Naruto: The Shadow of Uchiha

Ryosuke didn't immediately respond to Elder Yatsushiro's proposal. Instead, he countered with a question of his own.

"Of course I want to help the Uchiha Clan rise again… but tell me, what exactly is your plan?"

Yatsushiro was pleased with Ryosuke's answer—it showed alignment with the radical faction's goals. Clearly, Ryosuke wasn't like those other so-called "loyal Uchiha," such as Shisui and Itachi, who had joined the Hokage's ANBU unit, turning their backs on their clan.

Yatsushiro explained, "Our faction intends to unite and pressure the clan leader into initiating a coup. We will force the Third Hokage to step down and replace him with an Uchiha. Only then can our clan be restored to its rightful glory. What do you think?"

But Ryosuke looked unimpressed.

"That's it? You think just forcing him to resign is enough?"

He wasn't being sarcastic—he was being brutally realistic. Ryosuke understood this wasn't a simple power struggle. This was life and death. The village elders didn't just want to sideline the Uchiha—they wanted them eradicated. Even the civilians weren't safe from their plans. Ryosuke found the radicals' approach too soft, too naive.

They had grown too comfortable in times of peace and lost the ruthlessness that defined the Uchiha during the Warring States period. Their mindset lacked the resolve needed for true change.

Yatsushiro was confused.

"You think taking over the Hokage's seat isn't enough?"

Ryosuke's expression darkened.

"No. It's not. We need to eliminate the entire Konoha leadership. Only then can the Uchiha truly protect themselves and reclaim our rightful place in history."

Yatsushiro didn't feel inspired by Ryosuke's words—he felt a chill. This young man was too extreme. Dangerous, even.

Realistically, even with all of the Uchiha's power, wiping out the village's leadership would be nearly impossible. The Hokage still commanded loyal forces like the ANBU and the Root—especially Danzo's faction, which had long viewed the Uchiha as a threat.

Even other clans would likely turn against the Uchiha if they attempted an outright purge. A move like that would risk complete annihilation.

Yatsushiro tried to reason with him.

"Ryosuke, don't you think that's going too far? We just want to take back our rightful power and restore our clan's honor. That's enough."

But Ryosuke responded coldly.

"Elder, don't be naïve. Do you really think they'll just hand over power quietly? Power struggles are always bloody. If you're not willing to fight to the end, then keep your head down and accept being a dog."

Yatsushiro's expression twisted in anger.

"That's enough. Don't say another word."

This wasn't what he wanted to hear. Ryosuke was too extreme, too dangerous. Yatsushiro's group only wanted political leverage, not to bring about the Uchiha's destruction.

"Leave. You have no place in our faction."

Unfazed, Ryosuke turned and walked out.

From his point of view, these "radicals" had long since lost their fangs. They didn't have the killer instinct their ancestors once had.

Outside the office, Inaho had overheard fragments of their heated conversation. When he saw Ryosuke walk out with a calm expression, he rushed in to check on Yatsushiro, who looked furious.

"Did Ryosuke refuse to join us?" Inaho asked, concerned.

Yatsushiro, regaining his composure, snapped, "That man's insane. He wants to go to war with the entire Konoha leadership and wipe them out completely. That would doom the Uchiha!"

He leaned forward with a grave warning.

"Don't let that conversation leave this room. If the higher-ups even suspect we're planning something like that, they'll wipe us out before we can act."

Inaho was speechless. Was Ryosuke really that unhinged?

Going to war with the village's elite? That was suicide.

Even the radicals only wanted to secure the clan's dignity, not plunge it into total war. If Ryosuke's vision were ever acted on, other clans would surely rise up in defense of Konoha—and the Uchiha would be annihilated.

No wonder the elder was furious.

Meanwhile, Ryosuke was walking back toward the Uchiha ancestral district when he noticed a small blonde boy standing alone in a corner, shoulders hunched.

He recognized him instantly: Naruto Uzumaki.

The child looked up at him with wary eyes, used to cold stares and rejection. But Ryosuke's face held neither hatred nor scorn—only a calm gentleness.

Naruto blinked in surprise.

"Are you a ninja, mister?"

The question caught Ryosuke off guard—but what annoyed him more was being called "mister."

"I'm only sixteen," he corrected. "Just call me Ryosuke-nii."

"Yes, I'm a ninja."

Naruto's eyes widened. This was the second adult—after the kind old man who occasionally checked on him—who had ever spoken to him kindly.

Seeing Ryosuke's friendly expression, Naruto's mood lifted for the first time that day.

"Ryosuke-nii… I wanna be a strong ninja too, someday."

Ryosuke smiled warmly.

"You definitely will."

In the original timeline, he would become the Seventh Hokage, after all.

Naruto hesitated, then asked the question that had haunted him for as long as he could remember.

"Ryosuke-nii, do you… not hate me?"

Ryosuke paused, taken aback. So the child had been treated so poorly that he feared even a kind word might be a trick.

"Why would I hate you?"

Ryosuke thought about how hard it must've been. For Naruto not to have turned dark, not to have turned against the village—it was almost saint-like.

If it had been him in Naruto's place, being treated like dirt by the villagers and ignored by the leadership? He wouldn't be protecting these people—he'd have turned his blade on them long ago.

Naruto frowned.

"Most people in the village hate me. They call me a 'demon fox.' Do you know why?"

He'd looked at himself in mirrors, searching for anything—fur, tails, claws—but he was just a kid.

Ryosuke shook his head with a laugh.

"Anyone who calls you that is just an idiot."

Naruto blinked. "What's an idiot?"

"It's someone with no brain. Or someone whose brain stopped working," Ryosuke explained gently.

Naruto nodded, starting to understand. So the people who hated him weren't worth listening to.

He liked Ryosuke-nii. He believed him.

Ryosuke remembered how Naruto had been thrown out of shops earlier that day. He felt a pang of sympathy.

"Hey, want me to treat you to some ramen?"

Naruto tilted his head, confused.

"Ramen? What's that? Is it tasty?"

Ryosuke smiled, imagining the savory, rich broth.

"It's delicious. You'll love it."

Naruto hesitated again, then looked down at his small coin pouch.

"But I only have ten ryō. Is that enough?"

It was a pitiful amount—barely enough for a single snack.

Ryosuke's smile disappeared. Ten ryō? Was that all the village was giving him?

This must be the Third Hokage's doing. Had he been skimming from Minato and Kushina's estate? There was no way the child of the Fourth Hokage had been left with nothing.

It disgusted him.

Ten ryō wouldn't buy a bowl of plain noodles, let alone ramen.

Naruto noticed Ryosuke's silence and bowed his head in embarrassment.

"If it's not enough, then… I won't go."

He turned to leave.

He'd gotten used to eating leftovers and cheap food. It filled his stomach, but never his heart. Still, he was grateful to the old man who helped him.

Just as he turned to go, Ryosuke called out.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I said I'm treating you, didn't I?"

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