Since You Refuse to Accept Me, I'll Beat You Until You Do

"I disagree!"

The Elder who had first questioned whether Kaze should attend this Clan Meeting once again shouted sternly.

Although he had also heard about Kaze saving Hinata and killing a Kumogakure Jonin, Kaze was still an ordinary man who could not even awaken the Sharingan.

Naturally, he had no favorable impression of him.

He had already been displeased by Kaze merely attending this Clan Meeting, let alone having him take an important position in the Security Force.

On top of that, the Hawk Faction's political ideals often clashed with Fugaku's.

Voices of opposition gradually grew within the Hawk Faction.

An Uchiha prodigy from the Hawk Faction, Uchiha Kiyoshi, simply rose from his round mat.

"Clan Head, Uchiha Kazekage is not even an official member of the Security Force. Promoting him directly to Deputy Security Force Captain will probably be difficult to justify."

Yet neither Fugaku nor Kaze found this outcome surprising.

Although this small Clan Meeting only had thirty or forty attendees, it contained four factions.

The Hawk Faction, which sought to solve the problem through a coup.

The Dove Faction, which had inherited Kagami's will.

Fence-sitters like Fugaku, who remained indecisive.

And the spy faction led by Shisui and Itachi.

Among them, the Hawk Faction and Dove Faction had the strongest desire to fight for influence.

Now that they saw Fugaku intending to place Kaze in an important position, they naturally would not agree so easily.

"Kaze."

"Do you have anything to say?"

Fugaku exchanged glances with Kiyoshi and the Elders, then simply kicked the ball to Kaze.

Fugaku had his own considerations as well.

Kaze certainly had ideas, and he was also highly talented in Lightning Release.

But Fugaku could not tell whether Kaze truly stood in the same camp as him.

So he did not particularly want to place his bets on Kaze.

"If Kaze cannot even deal with the Hawk Faction within the clan, then expecting him to eliminate the rift between the Uchiha Clan and the village would be unreliable as well."

Fugaku thought to himself.

He might as well let Kaze resolve these doubts himself.

If he could handle them, then everyone would be happy.

Fugaku would also be more than willing to implement Kaze's plan.

If he could not handle them...

Then it could only mean Kaze was no more capable than this.

There would be no need for Fugaku to bet on him.

Kaze glanced at Fugaku's attitude.

That old bastard really dumped all the trouble on me.

But...

This is an opportunity for me too.

Kaze pondered silently.

Over the years, the Konoha leadership had continuously suppressed the Uchiha Clan.

The conflict had intensified.

As a result, more and more clan members supported the Hawk Faction.

But at the same time...

The Hawk Faction was also the easiest faction within the clan to win over.

Because they believed in the principle that strength reigned supreme and had absolute faith in the power of the Sharingan.

For people like them, all it took was crushing them with power greater than their own.

More often than not, that would earn their trust.

As for the secret of his awakened Sharingan, it was time to reveal it openly.

In truth, many people's thoughts were only suited to a particular stage.

Kaze had initially chosen to hide his Sharingan because he had awakened it at five years old.

His Taijutsu was not strong enough, and his Genjutsu had yet to be developed.

If Danzo found out, who knew whether he would get Kaze killed on the battlefield?

But the situation was different now.

Before Kaze had crossed over, there had been a man named Liu Che.

When Liu Che was weak, he endured, sought marriage alliances, and paid reparations, all for the day when he would grow strong.

Once he became strong...

His attitude became, "Marriage alliances and reparations, my ass. I'll pave the roads with gold, build walls out of men and horses, and beat you until heaven and earth turn upside down!"

Kaze was the same now.

In terms of Taijutsu, he had obtained the training methods of the Six Powers.

In terms of Ninjutsu, he had the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to pass off as the real thing.

As for Genjutsu, it was simply about creating terrifying scenes and breaking down the opponent's psychological defenses.

Even a genius like Itachi could only imagine tying someone to a cross and stabbing them with a blade for seventy-two hours.

But Kaze...

The Ring, Silent Hill, The Grudge, The Haunted Cinema, The Imp...

They were enough to give anyone a taste of hell.

"Heh heh heh."

Following his usual routine, Kaze first showed an unconcerned sneer, then slowly rose from his seat.

"You oppose me becoming Deputy Security Force Captain for no more than two reasons."

"You think I do not have the Sharingan, so I am not part of the true Uchiha bloodline."

"You think I lack strength and do not meet your principle that strength reigns supreme."

"If that is the case, then let us settle this through strength."

"Everyone present counts."

"Any one of you may challenge me, Uchiha Kazekage."

"Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu—choose whichever field you excel in."

As he spoke, Kaze walked to the center of Naka Shrine.

He looked down at the Uchiha clansmen seated upon their round mats.

His voice was not loud, but every word rang firm and powerful.

His gaze was resolute, and his expression calm.

It was as though he were declaring to every one of them...

Since you refuse to accept me, then I'll beat you until you do!

For a moment...

Whether it was the Dove Faction led by Shisui or the Hawk Faction led by the Elder,

they all leaned back tactically and sucked in a sharp breath.

No one had expected...

That Kaze would choose such a simple and brutal method to resolve their doubts!

But thinking about it, for these proud Uchiha prodigies,

verbal arguments were often the hardest way to convince someone.

Fists were far more convincing.

"Kaze..." Fugaku had not expected the Clan Meeting to head toward violence the moment it began.

Yet as he looked at Kaze's confident bearing,

he saw a trace of Itachi Uchiha in him.

Since the Third Shinobi World War, Itachi had been just like Kaze was now.

No matter what trouble he encountered or what hardships he endured, he always remained calm in the face of change.

"Do not make eye contact with the clansmen."

Fugaku swallowed nervously, his throat bobbing.

In his view, without an awakened Sharingan, Genjutsu was undoubtedly Kaze's weakness.

He absolutely had to be wary of the clansmen's Sharingan.

He could not meet their eyes.

Once he was pulled into a Genjutsu World,

it would be troublesome.

"I'll do it!"

Suddenly, Uchiha Kiyoshi, who had previously questioned Kaze's qualifications, slapped his thigh.

He immediately rose from his round mat.

Not only was he a staunch member of the Hawk Faction, but he was also one of the strongest members of the Security Force.

He awakened the Sharingan at eleven.

At Twelve years old, he was already a Chunin of the village.

At thirteen, during the Third Shinobi World War, he single-handedly killed two Jonin and six Chunin from Kirigakure.

He established great military merit.

At fourteen, he had already become a Jonin of the village.

Now eighteen, he was in his prime.

It could be said that he possessed considerable prestige throughout the Uchiha Clan.

Seeing Kiyoshi take the initiative to stand, the Hawk Faction Elders smiled as well.

It was as if they had already foreseen Kaze's fate.

He would surely suffer a crushing defeat!

When Fugaku saw that Kiyoshi was the first challenger, his expression changed slightly. While reminding Kaze to be careful, he stepped back and made enough room for the two of them.

"Be careful!"

Kiyoshi warned Kaze. The pupils in his eyes suddenly turned blood-red, and three black Tomoe emerged.

He handled the Sharingan with complete ease!

Then, the instant Kiyoshi finished speaking, he used the Body Flicker Technique to rush cleanly and swiftly behind Kaze.

In his eyes, Kaze, without the Sharingan, could never possibly see his movements clearly.

And for a ninja, exposing one's back to an opponent meant certain death.

"Kaze..."

But just as Uchiha Kiyoshi prepared to raise his Kunai and place it against Kaze's neck,

Smack!

Uchiha Kiyoshi suddenly felt a burning pain on his cheek. His feet left the ground uncontrollably, and he flew backward toward the wall of Naka Shrine.