The room was silent. Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane exchanged long, weary glances before bitter smiles tugged at their lips.
"Heh… do we even have a choice anymore?" Hiruzen's voice cracked slightly, the weight of years suddenly visible in the droop of his shoulders.
"Why not?" Uchiha Gen's tone was calm, but his eyes gleamed with something sharp. "Or perhaps you'd rather sacrifice yourselves, your families, your clans, than let an 'evil Uchiha' take the Hokage's seat?"
He leaned back, voice almost teasing. "If that's the case, I can grant your wish. I'll let you die exactly as you desire."
The three elders fell into stunned silence. The very idea was absurd—who would willingly choose extinction?
It was fine for the old to die; that was nature's way. But if the young fell too, then everything, hope, legacy, the future would end.
"You've been lying low all these years… just waiting for this moment, haven't you?" Hiruzen said at last, his voice heavy.
Gen smiled faintly. "Exactly. I'm done playing games. No more schemes, no more politics. Power should rule through strength. Those who disobey—" he paused, his smile sharpening "—will be erased."
Hiruzen's expression tightened. "Are you saying you'll rule like that, internally and externally? That's far too extreme! You'll make Konoha a target for every hidden village!"
He leaned forward, voice hard. "While you live, you might be able to hold it together. But when you're gone, the backlash will destroy everything."
Gen's gaze flicked toward him. "Of course not. I'm not a fool. Only an idiot makes things harder for himself without reason."
He folded his arms. "Conflict isn't about blind suppression. It's about uniting the majority and cutting down the few who stand in the way—both within and beyond our borders."
Hiruzen let out a long breath. At least he isn't entirely consumed by arrogance…
"I agree," he said finally. "You'll be the sole candidate for the Fifth Hokage. And you'll have the right to decide when you take office."
"Three days from now, at nine in the morning, I'll call a full meeting of Konoha's jōnin and announce it publicly."
His eyes hardened. "But remember this, Uchiha Gen. I'll be watching. If your actions ever endanger Konoha, I'll stop you—whatever it takes."
He stood abruptly and turned away. "Eat? I've lost my appetite."
Homura and Koharu followed, stopping at the door. After a pause, they turned back, bowing politely to Gen. Gone were the airs of Hokage advisors or the condescension of elders—what remained was restrained, cautious respect.
Once they were gone, Gen exhaled softly. "I hope they behave," he muttered. "Because if they don't…" A dark glint flashed in his eye. "Then I'll really start killing. And they'll only get one chance."
He picked up his chopsticks again. "A good meal shouldn't go to waste."
When Hiruzen and his advisors finally left the Uchiha compound, the masked Anbu scattered from their hidden posts.
The three went straight to the Hokage Building. After ensuring the office was secure, Homura spoke first, his tone grim.
"Hiruzen… are you really going to name Uchiha Gen as the sole candidate for Hokage?"
He hesitated, then added, "There's no proof, but my gut tells me—Danzo's disappearance has something to do with him."
You're not wrong, Gen would have said with amusement if he'd heard.
Hiruzen pressed his fingers to his temple. "And doesn't that tell you just how dangerous he is?"
Homura frowned. "He really dares to do it. His methods… they're far more ruthless than Fugaku ever was."
"If we disobey him, he'll act," Koharu said quietly. "You've seen the look in his eyes. He won't hesitate."
Homura sighed. "Things were simpler when Fugaku led the Uchiha. Why did he have to die so suddenly? Was that mysterious figure hurting Uchiha Gen or helping him?"
Koharu's expression shifted from stern to regretful. "Either way, Gen doesn't bluff. When he says something, he means it."
"I don't want to see him as Hokage," Homura said, voice tight. "But what else can we do?"
Hiruzen stared at the floor. "Circumstances… are stronger than people."
Homura's voice rose, frustration breaking through. "But if we gathered everyone—you, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kushina, the elite jōnin—don't we stand a chance?"
Hiruzen looked up slowly. "And what then? Even if we win, we lose."
He took a slow drag on his pipe, the smoke curling around him. "If we fail, our families will be wiped out. If we succeed, can we even contain him? He can fly. He knows the Flying Thunder God. If he escapes, Konoha will never know peace again."
He set the pipe down. "Even if we somehow kill him here and now, then what?"
His voice grew colder. "Konoha will be crippled. Our Kage-level shinobi, our jōnin, even our rank and file will fall in droves."
"The Kazekage of Sunagakure, his widow, will tear up the alliance and come for blood."
"Once Sand moves, Cloud, Stone, and Mist will follow. Maybe even before Sand does."
"Those villages have coveted the Land of Fire for years. They'll never pass up an opportunity like this."
"And once the big ones move, the small ones will swarm like vultures."
Hiruzen's tone darkened. "Konoha would face a storm worse than the Third Great Ninja War. The village could be destroyed."
He looked up, eyes blazing now. "If that happens, what will become of our clans? Our families? Remember Uzushiogakure—its fate is not far behind us."
He fell silent, the words hanging heavy in the air.
"To oppose Uchiha Gen," he finally said, "is to walk a dead end."
"Konoha cannot fall—not in my hands."
The warmth usually on his face vanished, replaced by something grim and fierce.
"For Konoha—for our families—for our descendants—we'll endure. We'll follow his will."
"No hidden schemes. No double faces. Once we choose, we see it through. Hesitation is death."
He stared out the window, voice quieter now. "We might not live to see the dawn… but our descendants will."
"Uchiha Gen isn't immortal. No matter how strong he is, he's still human. He'll die eventually."
Homura and Koharu exchanged tired, heavy looks. "This is the only path left to us," Koharu murmured.
They both sighed, and the room fell silent again.
Moments later, they dispersed to their duties, hungry, dispirited, and defeated.
Hiruzen forced himself back to his desk. His stomach growled, but the thought of food made him sick. He lit his pipe again and buried himself in paperwork.
Three days later — 8:50 AM.
Every jōnin who wasn't on a critical mission gathered at the Hokage Building. Civilian jōnin, clan leaders, elders—nearly every major figure in Konoha filled the grand conference hall.
The air buzzed with whispers. Some speculated, others gossiped, but all carried unease.
Among them, Hyuga Hiashi leaned toward Uchiha Gen. "Do you know what this meeting is about?"
Gen only smiled, saying nothing.
Even Hiruzen hadn't told his own allies. The secret was locked down tight; one careless move could have sparked chaos before the announcement.
At 8:59, the doors opened.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane stepped onto the stage, faces composed and unreadable. The murmurs died at once.
After brief formalities, the three took their seats. Hiruzen's gaze found Gen in the crowd, calm, unshaken, unreadable.
A flicker of emotion crossed Hiruzen's face, regret, but he straightened his back and began to speak.