(A Misstep — Skipped Over in Hindsight)
"…What?"
What did that even mean?
"Director Ran," Inabi asked blankly, "what exactly is news?"
"All right, Inabi," Ran said, tapping his fingers lightly against the desk—tap, tap, tap. "You can handle my request, right? Don't tell me you're already stuck at the first hurdle."
"Don't worry, Director Ran!" Inabi hurriedly replied. "I'll study this plan carefully and carry it out to the letter!"
Before Ran could say anything else, Inabi grabbed the proposal and rushed out of the office as if his life depended on it.
In truth, Ran's publicity plan wasn't complicated at all.
It was simply something no one had ever done before.
The first step was straightforward:
use publicity to improve the Uchiha clan's image among the villagers.
To achieve that, Ran decided to start with something fun—something that would naturally attract attention.
A character-based card game.
One that would quickly become the hottest topic in Konoha.
Ran planned to place famous Uchiha figures alongside renowned heroes such as the Third Hokage and Namikaze Minato, turning them into collectible cards within a unified game system.
To begin, he assembled a creative team composed entirely of Uchiha ninja, tasking them with designing the game's rules and mechanics.
According to the plan, the cards would come in three variants:
Standard Edition
A red-backed card with the Leaf Village symbol at the bottom.Collector's Edition
Designed to highlight the Uchiha's unique identity.
Black and red as the primary colors, Uchiha fan crests printed around the borders, and the Uchiha clan emblem on the back—conveying solemnity and mystery.Commemorative Edition
Featuring both Konoha and Uchiha symbols.
Extremely limited in quantity.
In Ran's envisioned game world, illustrations were paramount.
Each important character would also be assigned unique abilities.
For example—
Uchiha Madara would be one of the strongest characters in the game.
His illustration depicted him clad in Warring States armor, Mangekyō Sharingan clearly visible.
In gameplay, Madara's card could use Mangekyō abilities to observe opponents' actions and predict their next moves, granting overwhelming tactical advantages.
As a result, aside from stamina, all his attributes were maxed out—making him the rarest card in the entire set.
Next came the Senju brothers.
Another pair of top-tier characters.
Senju Hashirama could manipulate terrain and summon forests, making him a control-oriented king card with healing, damage, crowd control, and sustain—maxed in every stat except agility. His rarity was second only to Madara.
Then there was the Third Hokage, a master of five elemental releases, excelling at control and sustained damage.
Shimura Danzō, meanwhile, was a mysterious card.
In addition to control and damage, he possessed a Sacrifice ability—sacrificing Danzō would double all stats of the Third Hokage card.
Ran also turned several lesser-known Uchiha clan members into cards, each with unique abilities. All Uchiha cards could be combined to gain powerful set bonuses—the only faction-based synergy system in the game.
Every card came with its own backstory, adding depth, strategy, and replay value.
This was Ran's first step.
Not to rush into "cleansing" public opinion—
But to let villagers naturally learn about the Uchiha.
As people played the game, they would inevitably read the characters' stories and abilities.
Without realizing it, they would begin to understand the Uchiha clan.
That alone fulfilled Ran's initial objective.
The proposal also detailed pre-launch promotional activities:
A temporary game booth in Konoha's central plaza, allowing villagers to try demos and learn the rules.
Exclusive Uchiha-themed merchandise would be prepared as rewards for buyers.
Through this kind of creative publicity, the Uchiha clan's image among the villagers would be subtly—but effectively—improved.
And this was only the beginning.
Once results appeared, the next step would be restructuring the Uchiha Police Force itself.
Bang!
"Damn Uchiha brat!"
"Born evil—just like all of them!"
"I knew he was pretending!"
"Damn it! All because Hiruzen wouldn't listen to me—he let Uchiha Ran grow unchecked!"
In the dark underground Root base, Shimura Danzō slammed his cane furiously against the floor.
"What exactly is that Uchiha brat trying to do?!" he roared.
Only when his rage subsided did Crow dare to speak.
"Danzō-sama… although Uchiha Ran reported to you immediately after taking charge of the Public Relations Department, I still believe his intentions are impure."
"Go on," Danzō said coldly, fixing him with a stare.
"Uchiha Ran is clearly ambitious. He feeds you information while simultaneously reporting his actions. He's nothing like the mediocre student he appeared to be at the Academy—he was hiding his strength. His true objective is highly suspicious."
Danzō neither confirmed nor denied it.
From their very first meeting, he'd sensed it—
Uchiha Ran was not as gentle as he appeared.
Beneath that mild exterior lurked something far darker.
That was the instinct of someone known as the darkness of the shinobi world.
"How could an Uchiha truly be gentle… truly devoted to Konoha?"
"Tobirama-sensei might believe it. I never will."
Danzō had already made up his mind.
He would recommend Uchiha Ran to the Third Hokage—to become Orochimaru's disciple.
Once Ran witnessed Orochimaru's strength and research firsthand, Danzō was certain he would be tempted.
And once Ran stepped onto that path—
Danzō would have ways to control him.
Whether to turn him into a loyal hound…
Or to discard and eliminate him without mercy—
That choice would depend on a single thought.
"Crow."
"Yes, Danzō-sama?"
"Continue spreading unfavorable rumors about the Uchiha. This is long-term work—never stop."
"And increase surveillance on Uchiha Ran. If a man is pretending, he can't keep it up forever. He will slip."
"Yes, Danzō-sama."
Danzō's footsteps echoed away into the darkness.
"Hiruzen… I love Konoha more than you do."
"I'm more fit to be Hokage than you."
"If you won't give me what I deserve—"
"I'll take it myself."
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