Obito ate a bowl of instant noodles to fill his stomach. To his surprise, they tasted pretty good.
According to his memories, he should have been going to the Ninja Academy by now. But the soul inside him was no longer that of the slightly chuuni young Obito. And with the Mangekyo, going to school just to bully children would be downright embarrassing. Besides, after graduation, he'd most likely end up on the same team as Kakashi and Rin. Then he'd probably be forced to relive the miserable childhood from the original story. What would be the point?
There was still plenty of time, so he needed to start planning early. The key was to use the system to rapidly increase his strength.
Besides, Konoha was a pretty lousy company, especially with the Third Hokage at its head, along with Danzo, Homura, and Koharu as its other three leaders. They were timid toward outsiders but ruthless toward their own, and experts at infighting. They'd taken a winning hand and played it terribly! He'd have to strike out on his own. But because of certain unsavory thoughts of his, becoming a rogue ninja was out of the question. How could he enjoy life while burrowing underground like a rat?
Obito rummaged around and eventually found a pen and a sheet of paper. He began scribbling down whatever came to mind: the plot he remembered from this life, as well as the one from his previous life. After half an hour, the page was full. He studied the words, slowly linking together the related pieces. It was a habit he'd picked up on Earth, and it worked well.
The first thing he needed to establish was that he and the Third Hokage and Danzo were absolutely at odds. Those two old bastards spent every day plotting the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Their interests were fundamentally opposed to his, so they could be classified as villains!
That meant the Uchiha Clan would be his allies. Their brains might not be entirely right, but as Konoha's top ninja clan, they were rich! And as long as he had money, he could draw cards! Once he grew stronger, he'd have plenty of room to maneuver.
And while he was growing, the Uchiha Clan could offer him some protection. Danzo would stoop to any low-down tactic! He'd kill a child without losing a wink of sleep.
His target was clear: he needed to find a way to get the Uchiha to pay him, and the more, the better! He'd use the Uchiha Clan to give his strength its first major boost!
He closed his eyes and recalled the Naruto World storyline he'd seen, then combined it with Obito's memories. The clan head was already Uchiha Fugaku, a deeply conflicted man in the original story. If he hadn't been born into the Uchiha family, he might have made a good father and clan head. But he hadn't had a choice. So let me save you!
All you have to do is spend a mere hundred million. What a good person I am! He remembered watching a show on Earth that had a line like this: "I am for everyone, and everyone is for me!" We're one big, loving family!
Obito spent another half hour writing on the paper, then rehearsed his plan once more in his head. He was a little nervous about his first business venture in the Naruto World.
After a while, Obito blew on the page covered in Chinese characters. It quickly caught fire and turned to ash. He rummaged around but couldn't find a single decent outfit. He couldn't stand the clothes he'd worn before; they were just too stupid-looking.
In the end, he found something like a kimono and put it on. He locked the door and headed toward the center of the clan compound, following his memories. The clan head and elders all lived in the very heart of the compound, where the houses and streets were much nicer than those on the outskirts. Seeing the neat little villas with their own courtyards made Obito envious. Once he secured that investment today, tomorrow he'd buy a villa of his own—and hire eight or ten maids dressed as bunny girls!
"Stop! You brat, do you know where you are? Get lost!"
Obito had barely reached Uchiha Fugaku's house when the guard at the gate shouted at him. No rush. He'd deal with this arrogant servant later.
Obito circulated the chakra inside him. His black eyes turned red, and three tomoe appeared in each Sharingan. Paired with his cold expression, he really did have an imposing air about him.
"Are you talking to me?" Obito asked, looking up at the guard with his Sharingan.
"You! A Three Tomoe Sharingan! How is that possible?" The guard's eyes nearly fell out of his head in shock. He'd never heard of a child in the Uchiha Clan awakening a Three Tomoe Sharingan at such a young age. Awakening the Sharingan at five or six was already considered genius!
"What are you gawking at? Get inside and report this! I want to see Clan Head Fugaku. I have something to discuss with him," Obito barked.
"Yes, sir! Please wait a moment. I'll report it right away."
The guard turned and ran inside, nearly tripping because he was in such a hurry.
Less than a minute later, the guard came back out, accompanied by a young man who looked to be in his twenties. He wore a kimono bearing the Uchiha Clan Crest, and his shoulder-length black hair hung loose. His expressionless face was imposing. He looked like a very serious man.
"Whose child are you?" Fugaku had naturally noticed Obito's Three Tomoe Sharingan. Though he was astonished, as the head of a great clan like the Uchiha, he had a strong constitution.
"I'm Obito Uchiha. May I come in and speak with you, Clan Head?" Obito asked.
"Of course. Please, come in." Fugaku extended one hand in invitation. The way a five-year-old spoke in a childish voice while using an adult's words somehow made the situation feel more believable to Fugaku. Otherwise, a five-year-old awakening a Three Tomoe Sharingan wouldn't just be a genius. He'd be a monster!
"After you, Clan Head." Obito followed half a step behind Fugaku. Neither spoke on the way in. They entered the house, crossed a courtyard, and reached a Japanese-style wooden building. In a quiet room, they knelt on the tatami across a small square table. A servant brought tea, then left.
"There's no one else here now. You can speak," Fugaku said, lifting his teacup and taking a small sip.
"What do you think of the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha, Clan Head Fugaku?" Obito asked, looking him straight in the eye.
"Oh? The Uchiha Clan and Konoha are naturally one and the same. Everyone knows the story of how Lord Madara and Lord Hashirama founded Konoha together," Fugaku replied without changing his expression.
"Heh. I came to see you, Clan Head Fugaku, so naturally I know the truth. You don't need to test me," Obito said with a smile before continuing.
"I also know that some of the elders are urging you to compete for the position of Fourth Hokage. But that's just wishful thinking. You won't become the Fourth Hokage, and the Third Hokage and Danzo have been trying to wipe out the Uchiha Clan completely!"
Uchiha Fugaku's thoughts roiled, but his expression remained calm. He considered the true identity and intentions of this clan member who didn't act like a child. With no information to go on, the best approach was to stay calm and wait for the other party to reveal their hand!
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