Uchiha Naoki was only two years old.
Kakashi, that prodigy freak, graduated the Academy at five and became a genin. The Uchiha bloodline wasn't any weaker than his. Which meant—realistically—Naoki would hit genin level at around five too.
Hmm.
A jonin dueling a genin sounded far better than a jonin beating up a toddler. Both were technically "bullying the weak," but the former could at least be spun as "letting the youth taste the cruelty of the shinobi world."
Yes. That worked.
After reaching this extremely moral conclusion, I shot a side-glance at old man Mado. I'd just wait three years. Let's see what "Sasuke's system transplanted into the wrong guy" gives me in that time.
If a system meant for Sasuke attached to me… then it belonged to me.
"Congratulations, Fourth Hokage-sama! Kushina-sama!"
"Thank you, thank you."
"We can't help but admire the Hokage couple. With Lady Kushina at his side, Konoha's recovery will surely surpass the other villages."
"Peace has come at a great cost. Maintaining it will require all of us."
"Hokage-sama, you must visit the Hyuga estate sometime. Our younger generation needs guidance. It would prevent needless deaths on the battlefield."
"But of course."
Minato and Kushina greeted everyone with flawless warmth—whether the guest was a village shinobi, a merchant, or a stray ninja from a foreign village. Their presence alone felt like a political alliance forged in gold.
"This," I murmured, watching their bright figures on stage, "is what a true power couple looks like. And we, the supposed 'First Clan of Konoha,' are still busy with internal marriages. Fugaku's vision is so narrow. Why can't he think for the clan? Divorce quickly, chase Tsunade, merge with the Senju—how hard is that?"
Clatter.
Itachi's chopsticks slipped from his hands and hit the floor.
I handed him mine. "Keep eating. I wasn't talking about Clan Head Fugaku."
"I heard everything."
"Well, since you heard…" I leaned closer. "What do you think of my proposal for uniting Uchiha and Senju? And since Tsunade-sama is the only Senju left, the only one qualified to marry her would be Fugaku. If not him, then who else?"
Itachi froze. His face screamed absolutely not.
He'd overheard this nonsense last time he went shopping with Mikoto. His mother nearly stormed out to beat up the idiot who suggested it. Logical or not, nobody asked her, nobody asked Tsunade, nobody asked Itachi. The elders only cared about the clan's ambitions.
I saw Itachi's silence and decided to try… education.
From my pocket, I pulled the system's "Will of Fire Annotated Edition," flipped a few pages, and whispered:
"When I was in the Academy, the teacher said Konoha is one big family. We should not view issues only from one clan's perspective, nor with narrow eyes. We must consider things from the village's point of view."
Mado shot me a look of pure disgust. I ignored him and casually tore the book cover off, crumpling it up before continuing to read.
"To resolve external conflicts, one must first unify internal ones."
Closing the book, I dragged Itachi aside, crouched so he didn't need to tilt his neck up, and fixed him with a serious stare.
"You're a genius. Smart, calm, thoughtful. Fugaku praises you all the time. You're four years old, but I want you to look at the problem of divorce from the Hokage's perspective. Don't let clan identity cage your thinking."
I patted his shoulder.
"And even if your dad divorces and fails to win over Tsunade, he can always remarry your mom. You'll get your twenty thousand ryō back. Maybe make a profit. No loss either way."
He stared at me, stunned.
I gave him one last encouraging nod.
If I got a reputation for "corrupting the clan head's son," so be it. What I taught him wasn't wrong. It was pure Will of Fire—annotated, edited, and weaponized.
Besides, he'd already been corrupted by Shisui. If he could stand on the village's side, he could stand on the "Dad should divorce for political advantage" side too.
Watching me walk away, Itachi crouched in the grass, plucking at leaves, mind spinning.
As the clan head's son, he knew the internal conflict well. The Uchiha had co-founded Konoha with the Senju, yet lost the Hokage seat four times. Frustration built over generations. Last clan meeting nearly turned into a battlefield.
If left unchecked, conflict with the village was inevitable.
The simplest solution was obvious: produce an Uchiha Hokage.
But Shisui had said it was nearly impossible. Internal emotional instability, external political distrust… too many obstacles.
Yet marrying Tsunade would change everything.
Granddaughter of the First. Grandniece of the Second. Student of the Third. Senior of the Fourth. Her child with an Uchiha would be the perfect Hokage successor.
Itachi's gaze drifted to the main table. His parents looked affectionate. Harmonious. Whole.
Convincing them to divorce would be unfilial—but beneficial to the clan and the village.Staying silent would be filial—but might doom the future.
Why did it have to be his father?Just because he was clan head?Just because leadership demanded sacrifice?
By the time these thoughts circled, the wedding banquet was ending. The Uchiha clan head's family exchanged farewells with Minato and Kushina, ready to leave.
Mikoto scanned the hall. The elderly women packing leftovers reminded her of her grandmother after the Second War, saving scraps to feed children. She smiled nostalgically—
And froze.
At the corner, a tiny boy was stuffing leftovers into plastic bags.
Something about his face was too familiar.
She walked closer.
"Itachi, what are you doing?"
"Mother!"
Itachi held up his bag proudly.
"Someone said the clan finances are bad. Income and expenses unbalanced. As the future clan leader, if I can't increase revenue, I can at least reduce costs. He also said after the Second War, the village struggled, and everyone packed leftovers after weddings to stretch meals. He said you were from that generation and would understand."
Mikoto's smile died instantly.
She thought he was feeding cats.
No—he planned to feed them.
And the worst part? The food… actually looked good.
She knelt, stroking his head gently.
"It was like that back then. But we don't need to save quite this much now. You packed too much. We can't finish it."
"No."
Itachi shook his head and set the bag down, counting on his fingers.
"Because you married early, Kushina-sama didn't know you yet. So she didn't give a wedding gift. Today, you gave twenty thousand ryō. Even if, in the future, I marry and Kushina-sama returns twenty thousand, and when her child marries I return twenty thousand… we still lose twenty thousand ryō. Unless—"
Mikoto's heart skipped.
She swallowed. Calm voice. Soft tone.
"Unless what?"
Itachi sniffed. The decision he'd wrestled with finally set.
Village > Clan > Family.
Telling his parents to divorce was beneficial—but dangerous. He needed to test the waters first.
He hugged her tightly, rested his head on her shoulder, and spoke in the innocent voice of a small child.
"Unless Father and Mother divorce and remarry. Then we won't lose money. And the extra gifts… we can donate to the orphanage and help take care of widows and orphans in the clan."
Mikoto froze.
Her face slowly flattened into absolute calm.
Any hope that early Academy admission was cruel… evaporated. If this was what happened when a child stayed home too long, maybe school was healthier.
Someone had clearly planted this nonsense in his head.
Her voice chilled. "Who told you this?"
Panic flickered in Itachi's eyes. He instantly sold me out.
"The person who tried to convince Father to divorce last time."
Uchiha Mikoto inhaled sharply.
"Uchiha. To. Bi. Ka."
Her voice trembled from anger.
That lunatic again?Why was he so obsessed with her divorcing Fugaku?!