The moment Uchiha Fugaku opened his mouth, his very first words were, "You're doing great, Souji!"
For Souji, this was not encouragement.
It was a death sentence.
A chill climbed down his spine. His future suddenly felt dark and hopeless. He could almost see himself tied to the sinking ship that was the Uchiha clan. No matter how hard he tried to break free, somehow fate kept dragging him deeper and deeper into the clan's problems.
Meanwhile, Fugaku was smiling with genuine satisfaction. The more he looked at Souji, the more pleased he became. Just days ago, Fugaku had been buried under the pressure of figuring out how to break Konoha's ever-tightening restrictions on the Uchiha clan. The relationship between the clan and the village had reached a painful deadlock.
A vicious cycle, one that had been spinning for years:
Konoha targeted the Uchiha.
The Uchiha grew resentful.
Their resentment made them seem arrogant.
Their arrogance made the village dislike them more.
That hatred made Konoha push the Uchiha even harder.
And the Uchiha pushed back like a hedgehog—angry, sharp, defensive.
And the cycle never stopped.
If nothing changed, the clan would slowly collapse.
What the Uchiha needed was a hero.
Someone from the clan who stood on Konoha's side, not against it.
Someone who could earn the village's trust while still carrying the clan's pride.
Someone who could break the cycle from within.
But how? Konoha distrusted Uchiha.
Uchiha distrusted Konoha.
Who could possibly represent both?
Then came the news—
Uchiha Souji had been gravely injured battling Orochimaru.
And with that news came detailed battlefield reports.
Uchiha Shisui, sharp as ever, immediately recognized something world-changing within those reports. After reading how Souji fought, what he declared, and how he acted in the heat of death, Shisui realized: Souji had spoken words that aligned perfectly with the Will of Fire.
Shisui sent the summary back to Fugaku at once.
When Fugaku read the line, "The Will of Fire is the soul of Konoha shinobi,"
he almost jumped out of his chair.
A Uchiha…
Openly speaking the Will of Fire…
Believing it…
Fighting for it…
To Fugaku, Souji looked like the answer he had been praying for.
An Uchiha who acknowledged Konoha.
An Uchiha who carried their pride.
An Uchiha who had his own understanding of the Will of Fire.
This was the perfect candidate for a new Uchiha hero—one Konoha could truly accept.
Fugaku immediately mobilized nearly the entire clan's influence within Konoha. Newspapers, patrol reports, whispers in the market, stories passed along the guards—everything was used to spread Souji's heroic image. The clan poured effort, resources, and connections into supporting this new symbol of unity.
And it worked.
The attitudes of villagers began shifting.
Even small shop owners started offering snacks and discounts to the Konoha Guard during patrols.
The Uchiha name gradually rose from suspicion to cautious respect.
All because of one person—
Uchiha Souji.
Fugaku's heart swelled with pride. He reached out and slapped Souji's shoulder affectionately.
"Recover well, Souji! Kakashi thinks highly of you now. After you graduate, you might even become his personal student."
Then he added, voice filled with rare excitement:
"Come on, Souji… you might truly become Hokage one day."
Souji's brain stopped functioning.
Hokage?
Him?
Why were all these people expecting so much of him?!
Why was everyone acting insane?!
And how in the nine hells did Fugaku know what Kakashi had said?
Did Anbu record everything?
Was the hospital room filled with spies?
Was the entire village treating top-secret intelligence like a public toilet where anyone could walk in, grab a few sheets of information, and walk out?
Souji's expression was completely blank, which Fugaku misunderstood as emotional shock.
Poor child, Fugaku thought.
So suddenly recognized by so many… he must be overwhelmed.
He softened his tone.
"Souji, don't think too much. Just follow your heart."
Then he stood up to leave.
"There's still much work waiting for me in the clan. Rest well."
Before leaving, Fugaku patted Souji's shoulder again, clearly unable to hide how proud he felt. Even young Itachi standing beside him looked briefly jealous.
But that jealousy quickly dissolved into pure admiration.
"Souji," Itachi said gently, "I'll bring you your school textbooks. You shouldn't fall behind."
Souji wanted to scream.
I was stabbed by Orochimaru!
I was smashed by Kakashi!
Your father crushed my ribs with praise!
And now you want me to STUDY?!
Is there no mercy in this world?!
After the two Uchiha left the room, Souji collapsed backward onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling with utter despair.
For a long moment, he didn't move.
Then he whispered to himself:
"No… no, no, no. This can't continue."
If things went on this way, he would be chained tighter and tighter to the Uchiha clan… and by extension to Konoha. That was terrible—unacceptable. He had dreams of living freely one day, maybe even defecting when the time was right. And if he tried to run now?
Anbu would chase him like starving wolves chasing fresh meat.
He wouldn't even have time to marry three wives and four concubines and live a peaceful life.
He couldn't even dream about freedom at this rate.
He needed a plan.
A way to change his reputation.
A way to stop being seen as the clan's future savior.
He touched his chin, deep in thought.
"Why am I failing at this…?"
He sighed.
"Right. Because I'm too weak. No matter how hard I work alone, I can't change the overall narrative."
One person couldn't shape public opinion.
Many people could.
That meant—
He needed a group.
A network.
A team dedicated to ruining his image when needed.
A… navy?
No. In ninja terms—
He needed subordinates. Loyal ones.
"Who should I find…?" Souji wondered aloud.
He needed someone outside the Uchiha clan. If he used clan members, Fugaku would notice immediately. That old man practically monitored Souji like a hawk.
So the only option was to find someone from outside the clan—
someone who could help craft an image for him that was… less heroic.
His eyes narrowed with determination.
"Time to find the perfect person," he muttered.
Because if he didn't act soon…
The entire village might actually force him onto the Hokage track.
And that was a nightmare he refused to accept
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