The Uchiha Meeting

Uchiha Conference

The war between Konoha and Sand Ninja ended, Uchiha Fugaku and others withdrew from the front lines.

In this battle, both the lower-ranking ninjas and the commanders of Konoha Uchiha Clan. It could even be said that the Uchiha alone was fighting against the entire Sand Ninja. Therefore, although the final result of the war was a draw, it was enough to demonstrate the strength of the Uchiha.

However, the price the Uchiha paid for this was enormous, with heavy casualties among the Chunin, and even the current clan leader Uchiha Kyosho, died in battle under mysterious circumstances.

Fortunately, in the midst of the crisis, Fugaku stepped forward to take charge and stabilize the situation. After this battle, Fugaku's reputation soared, which also solidified his position as the next Uchiha Clan Head!

Uchiha settlement, Naka Shrine.

This is the ancestral temple of the Uchiha Clan, which is publicly known as a place for worshipping ancestors, but in reality, it is a place for secret gatherings.

After assuming the position of clan head, Fugaku immediately convened a high-level meeting.

As a core disciple of the Uchiha, Shunren was naturally among those invited.

However, judging from the seating arrangement at the meeting, Shunren was seated in the second seat. After all, he was young; it was quite rare for Shunren to be seated here. Of course, Shunren didn't seem to mind.

The person in the chairman's seat was naturally Fugaku, flanked by Tekka and Yashiro, and then there were some old men whose names the Shunren couldn't recall.

"I've called everyone here today to discuss the Uchiha Clan's new policy..." Fugaku briefly explained the meeting's topic.

However, at that moment, the ever-active Yashiro immediately raised a very important question to Fugaku, "Fugaku... Clan Chief, now that you have become the head of our Uchiha Clan, shouldn't you relinquish your position in the Konoha Military Police Force?"

Fugaku glanced at him and smiled, saying, "Yashiro, no need to be so formal, just keep calling me Captain."

On the surface, Fugaku's words seemed friendly towards Yashiro, but they actually contained a hidden meaning. He continued to call him "Captain," but what kind of captain? Naturally, he was the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force!

Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd displayed a variety of expressions. The only thing they could discern was that Fugaku was preparing to seize supreme power within the clan, as well as control of the Konoha Military Police Force. This ambition and audacity surpassed that of his predecessors.

Yashiro paused, then his face showed displeasure. "The previous clan head never interfered in Konoha Military Police Force affairs. Is what you're doing...?"

"Anyone who disagrees with my continued appointment as captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, please vote!" Fugaku didn't waste any words and directly and domineeringly called for a vote.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense. Yashiro gritted his teeth and was the first to raise his hand. Then, with the first person, there was bound to be a second, then a third, and then... nothing more.

There were twenty seats in total at the meeting, but only three people vetoed it, demonstrating that Fugaku's position was overwhelmingly meaningless!

Shunren is currently AFK (away from keyboard).

Fugaku was quite satisfied with the current situation. His gaze swept over the three men who had raised their hands, and he memorized their names. "Thank you all for your support. I, Uchiha Fugaku, assure you, I will lead the Uchiha to its peak!"

Then came another round of lively discussion, with everyone enthusiastically expressing their opinions, some radical and some conservative. Fugaku did not explicitly state his support for either side on the spot.

Shunren began to close his eyes and rest.

Two or three hours passed in this way. Just as Shunren was in a dozing state, he suddenly heard someone calling his name.

"Uchiha Shunren."

Shunren slowly opened his eyes and turned his gaze to the person who had called out his name.

It was an old man whose name he couldn't recall.

Are you awake?

"More or less." Shunren was slightly surprised, wondering what the other party would want from him, who was AFK.

"Is that so?" The old man didn't seem to care about Shunren's attitude. He first took out an encrypted document from his pocket, handed it to Fugaku, and then said, "I have a few questions I'd like to ask you."

Shunren did not respond to him, but instead turned his gaze to Fugaku.

"..." After reading the document in his hand, Fugaku remained expressionless and simply said, "Shunren, Mr. Kokuyō is the elder in charge of intelligence for our clan."

Shunren narrowed his eyes slightly. This intelligence structure, specifically serving a clan, was a capability only a large clan like the Uchiha. Having arrived here, he roughly guessed what the other party wanted to ask.

"Uchiha Shunren, where were you on the morning of October 11th?" the old man asked.

"The Kirigakure of the Land of Water."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression immediately changed. The Land of Water was now an enemy state; what was Shunren doing there?

"What are you doing?" the old man continued to ask.

"Top secret mission." Shunren had no obligation to answer each question.

The old man answered for him, "Is it true that you assisted the Sand Ninja Village's Scorch Release user, Pakura, in escaping the Land of Water?"

"What?!" The old man's words immediately caused an uproar in the entire room!

"Shunren!" The hot-tempered Yashiro immediately jumped out, pointing at Shunren and cursing, "That Pakura is the murderer of the previous clan chief, and you actually went to save her!"

Shunren remained unfazed, merely glancing at him indifferently. "Do you really believe that Pakura could kill the previous clan chief?"

The crowd looked puzzled, with only a few knowing the details.

Fugaku asked with a serious expression, "Shunren, do you know who assassinated the previous clan chief?"

The timing of White Zetsu's attack was impeccable. It occurred during a crucial moment in the battle between Kyosho and Pakura. Afterwards, White Zetsu was also eliminated by Pakura's Superior Extremely Steaming Murder, effectively erasing all traces of the attack, and no one discovered it. The reason the Third Shinobi World War was so devastating was due to the machinations of figures like Madara Uchiha.

"Have no idea."

Shunren was the only person in the world who knew everything, but he didn't reveal it. Even if he did, it wouldn't matter if anyone believed him; who would dare seek revenge against Madara Uchiha?

Fugaku and the others did not doubt Shunren's words, since although they had noticed a clue, they had not been able to find any substantial evidence.

"Alright, I understand. Shunren was under orders from the Hokage and had no choice but to carry out the mission." Fugaku wanted to exonerate Shunren, but what he said was also true.

Regardless of the reason, Shunren's act of saving Pakura was enough to provoke dissatisfaction among the Uchiha.

But what Fugaku said next was even more shocking, "Shunren, I want you to serve as either the captain of my personal guard or the captain of my Konoha Military Police Force. Which one would you choose?"