The Top-Tier Simp of the Female-Oriented Genre

The midday sun of summer was slightly blinding; Uchiha Ren, having just left the house, narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Yashiro, let's talk as we walk."

Uchiha Yashiro, standing before the door, looked at the young leader who wore the high-collared dark uniform of the Uchiha and stood heroic and spirited under the sun. Having officially taken over the power of the Hawk Faction, Yashiro suppressed the excitement in his heart and replied loudly.

"As you command, Lord Ren!"

The two walked one after the other along the bluestone path within the Uchiha clan grounds.

Uchiha Yashiro, trailing half a step behind, organized the intelligence he had gathered and reported concisely.

"Regarding the clan meeting the patriarch is holding at the shrine this time, reliable sources indicate that besides discussing the Third Shinobi World War, it also concerns the selection of the next patriarch."

Hearing this, Uchiha Ren did not stop his pace and chuckled softly, "It seems our old patriarch can no longer sit still."

Since Uchiha Madara left, the old patriarch had held the position ever since; counting his age, he was even slightly older than Uchiha Setsuna.

Few of the old men who survived the Warring States period could live as long as the high-ranking officials of Konohagakure.

In the later Boruto era, people in their seventies and eighties could still occupy the positions of Konohagakure advisors, but the leaders of the three Uchiha factions had all entered the twilight of their lives and were prepared to delegate power and responsibility.

The clan meeting was now being held at the family shrine, where only Uchiha with the Three Tomoe could participate.

Combined with the current state of the shinobi world and the clan, it was no surprise that the position of the next patriarch was being used as a condition to motivate the Hawk Faction Uchiha to actively participate in the war.

After all, over these years, Uchiha Fugaku, who was nearly ten years his junior, had suffered more than a few setbacks at the hands of Ren.

With Uchiha Ren aiming for the position of patriarch, Uchiha Fugaku needed more than just strength to turn the tables; he needed additional leverage, such as—military merit!

To be precise, it meant leading the Uchiha to gain more say in Konohagakure, thereby securing more support within the clan.

This had always been the policy of the patriarch and the Dove Faction, who attempted to integrate into Konohagakure through peaceful means.

Uchiha Yashiro was one of the pillars of the younger generation of the Hawk Faction and often discussed matters with Uchiha Ren.

Relying on what he had seen and heard, along with his own talent, he naturally understood the intricacies involved.

He pondered with a worried expression.

"For ordinary battles, it wouldn't be difficult for the patriarch and the Dove Faction to handle them with their strength."

"But since they want to invite us to get on board this time, one can imagine how much pressure the Third Hokage has put on the patriarch, and I wonder what kind of benefits the Hokage has promised."

Speaking of this, Uchiha Yashiro suddenly hesitated. Uchiha Ren saw what he was worried about and snorted coldly.

"With the old patriarch's nature of being close to the Hokage, I'm afraid we won't get many benefits before the Uchiha are packed up and sold off."

Trading the clan's interests for the Hokage's illusory promises was a spineless act that had long been prevalent among the patriarch and the Dove Faction.

In their words, it was—once an Uchiha becomes Hokage, the entire Konohagakure will belong to the Uchiha, so there is no need to haggle over current gains and losses.

This kind of thinking was comparable to a top-tier "simp" in romance novels, constantly watching the heroine cheat with her first love (the Uchiha clan giving up interests).

Then, discovering the heroine is pregnant (it being impossible to become Hokage), followed by sorrowful tears (internal clan arguments), then impotent rage (clamoring to revolt), and finally choosing to slink away in silence (being wiped out)—this moronic mindset (tragic ending) left Uchiha Ren speechless.

If one does not endure small things, one will spoil great plans; exchanging current costs for future high returns is not wrong in itself.

But one must adapt to local conditions and not just engage in wishful thinking!

One must also consider whether the Konohagakure high-ranking officials, who belong to the Senju lineage and are hostile or exclusionary toward the Uchiha clan, are willing to accept an Uchiha as Hokage and subsequently cut into their own existing interests!

Furthermore, in a clan atmosphere where the Uchiha become extremely stubborn, even paranoid and dogmatic, due to the emotional stimulation of "losing love" awakening the Sharingan, and where the strong are respected and hierarchy is strictly enforced.

Uchiha Ren spent more time strengthening himself and uniting the Hawk Faction.

As for those fan fictions he read in his past life, where one could win over other Uchiha factions with just a few words, that was simply like a dream.

Although shinobi don't understand politics, they are obedient!

With the superior setting the example, Konohagakure is a large military group, and each shinobi clan is a small military stronghold.

The Hyuga clan has a clear distinction between the Main House and the Branch House, and the three major factions within the Uchiha clan are also clearly divided.

Except for a few high-ranking members, people from different factions are full of misgivings even in daily communication.

This even extends to the children below, forming an invisible but palpable air wall.

The estrangement within the Uchiha clan is, to some extent, even more exaggerated than that of the Hyuga clan.

It is not that the elders in the clan cannot see this phenomenon of disunity.

It is just that by the time they discovered this problem, the ship was already too large to turn around.

They themselves are no longer in their prime, and can only rely on years of prestige to try to keep the stubborn middle-aged and elderly Uchiha from influencing the next generation.

Consequently, the hope of uniting the clan into a whole, as it was when Uchiha Madara was alive and contending with the Senju, is pinned on the younger generation.

In a world without Uchiha Ren, Uchiha Fugaku would be the only candidate, but the arrival of a transmigrator has made everything different.

The Great Elder of the Dove Faction, Uchiha Koh, is also wavering between the two.

Given the Dove Faction's inherent pro-Konohagakure stance, this hesitation to place a bet already leans toward Uchiha Ren, who is more outstanding and younger within the Hawk Faction.

This undoubtedly makes the old patriarch anxious and gives rise to the idea of a desperate gamble.

As the two spoke, more and more Hawk Faction members followed behind them.

Uchiha Tekka, Uchiha Inabi, and over twenty other young radicals of the Uchiha clan.

From Uchiha Yashiro's hushed tone, they learned of Uchiha Setsuna's intentions, and their gazes toward Uchiha Ren became increasingly respectful.

The imposing auras of dozens of clansmen merged together, gradually converging into a torrent as they marched majestically toward Naka Shrine.

Naka Shrine is located at one end of the Naka River, a river named after the shrine that runs through the entirety of Konohagakure, having witnessed the strife between the Uchiha and Senju clans during the Warring States period, as well as the rise of the shinobi village era.

With the foot speed of jonin, they soon left the vast Uchiha compound located in the center of Konohagakure and approached the primeval forest used for the daily training of clan shinobi, following a path through the woods created by ninjutsu until they arrived at Naka Shrine, hidden within the forest.

The ancestral shrine of the Uchiha clan did not differ much from an ordinary shrine.

Walking up the steps and passing through the torii gate adorned with the fan crest, a spacious plaza came into view.

At the main entrance of the shrine, the clan head and two members of the Dove Faction were waiting; after Uchiha Inabi bowed to Uchiha Ren, he stepped out of the ranks to stand guard at the gate.