If all Yoru wanted was to see the Third Hokage step down, then in truth, he wouldn't need to do anything at all.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed a powerful Kage-level ninja. But as a leader, he was only capable of maintaining the status quo—completely lacking in initiative. When it came to commanding wars, his performance was outright poor.
In the upcoming Third Shinobi World War, he would personally squander the reputation he had built over twenty years and lose his grip on the Hokage seat.
The war would be handled so badly that Konoha's ninja wouldn't even wait for it to end—they would make their dissatisfaction clear through their actions, demanding that he step down.
But making the Third Hokage truly retire? That was an entirely different matter.
Hiruzen's obsession with power surpassed even that of Danzō Shimura. He had an exceptional talent for finding righteous-sounding justifications to convince himself—then calmly carrying out policies that harmed Konoha's long-term interests.
For example: forcing Neji Hyuga's father Hizashi to his death, mistreating Naruto Uzumaki, and even after deciding to step down, suppressing his most favored disciple while prematurely pushing Minato Namikaze into fame.
After a series of baffling decisions, the most suitable candidate for Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru, became estranged from the village, while the next best candidate was forcibly elevated too early.
Minato became Hokage ten years ahead of schedule. Naturally, his foundation was weak—so weak that even the Hokage's own ANBU forces were taken back by Hiruzen, reducing him to nothing more than a puppet.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen never truly relinquished the title of "Third Hokage."
To make him genuinely retire, three conditions had to be met:
His claws must be broken.
His power base must be dismantled.
And a truly independent Fourth Hokage must take his place.
None of these could be accomplished by a single individual.
Because Hiruzen didn't just represent himself—he represented the most powerful faction in Konoha. Countless villagers and ninja supported him, willing to act on his behalf. His "claws" would always regrow.
Even if Danzō were eliminated, Root would still exist. And even if Root were destroyed, Hiruzen could simply issue a command—turning part of the ANBU into a new Root overnight.
Political struggle was never about individuals. It was about factions.
There needed to be a force strong enough to stand against the Third Hokage—one that could monitor Konoha's finances, restrict the unchecked expansion of ANBU and Root, and interfere with the Hokage's authority over personnel.
Only then could his wings be clipped, bit by bit, weakening his foundation.
The Uchiha Clan was the most suitable force to oppose him directly.
But if the clan head was weak… then nothing would change.
So Yoru understood: if he wanted Hiruzen to step down, he had to remove Fugaku Uchiha and take control of the clan himself.
However, internal power struggles would inevitably create chaos within the Uchiha. Therefore, Danzō's attention had to be diverted.
And what better distraction than the return of the mysterious "madman" who once turned Root operatives into fireworks?
If that same figure attacked Sunagakure—killing multiple elite ninja, including Ebizo's son—and then set off another "firework" over the village…
Danzō's attention would naturally shift.
And Yoru could use that window to act within the clan.
After explaining his rough plan, it was ultimately this reasoning—diverting Danzō—that convinced Miwa Masayo.
She tilted her head and asked,
"Yoru, you're just a Chūnin. You don't even have much reputation within the Uchiha. Who would listen to you?"
"If no one follows you, what can you even do, meow?"
Yoru grinned.
"Heh… Masayo, think carefully. Is it really true that no one would listen to me?"
The tabby cat thought for a moment, then said,
"Well… maybe two. But Shisui Uchiha is just a kid, and Shin… is practically on his deathbed. Who else is there?"
Yoru sighed.
"Your standards are too high."
"Think about these names—Shigenobu, Ayumi, Momoko, Ichiki, Hiroto, Kazushi, Tadamichi…"
Miwa Masayo froze.
Those were all Yoru's younger siblings.
And…
"That's right," Yoru said. "They're all from the less-valued branch families. Only about a quarter of them even have a chance to awaken the Sharingan. They're the bottom tier of Uchiha ninja."
"They lack standout talent. Some couldn't even rank in the top ten at the academy—some couldn't even attend at all."
He smiled faintly.
"But they still carry Uchiha blood. They are born with the Sharingan."
Masayo frowned.
"But you said it yourself—the awakening chance is tiny. It depends on talent and luck, not effort."
"…Unless you have another way to awaken it…"
She suddenly froze, eyes widening.
"…Don't tell me—you actually can?"
Yoru nodded.
"I can."
Masayo was stunned.
"Right… both times you evolved your Sharingan, nothing bad happened. It was driven by your growth, not trauma…"
She grabbed her ears in panic.
"How did I just accept that as normal?! Did you plant some weird suggestion in my head?!"
Yoru blinked innocently.
"My dear Masayo, you're my summoning partner—my dao companion. Why would I do that to you?"
[…Wait, how do I talk my way out of this?]
He coughed lightly.
"I think it's just because you've spent so long with me. Deep down, you've accepted my view—that Sharingan evolution depends on spiritual growth, not some cursed fate."
Masayo finally relaxed… then suddenly became excited.
"So what's your plan? Are you going to challenge Fugaku directly?"
"If you win, I'll break Setsuna's windows every day! That guy called me useless last year—I still remember!"
Yoru laughed.
"That's not my style."
"I may be strong enough to bear the consequences now, but I'm not stupid enough to step into the spotlight right away."
"I'll gather all my younger siblings and form a mutual learning group—teach them techniques, share knowledge, and secretly guide them in cultivating their mental strength."
"Before Danzō shifts his focus back to the village, I'll make this group a normal part of daily life for the lower branch families—so no one can easily suppress it."
After that, results would come naturally.
Among the Uchiha, there were over two hundred ninja under eighteen. More than a hundred of them had close ties to Yoru.
If he could raise the Sharingan awakening rate to 50%, he would quickly gain sixty loyal subordinates.
And his real confidence?
Ninety percent.
That meant over a hundred Sharingan users under his command.
That alone would equal a quarter of the clan's core members.
And when others—motivated by their children's futures or the clan's survival—shifted their allegiance…
Yoru could secure the support of over half the core.
At that point, replacing Fugaku as clan head wouldn't just be possible—
It would be inevitable.
In the end, this new understanding of his own strength pushed Yoru toward a more proactive path.
He would move the turning point of the Uchiha's fate forward—
Intervening in the selection of the Fourth Hokage,
and the coming struggle between old and new leadership.
If he succeeded…
The Uchiha Clan would escape its doomed future—
Without needing to wait for Shisui to grow strong enough
to change the fate of the night of annihilation.
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