My Son Uchiha Itachi Has the Makings of a Hokage

Rin simply watched Obito and Kakashi bicker as they did every day, as though it had become a daily necessity.

Calling Obito a dead last now just wouldn't be fair. With a Mangekyō in Tǔzǐ-gē's left hand and the Uchiha Gunbai in his right, the average Jonin really couldn't compare.

Minato Namikaze watched the cheerful atmosphere among his students, happy that his student's strength had grown.

Meanwhile, at Uchiha Fugaku's home.

"What? You're saying Danzo has been secretly experimenting on the Sharingan?" Fugaku asked in great surprise.

Orochimaru nodded with complete certainty. Of course, he wasn't about to mention that he had taken part too.

"Besides, Clan Head Fugaku, Danzo's desire for the Sharingan is nothing new. Even with the Hokage's assurances, who can be certain Danzo won't make another move?" Orochimaru said, eager to stir up more trouble.

Fugaku was beginning to have his doubts. Had Danzo still not given up on destroying the Uchiha Clan?

Although he was nominally the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, he handled nothing but thankless tasks. No matter what he did, he couldn't enter the true center of power.

"Clan Head Fugaku, do you know why the village can suppress your clan as it pleases?" Orochimaru asked, looking at the indecisive Fugaku.

Fugaku wanted to know the answer himself. No matter what he did, the people in the village were always prejudiced against the Uchiha.

"Because the people of the Uchiha Clan are too arrogant!" Orochimaru said, putting his finger on the clan's problem.

Not every clan in the village was prejudiced against the Uchiha Clan. Many knew perfectly well that the Hokage feared the Uchiha Clan's power.

If the Uchiha Clan could set aside its pride and make more effort to communicate with the other ninja clans, under normal circumstances, there was a chance the other clans might side with the Uchiha.

The times had changed long ago. Now, eliminating the Uchiha Clan no longer required force at all. Public opinion alone could crush it.

What impression did Konoha's civilians have of the Uchiha Clan now? Arrogant, cold and expressionless.

Of course, there was the exception of that freak Obito Uchiha. The way he did things always made him seem like a member of the Senju Clan.

Hearing Orochimaru's suggestion was a revelation to Fugaku. He hadn't expected the Uchiha Clan's problem to lie there.

If I get closer to the other clans and change their fixed impression of the Uchiha Clan, perhaps my son could even become Hokage, Uchiha Fugaku thought.

Orochimaru saw Fugaku's ambition, but he had to interrupt. "No one from the Uchiha Clan can become Hokage, at least not in the next fifty years."

Fugaku, drenched in cold water by Orochimaru's words, looked utterly confused. Why wouldn't he be able to become Hokage if he worked so hard to befriend the other clans?

"If you merely draw a few friendly clans closer in the usual way, Konoha won't stop you. But if you go all out to befriend the other clans, what will my teacher think?" Orochimaru asked.

Ultimately, all of this could only change the Uchiha Clan's standing. There was still a long way to go before one could become Hokage.

"Besides, guess what I came across in the instance this time?" Orochimaru asked mysteriously.

Fugaku didn't really know everything that had happened in the residence. After all, Obito wouldn't report everything to him as the clan head.

"Konoha's Fourth Hokage is Minato Namikaze." Orochimaru revealed what he had learned in the instance.

Uchiha Fugaku was pleasantly surprised to hear Minato's name, but then he realized something was wrong. After all, Orochimaru, who had lost the contest to become Hokage, was standing right in front of him.

By showing how happy he was, wasn't he making Orochimaru unhappy?

When Orochimaru saw Fugaku stop smiling, he revealed an even bigger secret.

"But less than a few years after Minato took office, both he and his wife lost their lives."

Fugaku's heart sank at the news. For one thing, he was on good terms with Minato, and Mikoto and Kushina were close friends.

For another, only Minato taking office could change the Hokage faction's prejudice against the Uchiha Clan.

But now that Minato was dead, Konoha would most likely choose between Jiraiya and Tsunade, yet neither of them had any desire to become Hokage.

So the Third Hokage would most likely come back to rule. How would that be any different from now?

The thought filled Fugaku with worry.

But then Orochimaru spoke. "Clan Head Fugaku, there's no need to worry so much right now. I no longer work for Danzo, so he must hate me to the bone. That gives us a common goal."

After giving it some thought, Fugaku realized that Orochimaru was right. Danzo now bore a grudge against both of them, so why not join forces?

But Orochimaru had no intention of joining forces with the Uchiha Clan. The old man had been keeping a close eye on him lately. If he found out that Orochimaru was particularly close to the Uchiha Clan Head, who knew what he would say about him?

"Although I can't stand with you, Clan Head Fugaku, I'll still share some intelligence with you on important matters." Orochimaru wasn't planning to abandon Fugaku entirely.

After all, his future disciple was still in the Uchiha Clan. How could he let the clan be suppressed so badly now? He had to cause Danzo some trouble.

Just as the two reached an agreement,

[Inventory System, Shinobi World Kage Level combat power, TOP 16—Uchiha Itachi]

[The Uchiha's most filial son]

[Little brother complex]

[Double agent]

The Inventory System suddenly revealed the sixteenth-ranked Kage Level fighter. Most unexpectedly, the person in sixteenth place was actually a member of the Uchiha Clan.

And he was the eldest son of Uchiha Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku.

Itachi was obediently practicing Ninjutsu with Shisui. His father was talking with Lord Orochimaru, so he had come to practice Ninjutsu with Shisui instead.

But Itachi wasn't concerned about his ranking. He had already begun pondering the meaning of life.

Shisui, however, had never even attended a proper school, so he couldn't give Itachi an answer.

Itachi couldn't play carefree every day like Izumi, because he was the clan head's son.

He even had to pretend he didn't like sweets so his father wouldn't find out, for fear of disappointing him.

Fugaku, meanwhile, was overjoyed to see his son Itachi's ranking. At last, he showed an expression befitting a father.

At that moment, Fugaku looked as if he were about to shout those words: "My son Uchiha Itachi has the makings of a Hokage!"

Orochimaru was also a little curious. How had Itachi managed to rank higher than him?