The Iron-Clad Wealthy Family

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." This is an immutable truth in any world, except perhaps in the female-oriented genres teeming with lunatics and sycophants.

Meeting Uchiha Setsuna's deep, heavy gaze, Uchiha Ren continued to say things the old man was quite loath to hear.

"If we continue to pursue the position of Hokage, the Senju clan, who are nowhere to be seen today, may well be the future of the Uchiha."

This statement caused the Great Elder to furrow his brows.

Having lived from the Warring States period before the founding of Konoha to the present day, Uchiha Setsuna was certainly no fool.

Since the death of the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama had become the Second Hokage, and his reign saw the outbreak of the First Shinobi World War.

Not only did Senju Tobirama die at the hands of Kumogakure, but the elite of the Senju clan were also nearly wiped out.

Following the Second Shinobi World War, the death of the last hope of the Senju clan—Tsunade's younger brother, Senju Nawaki—directly led the Senju clan to abandon their surname and choose to integrate into Konoha.

Such a decision to betray one's ancestors and abandon one's lineage was no different from cutting off one's own descendants and ancestral offerings.

This caused a prestigious clan that once stood on equal footing with the Uchiha to be buried in the annals of history.

Uchiha Setsuna, who had once launched a rebellion only to be suppressed by Senju Tobirama, and who lacked no spirit of knowing when to bend and when to stretch, asked himself this question now.

If they were in the shoes of the Senju clan, could the Uchiha clan make such a sacrifice for Konoha?

The answer was certainly yes!

Unlike the cunning Senju clan, the proud and powerful Uchiha would only charge into the fray; their fate would likely be even more miserable than that of the Senju, who still had bloodlines remaining.

Seeing the old man lost in thought, Uchiha Ren said softly.

"When it comes to the position of Hokage, no promise made by Sarutobi Hiruzen can be trusted."

"After all, his disciples are the Sannin. Whether it is Orochimaru, Jiraiya, or Tsunade who has left the village, their prestige is all greater than that of the Uchiha."

"If we want to compete for the Fourth Hokage, unless another peerless powerhouse emerges, we will end up just like Uchiha Madara did back then—no matter how many contributions we make, we will be kicked out of the running by the jonin."

"Even the Fifth Hokage will likely not be our turn. The 'Yellow Flash' Namikaze Minato, who is currently rising to fame in the shinobi world and has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, is Jiraiya's disciple—a direct descendant of the Senju line."

After this barrage of words, Uchiha Setsuna waved his hand in a headache, retorting unhappily.

"You really are boosting others' morale while dampening your own! You brat, do you have so little faith in our clan becoming Hokage!"

Uchiha Ren spoke bluntly, "I don't just lack faith; I think it's unnecessary."

"After becoming Hokage, what fundamental benefit is there for our clan?"

"Take the current Third Shinobi World War, for example. If an Uchiha were sitting in the Hokage's seat, the subsequent hard battles and desperate fights would all require our clansmen to pay with their lives."

"Even if every one of our clansmen is an elite, on the meat-grinder battlefield of a shinobi world war, we are nothing more than an insignificant number."

"Is it really worth it to throw clansmen who took over a decade to grow up into a precarious battlefield just for Konoha, and for a promise that can never be kept?"

"Konoha doesn't treat us as one of their own, so why should we treat Konoha as our home?"

Uchiha Ren's series of rhetorical questions left Uchiha Setsuna unable to respond.

He looked at the outstanding, vibrant successor before him, in whom he had placed such high hopes, his expression shifting continuously.

After a long while, he finally revealed a complex look, one that held both gratification and the weariness of twilight.

The Great Elder did not answer Uchiha Ren directly, but spoke to himself.

"Thinking about it now, these past few decades have passed so quickly. Of the old guys left from the Warring States period, only I, the current clan head, and that fellow Huoke remain."

Uchiha Ren listened quietly.

He was no stranger to the three people Uchiha Setsuna mentioned; they were the only three remaining veteran Kage-level powerhouses of the Uchiha, each representing one of the three major factions within the clan.

Among the younger generation, there were himself and Uchiha Fugaku, totaling five Kage-level existences, along with dozens of jonin, which established a situation where even if the Konoha higher-ups were displeased with the Uchiha, they could only stare in frustration.

During the war, they even had to go along with them.

Later, when the entire clan was wiped out overnight, one could only say it was fate; the very powerhouses who could have protected the clan all turned their blades against it.

If not for that, if they had truly rebelled against Konoha, it wasn't as if they had no chance of winning.

Uchiha Setsuna's voice continued, now a bit more hoarse.

"Back when Clan Head Madara left Konoha, we have not been without regrets to this day."

"But compared to the constant killing of the Warring States period, the clansmen living in Konoha can undoubtedly live in stability."

"Back then, six-year-old children who knew how to refine chakra had to pick up weapons, fight for the clan, and die for the clan..."

Uchiha Setsuna took a deep breath, stared at Uchiha Ren, and said word by word.

"Ren, you must remember, the stability and prosperity of the clan are more important than anything else!"

Hearing this, the young man nodded slightly, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The Uchiha's pursuit of the Hokage position, aside from the obsession formed because it was something that should have belonged to their clan, was fundamentally just to allow their clansmen to live better lives.

"Grandfather, I naturally understand."

"Everything said today will cease to exist once we step out of this door."

Uchiha Ren paused, then said unhurriedly, "Of course, if a suitable opportunity arises, I wouldn't mind leading the Uchiha to start anew and choosing to leave Konoha..."

"Or, destroy Konoha!"

As these words fell, the atmosphere in the room turned deathly cold, only to be dispelled by the young man's light chuckle.

Even though Uchiha Ren was smiling, it made Uchiha Setsuna feel a bone-chilling cold.

He deeply sensed that the grandson he had watched grow up right under his nose was like a goshawk spreading its wings to take flight, letting out its own piercing cry!

Uchiha Setsuna did not know if this was good or bad, but one thing was certain: at least he was better than that useless, spineless coward Uchiha Fugaku!

"The future of the Uchiha belongs to you. To what heights you can lead the clan, or what deeds you might lead them to commit—anyway, as a man with one foot in the grave, I won't be around to see it, and I can't be bothered to worry about it anymore."

After the Great Elder calmed the turbulence in his heart, he heard footsteps outside the room.

Soon, a young voice drifted in.

"Great Elder, Lord Ren."

"The Clan Head is holding a clan meeting at the shrine to decide the participants for the Third Shinobi World War."

The expressions of the two men inside the room remained unchanged, and only the voice of Uchiha Setsuna echoed both inside and out.

"I am old and frail; leave all matters regarding the clan meeting to Ren to handle with full authority."

The young Uchiha outside the room shifted his expression, showing shock and confusion, but mostly pleasant surprise.

Inside the room, Uchiha Ren, understanding exactly what the old man meant, felt his chest heave as he bowed slightly toward Uchiha Setsuna.

"The Hokage is like flowing water, but the great clans are like iron. Please rest assured, I will lead the Uchiha step by step to the very pinnacle!"