Naruto: This Uchiha is too Evil - Chapter 24
“Think about it!” shouted Itsuki, his hands tapping the table excitedly. “Just tell me, Itachi, do you think I’m making sense?”
Itachi remained silent.
Beside him, Kurenai Y?hi kept a straight face as she looked at Itsuki. Even blind, he still had so much energy. It wasn’t easy! Are you and the Shisui brothers?
“If you became Hokage, would there still be conflicts between the village and the Uchiha?” Itsuki waved his hand grandly, full of confidence. “Don’t be silent. Speak up. Just tell me, am I making sense or not?”
“The Uchiha have many flaws—arrogance, pride, looking down on others… Can’t these be changed?”
“If you think the Uchiha are born troublemakers, I’ll bring your father here.”
Itachi remained speechless.
“If you became Hokage, not only would Fugaku support you, but so would Elder S?gi. You don’t need to worry about that old man Setsuna; I’ll keep an eye on him. You trust I can do that, right?”
Itachi nodded instinctively. He already knew Itsuki had J?nin-level subordinates. Combined with his strength, it wouldn’t be hard for Itsuki to keep an eye on Setsuna. Uchiha Setsuna was a dark and rebellious character who often did extreme things. For instance, during the Second Hokage, he rebelled and was dealt with by the Second. He behaved for a while. Then, not long after the Third Hokage took over, Setsuna acted up again and got beaten down during a period of instability in Konoha. Both Hokages chose to spare him.
The Uchiha needed someone like him to keep things from getting too peaceful, which could provide an excuse for the Hokage to wipe out the Uchiha if necessary. However, Itachi looked at Itsuki with a peculiar expression. If Itsuki dealt with Setsuna, he believed Setsuna would behave. Itsuki had that kind of influence—charismatic and charming.
“Oh, and Shisui! Almost forgot about him!” Itsuki slammed the table hard. “Do you think he would support you?”
“Yes!” Itachi answered without hesitation. Compared to Itsuki, he trusted Shisui more.
“You see!” Itsuki counted on his fingers. “Let me break it down for you. Among the four most powerful in the Uchiha—Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha S?gi, Uchiha Setsuna, and me, Uchiha Itsuki—three would support you.”
Itachi’s expression grew stranger. Really? Are you one of the most powerful Uchiha now? Well, it was hard to argue against that.
“In the new generation, the three geniuses are you, Shisui, and me. Shisui and I both support you.”
“What are you hesitating for?” Itsuki grabbed Itachi’s hand and shook it vigorously. “The relationship between the village and the Uchiha is simple to fix. All you need to do is become Hokage! It’s that simple!”
Itsuki slammed the table hard as if trying to force Itachi to decide. Itachi sat silently beside him. My head is spinning! Give me a moment to process this! Become Hokage… wait, how did I become Hokage in the first place?
If I become Hokage, I can change the Uchiha and fully integrate them into the village. It wouldn’t be hard. As Itsuki said, the Uchiha leadership would support me, and so would the new generation. As for the town…
Itachi said quietly, “Itsuki-nii, becoming Hokage isn’t easy.”
Becoming Hokage isn’t something that can be decided solely by the Uchiha and the Hokage. Many other clans in the village might not agree to a Uchiha Hokage.
“First!” Itsuki slammed the table again. “The clan will definitely support you, right?”
“Right!” The Uchiha had longed for a Hokage for so long. In their eyes, the village owed them a Hokage, so they wanted to stage a coup to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. If the coup succeeded, who would be Hokage? Fugaku! If it were Itachi, that might not be acceptable to everyone, but many Uchiha wouldn’t care who the Hokage was as long as they were Uchiha.
“Second!” Itsuki continued, “The Third Hokage will definitely support you, right?”
“That…” Itachi hesitated. He wasn’t naive. Unlike in the original story, Itsuki’s interference caused Itachi to doubt the Third Hokage’s intentions. It was enough to make him think of things he had previously overlooked.
“What are you hesitating for?” Itsuki shouted. “The Third Hokage said you had the mindset of a Hokage at seven. Do you know what that means?”
“What does it mean?” Itachi asked instinctively.
“It means the Hokage already planned to train you as his successor.”
Itachi’s face went blank. Kurenai’s mouth twitched. Itsuki, however, looked at Itachi with disdain. “Tell me, has the Hokage said that to anyone else?”
“No.”
“Has he trained any other successors over the years?”
“No.”
“Why hasn’t he trained a successor? The Third Hokage has long passed his prime. Why does he cling to the position?”
“…Why?”
“To train you!” Itsuki grabbed Itachi’s shoulders and shook him. “Because you were too young, he had to stick around. Once you grow up, he’ll step down.”
“This…”
Itachi was dumbfounded. “Waiting… for me?”
“Who else?” Itsuki asked. “Do you think he’s waiting for his grandson?”
Itachi: “…”
Something feels off here.
Kurenai coughed lightly, “Itsuki, maybe tone down the language?”
“Do you think I’m wrong?” Itsuki retorted. “If not, tell me why the Third Hokage hasn’t trained a successor? If he suddenly dies, what happens to Konoha?”
“Don’t say it’s impossible. A sixty-something ninja could die any day.”
Itachi and Kurenai fell silent.
Itsuki’s tone turned cold. “Do you not trust the Hokage? Do you think he’s just clinging to power?”
Kurenai stared at Itsuki: Damn! You’re something with that mouth of yours!
Itachi was also speechless. What was he supposed to say? Even if he had doubts… he couldn’t voice them! He respected the Hokage!
“I’m telling you!” Itsuki pointed at them. “The best way to resolve the village and Uchiha’s issues is to train an Uchiha Hokage with the Will of Fire! And that’s why the Hokage chose you, Itachi! Otherwise…”
Itsuki’s tone became icy. “The Hokage is intentionally making things difficult for you and targeting the Uchiha. Do you have another explanation?”
Itachi and Kurenai remained silent.
After a long pause, Itachi finally spoke. “I think Itsuki-nii makes a lot of sense.”
“Itachi!”
A stern voice interrupted. Shisui appeared, his face covered in bandages, his expression stern. He glared at Itachi, “Don’t talk nonsense!”
Don’t tell me you believe Itsuki’s nonsense.
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