Uchiha Setsuna's tone was resolute.
Which was only natural.
He himself possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, his granddaughter had the Mangekyo Sharingan, and his future grandson-in-law had the same eyes.
On top of that, Yuki Seisui had already secured the position of the next Hokage.
Rebellion?
Rebel against whom?
Though extreme in some ways, Setsuna was not insane.
Radical? Perhaps. But with the next Hokage already locked in, starting a rebellion now would be sheer madness.
Yuki Seisui might not bear the Uchiha name, but with Uchiha blood coursing through him, he was effectively one of them. Rounding it up, a Uchiha would soon become Hokage.
Setsuna's only desire was for a member of the Uchiha to become Hokage. Who exactly it would be didn't matter to him.
Now, with three Mangekyo Sharingan in play and the next Hokage predetermined, someone still talked about rebellion?
The crimson, cold eyes of Uchiha Setsuna narrowed slightly as he looked at those around him.
These people were even more extreme than he was.
After a long silence, Setsuna snorted coldly.
"Don't even think about pulling sneaky moves!"
"Three Mangekyo Sharingan… and the next Hokage is very likely Seisui."
"We don't need a coup!"
"Wait until Seisui steps down, then choose a Uchiha—it's the best outcome!"
"But what if the next Hokage isn't Seisui-sama?"
"Not?" Setsuna's mouth curved into a mocking smile.
"If that happens, the resistance to a coup won't be as strong as it is now."
"Starting a coup now with only two Mangekyo Sharingan? Weak. Far too weak to oppose the entire Konoha."
"But if we wait until Seisui fails, then there will be three Mangekyo Sharingan."
Setsuna's gaze swept around the room. He let out a low chuckle.
"One man against a village, able to even break the Sunagakure."
His meaning was clear, and the room's occupants grew tense.
If Yuki Seisui took office as Hokage, all would be fine. The Uchiha wouldn't be ostracized anymore.
But if Seisui failed to take office… the Uchiha would stage a coup.
"Dismissed." Setsuna stood, his eyes sweeping across the room.
Most of those present left with bright expressions.
However, the Uchiha who had first stood—the three-tomoe Mangekyo Sharingan—remained, his face grim, flanked by a few others.
"Renka, let's go."
"Elder Setsuna's decision makes sense."
"No need to rush these matters."
Uchiha Renka shot them a dark look, then exhaled slowly, regaining his composure.
"Kenji, I understand. I'm just disappointed in my own shortsightedness."
Uchiha Kenji shook his head.
"Elder Setsuna's decision cannot be changed."
"Hmm," Renka nodded, then walked out with the others.
But in his heart, he wondered—really unchangeable?
=======
Night fell. As darkness spread, Yuki Seisui returned home, holding a drink, strolling lazily.
Pushing open the door, he saw the three panda boys lying on the floor, clutching their stomachs.
Smiling, he crouched, taking a sip from his drink.
"How is it? Tasty?"
"This is from the newly opened ramen shop. The owner's skills are excellent."
"Delicious!"
"Even better than last time!"
The eldest panda wobbled, raising a paw with a big thumbs-up.
Yuki Seisui chuckled and sent them off.
He had bought the ramen from Ichiraku Ramen, which he'd tried several times. Simply put, Ichiraku's ramen was the best in Konoha.
Seeing the large containers of leftover ramen, Seisui carved the Flying Raijin mark on top, then delivered them to the bamboo grove as well.
Satisfied with the now clean house, he stood, stretched slowly, and yawned. Days without proper rest had left him tired.
Then he realized he had forgotten something.
But he couldn't immediately remember what.
Frowning, he walked to his bedroom. Just as he prepared to sleep, he saw the dust covering his blanket—and finally understood.
The floor and furniture were dusty; of course, the blanket wouldn't be spared.
"Pff~"
"Pff~"
Grabbing a corner of the blanket, Seisui shook it, sending a cloud of dust through the room.
"Damn!" he cursed, then left the bedroom.
There was only one blanket in the house—and it was now unusable.
"Good thing I'm clever. I aired a set in the bamboo grove."
"I'll just sleep in the bamboo grove tonight."
He muttered to himself, clapping his hands as he vanished in a blink.
=======
Late at night, the roof creaked—someone walking above.
After a while, a pair of crimson, cold eyes appeared on the balcony, staring at the discarded blanket below.
"Why aren't you home?" Uchiha Renka frowned, suspicion in his gaze. But a smile soon replaced it.
"Perfect that he's not home!"
Renka leapt into the house, cautiously inspecting the room.
Finally, his eyes landed on the dust-covered blanket.
"Too dusty, so he's staying out?"
Convinced, he still searched the house carefully. Setting explosive tags as traps on the balcony and bedroom door, he left.
Moments later, he returned, dismantling the traps, whispering:
"Not yet… if we fail to kill him, he'll be alert. Come back tomorrow night!"
======
Meanwhile, Yuki Seisui lay in his bamboo grove house, satisfied with his freshly made bed, completely unaware of the near assassination attempt.
He breathed in the scent of the night air, eyelids drooping, and soon fell asleep.
"Come quickly! A panda wants to challenge the boss!"
"Who dares to overestimate themselves!"