There were countless ninja clans in Konoha, large and small—but only a few truly had the qualifications to step onto the grand stage of power.
The Uchiha, Senju, and Hyūga.
The three great bloodline clans stood like three massive mountains pressing down on the village.
Below them were the secret-technique clans that had learned to band together to resist that pressure. The most famous was the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance, bound by generations of cooperation. The Inuzuka and Aburame also shared an unusually close relationship—one raised dogs, the other insects. No one quite remembered how that partnership had even started.
Now, however, the star performer at center stage—Senju Tobirama—was dead.
The Uchiha, who had long danced in the shadows, finally had the chance to step into the spotlight. And the size of that opportunity was enormous.
Hyūga Takuma decided he could no longer afford to wait.
He wanted to move forward.
He wanted to dance as well.
Early in the morning, while the streets were still quiet and few people were around, he went personally to visit Hokuto.
"You truly are a hero of the younger generation," Takuma began with warm praise. "So young, yet already carrying the weight of an entire clan on your shoulders."
Flattery never hurt anyone.
"Not at all, not at all," Hokuto replied lightly. "It was Clan Head Futada who insisted on handing the position to me. He even knelt and refused to get up unless I accepted. I didn't really have a choice."
Hokuto wasn't sure what Takuma was really here for, so he kept his tone casual—neither warm nor cold. He was certain the old fox hadn't come with pure intentions.
They chatted idly for quite some time. Several cups of tea were emptied.
Takuma started shifting in his seat. His knees rubbed together slightly. At his age, holding it too long became a genuine problem.
Why isn't he getting to the point yet?
Is this kid really this good at playing the waiting game?
Doesn't he want the Hokage seat? I came here in person—that's already a statement. Shouldn't we be talking about it by now?
Hokuto noticed the subtle restlessness immediately.
He, on the other hand, was young, healthy, and perfectly comfortable.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Another cup?" he offered calmly.
"No, no," Takuma waved hurriedly. He hadn't come here to drink tea.
"Brother Hokuto," Takuma said with a warmer smile, deliberately shifting into a more familiar tone. "I'm a few years older than you—let's speak as brothers."
"Some things should be said plainly. With Lord Tobirama gone, Konoha is leaderless. What the village needs now is someone capable, responsible, and strong enough to stabilize the situation."
His words sounded sincere, almost noble. Near the end, he raised his brows slightly, prompting Hokuto to catch the hint.
Takuma's thinking was simple.
The Hyūga were one of Konoha's great clans, but they lacked truly top-tier combat power. Becoming Hokage themselves was unrealistic—but that didn't mean they couldn't push for greater benefits.
The war had drained everyone dry.
When cannons roared, gold bled out.
Konoha owed the clans enormous compensation after years of fighting. Once funding and reparations were distributed, it would be time to divide the spoils. If someone else took more, his clan would naturally get less.
Everyone back home was waiting to be paid.
Tobirama's old promises meant very little now. Whoever became the next Hokage was the one who mattered—and that person had to be approached early.
The Senju? Cold, closed off, and visibly declining.
Compared to that, Hokuto was far more promising. The Uchiha had been politically suppressed for years under Tobirama, which made this moment perfect for cooperation.
Better to offer help in a snowstorm than flowers in summer.
This was the ideal moment to place a bet.
Hokuto lifted his teacup, took a small sip, and glanced at Takuma with a faintly curious expression.
"Brother Takuma, didn't the Second Hokage already designate a successor?" Hokuto asked casually. "Sarutobi Hiruzen."
Takuma froze.
Sarutobi… Hiruzen?
To be honest, Takuma had never taken that man seriously. A nobody from some corner of the village. Just because he clung to Tobirama, he thought he could soar to the heavens?
When Tobirama was alive, perhaps Hiruzen had backing.
Now that Tobirama was dead—
Sorry. Who are you again?
Takuma's eyes sharpened slightly.
"I am the head of a noble bloodline clan," he said flatly. "Don't tell me you're planning to ride someone else's coattails."
Then his lips curled into a sneer.
"Brother Hokuto, don't joke. Everyone knows they abandoned the Hokage and fled back on their own. Who even knows whether the news they brought back is real?"
He leaned in slightly.
"Tell me, Brother Hokuto… don't you want to move up in the world?"
At last, the blade was revealed.
Hokuto smiled faintly and replied in a deliberately roundabout way.
"Advancement… well, it's not that we wouldn't consider it. But nothing in this world is ever absolutely certain. Still, where there's a will, there's a way. If we truly want something, we can always work toward it."
Takuma stared at him, inwardly impressed.
This kid was born for politics.
That slippery, layered way of speaking—he couldn't help but admire it.
So this trip hadn't been wasted after all.
"The Hokage seat has already belonged to the Senju twice," Takuma said decisively. "I think it's time the Uchiha had their turn."
"You."
"Uchiha Hokuto will be Konoha's Hokage of peace—the Hokage who brings true stability to the village!"
Now his cards were finally on the table.
Direct. Clean. Honest.
"Do you really think so?" Hokuto asked calmly.
"Absolutely. Every word comes from my heart."
"With the Mangekyō Sharingan and the strength of the Hyūga behind you, I honestly don't see how we could possibly lose."
"Then…" Hokuto smiled at last and extended his hand, "shall we cooperate?"
Takuma grasped it firmly.
"Cooperation it is."
Their real objective had already been achieved. Everything afterward was nothing more than mutual praise and polite nonsense.
"The greatest future Third Hokage!"
"The only man capable of leading Konoha into prosperity!"
"The most far-sighted Hyūga clan head!"
"…."
Flattery was free, after all.
(In some distant corner of fate, the man once known as the strongest Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—quietly gave this scene a like.)
Satisfied, Takuma finally took his leave, even inviting Hokuto to visit the Hyūga estate sometime in the future.
After seeing him off, Hokuto turned and headed toward the Uchiha Police Force headquarters.
Today was his first official day reporting to work as clan head.
Oh—and there was another small detail.
He'd been promoted as well.
His new title:
Director of the Uchiha Police Force.
The board was being set.
And the bets were only just beginning.
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