Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-25712820-20150625204857/@comment-732150-20150627182628

I think that if Hiruzen had hinted at the Uchiha that he intended Itachi to take over as Hokage, I think the massacre might not have happened. The Uchiha would have jumped at the chance of having one of their own as Hokage, and Itachi already considered the village to be more important than the clan.