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At first, Uchiha Souji had a very different dream.
He originally wanted to build a secret underground organization—
something mysterious, powerful, hidden in the shadows.
An organization with style, influence, and the ability to shake Konoha quietly.
And who better to be its leader than Mizuki?
Mizuki had ambition, desire, and a burning eagerness to climb the hierarchy.
For a secret organization, someone like Mizuki made sense.
But reality was cruel.
Plans never survive real life for long.
It was like going to the toilet and realizing you forgot to bring paper.
You start thinking:
Next time, I must remember to buy a pack of tissue for one yen…
And then you stare at your own hand.
Or worse… your underwear.
Reality forces you to adapt.
The truth was simple and painful:
Souji was broke. Completely broke.
He didn't even have the funds to support Mizuki, let alone start a whole secret society.
So the only option was to ask for sponsorship.
Which meant asking Uchiha Fugaku.
But Fugaku would never fund something that might cause problems for the Uchiha clan.
The Uchiha already had poor public reputation; supporting a secret organization would only worsen things.
And so—
Souji had to abandon his dream and switch to something more realistic:
A newspaper organization.
He felt slightly embarrassed about it, but he had no choice.
Just like how Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo were supposedly best friends, yet always ended up attacking each other—
life doesn't always go the way you want.
Souji cleared his throat and said seriously:
"Ahem. The name of the newspaper will be News of Fire. As you know, the Uchiha clan isn't very welcome in Konoha. So we need someone neutral—someone like you—to act as our public face."
He reached into his robes, pulled out a scroll, and slid it across the tatami to Mizuki.
"You'll take this and officially assume your position."
Mizuki's eye twitched.
He was a Chūnin.
A proud Chūnin!
Did Souji understand the value of that rank?!
But for the sake of his dream of marrying into the Shimura family and becoming a powerful figure, he swallowed his pride and accepted the scroll.
Still, he had to ask:
"My lord, may I know why you want to start a newspaper at all?"
Souji nodded approvingly.
This was exactly why he wanted an outsider to run things.
Uchiha people were too proud.
Villains and ambitious types, on the other hand, asked the right questions.
Souji stroked his chin and said:
"I need you to pull me off the altar."
Mizuki nearly fell over.
Pull him off the altar?!
Shouldn't he want to be raised onto the altar?!
His brain couldn't process it.
Then Souji's eyes narrowed. His tone turned cold.
"Mizuki Chūnin, decisions made at higher levels aren't something you need to understand. Your job is simply to carry them out."
Cold sweat trickled down Mizuki's back.
He immediately nodded like a frightened woodpecker.
He understood now—
the less he questioned, the faster he could rise in rank and eventually impress the Shimura heiress.
---
Mizuki Reports to Danzo
After some time, Mizuki finally left Souji's house.
Walking along the streets of Konoha, he kept glancing behind him.
Once he confirmed no one was watching, he slipped quietly into a narrow alley.
There, a hunched man stood leaning on a cane, back facing Mizuki.
Even without seeing the man's expression, the air grew colder the moment Mizuki stepped into the alley.
Mizuki immediately dropped to one knee.
"Lord Danzo. Uchiha Souji wants me to become the editor-in-chief of a newly established newspaper organization. He also wants me to create a wave of public opinion in his favor—while acting as its apparent leader."
Danzo nodded slowly.
Everything was going exactly as he expected.
This Uchiha Souji…
He must be plotting something dark.
But no scheme would escape Danzo's vision.
He would expose the Uchiha sooner or later, gather evidence, and crush them once and for all.
He would make Konoha glorious again.
Only his will could truly be called the Will of Fire.
Danzo turned slightly.
His voice was unusually calm.
"What kind of public opinion does he want you to spread?"
Mizuki stood, trembling slightly.
"That's the strange part, Lord Danzo… He wants me to create negative public opinion about the Uchiha clan. Especially about himself."
"He said he wants me to pull him off the altar."
Mizuki blinked.
"Master Danzo, why would he want that?"
Danzo's eyes narrowed.
This was indeed odd.
But then he began to smile.
"Heh. You don't understand."
"It's exactly what makes the Uchiha clan so sinister."
He flicked his cloak dramatically and leaned harder on his cane, releasing a faint pressure.
"Recently, the Uchiha clan's reputation has been growing too strong. Many villagers are becoming unhappy. Their image has become too polished to be believable."
"No matter how many times you wash a dirty rag, it still looks dirty."
He continued:
"Uchiha Souji must have realized that if these praises continue to grow, backlash will come. So he is choosing to weaken his own image to reduce future danger."
"A very careful strategy. It increases the credibility of the newspaper and lowers suspicion."
"A classic method to kill two birds with one stone."
Danzo raised a finger.
"But pulling himself off the altar? That is even more brilliant."
"In Konoha, geniuses are everywhere. A person becomes strong through hardship, not praise."
He smirked.
"So even if the villagers stop praising him, it won't affect his resources.
But if praise continues, he becomes a target of surveillance."
"A tall tree catches more wind."
Danzo nodded firmly.
"It does not kill two birds…
It kills THREE birds with one stone!"
"One—He avoids backlash.
Two—He gives the newspaper instant credibility.
Three—He protects himself from becoming a political target."
"At such a young age, his schemes run deep."
Mizuki listened with his mouth open.
Just earlier, he thought Souji was simply strange.
Now he realized every word Souji spoke carried hidden meaning.
He suddenly felt everyone in Konoha was playing a grand mental game—
and he was the only fool who didn't even know the rules.