Honest and Loyal Uchiha

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Kyo Uchiha before him and could not help but take a deep breath, his gaze heavy and focused. The Uchiha Clan... they were absolutely a tough nut to crack!

"My apologies, Great Elder, for visiting you without prior notice."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke slowly.

Looking at Kyo Uchiha inside the room, a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes. At present, the Uchiha Clan had no clan head.

Ever since Madara Uchiha left, the Uchiha Clan had fallen into a state of having no leader, but this had not affected the clan's operations. On the contrary, the current Uchiha Clan was entirely managed by the Great Elder before him.

And the Uchiha Clan was even more united than before!

He was truly the cousin of Madara Uchiha.

The cousin of that ruthless man was definitely not someone to be trifled with. If he wanted to gain Kyo Uchiha's support this time, he might... have to bleed for it!

Sarutobi Hiruzen had prepared himself mentally for every scenario.

He had even imagined being subjected to all sorts of difficulties and humiliations by the other party.

It didn't matter; he would accept it all.

But once he became the Third Hokage, he would pay back everything the Uchiha Clan did to him tenfold!

"Long time no see, Sarutobi Hiruzen. I am already an old man; it is my honor to be visited by such a powerful young man of the village. Wouldn't you agree, Lord Hokage-to-be?"

Kyo Uchiha smiled as he poured tea for Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The two sat kneeling opposite each other.

Kyo Uchiha's opening remark left Sarutobi Hiruzen momentarily stunned.

What the hell, that's too direct, isn't it?

Straight to the point?

As a legendary ninja, he was never one to mince words either. He gave a bitter smile and said, "Great Elder, please don't mock me. Although I have gained the support of some families, there are still difficulties—difficulties that are very hard to overcome!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath and bowed his head low, touching it to the floor!

This was a gesture of respect!

"Therefore, I hope to gain the support of our Uchiha Clan. If the Uchiha Clan encounters any problems in the future, I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, will definitely do my utmost to assist!"

His expression was solemn.

Deep down, he was anxious and uneasy.

Even if he gained the support of all the other families, as long as the Senju Clan stood in his way, even the verbal decree of the Second Hokage would be useless.

After all, the Senju were the orthodox rulers of Konoha!

But the Uchiha Clan before him was the key to breaking the deadlock!

After all, the Uchiha were also founders of the village.

"There is no need for this."

The Great Elder smiled as he helped Sarutobi Hiruzen up. "Since you are a junior of Kagami, and I watched Kagami grow up from a young age, you and our Uchiha Clan can be considered to have some history."

"Nani!?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with excitement. "Do you mean... you are willing to support me!?"

Looking at that aged face before him.

He couldn't help but feel a bit bewildered. Was this really the notoriously difficult-to-deal-with Uchiha Clan?

They were this easy to talk to?

He couldn't help but... feel a bit suspicious!

"Who is elected is not a very important matter to our Uchiha Clan, as long as it isn't a Senju. Supporting you is fine, but there are two conditions."

Kyo Uchiha spoke indifferently.

Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a deep sigh of relief. He didn't fear having conditions; he feared having none!

"Please speak. As long as it is within my power, I will definitely go all out!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was serious, tinged with a hint of gratitude.

Compared to the arrogance and bottomless demands he had imagined from the Uchiha Clan, this was the easiest outcome. One could even say... it was less than what the Hyuga Clan had demanded!

"First, there is a junior in my clan who needs to learn Water Style, so I need the Water Style scrolls of Tobirama Senju. This shouldn't be a problem for you; once you take office, it will be as simple as taking things from your own home."

Kyo Uchiha said with a smile.

"And the second matter is that I hope you will look after Keigo Uchiha once you are in power."

Having said that.

He stopped speaking and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen with a smile.

That was it?

Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned. This wasn't just a simple problem; it was, damn it... too simple!

It was practically a free gift!

If I had known the Uchiha Clan was this easy to handle, I would have started my persuasion with you lot, then gone to the Hyuga Clan and other families to intimidate them—wouldn't that have been a guaranteed success every time?

"Thank you, Great Elder. I will remember your kindness today!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up and bowed deeply. The smoothness of today's proceedings was beyond anything he had imagined, causing his favorability toward the Uchiha Clan to skyrocket.

He was so damn moved!

Ever since the end of the First Great Ninja War, he had been running missions to rack up merit, spending his days persuading various ninja clans, and managing the affairs of Konoha on top of it all.

To put it bluntly, he was living a life more exhausting than a dog's!

"Please rest assured, Great Elder. Keigo is Kagami's son, and since Kagami and I were like brothers, looking after Keigo is something I should do regardless. If there is anything you need from me in the future, please do not hesitate to ask. I will give it my all!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen said with earnest seriousness.

Looking at the kindly Kyo Uchiha before him, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but wonder: the Uchiha Clan is so wonderful, so was Teacher Tobirama... perhaps too petty? Is that why he painted the Uchiha Clan in such a terrible light?

He had to admit, Teacher Tobirama really was petty!

Clearly, both Kagami and Great Elder Kyo Uchiha were very easy to get along with; perhaps they could even help him in the future!

It seemed that once he ascended to power, he would have to revise Teacher Tobirama's strategic policy regarding the Uchiha Clan!

"Then I wish you success, future Third Hokage. I also hope that you, Hiruzen, can lead Konoha to even greater prosperity. I won't keep you any longer today; I imagine you have more important matters to attend to."

The Great Elder spoke with a chuckle and stood up to see him out.

A pillow delivered just as he was getting sleepy.

Keigo's Water Style plan—hadn't it just been completed?

Sarutobi Hiruzen left in gratitude, his heart blooming with joy, his mouth nearly crooked from grinning.

Once he reached a secluded spot.

Sarutobi Hiruzen burst into loud laughter!

"Hahaha, this matter of me, Sarutobi Hiruzen, becoming Hokage... it's set in stone!"

But immediately after, his expression turned cold. "Hmph, those snobbish idiots in the Senju Clan. I'll have plenty of ways to make your lives miserable in the future. I will never forget this!"

"However, the Uchiha Clan... they are just too damn good. If it weren't for the Uchiha Clan, my path to becoming Hokage would have been infinitely more difficult!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered, "The Great Elder values sentiment; he chose to help me out of respect for the bond between Kagami and me. As for those two conditions, how are they any different from a free gift?"

Once he became Hokage.

Whether it was Water Style ninjutsu or looking after Keigo.

It would all be a matter of a single word, with no difficulty whatsoever!

Deep down, he felt grateful and spoke heavily: "Kagami, I never expected that even after your death, you would still help me solve the most important problem of my life!"

"Rest assured, I will take good care of Keigo! And the strategy Teacher set against the Uchiha Clan will have to change!"