Why Can't the Uchiha Clan Become Hokage?

Uchiha Itachi suppressed his shock.

He hadn't come to see Shisui today for any of this.

"Strength alone doesn't mean everything." Uchiha Itachi's expression turned mysterious. "Big Brother Shisui, I discovered a secret today—the reason Uchiha Gray never showed his talent before."

"It was so he could get close to Lord Hokage and help the Leaf even more!"

Uchiha Shisui froze, a flash of inspiration striking him.

Uchiha Gray had just revealed his disappointment in the Third. Could it be that he had hidden his talent all along so he could get close to the Third?

But he had already suspected the Third before this, which was why he had gone to the Hokage Building today to investigate!

Uchiha Shisui drew in a sharp breath, his heart turning cold with shock. Could Uchiha Gray have planned all of this long ago? If that's true, just how astonishing is he?

Seeing Uchiha Itachi's confusion, he told him about his conversation with Uchiha Gray, along with his own speculations and assumptions.

He explained it all to Uchiha Itachi.

When he finished, the two stared at each other, utterly shaken.

Uchiha Gray was like a gigantic spiderweb, while Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi were two tiny moths caught in it!

In the end, the two discussed things for more than three hours. It was already dark by the time they finally left.

At the same time, they reached a shared understanding: "The two of us are already kindhearted and benevolent members of the Uchiha Clan, but Uchiha Gray is an even kinder and more compassionate ninja!"

Uchiha Gray had left early. Now that he'd finished eating, his expression was strange.

He'd only meant to keep his distance from Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi. Who could've guessed he'd end up getting closer and closer to them instead?

And when those two overthinkers got together, they'd practically turned him into some shining paragon of virtue.

What a load of crap. I'm not that nice, Uchiha Gray thought, rolling his eyes.

"Three-Tomoe Sharingan!"

Uchiha Gray cried out. In an instant, his eyes transformed into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, gleaming with an eerie light. The strange pupils reflected in the mirror seemed to possess a powerful allure, as if they could suck a person's very soul inside!

"After awakening the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, my ocular power has improved tremendously. At this rate, becoming an Elite Jonin is only a matter of time."

Gray's eyes flickered.

"But what happened today with Cloud Hidden and Sarutobi Hiruzen made one thing perfectly clear: the weak get bullied. That's something that can't be changed in any world!"

"So, from here on, first: I need to be even more cautious around Sarutobi Hiruzen. Second: I need to leave the village as soon as possible and boost my strength through check-ins. As long as I obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan or the Glint-Glint Fruit ability template, I won't have to be so careful anymore!"

Those were the two things he needed to do.

One was to stay alive.

The other was to grow stronger, so he could stay alive even more effectively!

Uchiha Gray raised his head, narrowing his eyes as he looked toward the Uchiha Ancestral Hall. With all that commotion, there was no way Fugaku Uchiha hadn't noticed. There was still a tough battle ahead.

He had to earn Sarutobi Hiruzen's trust while also earning Fugaku Uchiha's.

Who the hell do you think I am, Uchiha Itachi? Fugaku Uchiha's own son???

"Uchiha Gray!"

Just then, a figure appeared outside. A ninja from the Uchiha Police Force approached and said coldly, "The clan leader wants to see you. Go to the Ancestral Hall at once!"

Uchiha Gray wasn't surprised at all.

This was the normal course of events. How could the strongest clan in the Leaf not know that his strength had been exposed?

As for the Uchiha Police Force ninja's cold attitude toward him, that was easy to understand too.

It was simply because Gray's actions suggested he was strongly aligned with the Hokage faction, so the ninja was hostile toward him.

Uchiha Gray couldn't be bothered with an idiot like that. He followed calmly, observing every courtesy without the slightest lapse. Then he stood respectfully in the Ancestral Hall and waited, while Fugaku Uchiha stood with his back to him.

Fugaku Uchiha quietly sized up Uchiha Gray through the mirror's reflection, his eyes narrowing!

Uchiha Gray had certainly given him a surprise.

A shocking, delightful surprise.

It was a good thing that the Uchiha Clan had produced another talented ninja like Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui. But what shocked him just as much was that Uchiha Gray seemed to favor the Hokage faction!

"Uchiha Gray, what do you think of the Uchiha Clan in the Leaf?" Fugaku Uchiha asked calmly.

???

If Gray's feelings at that moment could be expressed with a meme, it would be the confused Black Guy meme!

How was this any different from that old geezer Sarutobi Hiruzen's first question?

They were both questions about whether he was on the right side. Give the wrong answer, and they'd send you straight to the afterlife with their killer technique!

"From an ordinary perspective, the Uchiha Clan isn't any different from the other villagers or ninja," Uchiha Gray replied calmly, betraying nothing, though he couldn't help rolling his eyes inwardly.

This question was practically asking him to write a formulaic essay.

I'm not nervous at all. If anything, I'm bored!

"Oh?" Fugaku Uchiha was taken aback. That was an interesting way to look at it. Usually, all he heard was how the Leaf treated the Uchiha differently.

"That's right, Clan Leader."

Uchiha Gray remained calm and composed. "Our Uchiha Clan helped found the Leaf. We're no different from the other clans—in fact, we're even stronger."

"So, in my view, the Uchiha Clan is no different from the other ninja or ordinary people."

It was a classic evasive, all-purpose answer. Unfortunately, Fugaku Uchiha had never heard one like it before. Not only did he fail to sense anything amiss, he found the answer quite novel.

"I see. Then why did you hide your strength before?" Fugaku Uchiha asked, as if the question had just occurred to him.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes!

Like a cold beam of light, his gaze fell on Uchiha Gray. He slowly turned around, fixing Uchiha Gray with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan as a terrifying pressure bore down on him.

It was as if the slightest concealment would cost him his life!

But how could a mere Three-Tomoe Sharingan affect Uchiha Gray, who had one himself?

That old fox Fugaku Uchiha sure knew how to keep his cards close. He had the Mangekyō Sharingan, yet he was still so cautious!

But Uchiha Gray had already prepared a standard answer!

He looked at Fugaku Uchiha with a grave expression, as if he were a warrior who had endured countless hardships and finally returned victorious. His voice was respectful. "Clan Leader!"

"Before this, I never deliberately hid my strength. I simply didn't like showing it off. But if you insist on asking why I hid my strength, it's because I believe that since the Uchiha Clan is no different from the other clans, we shouldn't be treated differently!"

"Why?"

Indignation filled Uchiha Gray's youthful face. "Our Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan both helped found the village, so why can't we become Hokage?"

"That's why I took the Genin exam—to meet Sarutobi Hiruzen!"

"The moment I met Sarutobi Hiruzen, I was sure: the Uchiha Clan can become Hokage too!"