Fugaku: The Shadow of the Leaf
Wang Yue sighed as he watched the anime playing on his computer screen. The episode depicted a haunting moment—Uchiha Fugaku's final night, illuminated only by moonlight and betrayal.
> "The proud leader of the Uchiha—the most powerful clan in Konoha—slain by his own son, without resistance," Wang Yue murmured bitterly.
Fugaku had chosen not to fight back. Instead, he accepted his death—believing in his son's decision and the village's fragile peace. He entrusted the future to Uchiha Itachi, even if it meant erasing the present.
"A father to the end… but was he ever the Clan Leader the Uchiha needed?"
Wang Yue had rewatched Naruto many times, yet Fugaku's quiet, dignified end always left a deep impression. Once the head of a clan famed for its Sharingan and deep-rooted legacy—one of the founding pillars of Konoha—Fugaku had let it all fall into ruin.
Perhaps he was a good father. But not the leader his clan needed in turbulent times.
With a heavy sigh, Wang Yue closed his laptop. Outside, dark clouds cast a gloomy shadow over the city, and a chilly wind slipped through the half-open window. A strange fatigue settled in, heavier than usual. He stumbled to the bathroom, showered in silence, and collapsed into bed.
---
That Night
A terrifying stillness.
Wang Yue's eyes fluttered open, but the world remained pitch-black. He couldn't move. Couldn't speak. His limbs were frozen. Familiar—but worse than sleep paralysis. It felt like his mind was being wrenched out of his skull, pulled into some vast, swirling void.
A burning pain shot through his head. He screamed silently. It was as if two memories—two lives—were colliding violently inside his consciousness.
Flashes. Images. Unfamiliar. Uchiha children. Hidden Leaf. The blood-red glow of the Sharingan.
The pain ebbed slowly, but the images remained—foreign, vivid, and frighteningly real. He slipped into unconsciousness again.
---
The Next Morning
A dim ceiling.
Wang Yue awoke with a groggy groan, blinking at a ceiling lamp hanging from a plain wooden beam. He sat up slowly, feeling... off. His hands—smooth, youthful. His body—lighter. His thoughts—crowded.
Fragments of a new life surged through his brain, slowly crystallizing into clarity.
> Uchiha Fugaku... son of Uchiha Tenjo... thirteen years old... heir to the clan...
Wang Yue's breath caught in his throat. He scrambled to a nearby mirror. The reflection confirmed it—black eyes, short raven hair, and sharp, maturing features. He had become a young Uchiha Fugaku.
Just last night, he had grieved the man. Now, he was him.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
---
The Uchiha's History
Memories continued to surface, not just Fugaku's—but generations of Uchiha history. Since the days of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, the Uchiha had been gradually pushed out of Konoha's inner political circle. The formation of the Konoha Military Police Force, meant to placate the clan, was in truth an elegant way to isolate them.
Many Uchiha took pride in their "special authority," oblivious to the political trap. Over time, resentment grew—both from the village toward the Uchiha, and from the Uchiha toward Konoha's leadership.
Fugaku had graduated from the Academy at age 10—exceptional, but not rare in the Uchiha. By 13, he was already a Chūnin and had begun reviewing secret clan records. His aptitude for tactics was evident. He would later become known as "Wicked Eye Fugaku" for his fearsome Genjutsu prowess.
But now, a reincarnated Wang Yue had a chance to act differently. Aware of what would eventually happen—the Massacre of the Uchiha—he silently vowed:
> "This time, I won't let the Uchiha fall."
---
Gathering the Clues
Outside, the village of Konoha was peaceful—artificially so. The Third Shinobi World War loomed just beneath the surface, tensions rising among the Five Great Nations.
Wang Yue—Fugaku—knew from canon that the upcoming war would catapult him to prominence. In the original timeline, he led Konoha forces in the Third War and was once considered as a candidate for Fourth Hokage, only to be overlooked due to growing mistrust between the village and his clan.
Now, with this knowledge, he would prepare the Uchiha—not for war alone—but for survival.
He stepped outside his modest courtyard. The Uchiha district was quiet. A village within a village, born from the political alienation after Uchiha Madara's rebellion and Hashirama's death.
Their new home was in the village's outskirts—convenient for surveillance, but a symbolic exile.
Stores lined the main street—Uchiha-run businesses for retired or civilian members. Ninja hurried along the path, many nodding respectfully to the Clan Leader's son.
Fugaku returned their gaze calmly, eyes sharp and alert.
---
A Rising Fire
He washed his face in the courtyard basin, the cold water reviving him. Then, with swift efficiency, he dressed in his shinobi gear: a grey training outfit, standard-issue ninja pouch, shuriken, kunai, and steel wire tucked neatly inside.
This world felt real. Tangible. His.
The coming years would be filled with war, manipulation, and betrayal—Danzo's Root, Obito's machinations, the Uchiha Council's arrogance, and the village's paranoia.
But this time, Fugaku wouldn't wait quietly. He would build political bridges. Train his clan's youth. Engage in diplomacy with the Hokage's advisors. Prepare the Uchiha for the storm.
> "Let Konoha's sun rise again—with the Uchiha standing in its light."
He stepped onto the stone path, heading toward the village's heart—not as the man history had judged, but as a leader reborn.