So… he's still refusing to see me?
Itachi looked back at the tightly shut doors of the Kangetsu residence, a headache throbbing at his temples.
Kangetsu-san was an important person he desperately wanted to befriend right now.
Because the Uchiha clan was sitting in a pot of boiling oil.
As one of the rare clear-headed people among the Uchiha, Itachi understood all too well how his clansmen's resentment kept swelling—and how every step forward felt like walking on a blade.
Was it reform?
Was it "change"?
Or was it something that couldn't be spoken aloud… rebellion?
Rebellion?
The moment that word surfaced in his mind, Itachi's expression darkened on its own.
No.
The Uchiha clan cannot walk that dead-end road.
Just give me a little more time. Even a little is enough.
As long as Kangetsu-san is willing to say a word at the top…
A word, my ass…
Inside the residence, Kangetsu could only shake his head.
The Uchiha were a hot potato.
Who in Konoha didn't know that opposing the Uchiha was unquestioned political correctness?
After all, most of the Uchiha weren't exactly… stable.
And ever since the village was founded—sure, the First Hokage was one thing.
But the Second Hokage had been off about the Uchiha from the start.
"The Uchiha brats are born evil. I'll personally—"
Yeah. That famous line? It came from the Second Hokage, that old ghost.
And the Third Hokage inherited the old ghost's "will" too. He didn't like the Uchiha either.
The Fourth Hokage was the same—cut from the same cloth as the Third.
After Itachi left, Kangetsu went straight to the Hokage's office to show his loyalty.
He needed to keep making appearances on Hiruzen-sama's side.
That's how favors got built, wasn't it?
Hokage-sama didn't find it surprising.
Itachi coming to look for Kangetsu was only natural.
After all, he was one of the Uchiha's only two people with sense.
And Kangetsu's habit of reporting everything—running it by the Hokage—made Hiruzen deeply pleased and reassured.
Just as expected of a promising young man from my ANBU line.
"Kangetsu, don't be so sensitive," Hiruzen said. "The Uchiha won't dare lay a hand on you. I'm still here."
Kangetsu put on the look of someone finally exhaling, and Hiruzen smiled knowingly.
Still, Kangetsu was ultimately the "face" Hokage-sama intended to cultivate, so certain matters needed to be examined more carefully.
For example…
"Kangetsu, let's just chat casually," Hokage-sama said. "In your view, what is the Uchiha's current situation?"
Precarious.
Of course Kangetsu couldn't say that.
He had to say it like this:
"The Uchiha are dangerous—especially their attitude toward you, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen burst out laughing and patted Kangetsu on the shoulder.
"Don't tense up. The Uchiha are also part of Konoha."
"In principle, we can't be too harsh with them."
Got it.
Hokage-sama wanted to be harsher—but he was afraid of giving people something to talk about.
That old man cherished his political feathers too much. Like a nonstick pan—nothing ever clung to him.
Once I'm in power, I'll press this old man down and make him retire.
I won't give him even a sliver of room to hop around.
So Kangetsu dug a testing pit, carefully and deliberately.
"Hokage-sama, I don't think the Uchiha will understand your goodwill."
"That said… is there a way to weaken the Uchiha's strength, while also supporting an Uchiha loyal to you to rise up?"
Eh?
The instant Kangetsu said it, a sharp glint flashed in Hokage-sama's eyes.
That angle… was rarely brought up.
Hokage-sama had thought along those lines himself before, but it was difficult.
For instance, the Second Hokage had supported Kagami.
And Hokage-sama himself had supported Shisui and Itachi.
"How would you do it?" Hokage-sama asked.
Multiple leaders.
"Right now, nobody can truly contend with the Uchiha clan head—Fugaku."
"But instead of forcing Fugaku down directly… what if we supported one or several vice clan heads?"
That made Hokage-sama's heart jump.
He took a hard pull from his pipe, eyes bright, thoughts accelerating faster and faster.
Brilliant.
The more he thought about it, the more brilliant it became.
Maybe Kangetsu only saw Fugaku as a potential threat to the Hokage.
But in truth, Fugaku wasn't the key.
What mattered was the faction split inside the Uchiha.
One: the hawks.
Two: the doves.
Under Konoha's pressure, the doves would only shrink, and the hardline hawks would only multiply.
If that was the case—then split the Uchiha all over again.
Carve them into several factions.
One faction around the clan head.
Several factions around vice clan heads.
After that, how many hawks could remain unified?
Once divided, if the hawks still dared to "flare up," the Uchiha would be the first to erupt into internal conflict.
And was Uchiha infighting a good thing?
For Konoha, maybe not.
But for Hokage-sama and the higher-ups?
It would be an absolute blessing.
A dual clan-head system—or even multiple clan heads.
It was damn ingenious…
That promising young man had stumbled onto the core of it by accident.
And so, right then and there, Hiruzen-sama quietly told Kangetsu a few things—low enough that it could never be repeated.
After that, he hurriedly summoned the advisers.
Meanwhile, Kangetsu stopped refusing visitors.
Instead, he proactively received Itachi—this so-called "filial son."
With a heart full of excitement, Itachi accepted the teacup Kangetsu handed him.
At last, he was meeting this red-hot celebrity figure.
"Kangetsu-san, I—"
"Don't rush," Kangetsu said. "Drink your tea first."
Kangetsu knew exactly what the kid wanted to say.
And he didn't want to hear it.
The Uchiha's situation was beyond saving.
Because Itachi had no real authority—how could he change the clan?
And the ones with real authority were mostly hawks.
No authority meant no voice.
Itachi snapped awake as if struck by lightning, a surge of exhilaration rising in him—like he'd just heard one sentence worth ten years of reading.
Yes.
Exactly!
This—this was what he wanted to hear!
This was the way out he'd been searching for!
Coming to Kangetsu-san really was the right move!
With Hokage-sama's support, would it be that hard for him, Itachi, to gain real authority?
It would be hard—but the opportunity was enormous!
As a representative figure of the Uchiha's younger generation, he understood better than anyone how dissatisfied the young were with the elders gripping power.
Those old men—no matter how their bodies failed, no matter how their strength declined—still clung tightly to authority.
How could the younger generation possibly tolerate that?
Kangetsu took a tactical sip of tea.
He hadn't even said anything yet—he'd only hinted at one point—and this kid had already filled in the rest with his own imagination.
At that point, what could Kangetsu even add?
He could only pat the kid on the shoulder, meaningfully.
Fugaku is often ill.
So Itachi must strive.
(End of Chapter)
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