Chapter 93: Chapter 93: You're Too Conservative
It was deep into the night when he left Uchiha Tajima's room.
This old man, who had served as the Uchiha Clan Head for decades, had quietly passed away on such an ordinary night.
Uchiha Mirai couldn't help but feel a sense of sentimentality. Human life truly was short and fragile. Little wonder Orochimaru became so obsessed with immortality...
He didn't hold any ill feelings toward Uchiha Tajima.
Although the man was Uchiha Fugaku's father, his manner was completely different from Fugaku's.
Before Mirai had fully grown into his own, Tajima had treated him well.
Despite the pressure from Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, the Uchiha Clan managed to preserve its current strength largely due to Tajima's efforts.
However, Mirai disagreed with the dying man's last words.
No matter what, he would never support Uchiha Fugaku.
Through all this time of interaction, Mirai had come to understand Fugaku quite well.
Though indecisive and easily swayed, Fugaku had an extremely stubborn will.
Mirai didn't believe the other would ever compromise or accept his ideas.
This had already been made clear the day he arrived as reinforcements at the battlefield in Kiri.
Tajima still hadn't figured it out.
Regarding the future path of the Uchiha Clan, it wasn't simply a matter of mutual compromise or giving way slightly.
This was a fight to the death!
If Fugaku continued standing against him, he would have no choice but to eliminate him personally.
As Uchiha Mirai pondered, a group of Uchiha clan members also stepped out from the room.
Uchiha Inabi quickly approached Mirai, smiling, "Congratulations, Lord Mirai! From now on, you'll be our direct superior."
Yashiro Uchiha also came closer, "It's such an honor to work under your command."
"I believe our clan will surely restore its former glory under your leadership," another said.
Uchiha Tetsuka excitedly declared, "Lord Mirai, let's find a time to treat you to dinner!"
Mirai nodded in agreement, "Sounds good. I'll host then."
At the battlefield in Kiri, all three—Tetsuka Uchiha, Yashiro Uchiha, and Inabi Uchiha—had firmly stood by his side.
Mirai had no objections to communicating more with subordinates like them.
After they departed, an elderly man with a hunched posture approached Mirai, "Captain Mirai, would you like to stop by my place for a while?"
Looking at the elderly figure before him, Uchiha Mirai nodded.
Uchiha Kajibei, one of the most militant elders of the Uchiha Clan.
Apart from his hardline stance, there was another reason Mirai remembered him.
He was the grandfather of Izumi Uchiha.
The gloomy room was lit only by the flickering glow of an oil lamp.
Uchiha Kajibei placed a teacup in front of Mirai Uchiha and slowly sat down opposite him.
"Once you grow old and live alone, you begin to realize that the soft glow of an oil lamp feels warmer than the cold shine of a lightbulb."
Kajibei offered this explanation first, then sighed. "If I had known back then, I shouldn't have agreed to let Hazuki marry outside our clan. Now we hardly see each other throughout the year."
"Growing old alone is very lonely."
Mirai expressed no opinion on this matter.
From what he understood, Hazuki Uchiha—meaning Kajibei's daughter—didn't marry someone from the Uchiha Clan but instead married an ordinary ninja in the village and gave birth to Izumi Uchiha.
Since the husband wasn't part of the Uchiha Clan, the family lived outside the clan compound.
Although the distance wasn't far, for reasons unknown, Hazuki rarely returned to the clan grounds.
However, Mirai had no particular interest in learning more about such family matters. He spoke up at this moment: "Elder Kajibei, you called me here not just to vent complaints, right?"
Kajibei smiled apologetically. "When people grow old, they tend to ramble about trivial things sometimes."
"Actually, the reason I asked you to come today was simply to give you a warning."
"You should use your Mangekyou Sharingan less often in the future."
Mirai lowered his head and took a sip of tea, speaking indifferently: "What do you mean?"
"Why else but to preserve your strength!"
"You should already know this too—the more frequently you use the Mangekyou Sharingan, the faster you'll go blind."
Kajibei stared intently at Mirai. "If you can ensure that your Mangekyou Sharingan won't lead to blindness, with your current prestige, once the Third Hokage steps down, you would have a very good chance of succeeding if you run for the next Hokage position!"
"By that time, I will contact the elders in the clan to fully support you—even forceful measures are acceptable. With the power of the Uchiha Clan, we certainly can..."
[Peng!]
A muffled thud came from the teacup on the table, interrupting Kajibei's fantasy.
Mirai's fingers gently tapped rhythmically against the tabletop as he spoke: "As one of the hawkish faction leaders in the Uchiha Clan, is this really all your vision amounts to?"
Hearing Mirai's tone that seemed somewhat disappointed, Kajibei was momentarily taken aback, puzzled as he asked: "What exactly do you mean?"
"Why must we place our hopes on something that may not happen for who knows how long?"
"Waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi to step down?" Mirai scoffed slightly. "Who knows how much longer the old man will remain in the Hokage position."
"If you really want to compete for the Hokage seat, why not just overthrow Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
"It's precisely this repeated habit of placing hope in the future that has led the Uchiha Clan into its current predicament," Mirai Uchiha said.
Hearing those words from Mirai Uchiha, Kajibei Uchiha felt his mouth go dry. "Overthrow the Third Hokage?"
"B-But..."
Mirai interrupted Kajibei impatiently and stood up. "Elder Kajibei, you're far too conservative. There's no need for you to trouble yourself with such matters anymore. Just enjoy your retirement."
As Mirai turned to leave the room, Kajibei gritted his teeth and called out loudly, "There must be something the clan can still do for you?"
"Money? People? Cultivation resources?"
"At least I can still offer some advice!"
Without turning back, Mirai waved a dismissive hand. "My decisions require no input from others. Everyone just needs to obey orders."
Kajibei Uchiha watched Mirai walk away, remaining deep in thought for quite a while after he had gone.
He had once considered himself quite radical, but after hearing Mirai's ideas, he realized how harmless he truly was.
If someone truly wants the Hokage seat, they should just go ahead and overthrow the Third...
Even now, recalling those words made his heart race.
Suddenly, Kajibei seemed to understand at least one reason why Mirai had been able to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan at such a young age.
After a long silence, Kajibei murmured softly, "Clan Leader Tajima was still too soft-hearted. Knowing Fugaku Uchiha's nature, he shouldn't have let him become the next clan leader."
"With someone as reckless as Mirai around, Fugaku probably won't stand a chance..."
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>