At the main gates of the Hidden Leaf Village, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane were passing the time with their usual idle chatter.
"Kotetsu, the Uchiha clan is truly a tragic tale," Izumo said, shaking his head with a sigh. "To think they produced someone as cold-blooded as Itachi Uchiha. In a single night, he slaughtered the entire clan, leaving only his seven-year-old brother, Sasuke."
Izumo paused, his expression one of lingering disbelief. "I have no idea what kind of madness possessed him to commit such a massacre. He didn't even spare the elderly or the children. Leaving behind one lonely little brother... it's just beyond cruel."
Kotetsu sighed in agreement. "Tell me about it. The greatest clan in Konoha, gone just like that. Of the noble Uchiha line, only two brothers remain: one an S-rank rogue ninja, and the other a mere child of seven."
"Wait, that's not right," Izumo corrected, immediately shaking his head. "There should be one more person."
"Another one?" Kotetsu looked at him, puzzled.
"Yes, another member. He left the village five years ago, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since," Izumo nodded.
"Who?" Kotetsu asked, leaning in.
Izumo drifted into thought, searching his memory. He was just about to speak when he noticed a figure walking past them. He froze for a moment, then snapped back to reality, bolting upright. "Hey, no way! That guy who just walked by..."
"That guy?" Kotetsu looked on, his face full of suspicion.
Izumo's eyes widened. "Uchiha Raizen."
"What? Him?" Kotetsu's memory suddenly flooded back. "Uchiha Raizen is back?"
Raizen walked down the streets that felt both intimately familiar and strangely foreign. He felt a surge of emotion; he hadn't expected to return to a place as dangerous as Konoha after five years.
Life truly was unpredictable.
Years ago, he had transmigrated into this world as the younger brother of Fugaku Uchiha—a brother who didn't exist in the original story. Armed with knowledge of the future and the inevitable betrayal from within his own house, he had decisively fled the village. That departure had lasted five years.
It wasn't until recently that he finally triggered the System he had been dreaming of. The arrival of his "cheat" had filled him with a wild joy; he no longer had to live every day in a state of paranoia.
However, he hadn't expected the System's first mission: Return to Konoha to revitalise the Uchiha clan and restore its dwindling population to its former glory. For every new member added to the Uchiha bloodline, he would receive bountiful rewards.
Now that his golden finger had arrived, Raizen had no intention of staying hidden. At the very least, he planned to strive for the peak of this world—otherwise, what was the point of a second life?
Thus, to complete the System's mission and reach the pinnacle of life, Raizen had resolutely decided to return to the village he had abandoned half a decade ago.
The streets of Konoha looked much the same; not much had changed. He walked directly to the Hokage Rock area and entered the administration building to meet with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Inside the office, Hiruzen's brow was deeply furrowed. He took a long drag from his pipe, exhaling a plume of thick smoke.
"You left the village five years ago, only to reappear right after the Uchiha massacre," the Third Hokage said, his voice grave. "What exactly is your motive for returning now, Uchiha Raizen?"
Raizen sat opposite Hiruzen, a faint, composed smile on his face. He met the old man's gaze calmly. "Lord Third, five years have passed. You've aged."
Hiruzen took another puff of tobacco and exhaled slowly. "I have a few years of life left in me. I asked you a question. What is your purpose, Raizen?"
"I've come to post a mission," Raizen replied with a light chuckle.
Hiruzen blinked, confused. "Post a mission?"
Raizen nodded. "I want to issue a request: 'Seeking Heirs with Heavy Rewards.'"
"Cough! Hack!"
The statement nearly caused Hiruzen to choke to death on his own smoke.
"Seeking heirs?" Hiruzen coughed violently, staring at Raizen with wide eyes. He had expected Raizen to return seeking the truth behind the massacre, perhaps even harboring vengeance. He never expected a request for procreation.
"Our Uchiha clan has suffered a blow unseen in a century. We are at our lowest point," Raizen said, his expression turning solemn and righteous. "As one of the last surviving members, I have a duty to revitalize the clan. Naturally, the first step is to propagate the bloodline and ensure our lineage continues. 'Where the leaves dance, the fire shall burn.' My fallen clansmen have become the light that continues to illuminate the village and the Uchiha, allowing new leaves to bud. To that end, I, Uchiha Raizen, am willing to sacrifice even my own charms to ensure the Uchiha rise from the ashes and protect the village our ancestors built."
As Raizen spoke, the tension in Hiruzen's brow vanished. Is this not the very essence of the Will of Fire? To the old man, it seemed Raizen was a staunch devotee of the village's founding philosophy.
"Raizen... to see you have such a profound understanding of the Will of Fire... it brings me great comfort," Hiruzen said, his face softening into a kind, grandfatherly mask.
"Lord First is my idol," Raizen added, his eyes seemingly gleaming with inspiration. "Since I was a child, I have aspired to be a great man just like him."
Seeing that look of pure admiration, Hiruzen felt a wave of relief. He had been worried Raizen would dig into the dark secrets of the massacre; now, it seemed he had overthought things. Having left the clan early, Raizen clearly hadn't been tainted by the Uchiha's radical factions. Instead, he had retained the "Will of Fire" indoctrinated at the Academy. He was full of "justice"—exactly what Hiruzen wanted to see.
"Hahaha! Raizen, I believe that one day you will indeed become a man as great as the First Hokage."
Hiruzen gestured toward the door, calling for a female assistant. "Momoko, take Raizen to the Mission Desk and help him register his request."
"He's so handsome... as expected of an Uchiha," Momoko thought as she entered. Seeing the striking Raizen, her heart began to flutter, and a slight blush crept onto her cheeks. She bowed slightly. "Lord Raizen, please follow me."
"Thank you for the trouble," Raizen said with a polite nod. His bright eyes and handsome features left Momoko's heart in a state of chaos.
"Lord Third, I shall take my leave then."
Raizen waved over his shoulder and followed Momoko out of the office. Once the door closed, Hiruzen took a deep drag of his pipe and whispered to himself.
"Uchiha Raizen... I hope your heart is truly as aligned with your words as it seems. If you were to stubbornly chase the truth, it would make things very difficult for me."
For now, Hiruzen had no intention of moving against him. As Raizen had noted, the Hokage was old; he didn't want any unnecessary trouble. He wanted to finish his final years of governance in peace.
His silent approval of the Uchiha's demise had already created a rift between him and the other clans. If he were to target the last remnants of the Uchiha now, what would the rest of the village think? If Hiruzen could be so ruthless toward the Uchiha today, he could be just as ruthless toward them tomorrow. To settle the anxieties of the other noble families, he would not strike Raizen. In fact, as long as Raizen didn't cause trouble, Hiruzen was willing to grant him certain conveniences.
Still, the old man thought, a 'Seeking Heirs' mission... that has to be the most bizarre request the ninja world has seen in a thousand years.