(T/N: Well good luck achieving that goal.)
"Shisui, the village is important, but don't forget your identity."
As he spoke, Fugaku gently patted Shisui's shoulder before walking past him.
He understood very well—Shisui was undoubtedly a genius of the Uchiha clan, but in this matter, he was merely a messenger for Konoha's higher-ups.
Yes.
Being born an Uchiha meant he would never be able to enter Konoha's true leadership.
Just like Kagami in the past.
Even though Kagami was devoted to Konoha and had been the Second Hokage's direct disciple—
What was his fate in the end?
Not only was he kept out of Konoha's leadership, but he also died young.
From that point on, the Uchiha were completely removed from Konoha's inner circle of power.
By Fugaku's generation, they had even been pushed out of the village's center.
Shisui…
When will you finally see this reality?
But in the end, Fugaku didn't voice these thoughts. He simply reminded Shisui not to forget that his surname was Uchiha.
At the same time, Fugaku made a firm decision.
No matter what, he would stop Konoha's higher-ups from carrying out their plan.
If a "culprit" had to be handed over to Kumo, so be it—
But that person must not be Kaze!
(T/N: Then sacrifice Itachi. He will be honored to die for the village. And you might even save the Uchiha.)
And so…
Fugaku ended his conversation with Shisui and left his home, heading straight for Kaze's residence.
In no time, Fugaku found himself standing at Kaze's doorstep.
Before he could even knock, a rich aroma seeped through the cracks of the door.
The scent was mouthwatering!
Even Mikoto's cooking couldn't compare.
Fugaku hesitated for a moment before finally knocking on Kaze's door.
"Just a moment..."
After five or six breaths, the door unlocked with a soft click.
"Oh, it's you, Clan Leader. Please, come in."
Seeing that it was Fugaku, Kaze's lips curved into a smile as he welcomed him inside.
"What smells so good?" Fugaku couldn't help but ask, his curiosity piqued.
"Braised beef and tomato hotpot."
Kaze answered without a second thought.
As a transmigrator, he had always had a refined palate in his previous world.
The ingredients had to be the freshest, and the sauces had to be homemade.
Even the simplest home-cooked dishes, when prepared by him, could capture someone's taste buds.
From the kitchen, Kaze emerged, carrying a steaming pot of soup.
Its aroma and vibrant color were simply irresistible.
(T/N: Hmm, Are Chinese foods actually that good, or are these Authors just spicing it up to show that its good?)
"Want to try some?"
Noticing the eager look on Fugaku's face, Kaze deliberately scooped a bowl for him.
As expected…
The world was only just recovering from war, and most of the village's residents were shinobi.
Having food on the table was already a luxury—who had the time to explore gourmet cooking?
With Kaze's culinary skills, his dishes were practically on another level in this world.
Just one sip, and Fugaku was blown away.
"This… This is even better than Mikoto's cooking..."
Did this guy eat like this every day?
Maybe he should start visiting Kaze's house more often.
And bring Mikoto and the kids along, too.
However, just as he was about to ask for a second bowl, Kaze casually set the dish aside, letting it cool a bit—
And then…
He poured the entire thing into a cat bowl on the floor.
(T/N: Is it just me or why do I feel he just gave the dude the hotpot made for his cat.)
Fugaku: "???"
He hadn't even finished his first serving, and this guy was already feeding the cat?!
Not leftovers—he gave the whole meal to the cat!
"Wait a minute, Kaze, do you always feed your cat this kind of food?"
Fugaku's eyes widened in disbelief. He was starting to question whether his own quality of life was worse than a feline's.
"More or less," Kaze replied nonchalantly.
In truth, he used to just feed leftover scraps to his cat, Xiao Yu.
But ever since Xiao Yu brought him the Goro-Goro no Mi, he had significantly upgraded her diet.
Soon, smelling the aroma of food, Xiao Yu lifted her head high and walked in with graceful feline steps, arriving fashionably late.
Fugaku was visibly surprised at the sight.
"By the way, Clan Leader, what brings you here?" After settling Xiao Yu's lunch, Kaze finally turned to ask Fugaku.
"Uh…"
It was only then that Fugaku snapped out of his daze.
He had come here for serious business.
So, after organizing his thoughts a little, he relayed the message that Shisui had passed on.
At the end of it all, Fugaku couldn't help but shake his head, his tone carrying a hint of complaint. "Kaze, why did you run off to save Hinata?"
He had initially wanted to say that the Hyuga Clan's affairs had little to do with the Uchiha.
Why bother getting involved in such messy waters?
But before he could even finish speaking, Kaze casually interrupted—
"Aren't we, as the Police Force, responsible for maintaining the village's security?"
"Saving people is just part of the job, isn't it?"
Fugaku was immediately at a loss for words.
Still, through Fugaku's explanation, Kaze now understood Konoha's higher-ups' stance on the matter.
It was just as he had expected.
They wanted to hand over the "culprit" and put an end to the conflict.
The only difference was that this time, the Uchiha Clan was directly involved.
"Speaking of which, wasn't it the Kumo ninja who were at fault for kidnapping Hinata in the first place?"
"Isn't the Hokage's stance a bit too weak?"
"Sigh, I guess once people get old, it's hard for them to stay firm."
Kaze casually threw some shade at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
There wasn't the slightest hint of worry or anxiety in his demeanor.
In reality, this was all part of his plan.
(T/N: All according to Keikaku.)
He was never naïve enough to think that just saving Hinata would be enough to win over the Hyuga Clan.
The real game had only just begun.
Without exaggeration, even Konoha's higher-ups' response had been part of his plan from the very beginning.
He had tried to change Shisui and Itachi's views, but these two fools were as stubborn as mules.
Not only did they scoff at his perspective, but they were also adamant that supporting the Third Hokage meant inheriting the Will of Fire.
If these two geniuses were mediocre, it would be one thing.
But unfortunately…
One had the top-tier Genjutsu Tsukuyomi and an inextinguishable flame Amaterasu.
The other had the strongest Genjutsu Kotoamatsukami.
If they were allowed to live, he'd never have a peaceful day in his life.
Yes.
Kaze only wanted to sleep soundly once he went to bed, waking up the next morning without leaving fatigue or stress for the next day.
But ever since he crossed into this world, he had been tormented daily by the future of the Uchiha clan's extinction night.
In other words...
Shisui and Itachi were the root cause of his poor sleep.
They were his enemies!
And at the same time...
They were the enemies of the entire Uchiha clan!
"Kaze."
Fugaku, naturally unaware of Kaze's inner thoughts, assumed his words were just complaints about the Third Hokage, so he reminded him, "Hiruzen-sama is doing this for the stability of the village."
"Well said, Clan Leader. It seems you're also a possessor of the Will of Fire. It's such a pity the Fourth Hokage didn't let you take the position." Kaze couldn't help but retort.
Though Shisui and Itachi were his enemies, he had no fondness for Fugaku either.
The people who died on the night of the Uchiha massacre weren't just from the hardliners in the Uchiha
And then there were the women, the young girls and boys, the elderly, and even the infants...
None were spared, all were mercilessly killed!
If, in the past, these people were nothing more than nameless anime characters to Kaze...
Then now...
After ten years in this world, those innocent lives lost in the Uchiha massacre had long since turned into real people to him.
The ones who would kindly add a couple extra tomatoes when he went to buy vegetables.
The old man downstairs who would come to fix the lightbulb for free when he mentioned it was broken.
The people who occasionally brought over new clothes for him to try on to see if they fit.
...
And all of these tragedies originated from Fugaku's compromise.
To put it plainly, not a single person in Fugaku's family had a normal brain.
Fugaku: "???"
Why did it feel like Kaze's words had a sarcastic tone to them?
(T/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter.)