"Hokage's trusted confidants…"
The term felt both familiar and alien to the Uchiha gathered in the chamber.
They had imagined a future where the Uchiha seized power and placed one of their own in the Hokage's seat.
They had never imagined a future where they stood beside the Hokage as his inner circle.
Jin swept his gaze across the crowd.
"Of course," he said calmly, "this path is not as simple as you think."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, together with Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura, will not relinquish power easily."
"The moment Minato ascends to the position of Fourth Hokage…"
"…will also be the moment we enter open conflict with them."
"This will be a struggle of life and death."
The air grew heavy.
"Minato's title as Hokage will grant us legitimacy," Jin continued, voice low. "But if we lose, the Uchiha's fate will not be much better than if we had launched a direct armed coup."
A shadow passed over many faces.
Then Jin's tone changed.
"But some things," he said, voice rising, "must be done."
He took a step forward.
"When Konoha was first founded, our clan and the Senju had not fully cast aside generations of hatred."
"And yet, for the sake of a shared dream, we set aside prejudice and walked forward together."
"In just a few short years, Konoha became the undisputed strongest village in the shinobi world."
His gaze sharpened.
"But after the death of the First Hokage, everything changed."
"When Tobirama Senju took office, policies shifted."
"He lacked his brother's overwhelming strength."
"And so he turned to structural control—balancing factions, limiting growth, encouraging internal containment."
"And the Uchiha were the first to feel the weight of that change."
Murmurs rippled faintly.
Jin's voice carried quiet gravity.
"From that point onward, Konoha began to decline."
He paused briefly, then continued.
"When Hiruzen took power, the pattern only deepened."
"At the time of his appointment, there was intense controversy. Without wartime necessity—and without the backing of the First Hokage's widow, Uzumaki Mito—he would not have secured the seat."
Compared to Tobirama, Hiruzen's control was even weaker.
And so he continued the same doctrine—
Containment.
Factional balancing.
Suppression.
The result?
A village that should have remained unrivaled gradually lost its edge.
A village that possessed giants yet squandered them.
Jin's eyes hardened.
"I can say this with certainty."
"If Hiruzen continues to hold power, the village will only weaken further."
"And as the village declines…"
"…the Uchiha will be dragged down with it."
His voice thundered through the chamber.
"This village was built with the blood and effort of our ancestors!"
"Will you stand by and watch their legacy rot?"
"No!" came the roar.
"And as long as Hiruzen's policies continue," Jin pressed, "our clan will be slowly strangled!"
"Will you allow yourselves to be suppressed until extinction?"
"No!!"
This time the shout carried anger.
Resentment.
Fury long contained.
"Then there is only one answer," Jin declared.
"We take power back."
"We sweep away the rot that has settled at the heart of the village."
"Hiruzen does not deserve the title of Hokage!"
"Danzō's crimes must end!"
"Koharu and Homura cannot continue to hide behind empty authority!"
"Seize power!"
"Seize power!"
"Seize power!"
The chamber erupted.
Fists clenched.
Sharingan flared.
On the platform, Setsuna's eyes burned with fierce satisfaction. The tide had turned—exactly where he had always wanted it to.
Yashiro, after a long breath, finally spoke.
"If victory is truly possible…"
"…then it is not wrong to stake everything."
"Jin. The Uchiha are yours."
Jin's gaze grew deep and steady.
"There is something you must remember."
"Many in the village fear our power."
"They believe the Uchiha are extreme. Uncontrollable."
"But Minato understands something they do not."
"As one of the founding clans, the Uchiha would never willingly harm Konoha."
"So do not betray that trust."
His voice softened slightly.
"From this day forward, set aside your prejudice toward the village."
"For the honor of the Uchiha."
"For the honor of Konoha."
"Offer your loyalty."
He raised his hand.
"Loyalty."
The chamber answered as one.
"Loyalty!"
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