"Win over the Uchiha?"
Minato Namikaze blinked in surprise.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded but did not immediately explain. Instead, he asked:
"Minato, what do you think of Uchiha Jin?"
Minato's pupils trembled ever so slightly.
His first instinct was caution.
Does the Third know something? Is this a test?
Hiruzen noticed the subtle pause.
"Minato? Is there a problem?"
Minato lowered his gaze briefly, steadying himself before answering.
"No, Lord Third. It's just… I find him somewhat unusual."
"Unusual?" Hiruzen leaned back, intrigued. "In what way?"
Minato spoke calmly.
"Jin and I were classmates at the Academy. Back then, he wasn't arrogant like many Uchiha—but he was extremely withdrawn. He rarely spoke. You could almost forget he was there."
"I sparred with him a few times. His talent was formidable. Not quite at my level," Minato added with an unconscious hint of pride, "but undeniably a prodigy worthy of the Uchiha name."
It was simple fact. During their Academy years, Minato had been the undisputed top student. Jin had never defeated him.
"After graduation, we barely interacted. Though we lived in the same village, our paths rarely crossed."
"Until a few years ago."
Minato's expression softened with memory.
"He suddenly attended a class reunion he had never participated in before."
"And he had… changed."
"Changed how?" Hiruzen pressed.
"He was approachable. Warm, even. He spoke with everyone easily, integrated himself into the group without friction. It was as though he had shed the distance he used to keep."
"That day, he gave me a few books."
Hiruzen raised a brow.
"Books? What kind of books?"
For an Uchiha to gift reading material instead of weapons or combat tools was… unexpected.
Minato gave a slightly awkward smile.
"Not that kind of book. They were novels—similar to Jiraiya-sensei's first work, The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja."
Hiruzen's interest dimmed instantly.
"Ah. That one."
He had skimmed it. Idealistic. Naive. Mediocre prose. Predictable plot. It had flopped so thoroughly that no bookstore would publish it. Jiraiya had printed copies himself for sentimental reasons.
Minato concealed his relief.
Those books Jin had given him—though also fiction—had deeply affected him. They challenged assumptions. Broadened perspectives. Even now, Minato reread them in private.
He continued.
"After the war intensified, I was deployed constantly. Jin remained bound to the Konoha Military Police Force and could not leave the village without cause."
"Our contact faded again."
"If you ask me… his change was real."
"He genuinely seems to view the village as comrades now."
"His words today were sharp, perhaps excessive—but fundamentally, he wasn't wrong."
"The current legal framework enforced by the Military Police is outdated. Adjustments are necessary."
"For both Konoha and the Uchiha, reform would be beneficial."
Hiruzen's expression grew thoughtful.
"I understand your reasoning. But consider this—right now, the Military Police is entirely Uchiha-controlled. If they revise the laws unilaterally, how can we guarantee fairness?"
Minato nodded.
"I've thought about that."
"That's precisely why I previously proposed that the Uchiha relinquish exclusive control of the Police."
"Only if the village leads the reform process can impartiality be ensured."
Hiruzen smiled faintly.
"Good. I'm glad you see it that way."
Then his tone shifted.
"However… you must never voice that stance publicly again."
"It will only deepen hostility between you and the Uchiha."
"And right now, what you need most is their support."
Minato paused.
"Has it truly reached that point?"
Hiruzen sighed.
"Your earlier remarks touched upon core clan interests. The Uchiha. The Hyuga. Others."
"If no one opposed you, they might abstain during the jōnin confidence vote."
"But Danzo has stepped forward."
Danzo Shimura had been busy.
"He's been courting the clans dissatisfied with you."
"He has gained momentum."
"Even the Hiashi Hyuga's clan is wavering."
"I will attempt to speak with them. But I cannot guarantee success."
The implication was clear.
"Which means," Hiruzen concluded quietly, "if you cannot secure the Hyuga…"
"Then you must secure the Uchiha."
Only then would Minato's path to becoming the Fourth Hokage be certain.
Otherwise—
The election would become a battlefield.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/warewolvesTL