"I, along with all members of the Uchiha clan, will pledge loyalty to Uzumaki Shuji!"
Fugaku Uchiha read aloud every word written on the contract.
After finishing, his expression turned somewhat strange.
He didn't think this document held much real power.
And honestly… it made him uncomfortable.
Even if it wasn't a big deal, signing something that resembled a contract of submission still didn't sit well with him.
"Mm. Signing this is enough."
"If possible, sign this one too."
Uzumaki Shuji nodded, then reached into the Gate of Babylon and pulled out another document.
This time—
A land deed.
It transferred ownership of the entire Uchiha clan territory to Uzumaki Shuji.
The Uchiha would merely be allowed to reside there under his permission.
"…"
Fugaku stared at it in silence.
"Signing this… will help you?"
To him, this only confirmed one thing.
No matter how talented—
A child was still a child.
He believed Uzumaki Shuji had the potential to surpass even the Hokage.
But right now…
His thinking was too simple.
"Yes. Signing this will help me."
"The Uzumaki clan will soon show its sincerity—and prove its strength."
Uzumaki Shuji replied calmly.
"Are you certain?"
Fugaku raised both contracts slightly, as if asking one last time.
He didn't see how this would matter.
Promises could always be broken.
Back when the village was founded, the Uchiha stood at the peak.
And now?
"Certain."
Uzumaki Shuji nodded.
For him, nominal ownership was enough.
The key wasn't enforcement—
It was getting Fugaku to sign.
If he had the strength to force it, this would already be no different from taking it outright.
Right now, persuasion was everything.
"If this truly helps you… then I agree."
Fugaku finally nodded.
To him, this was a small price.
If it could truly free the Uchiha from their fate—
It was worth it.
Taking the pen, he signed both contracts with his name as clan head.
Uchiha Fugaku.
"Anything else?"
He handed the documents back and asked.
This felt too easy.
If Uzumaki Shuji truly wanted to act, surely he would need more.
"Do you know where Root's base is?"
"I'd like to deliver them… some warmth."
Uzumaki Shuji said.
"You—!"
Fugaku was startled.
But quickly calmed down.
If it was against Root—
He had no objections.
Soon, the two began discussing details.
…
"Did it work?"
An hour later, Uzumaki Shuji stood outside the academy, waiting to ambush more children, when the system notification echoed in his mind.
A surge of mana.
A flood of points.
"Recruitment: Fugaku Uchiha (Mangekyō Sharingan) — Reward: 50,000 points"
"Recruitment: Itachi Uchiha (Mangekyō Sharingan, double agent penalty applied) — Reward: 50,000 points"
"Recruitment: Sasuke Uchiha (Child) — Reward: 20,000 points"
"…"
"Territory acquired: Uchiha Clan District"
"Population acquired: 857"
"Population reward: 77,200 points"
The notifications kept coming.
Uzumaki Shuji felt like he had just hit the jackpot.
He knew signing Fugaku would bring huge gains—
But not this huge.
Recruitment points.
Territory population points.
Both counted separately.
Even Fugaku's value was counted twice.
"If this were the entire Konoha…"
Uzumaki Shuji's thoughts raced.
He could earn millions of points in one go.
At least ten times more.
"Total points… 247,000!"
"As expected—stirring things up is the fastest way to grow!"
"This changes everything."
"Danzo… I'll be delivering your 'warmth' very soon."
He took a deep breath, forcing himself not to smile.
Then, as usual, he beat up Kiba after school and headed home.
The ANBU watching him noticed nothing unusual.
Everything seemed normal.
Routine.
But when Uzumaki Shuji opened the door—
He froze.
Because inside his house stood Danzo Shimura.
Naruto hadn't returned yet.
After school, Naruto usually wandered around or trained before heading home.
Which meant—
Uzumaki Shuji had arrived first.
"You must be Uzumaki Shuji."
"I am Danzo, advisor to the Hokage."
Danzo lowered his gaze, looking down at the stunned boy as he introduced himself.
"Hello…"
Uzumaki Shuji forced out a response, maintaining a blank, slightly dazed expression.
Inside, his mind was racing.
Why was this old fox here?
"I came specifically to see you."
"The Third Hokage must have mentioned it—a place where you can grow stronger quickly."
"In just a few years, you'll become an outstanding ninja."
"And then… you'll be able to properly protect your brother."
Danzo spoke directly.
In his eyes—
He had already grasped Uzumaki Shuji's weakness.
Naruto.
As long as he held onto that—
Bringing Uzumaki Shuji under his control would be easy.
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