Choices

Time slipped through his fingers like sand, passing silently, and in the blink of an eye, it was the forty-fifth year of Konoha.

Over the past few months, under Aburame Shio's leadership, Team Six had carried out several C-rank missions, interspersed with basic team training. Uchiha Narong could clearly feel that his strength had entered a plateau. His chakra growth had become extremely slow. Though it had not completely stopped, it was undeniably stuck at the bottleneck of the chunin level, making it difficult to break through.

He knew perfectly well that the Uchiha Clan had an advantage in chakra volume compared to ordinary ninja, but compared with clans famed for their immense chakra, such as the Uzumaki Clan or the Senju Clan, they still paled in comparison. With his current chunin-level chakra and strength, Narong truly had little confidence in facing the Third Shinobi World War, which, as far as he knew, would break out in two years at most. The battlefield was no child's game. The fate of cannon fodder was often not in their own hands.

"I have to find another way." Narong finished a set of basic taijutsu exercises on the training ground in his courtyard, wiping away sweat with a slight furrow in his brow. The stagnation of his strength had given him a sense of urgency.

At present, there was mainly one path that could rapidly increase his strength.

It was extremely risky, but the potential rewards were also unimaginably great—that was to become the disciple of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, and through him, obtain the cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Narong's thoughts raced. "If I can successfully transplant the First Hokage's cells, there will be too many benefits. First, the Senju Clan's vast vitality and immense chakra can become mine to use, completely solving the bottleneck of insufficient chakra. Second, the power of the First Hokage's cells might be able to balance out the Yin Release consumption of the Sharingan, fundamentally resolving the hidden danger of blindness from overusing the Mangekyo Sharingan. Most importantly, with this power, I'll have confidence no matter what I face in the future."

An even bolder thought surfaced. "If I handle it properly, maybe I can leave Konoha with Orochimaru. Once I solve the root problem of power, I can also avoid the surveillance of the Hidden Leaf Leadership and the internal strife of the Uchiha. If Orochimaru ends up losing control in the future, it might not be impossible for me to take over the Hidden Sound Village... This is practically a deal with endless profit."

The idea was beautiful, but how to make it happen was the key. Orochimaru was a cold-blooded scientist, not a philanthropist. Why would he take an Uchiha brat as a disciple, and why would he share such precious research results as the First Hokage's cells?

"Looks like I still have to borrow the clan's power. I'll have to rely on Uchiha Fugaku." Narong made up his mind.

That night, he did not train extra as usual. Instead, he carefully sorted through his thoughts. After night had fully fallen, he left home and walked toward the center of the clan district, where the clan head and the core members of the clan lived. At this time, the Uchiha Clan District had not yet been pushed to the edge of the village after Nine-Tails' Attack. It was still located in the gathering area of Konoha's ninja clans. Though the atmosphere was somewhat closed off, it had not reached the point of being completely cut off from the village.

Arriving before a rather imposing residence, Narong raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Coming. Who is it?" A gentle female voice came from inside the door. It was Uchiha Mikoto.

After a burst of light footsteps, the door was pulled open. Uchiha Mikoto's gentle, graceful face appeared behind it. Seeing that it was Narong, a warm smile appeared on her face. "It's Narong. Come in quickly. Visiting so late, are you here to see Fugaku about something?"

"Good evening, Lady Mikoto. Yes, there is something I would like to ask the clan head about." Narong greeted her respectfully.

Mikoto stepped aside to let him in, understanding that this young junior whom her husband valued must have come at this hour for an important matter. She led Narong through the corridor and arrived outside the study. "Fugaku, Narong is here."

"Come in." Uchiha Fugaku's steady voice came from inside the study.

Mikoto opened the door for Narong and motioned for him to enter, then said softly, "I'll go pour tea for you." She thoughtfully left, giving the two of them space.

Inside the study, Fugaku was sitting behind the desk, holding a scroll. He indicated for Narong to sit on the cushion opposite him. Soon, Mikoto brought over two cups of hot tea, gently placed them in front of the two, then quietly withdrew and closed the door.

Only the two of them remained in the study. Narong picked up the teacup and took a sip. The warm tea entered his throat, slightly easing the deliberation in his heart. He set down the cup and decided to get straight to the point.

"Clan head, I came today because there is something I would like the clan's help with," Narong said. He noticed Fugaku put down the scroll and turn his gaze toward him, carrying the meaning of scrutiny and listening.

He organized his words slightly, first pointing out the clan's current predicament. "Clan head, the clan has not had an easy time these past few years. The Third Hokage has vigorously promoted the civilianization of ninja. We Uchiha have clearly been suppressed."

Fugaku's eyes moved slightly, but he did not interrupt, signaling for him to continue.

"Ever since Lord Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, a strategy targeting the Uchiha has existed. However, the Second Hokage still paid attention to appearances back then. He even took Senior Uchiha Kagami into the Hokage Guard Platoon, which counted as a kind of balance. But when it comes to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen..." Narong paused, his voice lowering a little. "Sometimes, it seems he does not even bother with surface-level gestures. The missions assigned to the clan generally have a higher risk factor. The Police Force's reputation among the villagers has also taken a sharp turn for the worse in recent years. If one were to say there was no deliberate guidance from the higher-ups behind this, I'm afraid no one would believe it."

Fugaku's expression remained calm, but a nearly imperceptible shadow flashed deep in his eyes. He slowly spoke. "Narong, who told you these things? Don't tell me you also agree with Elder Setsuna and the others' way of thinking?" He was referring to the more hardline "militant faction" within the clan, headed by the elder Uchiha Setsuna, which had a tougher attitude toward the village.

"Not entirely." Narong shook his head. "Elder Setsuna has indeed sought me out, but I have my own thoughts. I believe that under the current circumstances, if the militant faction wants to forcefully push an Uchiha onto the Hokage's seat, it is very unrealistic and will only draw even fiercer backlash."

"Oh?" Fugaku seemed somewhat interested. "Then what is your idea?"

Narong knew the crucial moment had arrived. He straightened his body and said clearly, "Since there is little hope in attacking the Hokage position head-on, we can change our way of thinking and take a more roundabout, possibly steadier path. We cannot compete for this generation's Hokage, but we can make arrangements for the next generation, or the one after that."

"Be specific," Fugaku said, his body leaning forward slightly.

"We can choose young juniors within the clan who are worth cultivating and attempt to have them become disciples under the Third Hokage's disciples, that is, among the Sannin. If it succeeds, it will mean that we Uchiha have released goodwill toward the Hokage's line and shown an attitude of willingness to integrate. Even if the person we support ultimately fails to become the Fifth Hokage, this gesture can still greatly improve the clan's current difficult situation in the village. I believe that with such an active show of goodwill, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen himself, will most likely be happy to see it happen. This aligns with the Will of Fire and village unity that he has always emphasized."

Fugaku listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the tabletop. He looked at the young clansman before him and already understood in his heart: this kid had said a great deal of lofty reasoning for the clan's sake, but in the end, he probably wanted to become the disciple of one of the Sannin himself, using that to seek greater power and a backer. However, he had to admit that Narong's analysis did make some sense. This was indeed a path that might break the deadlock under their current predicament. If it succeeded, the clan would benefit. Even if it failed, showing an actively cooperative attitude would not hurt.

Having thought this through, Fugaku directly exposed Narong's intentions. "Not a bad analysis. Speak. Which one of the Sannin have you set your sights on? Who do you want as your teacher?"

Narong froze for a moment, not expecting Fugaku to see through his little schemes so directly, and even agree so readily. The set of persuasive arguments he had prepared was stuck in his throat. This clan head really reacted quickly, but how did he later, when it came to his son... Narong suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and hurriedly answered, "I want to become the disciple of Lord Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. I hope the clan head can come forward and communicate with the Third Hokage, test his attitude, and see whether it is feasible."

Fugaku nodded. He did not ask why Narong had chosen the gloomy Orochimaru rather than the bold and forthright Jiraiya or the medical master Tsunade. In his view, every choice had its own considerations. What mattered was the meaning represented by this action itself.

"I understand," Fugaku said in a deep voice. "I will find an opportunity to talk to Lord Hokage about this. However, whether it succeeds or not will ultimately depend on Lord Hokage and Orochimaru himself."

"I understand. Thank you, clan head!" A stone fell from Narong's heart, and he bowed respectfully.

After leaving the clan head's home, the cool night breeze blew across his face, but Narong felt somewhat dazed. Things seemed to have gone more smoothly than he had imagined. Fugaku had agreed so readily? He had not even asked many questions about the reasons.

He looked back at the residence, which seemed quiet and imposing in the night, and thought to himself: it seemed this Uchiha clan head was far shrewder and more decisive than the image in his memory of someone indecisive in the face of the clan's extermination crisis. Perhaps, under the pressure of the clan's survival, he had always been looking for a chance to break the deadlock, and his proposal tonight had just happened to give him a feasible direction.

In any case, the first step of the plan had already been taken. Next, he would wait for the result of Fugaku's meeting with the Third Hokage. As for himself, he also needed to make every possible preparation for the opportunity to become Orochimaru's disciple that might arrive.