In 2000, Ueto portrayed the supporting role of Momo Fuchigami in the Fuji TV drama "Namida o Fuite", starring Yōsuke Eguchi. The drama garnered strong ratings and gave Ueto her biggest exposure yet. In 2001, Ueto appeared on the annual Victor Kōshien poster, which, in the past, kick-started the careers of Noriko Sakai and Miho Kanno. Later that year, she was cast in the role of Nao Tsurumoto, a student suffering from gender identity disorder (GID), in the sixth season of the TBS drama "3-nen B-gumi Kinpachi-sensei". The role propelled her to stardom and earned her a Golden Arrow Award for Best Newcomer.