchiha Yato, ever the trickster, resumed his playful tone.
"Even if you return to the leadership, they'll just find ways to ruin you. You might as well come with me."
This made Hatake Sakumo, a grown man, feel somewhat uncomfortable.
It almost sounded like a bully teasing a virtuous woman.
Hatake Sakumo said, "The Third Hokage has already approached me, hoping I'll continue infiltrating the Land of Lightning. I agreed, but I'll leave once it's done."
Hearing this, Uchiha Yato understood their plans.
In the original story, Hatake Sakumo had committed suicide due to the villagers' rumors and slander.
It seemed they wanted history to repeat itself, forcing Hatake Sakumo to die in disgrace once more.Uchiha Yato reminded, "Remember my words."
"No matter what they tell you, treat it as bullshit."
"You don't belong to the Hokage's faction now—you belong to the Uchiha."
At this point, Uchiha Yato was already stirring the pot. The reason was simple: he couldn't wait to take Shimura Danzo's life.
The previous Leaf Court had been set up precisely to execute Danzo openly and justly.
Through his earlier actions, Yato had already sown seeds of mutual disdain between the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzo.
During the banquet for the Sand ninjas, many of the delicacies and benefits had been shared with other ninja clans.
However, aside from the Shimura clan, the other clans had either received favors, resources, or goodwill from Uchiha Yato—or had exchanged friendly gestures with the Uchiha Clan.
Moreover, the incident involving Tsuru Sarutobi and Hokuto Hyuga had further isolated the Shimura clan.
Now, all that remained was for Shimura Danzo to be despised by the common folk and abandoned by his allies.
Once that happened, Uchiha Yato could finally make his move.
So far, the only thing Yato still feared was the hidden trump cards every ninja possessed.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, while Shimura Danzo had the Four Symbols Seal, among others.
This wasn't a world from a book—he had to tread carefully and avoid overconfidence.
Returning to the present, Uchiha Yato gave Hatake Sakumo a few final reminders before ending their conversation.
Lastly, Yato spoke with Uchiha Kei.
Kei said, "I understand your considerations. Rest assured, I grasp your intentions."
Yato replied candidly, "I have no desire to become clan head. The current leader can rest easy and ignore the whispers of others."
For Yato, whether he was the official clan head or not made no difference.
As if the clan wouldn't obey him just because he wasn't the leader.
An uncrowned king like Uchiha Yato was the most formidable.
Not only could he freely mobilize forces, but he could also act with his usual eccentric flair.
If he actually became clan head, he'd have to weigh every decision, which would only tie his hands.
Besides, his system didn't force him to attain any specific position—he was perfectly content being the uncrowned ruler.
Uchiha Kei asked, "Then why give the Sand ninjas so many resources?"
"If someone reports you later, they could accuse you of aiding the enemy."
This was Kei's biggest concern. If it became known that Yato had done this during wartime, he could be executed outright.
Yato explained, "A few supplies and resources in exchange for their silence."
"Chiyo and her people aren't fools. Their land is barren."
"The goodwill the Uchiha Clan has shown them, combined with our current military strength, will make them think twice."
Kei still didn't fully understand, so Yato cut to the chase. "Forget all that. Here's the simplest explanation."
"I traded those resources for their silence—and for Hatake Sakumo's wholehearted allegiance to the Uchiha."
(Note: This doesn't mean the Hatake family ceases to exist. Don't misunderstand.)Hearing this, Uchiha Kei understood.
This deal was simply too profitable—exchanging some Uchiha specialties for a Kage-level combatant.
And it even came with a future Kage-level talent (Kakashi) thrown in. It was nothing short of a guaranteed win.
Uchiha Yato then added, "If our Uchiha Clan wants to expand, we can't rely solely on our own people."
"We can certainly accept some capable civilian ninjas."
"These civilian ninjas can also be used to gradually wear down the arrogance and conceit of the Uchiha Clan."
This was the most ambitious part of Uchiha Yato's long-term plan.
He didn't just want the Uchiha Clan to rise to the top—he wanted them to perfectly integrate with others.
The Uchiha weren't inherently bad. The fact that they were called the Clan of Love was proof enough.
Uchiha Yato intended to lead them in gradually taking control of the Land of Fire and the rule of Hidden Leaf Village.
Revealing his Mangekyo Sharingan was also a show of strength, a declaration to Hidden Leaf that he wasn't afraid of them.
A warning to the Sand Ninja that he wouldn't fear their backstabbing.
At worst, Uchiha Yato could start scheming now, preparing an exit strategy for the Uchiha Clan to break away from Hidden Leaf.
And these behind-the-scenes negotiations were far from over.
...
In the Valley of the End.
Uchiha Madara watched Uchiha Yato's performance with sheer delight.
This was the Uchiha way—wielding overwhelming power, capable of overturning the board at any moment.
As a seasoned political player, Madara immediately grasped Yato's intentions.
Baring fangs to intimidate all enemies.
He was immensely satisfied with Yato. The only headache was that Yato had never seen the ancestral stone tablet and remained unaware of the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Black Zetsu was equally pleased with Yato's display.
He saw Yato as a second Uchiha Madara—a perfect new pawn after Madara's death.
Madara then ordered, "When the Sand Ninja return, arrange for some men to ensure half their delegation dies on the way."
The goal was simple—divert hatred away from Yato.
The likelihood of Yato being the one to strike after just revealing his power was slim, but Hidden Leaf would be the prime suspect.
By making the Sand Ninja resent Hidden Leaf instead of the Uchiha, Madara was buying Yato more time to grow and develop.
Truly, Madara was harsh on the surface but kind at heart—whether it was helping Yato now or molding Obito into a proper pawn.
He still cared for his descendants in his own way.
Upon hearing the order, Black Zetsu began preparations.
Meanwhile, Hidden Leaf Village was about to undergo a massive power reshuffle.
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