Konoha, the Uchiha Clan head's residence.
Beside a small pond behind the corridor, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Haori sat in a gazebo.
Uchiha Fugaku was drinking tea, but Uchiha Haori, seated across from him, looked far from pleased.
"Haori, this mission is very important and highly confidential. I don't know the details myself."
Uchiha Fugaku took a sip of tea, then continued with a smile.
"But I believe that once you complete this mission, you'll surely be a hero of Konoha. Your name will resound throughout the Shinobi World!"
"But, Clan Head, I've only just returned from the battlefield in the Land of Whirlpools. Isn't this—"
Haori's expression darkened. He had no desire to take this mission, even though a prompt had already appeared in his mind—
[New Side Quest Acquired] [1. Assist Team Minato in destroying Kannabi Bridge] [2. Help Iwagakure defend the bridge] [Unknown quest rewards]
Uchiha Haori was a transmigrator, but his timing couldn't have been worse.
He'd arrived just in time for the Third Shinobi World War, an era of vigorous life and flourishing growth. With no parents to fight for him, he'd become a glorious cannon fodder.
Of course, even if he'd had parents, they probably wouldn't have been much help.
With all the nations at war, Konoha—caught in the middle of the map—felt it had reached a crossroads.
Fortunately, there were plenty of people in Konoha who took pride in being ruthless and never losing even in a dogfight. They offered their advice—
Once students graduated, didn't that make them qualified cannon fodder?
For Konoha, it was time to make a decision!
And so, a large number of students graduated in glory and joined the effort to protect Konoha.
Haori was one of them. He didn't know whether he had a decent talent or whether it was because he carried the values of his previous life, but after his first bloody battle on the battlefield, he awakened his Sharingan.
However, as he became more familiar with everything on the battlefield, he also grew increasingly numb. It became harder and harder for his Sharingan to advance.
Fortunately, his system had finally arrived.
His system couldn't exactly be called high-end; at the very least, it was shoddily made.
Simply put, it randomly issued quests based on his identity as a ninja and the situations he encountered, allowing him to obtain rewards.
It had no artificial intelligence and wouldn't chat with him. It just mechanically issued quests.
And the quests were bizarre, too. They basically gave him two opposite options, and he could choose whichever he wanted.
He could accept three side quests. Complete one, and he'd get a reward; leave it unfinished, and it would stay stuck there.
As for the main quest, there was only one. His current main quest was [Survive].
Still, the system had helped make Haori who he was now, allowing him to scrape by against Kirigakure's attacks.
But he'd never expected that right after he returned, before he'd even had a chance to eat a hot meal, Uchiha Fugaku would start acting crazy again.
He didn't know the mission's details. All he'd been told was to assist Team Minato with an important and confidential mission.
But Haori's system and his memories had already given him the answer!
"For the village, for the clan. It may be hard, but Haori, I believe you can overcome it."
Uchiha Fugaku set down his teacup and looked Haori straight in the eye as he spoke calmly.
"I don't think you'd want Elder Uchiha Setsuna to learn that you refused and be disappointed, would you?"
"..."
Haori nearly lost his composure when he heard that. If he weren't sure he'd lose, he really would have attacked him.
Haori was an orphan, but his late parents had both been hardliners, so he'd been counted among their faction since childhood.
But before he awakened his Sharingan, he'd never even met Uchiha Setsuna.
He'd managed to make it to his "graduation" thanks to the clan's relief and the help of its lowest-ranking members, those who couldn't become ninjas.
After he awakened his Sharingan, his treatment had indeed improved dramatically.
He got the records he wanted, and they even provided him with some of the ninjutsu he asked for. But the reason was obvious.
Worse still, he'd originally planned to keep a low profile, but the hardliners had spread the news that "another genius has emerged on our side" with all their might.
As a result, the doves wouldn't have anything to do with him. He'd probably even made Konoha's blacklist.
As for Uchiha Fugaku's claim that it was "for the clan," Haori genuinely thought the man's brain hadn't fully developed—and neither had his hindbrain.
That kind of talk might work coming from someone else, but from him? Haori felt like someone watching a stud pig drool and saying, "You think you're worthy?"
"All right, Haori. I'll leave this matter to you."
Uchiha Fugaku clearly didn't want to talk with Haori any longer. He tapped the table lightly.
"I even refused Shisui when he asked to take the mission. You're the clan's true genius, and I hope you can shoulder this responsibility.
"I've already submitted the roster. You have two days to prepare. I look forward to hearing good news from you."
"I understand."
With things already said to this extent, Haori no longer had a chance to object.
The roster had already been submitted. How could he protest now?
But by now, he was more certain than ever of one thing: I'm going to replace this guy!
Uchiha Fugaku's deeds as clan head couldn't exactly be called good governance; they were more like a litany of crimes.
To start with, he'd let Danzo suppress the clan over the Nine-Tails Incident, keeping them from even leaving the compound to support the Fourth Hokage and ultimately giving the village leverage against them.
Then, when Konoha redrew its districts, he chose to move away with the others, to a remote part of the village.
By then, rumors were already spreading in Konoha that the Uchiha were involved in the Nine-Tails Incident. His actions had essentially made the entire clan volunteer to take the blame.
Worst of all, there were three Mangekyo Sharingan in the clan, and two of them ended up with Sarutobi Hiruzen. As for Fugaku's own pair, he didn't say a word and simply waited to be killed.
And he wasn't the only one who died. Every last clan member was wiped out, old or young, guilty or innocent!
All to satisfy his good-for-nothing eldest son, while leaving Sasuke behind.
"If someone like him can be clan head, why can't I?"
Suddenly, an idea took shape in Haori's mind. At the same time, his system issued a new quest.
[New Main Quest Acquired: Bi Ke Qu Er Dai Zhi!] [Generating quest details] [Main Quest: Survive — Completed] [Calculating rewards]
Seeing this, Haori raised an eyebrow.
He casually accepted the side quest [Assist Team Minato in destroying Kannabi Bridge], then stood and said,
"I'll do my best to complete it, but before I leave, I'd like to look through some of the clan's secret records.
"I want to further improve my eyes, but I haven't been able to. Perhaps the records of our predecessors can give me some insight."
"Of course. Go tonight. I'll let them know."
Uchiha Fugaku thought it over for a moment, then nodded.
Haori turned and left without another word. Even the thought of saying one more sentence to Uchiha Fugaku made him feel sick.
Once he left the clan head's residence, his system finally refreshed.
[Main Quest: Survive] [Reward Acquired: Zhuo Er Bu Fan] [Adapt to the current world. When the host's power reaches its current limit, one bloodline evolution can be completed.] [Evolution Count: 4]
"???"
Haori was stunned by the main quest's reward. His side quest rewards were usually certain abilities belonging to other ninjas.
He hadn't expected the main quest reward to be so incredible.
But before he could get excited, the system refreshed again.
[New Main Quest Acquired: Bi Ke Qu Er Dai Zhi!] [You are filled with anger toward Uchiha Fugaku, and you are certain you can replace him.] [Overthrow Uchiha Fugaku's tyranny, become head of the Uchiha Clan, and I Will Raise Your Wife]