Naruto: How to Be an Undercover Shinobi

Naka Shrine.

At that moment, Kagami's supporters were locked in a shouting match with the Clan Head's faction.

From the looks of it, the Clan Head's side clearly held the advantage.

Adding to that, the three elders of the Uchiha clan—each staunch loyalists to the Clan Head—stood firmly behind him.

As the argument raged on inside the shrine, Fugaku sat in the farthest corner, arms crossed, watching coldly. He muttered under his breath,

"Hah… power.

Sensei was right. Once someone gets a taste of power…

Ninety-five percent will turn aggressive and throw caution to the wind."

Mumbling to himself, Fugaku only grew more certain that the path he'd chosen was the right one.

Who cares about noble clans? Break them up, mix everyone together. Let everyone be both commoner and noble. That's the kind of village worth living in.

In truth, his ideals weren't all that different from Kagami Uchiha's. But he couldn't stand Kagami's passivity—his naive faith in the clan.

To Fugaku, Kagami had the strength and capacity to be a Clan Head, but he chose the hardest, most thankless road instead.

Before long, the shouting began to die down.

On one side, the Clan Head kept hammering accusations of inaction. On the other, Kagami Uchiha stood in growing silence, his disappointment plain to see.

The outcome was obvious—so was the shift in support among the clan members.

Seeing it all, Fugaku let out a quiet sigh. Bored, he pushed off his knees and stood up, ready to leave.

Just then, one of the elders suddenly called out to him.

"Fugaku, you're a member of the Uchiha clan too. Do you support the Clan Head's decision to expel this man who has no regard for his clan?"

Fugaku paused, turned slightly to glance at them, then replied flatly,

"Whatever."

And with that, he walked out of the shrine without a second glance.

...

Good news may not travel far, but bad news spreads like wildfire.

Word of Kagami Uchiha's expulsion from the Uchiha clan quickly circulated among Konoha's other prominent families.

This time, however, the Uchiha seemed to know when to draw the line.

They targeted only Kagami. His wife and children were left untouched.

Even the clan members who had stood with him were spared any consequences.

Still, the whole incident left a deep fracture in what was once a fairly united clan.

...

Hokage's Office.

Kagami sat in silence on the sofa, staring blankly at the steaming cup of tea on the table.

Beside him, Hiruzen Sarutobi—rarely one to leave his desk—sat on the adjacent sofa, pipe in hand, puffing away nonstop.

Time passed.

Eventually, Hiruzen furrowed his brow and asked quietly,

"Kagami… are you holding up okay?"

This wasn't the Hokage speaking—it was an old classmate.

Kagami's face, unshaven and worn, twisted into a strained smile.

"I'm fine, Lord Hokage."

Hiruzen sighed heavily again.

"Kagami, you know how it is. It's hard for me to interfere in clan matters. After all, there are so many families watching every move I make.

It's not just the Uchiha—we also have the Hyūga.

The Hyūga clan's way of repaying the village without expecting anything… it's all about preserving their own traditions."

And then, Hiruzen continued rambling, mostly about the limitations of being Hokage and the weight of compromise.

Kagami kept forcing that smile, nodding along the whole time.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi finally finished speaking, Kagami looked up at him and spoke slowly.

"Lord Hokage, I understand everything you've said—and I know how hard this has been on you.

But I came here today to resign. Please allow me to step down from my position as senior advisor to Konoha."

"Kagami, you—"

Hiruzen started to speak, but Kagami raised a hand to stop him.

"Lord Hokage, I'm no longer a member of the Uchiha clan, so I have no right to hold this seat anymore.

Besides, ever since I took on this role, I've been neglecting my son's education.

My wife often complains that I'm out the door before dawn and back long after dark. I barely spend any time with them.

So..."

As he said this, Kagami lifted his gaze, eyes filled with meaning as they met Hiruzen's.

Hiruzen let out a deep sigh and asked quietly,

"Then what will you do now?"

Kagami let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Raise my son. Train him to become a great shinobi—someone who can take your place."

Hearing that, Hiruzen gave a faint smile but said nothing more.

...

While Hiruzen was offering quiet comfort to Kagami, far away in Kirigakure, Reiji also received the news from Konoha.

And with the message came a visitor: a certain young man named Fugaku Uchiha.

Reiji, who had been monitoring Fuguki Suikazan's routine, had nothing urgent on hand. So he simply found an empty spot, activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, and returned to his home in Konoha.

...

Konoha, in Reiji's tea room.

When Reiji entered, he found Rie and Fugaku sitting across from each other in a silent stare-down.

"Well now, what is this—another blinking contest?"

At the sound of his familiar voice, both Rie and Fugaku turned away from each other and looked at him with surprise and delight.

"Brother!"

"Sensei!"

Their voices rang out together. Reiji chuckled in response and walked over to the low table, settling in before pouring himself a cup of tea.

Right then, Fugaku scooted over without any sense of formality.

"Sensei, did you hear about what happened with my clan?"

"I did," Reiji said, taking a sip of tea and nodding.

"So… what do you think?"

What do I think?

What could I possibly say?

The Uchiha clan's split! Half of them are basically following me now!

Sure, I guided this whole thing from the start—but asking me, the one who orchestrated it, how I feel? That's a bit much.

I can't exactly jump up and shout, "Wahoo!" now, can I?

With that thought, Reiji simply shook his head, indicating he had no opinion.

Fugaku pouted, a little disappointed.

"Sensei, can you teach me how to deal with someone powerful?"

"Who are you trying to take down?" Reiji asked, genuinely curious.

"The Clan Head!"

"Beat him up," Reiji replied without missing a beat.

Fugaku's face immediately darkened.

"Sensei, I mean bring him down—make him lose his influence and authority!"

"Ah..." Reiji rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then looked at him with a playful smile.

"You really want to turn into a scheming old fox?"

"I do!" Fugaku answered without hesitation.

Reiji's eyes sparkled mischievously as he grinned.

"Then it's simple—just tear away the mask he hides behind."