You Said It Yourself! - Naruto: The Uchiha Manifesto

At the waterfall.

Uchiha Fugaku scanned the area nervously until he was sure no one was nearby, then finally exhaled with relief. He looked at Uchiha Ye with a helpless expression.

"Ye-kun, be careful about those words in the future."

Uchiha Ye feigned ignorance, but inwardly, he already had his suspicions.

Right now, White Fang was Konoha's brightest star — in the shinobi world, he was treated like someone who could abandon a mission and still be honored. This hero was already being groomed as the next Hokage.

Hiruzen was only in his early forties and at the height of his power — so why would someone suddenly be booked as the next Hokage? If there's no push behind this wind, not even a ghost would believe it.

Uchiha Ye sneered inwardly. Fugaku hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said:

"During the First Great Ninja War, the Third Hokage only rose temporarily. That war was won because the great clans fought together, but after the war those clans suffered huge losses, and some of their interests were—"

As Fugaku's voice trailed off, Uchiha Ye's face showed sudden understanding.

Just as he'd thought, White Fang being effectively reserved as the next Hokage clearly had backers. Those backers were the major clans — perhaps even the Senju. They were powerful enough to make the Third Hokage stay quiet.

Between the First and Second Great Ninja Wars, there were twenty years of peace, and some clues in the original story explain why: the number of civilian shinobi in Konoha rose sharply, but producing shinobi costs resources, and Konoha is small. The result was inevitable.

When the village was newly formed and the ninja academy hadn't yet produced many civilian shinobi, although Konoha won the First War, the big clans also suffered heavy losses. The Third Hokage, therefore, used that opportunity to cultivate his own power and to develop so-called civilian shinobi.

"I see. No wonder the clan and the Hatake family are getting close. If White Fang becomes Fourth Hokage, the Uchiha could win the village's trust," Uchiha Ye said, looking enlightened.

Fugaku smiled and nodded.

"Exactly. If the Fourth becomes a bridge, it could ease tensions between our clan and the others."

Damn.

Hearing Fugaku's idea, Uchiha Ye stifled a laugh. The Uchiha always bet on people — and betting rarely ends well.

Still, Uchiha Ye's face lit up with excitement.

"The clan leader is wise. The Third was a disciple of the Second — I'd heard that long ago."

At that moment, Uchiha Ye seemed to recall something, and his expression turned awkward. Fugaku, too, looked uncomfortable and waved it off.

"It's past. Let it go."

Since it was just the two of them and they were close, Uchiha Ye lowered his voice.

"Captain Fugaku, I've heard about the Second's policies. In that special period, guarding against the Uchiha was understandable."

There had been the Madara incident, and then Uchiha Setsun, the elder. Anyone would be on guard.

Seeing Ye's caution, Fugaku offered reassurance:

"But it's all right now. Although the Third inherited the Second's caution toward the Uchiha, a new Hokage won't be like that."

Unwittingly, Fugaku had stepped into a trap that Uchiha Ye had set. He'd accepted that the Third had inherited the Second's suspicions. After saying it, Fugaku felt something was off — but Ye simply nodded and smiled brightly.

"Brother Fugaku, I trust White Fang as the future Fourth. The clan will get its due."

Ye's smile gave Fugaku no chance to reconsider.

In one fell stroke, Ye had put the idea of the Third's bias into Fugaku's mouth and then agreed with him — seeding the doubt without taking responsibility for it.

From another angle, it was plausible: after all, the Third had come up in the Second's era and could have been influenced.

Fugaku began to feel better, convinced that White Fang held no prejudice against the Uchiha — after all, he wasn't a product of that earlier era or the Third's pupil. Still, a fleeting, self-mocking thought crossed his mind: the clan had already placed its bets on the future Fourth, so why worry too much?

Recalling the Second's time — the Madara incident, the death of the First — it was natural to be wary of the Uchiha back then. The Third had lived through it and could hardly be unaffected.

Fugaku's worry faded and was replaced by a smile at the thought that White Fang would not be biased — all old grievances would become history if they aligned themselves with the future Fourth.

Uchiha Ye smiled inwardly. First, he had nudged Fugaku into admitting the Third's supposed bias, then he'd dangled the hope of the Fourth. When they someday discovered that White Fang was gone… he savored the thought.

He felt satisfaction curl at his lips. Once the seed of doubt was planted, it might not be visible now — but with water and tending, it could sprout and grow into a towering tree. Then…

After all, loyal and somewhat naive Fugaku held an important status in the clan; Ye could not afford the Uchiha to repeat past mistakes.

While the two conversed, a small slug hid among the leaves nearby.

Back in the tent, Tsunade opened her eyes and snorted haughtily.

"The Uchiha brat really has bold ideas!"

But Tsunade couldn't help the slight curve of a smile. At least one thing was clear: right now, the Uchiha were sincerely trying to win the village's trust and mend relations. That was a good sign.

At the very least, Uchiha Ye and the clan-leader's son were not the kind of men driven purely by wild ambition.

Chapter 3 - You Said It Yourself!