Uchiha Kei's words directly struck a nerve among the Uchihas present—some even began breathing more heavily.
To become part of the Hidden Leaf's upper echelon.
To reclaim the honor rightfully belonging to the Uchiha.
To even rise to the position of Hokage.
These had always been the dreams pursued by the Uchiha clan.
To achieve that goal—even when facing constant suppression from the Hidden Leaf's top brass led by the Second Hokage—the Uchiha never stopped trying. During the First and Second Great Ninja Wars, the clan had charged onto battlefields knowing full well they were being used as cannon fodder.
All because decades ago, their former legend and clan head—who later became a so-called traitor—Madara Uchiha, brought calamity to Konoha, branding the entire Uchiha clan with guilt and disgrace.
For decades, the Uchiha had struggled to redeem themselves. They had worked tirelessly to reclaim their rightful honor and status.
Yet despite their efforts, the Hidden Leaf leadership continued to reject them. What began as a drive for atonement slowly turned into resentment and rage toward the village leadership.
Adding to this was the Uchihas' pride and lack of political acumen. They clashed often with other shinobi clans.
Managing the village's law enforcement through the Konoha Military Police Force, the Uchihas also had to interact with civilians. Proud and blunt, their handling of disputes was often crude and forceful. Over time, their relationship with the common folk soured, influencing how even civilian shinobi perceived them.
All these factors compounded into a massive cage, trapping the Uchiha. They couldn't win honor as a founding clan, couldn't earn the support of other clans, and certainly couldn't hope to touch the Hokage seat.
Frankly, the Uchiha elders had long since fallen into despair. Only the young clan head Fugaku Uchiha retained some fighting spirit. Fortunately, he met and befriended Minato Namikaze—a rare individual among the younger generation. When Minato became the Fourth Hokage, the Uchihas truly saw hope.
And then, Obito Uchiha—the ungrateful betrayer—delivered a cruel slap to the clan's face. With one action, he shattered their illusions.
From then on, relations between the Uchiha and Konoha rapidly deteriorated. Fugaku made mistake after mistake under internal and external pressure, eventually leading the clan into ruin.
Without a doubt, while Konoha's senior leadership (the so-called "Konoha F4") played a part in the tragedy, the Uchiha clan's own actions were also a major cause.
Lacking the political wisdom to change their circumstances, the Uchiha didn't know how to properly navigate the power dynamics. As their thinking grew more extreme, they sank deeper into the mire—ultimately leading to their annihilation.
But at the root of everything lay the desire to regain their lost honor, to join the ruling class of Konoha, and to sit upon the Hokage's throne—something the Uchiha had long believed they deserved.
Without those desires, if the Uchiha had simply laid low and given up, they might have lived relatively peaceful lives.
Of course, that's all hypothetical. Reality unfolded differently.
And now, what was unfolding was this: Uchiha Kei was claiming he had a way to help the Uchiha clan achieve everything they had long yearned for!
Shock, confusion, disbelief—all kinds of emotions surged forth.
Uchiha Setsuna's tone grew stern: "Kei-kun, you mustn't speak lightly of such things. You've always kept to yourself, and it's true many matters have been beyond your reach—but surely, even you understand what our clan has always desired."
There was a warning in his voice. Not hostility—just caution. Some things simply shouldn't be said aloud, lest they incite outrage.
Uchiha Kei calmly nodded. "Of course I understand—and I stand by it. Or rather, I realized long ago that our situation is far less glamorous than it appears. We are shackled in every direction."
"That's why I've been thinking for years—how can we change this fate?"
"Fortunately, I've come up with many ideas. And with the development of my genjutsu game, those ideas may now be within reach."
Well… he wasn't exactly bluffing.
After all, he had read countless Naruto fanfics before transmigrating. There were all sorts of ideas for solving the Uchiha's problems—from overpowering the Konoha F4 with cheats, to employing five thousand years of ancient Flower Kingdom political maneuvering to ruin their reputations, or rewriting their destinies entirely.
He had also encountered wild, highly abstract strategies based on extreme methods to overturn the clan's fate—testaments to the bizarre genius and creativity of online readers from 2014 to 2024.
Back then, Uchiha Kei had been one of those fans, eagerly participating in such discussions and gaining a wealth of Naruto-specific political theory.
Originally just a bit of fun during his corporate slave days… now that he'd become an Uchiha, those experiences were actually useful.
The Uchihas around him were visibly surprised. But when they recalled Kei's unique conduct—his unconventional ways and the fact that he had singlehandedly developed a genjutsu-based game—they could see how he might have been thinking along these lines all along.
Uchiha Masanobu looked at Kei with admiration. "Kei-kun, you seem truly prepared. Then tell us—how can this genjutsu game improve our clan's circumstances?"
Kei nodded. "Everyone, our Uchiha clan is indeed a founding pillar of Konoha. But because of that status, we control too many of the village's benefits."
"Just this core area alone—most of its industries belong to our clan. We monopolize these interests."
"Originally, this wasn't a problem. As a founding clan, we deserve it. But the key issue is: because of Madara-sama's actions, our clan lives under his shadow."
"And while the Senju clan gradually withdrew under the First and Second Hokage's orders—giving up their privileges and blending into the village—even going so far as to abandon their surname, to the point where even Tsunade-hime, the princess of the village, is not recognized as a Senju clan head…"
"Their actions reflected noble ideals. But they also left us—the Uchiha—standing alone, like villains in some epic tale. As the ones holding most of the wealth, we naturally drew envy. And since we were painted as 'the villains,' others felt justified in resenting us."
"Add in our control of the Military Police Force and our tense relationship with civilians, and we've become the enemy of all of Konoha's social classes—from the top down."
The Uchiha present all nodded grimly. Some clenched their fists in frustration.
Kei's analysis helped many realize things they had never fully understood—like why they were always cast as the Senju's foils. It left a sour taste.
To be fair, the Senju clan's decision to relinquish everything and become 'normal people' was admirable. Few ancient clans could do that.
But being labeled as the opposing force—the villains—felt awful.
And Kei continued dropping truth bombs.
"The Hokage line represents the elite. The major clans represent the middle class. Civilians represent the base. Our Uchiha clan is now universally opposed by all three strata."
"If we can't change this cage-like situation, we'll never rise. Even a coup wouldn't help."
"Because our enemies aren't just the village's leadership. Even if we overthrew the Hokage line, we'd face the resistance of the entire village."
Immediately, the mood in the room shifted. Several Uchiha activated their Sharingan, staring intently at Kei.
Coup d'état talk was taboo. Though some had grumbled in private, the idea had never gained traction—at least not until after the Nine-Tails incident.
Still, such thoughts had existed for a long time. Even radical elders like Setsuna Uchiha had considered it after the Second Ninja War, when the clan paid dearly but received little in return.
But those were secrets.
Now Kei had said it aloud—and that changed everything.
Under the piercing pressure of activated Sharingan, Kei remained calm.
"No need to worry. I haven't heard anything—just reasoning based on our situation and our pride."
"And judging by your reactions, my guess was correct."
"But like I said—a coup is suicide unless we produce another god of shinobi."
"To truly change our fate, we must find a breakthrough within this all-encompassing cage and shatter it from the inside."
"My chosen breakthrough—alliances with the major clans of Konoha. By trading benefits, we can turn their hostility into friendship."
"After all, tangible benefits often go further than talk of ideals, dreams, or the future."