Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

In the dark underground cave.

"Lord Madara, due to the Sunagakure… now the Land of Wind and the Land of Rain are negotiating peace with Konoha…"

After listening to White Zetsu's report on the situation in the ninja world, Uchiha Madara, sitting alone on a stone chair, showed a mocking expression upon hearing the news.

"Peace! It's nothing but a joke! Back when Hashirama and I were still around, the ninja world only achieved peace naturally because of the sword hanging above everyone's heads. But the moment that sword disappears, this so-called false peace shatters instantly.

The current so-called peace is just Konoha's wishful thinking. The three great nations—Cloud, Rock, and Mist—have been sharpening their blades for so long. How could they possibly sheathe them? Even the Sunagakure, this time, has merely suffered some minor bloodletting."

In Madara's eyes, the ninja world was nothing but disappointing and contemptible.

"The First Great Ninja War at least left the five great villages exhausted and severely damaged, which gave them no choice but to enjoy twenty years of recuperation and so-called peace. It also gave the smaller villages a chance to grow.

But this so-called Second Great Ninja War? It looks dramatic, but in reality, it's just about crippling the Amegakue=re. All the ambitious ones are merely biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike…"

His raspy voice echoed in the cave. As Madara explained, after the First Great Ninja War, the ninja world enjoyed a surface-level peace for twenty years, allowing the major villages to recover. Yet only a few years after the Second Great Ninja War ended, conflict erupted once more. The death of the Third Kazekage was merely the spark that ignited the flames.

The Third Great Ninja War was simply an extension of the unresolved tensions from the Second.

"Uchiha Shirou has performed well this time. Though he still has his flaws, he hasn't disgraced the Uchiha name."

The wars of the ninja world no longer interested Madara. Instead, he was more focused on Uchiha Shirou, the young man who had inherited his will. Madara saw a reflection of himself in this promising youth.

But as he eagerly awaited more news about Shirou, White Zetsu's next words made Madara's expression grow darker and darker. Eventually, he couldn't restrain his anger and smashed the armrest of the stone chair in one furious motion.

"Fool! Uchiha Shirou is smart in every way except one—he grew up in Konoha and can't see the darkness lurking behind it! I told Hashirama back then…"

Madara's voice echoed furiously through the dim cave. It was the first time in years he had been this enraged.

"Even Hashirama's granddaughter sees through things more clearly than he does, yet this boy is still being foolish!"

As White Zetsu recounted Konoha's various manipulations during this time, Madara grew increasingly furious. The fact that Uchiha Shirou still clung to some naïve fantasies about Konoha left Madara thoroughly disappointed.

"Naive fantasies? Hmph!"

After venting his anger, Madara found himself reflecting on his past. Back then, he had been just like this boy. When Konoha was first established, he could already sense the village's rejection of him, yet he stubbornly held onto hope—hope for Hashirama and the village. He tried desperately to fit in, but all he received in return was betrayal.

"He is just like the old me…"

Madara muttered to himself. Uchiha Shirou resembled his younger self so much—clinging to childish fantasies, blind to the truth.

"It seems it's time to shatter the last of his illusions. Only then can he avoid repeating the old mistakes I made."

As he thought of Tobirama Senju, Madara's expression turned cold. "Tobirama… it seems both you and your disciples are equally cunning. But this time, the ones facing the consequences will be the Senju. How ironic."

In his long years of solitude, Madara had rarely found anything interesting. But now, as he plotted to guide Uchiha Shirou, he felt a strange excitement. White Zetsu, however, completely failed to grasp Madara's thoughts and instead asked in a mischievous tone:

"Lord Madara, should we guide Uchiha Shirou into the darkness?"

"No!" Madara rejected the idea without hesitation. His eyes gleamed with determination.

Looking at Uchiha Shirou who reminded him so much of himself, Madara's greatest desire now was to see how far this young man, who had inherited his will, could go.

"White Zetsu, the rats hiding in Konoha's shadows won't be able to sit still for long. Since they're so eager to act, we'll give them a little push from the shadows. At just the right moment, we'll help Uchiha Shirou grow faster…"

At this point, Madara paused, then revealed a cruel smile.

"Once his last illusions are shattered, and he sees Konoha's darkness for what it truly is, I'm eager to see what kind of potential he will unleash and what path he'll choose to walk!"

The cave was soon filled with Madara's low, hoarse laughter. He eagerly anticipated seeing Uchiha Shirou follow the path he once walked—steadfast in his belief in ruling through power—and what that would bring to the ninja world.

Perhaps even the title of Hokage.

Although Madara's dream of becoming Hokage had long since been shattered, who could refuse the chance to witness a Uchiha who resembled him so much fulfill that dream in his stead?

"Hashirama, this time, the Uchiha won't lose!"

As he considered this amusing possibility, Madara's expression turned excited and wicked. He was determined to accelerate Uchiha Shirou's growth, ensuring he wouldn't waste time hesitating as Madara himself once had.

...

...

...

A Small Town

On the surface, the war had ended more than half a year ago. But only the public conflict had ceased.

The Land of Rain, having lost the war, was forced into a humiliating peace treaty. While both sides negotiated endlessly over the terms, Konoha claimed to withdraw its forces but stalled with excuses, dragging the process out.

Meanwhile, the Rain ninja had no choice but to endure their anger and humiliation in silence. Konoha, under the guise of withdrawal, plundered the Land of Rain's resources with impunity.

The secret killings continued in the shadows.

"Shirou, in this period, many of our ninjas have been involved in mining operations. The chakra metal…"

Listening to the report, Shirou nodded slightly. "I understand. Do your best to extract as much as possible before the withdrawal."

Not only his group but Konoha's forces throughout the occupied territories were frantically exploiting the remaining resources, seizing every last opportunity before their departure. After all, once they left, who knew when they'd return?

With the Sunagakure having already withdrawn and signed a peace treaty with Konoha, only the Amegakure remained too weak to cause trouble.

Konoha's sudden reversal of the war had left the other three great villages—Cloud, Rock, and Mist—stunned and furious. They had been lying in wait for a chance to strike but now found themselves at a loss.

The Land of Rain was full of spies from other villages, all hoping to reignite the flames of war. But while everyone coveted the resources of the Land of Fire, no one wanted to be the first to make a move. The Amegakure, meanwhile, had no desire to be used as a tool.

"Congratulations on becoming a jōnin, Mikoto."

After the work report concluded, Shirou offered a sincere smile of congratulations. Mikoto responded with a gentle smile of her own.

"Yes, after contributing so much, I wasn't the only one promoted to jōnin. Congratulations to you as well, Shirou. Once we return, you'll be the new Deputy Chief of the Konoha Police Force."

Though Mikoto's tone was congratulatory, her words also carried a subtle undertone of dissatisfaction with how Konoha treated the Uchiha.

Shirou, of course, understood her meaning. Shaking his head with a smile, he replied:

"Alright, Mikoto, I know what you're trying to say. When it comes to outsiders, there's little we can do. But within the clan, we'll distribute rewards based on merit—whether it's techniques, training resources, or anything else. After all, we've acquired a significant amount of chakra metal this time."

Mikoto nodded in agreement. "Understood. But this time, the other new Deputy Chief of the Police Force is Captain Fugaku. I think you know what that means."

The ever-gentle Mikoto's tone carried a hint of probing as she spoke.

"You're referring to the future clan leader position, aren't you?" Shirou's expression remained calm. He was well aware of the situation. His promotion to Deputy Chief had been proposed by the Third Hokage himself, ostensibly as a reward for his contributions to the Land of Rain.

At the same time, the current Uchiha clan leader had conveniently proposed his son as the second Deputy Chief.

It was obvious to anyone paying attention: this was the Hokage's plan to sow discord within the Uchiha clan and incite internal conflict.

Although the Police Force was essentially controlled by the Uchiha Clan, and they could appoint or dismiss various positions at will, the roles of Captain and Deputy Captain still required formal notification to the Hokage as a gesture of respect whenever there was a change in leadership.

And then the Third Hokage pulled this move.

"Shirou, if you're interested, it's not like there's no chance. After all, I'm the granddaughter of Elder Setsuna, and with your battlefield reputation this time..."

Mikoto stared intently at Shirou, her gaze filled with determination. It was as if she was saying, "If you want it, I'll fully support you." She was ready to rally support and formally initiate his campaign for the position of Clan Leader.

"Mikoto, you..."

Mikoto's attitude touched Shirou, but at the same time, it left him speechless. Was she going to jump headfirst into a trap, knowing it was a setup?

If this were a world where power was merely superficial, it would be one thing. But this world—he understood it better than anyone else.

"Mikoto, what good is the position of Clan Leader?"

As he spoke, three tomoe Sharingan gradually appeared in Shirou's eyes. He stared at Mikoto intently and said in a serious tone:

"Mikoto, don't lose yourself over something as trivial as the title of Jonin. A Jonin is merely the starting point for a ninja. According to Elder Setsuna's records, the kind of earth-shattering power the Sharingan possesses is what the Uchiha should truly strive for—not so-called authority."

Shirou spoke earnestly as if reminding Uchiha Mikoto of something.

In her eyes, Shirou, who had fought against and even severely injured the Demi-God Hanzo of the Salamander, was already considered a powerful individual.

Given a few more years, he would undoubtedly grow even stronger. Naturally, this would seem like the perfect time to pursue the position of Uchiha Clan Leader.

This difference was not about vision but rather about understanding.

"Shirou, do you believe in such things!?"

Mikoto exclaimed in shock. The power of Uchiha Madara and the First Hokage seemed mythical, almost too fantastical to be real.

After all, in the warped world of the Shinobi, particularly after the First Great Ninja War, those who had witnessed such power had mostly passed away.

How many witnesses remained? Who would even believe in such godlike power as described in the legends?

"Why wouldn't I believe?"

Seeing Mikoto's disbelief, Shirou shook his head and stepped forward. Their eyes met, and his Sharingan locked firmly onto hers.

"Mikoto! I believe your Sharingan can see even farther..."

Under Shirou's compelling words, Mikoto was left stunned. His statement was almost like saying, "Your potential is still vast." This filled her with a newfound sense of determination.

"I understand now, Shirou. I will always stand by your side!"

Though she still felt a little lost, Mikoto now had someone to follow. As long as she kept training and striving to catch up to Shirou, everything would work out.

Hearing this, Shirou smiled. While natural talent was important, so too was the will to fight and improve.

If one lost their ambition, they would stagnate.

The essence of chakra was the power created by the fusion of mental and physical energy. Thus, the stronger one's resolve and drive, the stronger one would become as a ninja.

This was why the warped Shinobi world placed such emphasis on concepts like dreams and one's ninja way. It also explained why so many ninjas became stronger when they were driven to extremes. It was a real phenomenon.

For example, in the original story, many strong ninjas showed a significant drop in power or stagnated for years due to a loss of resolve or purpose. Notable examples included Hanzo of the Salamander in his later years, Anko Mitarashi, and even Kakashi, all of whom were once geniuses but failed to progress due to their mental states.

The saying redemption weakens you, while darkness makes you ten times stronger wasn't without merit. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura were individuals with extreme and unwavering beliefs.

"Now that the war is over, we should be heading back. But about those kids—Shirou, what are you planning to do with them?"

In the room, the 18-year-old Mikoto had grown taller and more graceful, exuding a sense of charm. Shirou couldn't help but smile as he looked at her.

"Yahiko is a determined young man. Since he's resolved to change his country, that's his choice, and we should respect it. As for Konan and Nagato, we'll see."

Though he said this, Shirou knew deep down that Uchiha Madara would never allow him to bring Nagato, the wielder of the Rinnegan, back to the village.

While discussing such serious matters, Mikoto noticed Shirou's gaze lingering on a certain part of her body. She couldn't help but smile teasingly.

"Shirou, congratulations on turning fifteen."

It had been over half a year since the war began, and almost a year had passed without them realizing it.

However, Mikoto's teasing remark made Shirou's eyes twitch. "Yeah, Mikoto, you made your move early back then, huh..."

His final statement, with a drawn-out tone, caused a hint of awkwardness to flash across Mikoto's eyes.

"Shirou, Kushina and Lady Tsunade have gone to the frontlines to assist Lord Orochimaru with treating the wounded. A lot is going on in the town, so I'll head down for now."

As Mikoto tried to avoid his gaze and leave, her legs suddenly gave out, causing her to fall onto Shirou's lap.

"Shirou!"

Her dark eyes shimmered with a layer of mist, and somehow, his hand had already reached her waist. Just as he was about to make another move, they both suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the house.

"Shirou, here's the latest report."

Mikoto quickly adopted a serious demeanor, reporting the mission details with a solemn expression. Sitting at the desk, Shirou nodded gravely.

"Alright, make the necessary preparations."

As they were discussing the mission, the door was suddenly flung open. Konan entered, her face filled with panic.

"Lord Shirou, something terrible has happened! It's Nagato—he..."

This unexpected turn of events caused Shirou's expression serious. He immediately said in a sharp tone, "Konan, take me to him at once!"

"Yes!"