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The pretty boy standing on the stage… was supposedly the ancestor of the Uchiha clan.
Yeah, right.
Their ancestor would have lived thousands of years ago. After that much time, even bones would've turned to dust. How could someone like that still be alive?
The gathered Uchiha stared at Akira with open skepticism. No one looked convinced.
Akira noticed the doubt and wasn't surprised in the slightest. He'd expected this.
If some guy suddenly popped up in front of you claiming to be your ancient forefather, you'd call him a fraud too. No sane person would just accept that.
He had already prepared for this.
Raising his voice, he spoke clearly.
"I know you don't believe me. That's only natural. As the ancestor of the Uchiha clan, I lived thousands of years ago. There's no way I should still be alive today.
"And you're right. The real me died long ago. What stands before you now is a reincarnation. I was reborn into this boy, Uchiha Akira.
"In other words, I am Uchiha Akira… and I am also your ancestor, Ōtsutsuki Indra."
As soon as he finished, quite a few clan members turned to look at Fugaku at the front. Their expressions carried more than a hint of judgment.
Wasn't this supposed to be your son? The ace you secretly cultivated with countless resources for the sake of the clan?
And now your son's turned into your ancestor?
That's one hell of an upgrade.
Fugaku stood there with his arms folded, face calm, the embodiment of if I'm not embarrassed, then you're the embarrassed ones.
But deep down, he chose to believe Akira.
A man whose strength towered over the entire shinobi world had no need to lie to them.
Still… the truth was shocking.
His second son was actually the reincarnation of their ancestor?
No wonder he'd always felt a strange fondness toward Akira. So that was it. Blood of the ancestor. Of course.
Though… having your son turn into your forefather did feel a little weird in terms of seniority.
Forget it.
This wasn't his son anymore. This was the clan's ancestor.
Who in their right mind would dare claim a monster like that as their child? Was he trying to shorten his own lifespan?
Fine. From today on, Uchiha Akira was his ancestor.
Fugaku silently adjusted his mindset. And he firmly warned himself: never look at Akira like a son again. That would get him killed.
Up on the stage, Akira frowned slightly.
'What's going on? The system still hasn't said the mission is complete.'
Which meant some of them still didn't believe him.
Boom.
A terrifying aura exploded from his body.
The pressure rolled outward like a crushing wave. The Uchiha below felt as if invisible hands had clamped around their hearts. Breathing became difficult. Their chests tightened.
"With my strength," Akira said calmly, "killing you would be as easy as crushing ants. I have absolutely no reason to deceive you."
If words weren't enough, then power would do the talking.
The doubters quickly came to their senses.
Right. A man this strong wouldn't bother lying to them.
"Ancestor-sama!"
"We pay our respects to the Ancestor!"
"Ancestor-sama is mighty!"
Cheers erupted from below, fervent and almost fanatical.
Whether he truly was their original ancestor or not didn't even matter anymore.
If someone that powerful was willing to claim them as his clan and stand as their backing, they weren't losing anything. Not even a little.
Seeing the reaction, Akira nodded in satisfaction.
Just as he focused inward, waiting for the system's confirmation—
A furious shout cut through the crowd.
"Fake! It's all fake! Don't let him fool you!"
Uchiha Yashiro pointed at Akira, face flushed red, veins bulging as he roared.
"Ancestor of the Uchiha? Bullshit! He's just making things up! He's a liar!"
When Akira's cold gaze swept over him, Yashiro swallowed hard. A chill crawled up his spine.
But then he saw the many clan members around him. He remembered the Third Hokage's analysis from earlier that day:
This man impersonating Uchiha Akira had infiltrated the clan for a reason. He must be trying to win their favor for some hidden goal.
If he exposed him in front of everyone, there was no way he'd be killed in public.
Reassured by that thought, and feeling the eyes of the crowd on him, Yashiro regained his nerve.
He pointed again at Akira and declared in a firm, unquestionable voice:
"Now I'll expose his true identity!"
He drew in a deep breath, preparing to shout—
Uchiha Akira is a monster—
Bang.
From atop the platform, Akira casually slapped his palm forward.
An invisible blast of force howled through the air.
Uchiha Yashiro exploded on the spot, reduced to a splatter of blood and flesh.
Akira lowered his hand. His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life, spinning with terrifying power.
"I told you. I have no reason to lie to you."
His voice turned icy.
"And before these eyes… I don't want to hear a single word of doubt."
The pressure descended again, even heavier than before. The entire crowd struggled to breathe.
Fugaku stared at those eyes, his voice trembling.
"That Sharingan… such overwhelming ocular power. It really is the Eternal Mangekyō. Unbelievable."
The crowd erupted once more.
This time, there were no skeptics left.
[Ding… Mission complete. Sign-in opportunity +1.]
Hearing the system's prompt in his mind, Akira finally smiled faintly.
He let his eyes revert to normal—
And vanished.
"You can actually keep up with my Body Flicker? Interesting."
Akira stood atop the roof of a civilian house and glanced back at the figure who had followed him.
Uchiha Itachi.
"So," Akira said lightly, "what is it this time? Came to get beaten again?"
Itachi shook his head slowly, bitterness flickering across his face.
"I'm not here to cause trouble. And with my strength… I'm not qualified to."
"Mm. At least you know your limits."
Akira nodded in approval.
"Then why are you here?"
Itachi let out a slow breath.
"…"
"Whew…"
Itachi drew in a deep breath and asked in a low voice,
"If my little brother is your reincarnation… does that mean Uchiha Akira no longer exists?
Or should I say… because of this so-called reincarnation, you killed my brother?"
"Hmm…"
After a brief pause, Akira replied calmly,
"You could look at it that way. But saying I killed your brother is nonsense.
The original Uchiha Akira was me too. I just hadn't awakened my memories or my power yet. That's why I seemed so naïve.
Your brother being my reincarnation? You should feel honored."
He looked at Itachi with a proud tilt of his chin.
"Of course, if you insist on believing I killed your brother, you're welcome to try and take revenge.
Just don't blame me if I accidentally kill you instead."
Itachi shook his head, a bitter smile on his lips.
"Revenge? Forget it. I'll just pretend my brother Uchiha Akira never existed.
Besides, you're the one who saved the Uchiha clan. By any measure, I have no right to raise a hand against you."
Akira let out a sharp laugh. "Oh really? And it has nothing to do with the fact that you can't beat me?"
Itachi: "…"
Why do I suddenly have the overwhelming urge to punch this guy?
Honestly, his old little brother was way cuter.
After a moment of silence, Itachi hesitated, clearly uncomfortable.
"Um… A-Ancestor-sama, may I ask you for a favor?"
"Spit it out. Don't drag it out like some timid housewife," Akira said impatiently.
"Uh… it's about my mother. Could you… please not tell her your true identity?
If she learns the truth, she'll be heartbroken."
Itachi looked at him earnestly.
Heh. Didn't expect you to be such a devoted son.
If I hadn't transmigrated here, you would've shown zero mercy to your own mother.
Akira sneered inwardly.
"I know it's awkward, asking an ancestor to pretend to be his own descendant's son. But I really don't want my mother to suffer because of this.
Please, Ancestor-sama."
Seeing Itachi like this was genuinely surprising.
"Alright, alright. Don't make it so dramatic.
Uchiha Mikoto is a good mother. I'll handle it. I won't let her get hurt."
Akira agreed.
As for what he'd tell her, he'd just reuse the same story he'd fed Izumi. Something about being visited in a dream by the Sage of Six Paths and blah blah blah.
Mostly, though, Mikoto's cooking was insanely good. Akira had no intention of upsetting a top-tier chef.
"Thank you, Ancestor-sama!"
Gratitude flashed across Itachi's face. His opinion of this ancestor rose by quite a bit.
Maybe his temper wasn't that terrible after all.
He was actually… pretty reasonable.
At least not some arrogant lunatic who refused to communicate.
A few days later, Mitokado Homura delivered the money—forty billion in total.
Akira didn't bother counting it himself. He had Fugaku verify it.
Not a single coin missing.
Honestly impressive. They'd scraped it together in less than ten days.
The Mitokado clan must be loaded.
Should've extorted more, Akira thought with a hint of regret.
During this time, he also used up his one sign-in reward.
He got three pounds of beef jerky.
Total junk reward. Tasted amazing, though.
So much for being lucky. After a hot streak comes the slump.
Just then, Fugaku approached with a scroll in hand and respectfully offered it.
"Ancestor-sama, the money has been counted. All forty billion are sealed inside this scroll."
"Keep it. Use it as clan reserve funds.
And besides, I'm not interested in money."
Akira casually made a classic hand gesture reminiscent of some legendary billionaire.
"Thank you, Ancestor-sama!"
Fugaku quickly put the scroll away, then added flatteringly,
"It seems my perspective was too shallow. Wealth must be nothing but dirt in your eyes."
Akira gave a slight nod in agreement.
With his current strength, he could have as much money as he wanted. He wasn't lacking in the slightest.
After finishing the flattery, Fugaku hesitated before speaking again.
"Ancestor-sama, a few days ago I discussed something with the clan elders… about the position of clan head.
We would like to invite you to become the leader of the Uchiha clan. What do you think?"
He looked at Akira expectantly, eyes shining.
He truly didn't mind giving up the position. He was willing.
In terms of both power and status, Akira surpassed him by far.
Under this ancestor's leadership, the Uchiha would surely flourish and become the number one clan in the shinobi world in no time.
"I don't have time to deal with clan nonsense. Don't make me the clan head."
Akira refused without hesitation.
He was powerful. He was the clan's ancestor. He had both strength and status.
He could do whatever he wanted, go wherever he pleased. Why tie himself down with some pointless title?
"I was presumptuous. The mere position of Uchiha clan head is unworthy of your noble status."
Fugaku looked disappointed—but smoothly added another compliment.
Internally, however, he was screaming.
No time? That's complete nonsense. You spend every day eating and drinking your way through Konoha's snack streets. You barely do anything!
Who knew our ancestor would be such a foodie?
After venting silently, Fugaku straightened his expression.
"Ancestor-sama, since the money was delivered, it means Hiruzen Sarutobi and those old foxes have chosen to endure for now.
If things remain like this, both sides will stay safe.
In the past, I would've welcomed that outcome.
But now… I can't accept it."
He clenched his teeth.
"Especially after learning that Hiruzen once planned to wipe out the Uchiha clan. I now see the Third Hokage as a mortal enemy.
If we don't ruin him as soon as possible, I can't swallow this anger!"
Fugaku looked at Akira pleadingly.
"So I ask you, Ancestor-sama, please think of a way to bring down the Third Hokage."
Please stop wandering around eating snacks and do something serious for once…
He wisely kept that last thought to himself.
"Can't you come up with something on your own? Don't rely on me for everything," Akira said with a frown.
"Ancestor-sama, you know our clan. Quick to anger, quick to act.
We're top-tier in battle. But asking them to devise schemes? That's torture."
Fugaku sighed helplessly.
"My intellect isn't even one ten-thousandth of yours. I can't think of a way to make Hiruzen Sarutobi end up like Danzo—disgraced and despised by all.
So I can only beg you to guide us."
Akira let out a cold snort.
"If that old man Hiruzen wants to endure, then let's see how long he can keep it up.
Next, we move against the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."
Fugaku's eyes lit up instantly.
"Yes! Yes! The jinchūriki is each village's most important weapon. I refuse to believe Hiruzen can keep enduring that!
And if we control the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, the Uchiha clan's power will soar to new heights.
As expected of you, Ancestor-sama. Killing two birds with one stone!
A single casual strategy from you is so brilliant, so awe-inspiring, so—"
"Cut the cringey flattery. I'm getting goosebumps."
Unfazed, Fugaku straightened up.
"Understood. I'll dispatch our elite members at once to capture the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."
"Who told you to do that?" Akira snapped. "If we just grab the jinchūriki by force, wouldn't that make us the unreasonable ones?"
"Uh… then what do you mean, Ancestor-sama?"
Fugaku scratched his head in confusion.
Akira crossed his arms and gave a cold smile.
"We're not just taking the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
We're taking the moral high ground too.
We'll make everyone believe what we're doing is justified—righteous.
And we'll leave that old man Hiruzen completely speechless."
"..."
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