Uchiha Kei, engrossed in his conversation with Hiruzen Sarutobi, had no idea what was happening in the outside world. He simply focused on talking with the Third Hokage. The two spoke for much longer than expected—what was intended to be a half-hour discussion stretched into over two hours.
No one knew what was discussed inside the house. A barrier had been set up, sealing the room.
When Hiruzen finally left, his eyes reflected joy, anticipation, and deep regret—his expression was layered and complex.
Just as Danzo Shimura, who knew Hiruzen well, had predicted: the Hokage had indeed come to talk to Uchiha Kei about the Will of Fire. He wanted to gauge Kei's alignment with that ideology and to understand his views on the current state of the Hidden Leaf as a member of the Uchiha.
Essentially, it was a mix of probing, relationship building, and trying to understand just how different Kei was from the rest of his clan.
Though he had inherited Tobirama Senju's policy of guarding against the Uchiha, Hiruzen Sarutobi was never an extremist like Danzo. His approach to governance—especially regarding Root—was markedly different from that of his two advisors. He genuinely hoped the Uchiha could integrate into the Leaf. Ideally, they could assimilate as fully as the Senju had.
Unfortunately, the clan's binary thinking and the death of pro-Hokage leader Kagami Uchiha meant the Uchiha were at odds with the village leadership throughout Hiruzen's tenure.
If only Hiruzen had possessed the kind of manipulative political skill conspiracy theorists attributed to him. With the Uchiha's black-and-white worldview, he could've easily controlled them through divide-and-rule tactics. But reality fell short: in truth, his political acuity barely scraped 60 out of 100.
If he really wanted to improve it, he might need some dark-arts training from the aristocrats of the Land of Fire.
So all he could do was stick to Tobirama's conservative path and try to maintain stability.
As a result, the Uchiha remained estranged from the village leadership throughout Hiruzen's administration.
Still, he never completely gave up.
When Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen's grand-disciple and a paragon of the Will of Fire, appeared—and bonded well with the Uchiha heir—Hiruzen saw an opportunity.
He decisively had Obito Uchiha, a unique Uchiha with dreams of becoming Hokage, become Minato's student. His hope was that this loyal master-apprentice pair would eventually lead the Uchiha to full integration with the Leaf.
Hiruzen even fantasized about Obito becoming Hokage. People said Obito was a loser, unfit for the title—but Jiraiya had been one too, and Hiruzen had once considered him the ideal successor.
This was evident in the original manga: Hiruzen sincerely wished for Jiraiya to be Hokage.
But Jiraiya was too focused on the Toad Prophecy and had no interest in the position. That's why Hiruzen had to settle for Minato.
If things had gone as planned, Obito—Minato's student—could have become the Fifth Hokage and fully brought the Uchiha into the fold.
Unfortunately, dreams were beautiful and reality was harsh.
Obito's descent into darkness shattered Hiruzen's hopes and validated Tobirama's view that the Uchiha must be controlled.
Still, the present was a different story. What mattered now was Hiruzen's complex feelings toward the Uchiha.
Facing this kind of Hiruzen, Uchiha Kei explicitly affirmed his support for the Will of Fire. He believed that a military system like the Leaf could not afford to have its core ideology shaken—unless one had a superior philosophy that could gain widespread acceptance.
Kei didn't deny the Will of Fire. In fact, he stated clearly that he hoped the Uchiha would integrate into the Leaf, emphasizing that only a strong and prosperous village was a good one. The fate of the Uchiha was tied to that of the Hidden Leaf.
He also pointed out that in the past, the Uchiha couldn't understand this—but under his guidance, the clan was now actively binding itself more closely to the village.
Kei didn't downplay his actions. Hiruzen, with his intel network, would find out sooner or later. Since the Hokage came to him for a friendly conversation, pretending to be clueless would only make one look foolish.
So Kei made no attempt to hide his intentions. Especially when it came to matters of intellect—sometimes, you had to flaunt it to earn respect.
Of course, most of what he said came from the notes he'd taken in his past life after countless flame wars with online keyboard warriors—repackaged now for the shinobi world.
Previously, Kei had kept a low profile due to his lack of self-preservation skills. Being too talented without protection was a quick way to get killed.
Now, backed by the full might of the Uchiha and his close friendship with the brilliant Minato Namikaze, he had nothing to fear—as long as he didn't leave the village. Unless Madara Uchiha, on the verge of death, decided to dance into the Leaf himself, no one posed a real threat.
And even then, Kei held an ultimate humiliation technique—if provoked, he could make certain people experience the taste of the "Red Stone" firsthand.
Thus, Kei and Hiruzen spoke at length. They discussed the Uchiha's integration, and Kei asserted that only when an Uchiha became Hokage could true unity be achieved.
He also revealed that the illusion game would lead to an explosion in Mangekyō Sharingan users. In such a scenario, if no Uchiha reached the Hokage position, tensions would rise again, no matter how much the clan tried to integrate.
Hiruzen understood but was also worried. Tobirama's notes stated that Mangekyō users were often extreme and ill-suited for leadership. Their rise could plunge the Leaf into chaos.
Kei, however, simply smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lord Third. As an Uchiha myself, I understand our issues. The one who becomes Hokage will almost certainly have the Mangekyō—and an extreme personality. But such a person won't be fit to handle complex politics."
"That's why we should adopt a model similar to the Hidden Cloud Village. Their Raikage, despite being brash and reckless, is kept in check by the Cloud Council. They ensure he doesn't make rash decisions."
"I think this system suits us. We'll adapt it to the Leaf's needs. Rest assured—I'll push for its implementation. With my influence, whoever becomes the Hokage from the Uchiha will uphold it."
"When that happens, the Uchiha's deepest grievance will vanish. Full integration will follow."
"In fact, I believe the best path forward is to abolish our internal marriage restrictions—fully open intermarriage with other clans and even civilians. Just like the Senju did."
At that moment, Hiruzen was shocked. He never imagined an Uchiha would propose limiting the clan's own power to promote unity—and with actionable plans, no less.
This was true embodiment of the Will of Fire, inherited from the First Hokage himself.
And Kei didn't just have ideology—he had insight and strategy. Some of his ideas even left Hiruzen in awe.
They then turned to the shinobi world's larger situation. Kei spoke eloquently, analyzing each village's ambitions, predicting that a new Great Ninja War was on the horizon.
For a moment, Hiruzen thought, "Maybe Uchiha Kei would make a great Hokage."
But that thought was fleeting—and filled with regret. Kei had the mindset of a Hokage, the brilliance of Tobirama, and the vision of Hashirama—but he was just a Chūnin. Even with a newly awakened two-tomoe Sharingan, his strength was still lacking.
To become a Kage in any of the Five Great Nations, one needed real power. Near-elite wasn't enough. Without strength, you couldn't command authority.
Kei's power was clearly insufficient. At nearly nineteen, his talents and potential had plateaued. He was someone whose limits were already visible.
So Hiruzen could only feel deep regret. That's why his expression was so conflicted when he left Kei's home.
Was Kei being truthful?
Heh. In matters of rhetoric, if everything worked out, he'd be praised as a genius strategist. But if things went south, it would be seen as convenient lip service to placate Hiruzen.
Everyone plays the game of interests. And whether promises hold weight depends on future relations.
If it all crumbled into the kind of civil strife depicted in the original manga—then at that point, Kei would simply draw his blade and declare:
"The Hidden Leaf has always belonged to the Uchiha. Who the hell are you so-called Leaf F4? Now, it's time we take back what's rightfully ours."