The next day, the sun was high in the sky.
Sunlight streamed through the clean window, illuminating Meikyō's face and waking her up.
After quickly washing up and getting ready, Meikyō left the house.
Yesterday Uchiha Fugaku specifically asked Meikyō to come to his residence today, saying that he had something to give him.
It's still that mansion that even completing ten S-rank missions wouldn't be enough to afford in Meikyō.
"Meikyō, sit down."
Fugaku poured a cup of tea and handed it to Meikyō across from him.
"To be honest, I really didn't expect you to have grown to where you are today so quickly, two years ago."
"Without the support of the Clan Head and the guidance of Grandpa Yu, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Meikyō humbly replied.
"The descendants of other clan elders are no less qualified than you, but you are the only one in Konoha who has achieved this at this age. In the end, it all comes down to the person."
Uchiha Fugaku shook his head and straightened his posture to look at the Meikyō.
"I wonder, Meikyō, what do you think of the current situation in the village?"
Meikyō paused involuntarily as he drank his tea.
"The Third Hokage-sama is still at his peak, the name of the Sannin is renowned Ninja World, Master Dan is famous far and wide. In terms of peak combat power, he can be considered the best among the Five Great Nations. In the future, there are also powerful young strongmen such as Fugaku and Senior Minato. The current situation of the village is of course very good."
Meikyō's answer was impeccable, and he also took the opportunity to praise Uchiha Fugaku.
"Meikyō, I think you didn't understand what I meant."
Uchiha Fugaku shook his head slightly, feeling that Meikyō was still too young.
"This is just the surface. What I really care about is the current political situation in the village, and whether my family can gain more from it."
"The Third Hokage-sama is indeed still at his peak, but given his age, he will likely experience a significant decline within ten years. The previous two Hokage also chose their Hokage when they were around fifty to sixty years old."
Meikyō immediately understood.
"Is Chief Fugaku trying to interfere in the selection of the next Hokage?"
"Good."
Uchiha Fugaku simply nodded.
"Right now, Orochimaru is undoubtedly the most likely candidate to become Hokage. However, now that Dan Katō has married Tsunade, their Tsunade prestige, along with the immense influence left by the First Hokage and Second Hokage, makes them strong enough to compete with Orochimaru for the position of the future Fourth Hokage. This is the best opportunity for the Uchiha Clan to benefit from this and change their situation within the village!"
"Does the Fugaku clan head intend to support either Lord Orochimaru or Master Dan so that the future Hokage can achieve the clan's demands?"
"No, I'm wondering if I'll have the opportunity to get involved in this in the future, and compete with my family for the Hokage position with their support."
Meikyō remained silent.
He wanted to say to Chief Fugaku, "Don't you have any self-awareness?"
Do you have the strength to compete with Dan Katō and Orochimaru?
However, in the original timeline, this person did seem to be competing with Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru for the title of Fourth Hokage.
"I know that Senior Dan is your teacher, Meikyō, and has always regarded you as a disciple who will carry on the ninja way. I will not make things difficult for you in front of your clan and teacher."
Seeing that Meikyō had fallen silent, a hint of disappointment flashed in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes.
"Clan Head, if I may be so bold, how does the Senju Clan compare to the Uchiha Clan?"
After thinking for a while, Uchiha Fugaku finally answered, "In the past thousand years, they should have been evenly matched. However, nowadays, the Senju Clan is dwindling in number, while the Uchiha, although not as powerful as during Uchiha Madara's reign, is still strong. Overall, the Uchiha should be stronger."
"I think so too."
Meikyō nodded in agreement. As Uchiha, he and Uchiha Fugaku could never admit that the Uchiha inferior to the Senju.
"However, although the Senju Clan has declined to such a state now, in terms of clan prestige alone, the Senju Clan is still on par with the Uchiha Clan, isn't it?"
Meikyō guides and inspires.
In fact, the Senju Clan had a much better reputation in the village than the Uchiha.
The former has almost become a legend, with only stories of renowned powerhouses like Tsunade and the First Hokage and Second Hokage circulating in the village. The latter, on the other hand, are mostly arrogant and haughty, with the Police Force managing the villagers daily using strict enforcement methods. The villagers' perception of the Senju Clan is definitely much better than that of the Uchiha.
Uchiha Fugaku nodded in agreement with Meikyō's statement.
In fact, he was quite aware of the Uchiha's reputation in the village. The Uchiha still had a certain prestige, which was due to the powerful image they had cultivated over the years.
"So, in this respect, Chief Fugaku, your advantage in this area has been wiped out by Master Dan and Lady Tsunade, hasn't it?"
Uchiha Fugaku nodded again, and then spoke:
"Meikyō, don't forget that the Senju Clan can't compare to the Uchiha in other aspects Uchiha still has powerful Jonin like Elder Hane and controls a powerful department like the Konoha Military Police Force."
"Lady Tsunade has now established the village's Medical Department and serves as its head. In terms of rank, this is on par with the Konoha Military Police Force. Lady Tsunade is not lacking in power. In terms of strength, perhaps you, Clan Head, may also reach that level by then, but at most you will be comparable to either Lady Tsunade or Master Dan."
Meikyō shook his head; he still hoped to persuade Uchiha Fugaku to give up some of his fantasies.
If the Third Hokage and Danzo knew what Fugaku was thinking, they would definitely curse the Uchiha as evil and then secretly prepare some actions to continue targeting and suppressing the Uchiha.
"Lady Tsunade alone is enough to offset all of your advantages, Fugaku. Not to mention Master Dan, who is also supported by many ninjas. He has already gained the support of many common ninjas and small and Shinobu clans. He will only become stronger in the future. Not to mention, there Lord Orochimaru, who is even more promising. Fugaku, if we really talk about it, you can only rank fourth in the Fourth Hokage's ranking."
Even lower.
Even if Orochimaru, Tsunade, or Dan Katō were not to become Hokage, the Third Hokage could still remain in that position. Even if the Third Hokage were gone, there would still Shimura Danzō.
Moreover, there's the rising Minato Namikaze, in the future.
"Most importantly, although the positions of the Hokage appear to be elected by the villagers, and the First Hokage was indeed unanimously elected by all the villagers, the Second Hokage's appointment was originally the First Hokage's intention, and the Third Hokage was simply chosen by the Second Hokage before his death. It was just a show after returning to the village and gaining the support of Mito Uzumaki to hold another vote to stabilize people's hearts and make it more legitimate. If the Third Hokage were to take office, he would definitely only support one of the three."
"And the succession of each Hokage is influenced by the previous Hokage, so how could the Third Hokage not be involved?"