Uchiha Setsuna

A servant saw Uchiha Yan and looked surprised before respectfully asking, "Lord Yan, do you have business with Elder Setsuna?"

Uchiha Setsuna was the figurehead of the Uchiha Hawk Faction.

He was the one who had chosen Uchiha Yan to become the Hawk Faction's future leader.

So Uchiha Yan often came by to visit him.

Uchiha Yan nodded. "It's about the future of the Uchiha."

The servant was clearly surprised to hear that.

He quickly nodded. "Of course."

The servant led Uchiha Yan down an old-fashioned wooden corridor, through an inner room, and into another chamber.

He knocked softly on the door.

An old voice came from inside.

"What is it?"

"Elder Setsuna, Lord Yan is here to see you," the servant said respectfully.

"Come in." Uchiha Setsuna's voice was hoarse and aged.

Uchiha Yan pushed the door open and entered.

The room was dim, lit only by a lone flickering lamp.

Uchiha Setsuna sat in a reclining chair.

This living relic, who had clawed his way out of the sea of blood and corpses in the Warring States Era, radiated a terrifying pressure even as he sat perfectly still.

He opened his eyes and looked at Uchiha Yan, his gaze filled with admiration. Yan had greater talent than Fugaku and was more ruthless. He was the right person to lead the Uchiha in the future.

As for Fugaku, he was simply the best of a bad lot. There was no helping it.

Everyone in Fugaku's generation had been deeply influenced by Kagami Uchiha and thoroughly indoctrinated with the Will of Fire.

By comparison, Uchiha Fugaku was already one of the better ones.

To be honest, Uchiha Setsuna hadn't thought much of Uchiha Yan at first.

Yan had been too ruthless—or, more accurately, too reckless.

When he was sixteen or seventeen, he had openly challenged Root more than once.

He had even killed quite a few Root members.

If Uchiha Setsuna hadn't eventually led a crowd of Uchiha to confront Sarutobi Hiruzen directly, Uchiha Yan would probably have become a fallen prodigy.

He sighed. "Yan, you've certainly grown a lot over the past two years."

Uchiha Yan felt a little awkward at Setsuna's remark and gave a dry laugh.

"I should be thanking you for looking after me and teaching me, Elder Setsuna."

He meant it. Ever since he'd shown his talent, Setsuna had personally ensured that resources were directed his way.

A conservative estimate was that the resources spent training him over the years amounted to three times what the Uchiha spent raising a capable shinobi with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Of course, Uchiha Yan had more than repaid the clan for everything it had invested in him.

After all, Yan had dealt with Itachi, the greatest threat to the Uchiha in the original story.

Uchiha Yan wasn't particularly magnanimous.

He didn't care what would happen if things went as badly as possible and the Uchiha went to war with Konoha.

All that nonsense about Konoha being weakened, other villages taking advantage of it, and the Shinobi World being plunged into war—

He only knew that the old man who cheerfully sold breakfast in the Uchiha compound would die.

The Uchiha children who looked up at him with admiration whenever they saw him patrolling would die.

The people who followed him would die.

His childhood sweetheart, Uchiha Izumi, would die too.

And they would all die for nothing.

The people who had truly oppressed and persecuted them wouldn't pay a price at all.

So, in Uchiha Yan's mind, a lose-lose outcome was better than letting the other side win alone.

If my Uchiha are wiped out, then Konoha won't get off lightly either.

But he had already done a lot to turn around the Uchiha's precarious situation.

As long as nothing unexpected happened, the Uchiha would return to the center of Konoha's power starting tomorrow.

Uchiha Yan looked at Uchiha Setsuna and spoke gravely. "Elder, I want the Uchiha Hawk Faction to follow my orders."

"Follow your orders?" Uchiha Setsuna showed no anger at Yan's obvious attempt to seize control.

Instead, he asked curiously, "Would you tell me why?"

Uchiha Yan didn't hide anything. "Orochimaru may have returned. If nothing unexpected happens, Konoha will be thrown into chaos tomorrow."

"So I plan to have the Uchiha seize an opportunity amid the turmoil."

At that, Uchiha Setsuna tapped a finger against the armrest, considering whether Uchiha Yan's plan was viable.

About a minute passed.

He looked at Uchiha Yan and asked, "What makes you so sure Sarutobi Hiruzen hasn't kept something up his sleeve?"

"And Danzo is lurking nearby, ready to make his move."

Uchiha Yan wasn't offended by Setsuna's challenge.

He replied calmly, "Danzo came to the Uchiha not long ago. You know that, right?"

Uchiha Setsuna nodded.

Of course he knew. Uchiha Yan himself had made sure to tell him.

Uchiha Yan continued, "He came to win over the Uchiha Clan, but we couldn't agree on the terms. Still, at least while Sarutobi Hiruzen is in the spotlight, the Uchiha and Danzo share the same interests."

"So there's no need to worry about that."

Hearing Uchiha Yan's explanation, Uchiha Setsuna nodded.

"I understand. I'll hand over command of the Hawk Faction to you."

Uchiha Yan nodded slightly.

He was about to take his leave.

They had only been talking for a short while, yet Uchiha Setsuna already looked exhausted.

It seemed time wore everything down.

But at that moment, Uchiha Setsuna preempted him and told him to leave. "All right, Yan. I'm a little tired."

With that, he quietly closed his eyes.

Seeing this, Uchiha Yan bowed and left the room.

After he was gone, Setsuna opened his eyes again.

Despite his age, Setsuna's eyes were still bright.

A long while later, a voice sounded in the room.

"I hope the Uchiha can win this gamble."

Uchiha Setsuna closed his eyes, recalling painful memories.

As a Uchiha who had lived a long time, he had been there for that fateful choice.

But on that day, not a single person had been willing to follow Lord Madara.

And Madara's words were coming true, one step at a time.

After the First died, the Uchiha were assigned to the prestigious Konoha Military Police Force.

The position looked glamorous, but it had driven the Uchiha Clan's popularity among ordinary people nearly to zero.

The Uchiha's arrogant attitude also led to minor conflicts with some of the major clans.

As a result, the Uchiha Clan had a poor reputation among both commoners and the nobility.

The Second Hokage's oppression ended when he died in battle, but the Third Hokage continued it.

The Third Hokage did adopt a conciliatory approach toward the Uchiha.

But his friend Danzo had upheld the will of his teacher, the Second Hokage Tobirama, from beginning to end.

After Kagami's unexpected death, Danzo began targeting the Uchiha Clan.

Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen placated the Uchiha, saying Fugaku could compete for the position of Hokage.

In the end, the Uchiha Clan backed Fugaku, hoping he could make a bid for the Hokage's seat.