Hikaru's idea was simple: make them split even further from the inside.
A clan having two opposing voices—constantly fighting, constantly trying to seize control—wasn't unheard of, but it also wasn't common.
Since it was happening right in front of them, it would be a waste not to exploit it.
Letting dogs bite dogs was always the easiest and least labor-intensive method.
All you had to do was support one side, give it enough backing, and keep its ceiling under control.
Then the Uchiha would naturally fall into an even more brutal internal struggle.
That struggle would fracture them further.
That struggle would weaken them further.
And a weakened Uchiha clan would bring enormous benefits to Konoha—especially the Konoha under Hiruzen's control, the Konoha that had inherited Senju Tobirama's will.
Hikaru could only come up with a method like this because of what he'd seen in his previous life—thanks to that massive troublemaking superpower and what it had done across the world.
A peaceful, complete nation was never good for them.
But a nation trapped in endless disputes and entanglements—slowly weakening itself through internal conflict—that was a "good" nation.
Hikaru didn't like that style.
But he had to admit: used here, used now—especially inside a clan—it worked.
Based on what he knew of the Uchiha, the future was clear.
Once the Fourth Hokage fell, and once the village tightened its isolation policies, the Uchiha would move toward relative unity.
And that "unity" meant one thing: they would unify around the decision to launch a coup.
That was not something Hiruzen wanted to see.
It was not something Hikaru wanted to see.
The only one who wanted it was Danzo.
The difference between Hikaru and Hiruzen was that Hiruzen still hesitated over how to handle a coup.
He was Hokage—he still had to care about appearances.
If he moved against a clan, would it trigger a chain reaction?
That was something he had to consider.
But once Danzo led things into a massacre, the conclusion became irreversible.
At that point, there was nothing left to hesitate over.
In other words: Hiruzen could waver over whether the Uchiha should continue to exist—but he would never waver over a Uchiha clan that was already gone.
Hikaru, on the other hand, never intended to let the clan disappear.
It was a talent factory.
And they carried deep resentment toward Konoha's old order.
But they weren't all the same—there were still people who wanted reconciliation.
So why not raise the ones with clearer heads?
If the Uchiha weakened themselves through constant infighting, then even if the "dove faction" ultimately lost, the clan wouldn't have the strength left to stage a coup.
Besides—if the Fourth Hokage didn't die, then promoting the dove faction would be an extremely valuable move.
Minato Namikaze wanted to change the Uchiha.
Those doves would become Minato's people in the future.
That was a major advantage for Minato.
But there was one point everyone was overlooking:
If these people entered ANBU, then unless something unexpected happened, they would end up in Hikaru's division.
And once they entered his division, the chain of command would lead to Hikaru.
And Hikaru had never truly chosen a side.
"Both Hokage have agreed… so this is basically settled."
Walking home, Hikaru thought quietly.
"Now it's just a question of what Uchiha Makoto plans to send in."
He didn't know Makoto well—he wasn't Uchiha, and his information wasn't complete.
All he knew was that Makoto was an elder. Beyond that, there was little detail about his stance.
But Hikaru did know who the Uchiha eventually sent into ANBU.
Only now, with Hikaru's interference, he wasn't sure those two would still have the chance.
"If nothing changes… then Uchiha Shisui still has a decent chance."
Uchiha Itachi was the clan head's son.
With an identity that special—and with Hikaru's proposal to Hiruzen shaping a new approach—whether Itachi could still enter ANBU was questionable.
But Shisui was different.
He seemed to be descended from Uchiha Kagami—naturally aligned with the dove faction.
And with the ideals he'd absorbed, he likely wouldn't support extreme methods for gaining power.
Plus, the kid really was a genius.
ANBU records already had his academy performance on file, along with notes on his personality.
"Still… he's too young."
Shisui was only nine.
Like Kakashi and Itachi, he'd graduated early.
He'd even been to the battlefield and witnessed war's brutality.
But he was still a child.
Now that the war was largely over, he was running missions with veterans to build experience.
And within the Uchiha, he seemed closely watched.
Getting him into ANBU wouldn't be easy.
But none of that was something Hikaru needed to solve right now.
No matter who came, he wouldn't lose.
He reached his new home, glanced around, and went inside.
His new place was big—plenty of rooms, big enough to house several people without issue.
But right now, only he and the woman named Senju Renge lived there.
It felt like a waste.
"Hikaru-sama, you're back."
A cool, clear voice came from nearby.
Hikaru turned.
Senju Renge stood to the side, posture respectful. Her beautiful, cold face showed very little expression.
Hikaru nodded lightly. After yesterday, he was already familiar with her attitude.
"Yeah. I'm back."
He paused, then added, "You don't need to be so formal. Just call me Hikaru."
"I've prepared the meal. Hikaru-sama can eat whenever you're ready."
She spoke as if she hadn't heard him at all.
Still the same: respectful, distant, elegant.
Hikaru could only sigh.
But that was life.
If you couldn't fight it, you might as well enjoy it.
He felt resigned—but honestly, it wasn't bad.
Humans were social creatures. Hikaru wasn't cold enough to reject company.
Having someone around—even a "problem girl"—wasn't unacceptable.
"Has to be a woman, though," he thought dryly. "If it were a man, he can get out."
…
After a meal that was actually decent, Hikaru realized he had real potential to become a lazy bastard.
Because he didn't need to do anything.
Senju Renge handled everything cleanly—clearing the leftovers, washing the dishes, all of it.
If he counted the cooking too, then he was even freer.
The ultimate dream of a lazy man.
Even Hikaru had to admit it felt good.
"Because it lets me put more energy into the things that matter."
He lay back on the living room sofa, enjoying the comfort—and thinking.
There was still a lot he had to figure out.
Most importantly: what Minato would face in a few months.
To be honest, Hikaru was torn.
On one hand, he was willing to let events follow the "original route," and allow Minato to meet that plot-driven death.
The benefits were obvious.
Hikaru wouldn't need to overthink anything—he'd already know what came next.
And with that knowledge, he could make choices that favored him with ease.
Stability and calm were the key.
Sometimes, "do nothing and you won't make mistakes" really was true.
Because stability could look like stagnation—yet at certain moments, it became priceless.
But Hikaru also knew something else:
His existence had already changed the Naruto world at its foundation.
In the original story, there was no "him."
No him stealing that massive lizard from Shikkotsu Forest.
No him causing chaos in Sunagakure.
Everything he'd done might look small in the grand environment—
But in his previous life, he'd studied Marxism.
He believed all things in the world were universally connected.
Even if he ignored that worldview, there was still the butterfly effect.
Who knew what kind of storm his wings had already stirred?
The unknown was terrifying.
Hikaru had never denied that.
And it was precisely because of the unknown that he hesitated about Minato's future.
If his actions had already made the future uncertain—
Then letting things "play out" was just sprinting down a road that looked known, but was actually unknown.
"It's really a headache."
Hikaru rubbed his forehead.
But he also knew: if he didn't decide soon, time would run out.
Minato's death would bring certain advantages.
But if Minato stayed alive… it might bring even greater advantages.
Tsunade returning to become the Fifth Hokage was thirteen years away.
And in those thirteen years, countless things would happen:
Kumo would come knocking.
One mistake and Konoha could be dragged into war again.
Root would expand aggressively.
Orochimaru would defect.
The Uchiha massacre.
Those thirteen years would not pass easily.
And Hiruzen's performance in that period could be summed up in one phrase:
Disappointing.
Orochimaru's defection—he exposed the truth, yes, but still let him go, clinging to "old ties."
That move gained him political capital, helped him reclaim the Hokage's authority, and suppressed the Fifth Hokage selection.
But with Kumo, he walked on eggshells, offered up a life—especially the life of a branch-house Hyuga—to avoid war.
He "managed" the weak period.
Yet his choice crushed morale.
And it allowed Kumo to plant a mine inside Konoha, driving the Hyuga gradually away from him.
After that, Root's unchecked expansion—Danzo brazenly targeting major clans—spread the fractures outward from the Hyuga.
Then the Uchiha's destruction pushed mistrust to its peak—
Until the Chunin Exams, where Hiruzen finally played his "I'll show my resolve" card and dueled Orochimaru.
In truth, even without him, others could have cleared Konoha's internal threats and killed the Suna and Oto forces.
But nobody stepped up until he was dead—
Then they finally rushed out shouting slogans about vengeance, and crushed Suna and Oto in short order.
"So maybe he used to be a 'Shinobi Hero'… but in those thirteen years, he walked straight down a suicidal path."
Hikaru sighed bitterly.
"Relying on him as my backing is basically asking to die."
The more he thought, the more he realized that some of his earlier plans—
Like rising through Hiruzen alone—
Were unrealistic.
Even if Tsunade didn't purge the old guard after she took over, Hikaru still had to be careful.
His goal was to become Hokage.
If he became Hokage without broad recognition—if he sat in that seat through brute force and violence alone—
Then he'd inherit endless problems he didn't want.
"But if Minato lives…"
Hikaru clasped his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling.
"…then I have no chance."
And then another thought hit him, cold and sharp:
"Do I even have the strength to save Minato?"
The moment the question formed—
Hikaru froze.
He sat upright immediately.
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