Naruto: I Became a Sword Saint in Konoha

Hiruzen smiled at Hoshiyomi's suggestion.

"That would be wonderful. Honestly, I'd really like to see you take Kuugetsu as your disciple. If she inherits your teachings and grows into a formidable shinobi…"

His tone grew thoughtful.

"…she might earn real influence within the Uchiha clan. And we... we need a bridge like that between the village and the Uchiha."

Though Hiruzen spoke in vague terms, Hoshiyomi knew exactly what he meant.

The rift between the Uchiha and the village had only deepened over time. The Police Force arrangement set up during the Second Hokage's era—originally seen by the Uchiha as a sign of trust—had long since revealed itself to be something else entirely.

Now, it was clear: Tobirama's so-called "honor" was a calculated move. The Police Force had become a tool of isolation—one that separated the Uchiha from Konoha's core political structures.

To be fair, Tobirama's original strategy had been far more intricate.

On the surface, he'd handed the Uchiha a position of considerable authority—feeding their desire for political recognition. Simultaneously, he had taken Kagami Uchiha, the most loyal of his students, under his wing.

Kagami's future was bright. As the strongest among the Uchiha and the most trusted by the village, Tobirama had hoped Kagami would become a guiding elder within the clan—someone to temper its more extreme elements from the inside.

If Tobirama had lived, his iron-fisted control coupled with Kagami's internal influence might have kept the Uchiha in check—just as planned.

But everything changed during the First Great Ninja War.

Tobirama died. And soon after, Kagami fell on the battlefield as well. His death ended what might have been Konoha's best chance at peacefully integrating the Uchiha.

There was Uchiha Hokushin, Kagami's brother, who might've been a second chance. But his abilities weren't strong enough. He was marginalized—eventually even driven out of the Police Force.

As he thought of Kagami and Hokushin, Hoshiyomi couldn't help but draw a comparison to Shisui and Itachi. The parallels were uncanny—almost like history repeating itself.

If he remembered correctly, Shisui was indeed Kagami's descendant. That realization sparked a sudden question.

"Did Kagami-senpai leave behind any children?" Hoshiyomi asked.

Hiruzen exhaled a stream of pipe smoke, his expression dimming.

"He did have a son. But when news of Kagami's death reached the village, his wife was so overwhelmed with grief she couldn't bear the stress of pregnancy. She passed away during a complicated labor. The child survived—but was born frail, with a constitution too weak to become a shinobi."

Hoshiyomi fell silent, sighing.

So that sickly child was probably Shisui's father. If Kagami had survived, he would've been the natural heir to lead the Uchiha. Instead, due to cruel fate, his lineage vanished into obscurity.

It was a real shame. Tobirama's plan had been clever—ruthless, yes—but brilliant. Unfortunately, not even the most brilliant strategies could withstand the chaos of war.

Even Tobirama, with all his foresight, couldn't have predicted how his death would unravel the very scheme he'd put in motion.

Then again, wasn't Hiruzen part of the problem too?

The growing divide between the Uchiha and the village had much to do with Hiruzen's political weakness in those years. Barely able to keep his own footing, how could he manage clan tensions?

Unable to deal with the Uchiha directly, Hiruzen opted to sideline them—and by the time he had the authority to step in, the Uchiha had already begun walking a path they couldn't turn back from.

Their resentment grew—especially within the Police Force, which felt increasingly abandoned by the village. And in turn, villagers began to distrust the Uchiha. The entire situation became a vicious cycle.

Even by the time Naruto and Sasuke were born, the Third Hokage still hadn't found a way to break it.

Instead, he placed that impossible burden on two young boys: Shisui and Itachi. And in the end, Danzo's interference led to disaster—the massacre of the Uchiha clan.

Thinking through it all, Hoshiyomi experienced a strange sense of clarity—as if he'd just unraveled a hidden chapter of history.

But more than that, he felt something even stronger:

He now had the chance to change history.

Looking at Kuugetsu, he saw more than just a talented girl. He saw a possible turning point for the entire Uchiha clan.

If he could nurture her into one of Konoha's strongest, perhaps she could become a force that pulled the Uchiha away from the cliff edge they were walking toward.

He'd lived in Konoha for over two decades now. He felt deeply tied to the village—especially now that his relationship with Tsunade had become what it was.

The last thing he wanted was to see the Konoha under her future leadership plagued by the same rot that once consumed it.

And truthfully… he was curious.

If he saved the Uchiha—if there was no darkened Obito, no vengeful Sasuke—what kind of future would that create?

For a moment, Hoshiyomi felt as if he were locked in a secret game of wits against Black Zetsu.

Black Zetsu believed he could manipulate the world from the shadows. But what he didn't know was that someone else had quietly begun undoing his plans.

Of course, to truly face off against Black Zetsu, it would all come down to Kuugetsu's potential. If she turned out to be mediocre, Hoshiyomi would have to wait until Shisui came of age and reassess from there.

But even if he failed to change anything now, he still had a solid thirty years ahead of him. And when the time came—if it came to it—he would tear Black Zetsu's entire chessboard to pieces.

As long as he reached the rank of Sword Saint within those thirty years, he had full confidence he could show Black Zetsu what true despair looked like.

At present, Hoshiyomi was still two levels and 20 experience points short of that goal.

Since unlocking the "Sword Heart" system, he'd gained another 50 EXP. That brought his total to:

Advanced Swordsmanship: 480 / 500

Most of that experience came from his duel with Hanzō—where he served as the main attacker, clashing with Hanzō head-on and defeating him with the help of Tsunade and the others. The system had rewarded him generously for the feat.

Now, he was just 20 EXP away from reaching Master-level Swordsmanship—and formally stepping into Kage-level strength.

But where to get those final 20 points?

Without hesitation, Hoshiyomi's eyes fell on Hiruzen.

"Old man," he said, "you've been stuck behind a desk too long. When's the last time you actually fought someone?"

Hiruzen blinked, surprised.

"What are you getting at?"

Hoshiyomi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I feel like I'm on the verge of a breakthrough—but I just can't quite get there. I was thinking maybe we could spar a bit. Might push me over the edge."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. He thought Hoshiyomi was joking.

Still, he was curious. Just how far had the boy who defeated Hanzō alongside Tsunade grown?

After a moment's thought, he grinned.

"Why not? Let's have a match later today. It'll be good to stretch my old bones."

Author's Note:

This chapter took me a long time. Especially the Uchiha background part—I rewrote it several times trying to get the flow right. Hopefully it reads smoothly now.