Because a Traitor Appeared

The next morning, not long after Uchiha Fugaku got up, a clansman came to report.

"Clan Head, the First Elder and Third Elder request that a clan meeting be convened!"

A young man spoke to Uchiha Fugaku politely, but without much respect.

The young man was in his twenties, of average build, with refined features and the usual arrogance of an Uchiha Clan member.

Uchiha Fugaku remembered that this man was named Uchiha Taka, from the First Elder and Third Elder's faction.

As someone from the First Elder and Third Elder's faction, he clearly did not hold much respect for Fugaku as the Clan Head.

So impatient?

Uchiha Fugaku sighed.

Naturally, he understood why the First Elder and Third Elder were so eager to convene a clan meeting. It was nothing more than Uchiha Shisui awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, giving them hope for a Coup d'état.

Thus, they could not wait to convene a clan meeting and discuss the coup d'état.

Unfortunately, the two of them probably never dreamed that Uchiha Shisui, in whom they had placed such high hopes, had long since sided with the Third Hokage and become an ungrateful turncoat.

Fine. It's time to lay everything out in the open!

Having made his decision, he said to Uchiha Taka.

"Go back and tell the First Elder and Third Elder that I agree to convene a clan meeting. However, only the elders will be permitted to attend this meeting."

"Only the elders will be allowed to attend?"

Uchiha Taka was stunned. He had not expected the Clan Head to agree to convene a clan meeting while making such an unusual demand.

Thinking of why the First Elder and Third Elder had sent him, and how more of the upper ranks supported their faction, it would be more advantageous to their side if all the clan's higher-ups attended the meeting.

He hurriedly said.

"Clan Head, the First Elder and Third Elder mean to convene a meeting of the entire clan, with all the clan's higher-ups participating."

"How presumptuous! Is there any place for you to voice your opinions here?"

Uchiha Fugaku's expression darkened as he fixed Uchiha Taka with a cold, sharp gaze.

"Forgive me, Clan Head. I-I... merely..."

Under Uchiha Fugaku's icy stare, Uchiha Taka felt a chill run from head to toe, his entire body turning cold.

Panic filled his heart. His body could not help trembling, and even his words became stuttered.

At that moment, he felt as though he were being watched by a terrifying being far stronger than himself.

The last time he had felt this way was on the battlefield of the Third Shinobi World War, when he had still been a Chunin and had been targeted by an Elite Jonin.

Had an Elite Jonin from the clan not come to his rescue, he would never have survived then.

And now, that feeling had returned, even stronger than before.

"Remember your place. You are merely a messenger. There is no place for you to speak here."

Uchiha Fugaku rebuked him coldly.

"Yes, Clan Head. I will remember it."

Though he felt deeply aggrieved, under the grip of fear, Uchiha Taka hurriedly replied.

"You need only convey my words to the First Elder and Third Elder. If they have any objections, they may raise them with me at the meeting."

Uchiha Fugaku said coldly, then waved him away.

The original owner's personality had been far too weak. So weak that even an ordinary clansman had dared to speak up and contradict him.

He was not the original owner, so naturally he would not tolerate such things.

"Yes..."

Uchiha Taka left in panic. Before departing, he could not help looking back at the Clan Head's residence, his heart filled with grievance and resentment.

He was from the First Elder and Third Elder's faction and had come as their representative, yet he had suffered such humiliation.

He would definitely tell the First Elder and Third Elder about this. They would surely stand up for him.

Half an hour later, at Naka Shrine.

First Elder Uchiha Setsuna, Third Elder Uchiha Sima, Second Elder Uchiha Moru, and Uchiha Fugaku, the Clan Head, arrived one after another.

"The Clan Head certainly puts on quite an impressive display!"

The moment Uchiha Fugaku arrived, First Elder Uchiha Setsuna, a thin man with a scar across the left side of his face, spoke in a sarcastic tone.

After returning, Uchiha Taka had embellished his experience at the Clan Head's residence and told it to the First Elder and Third Elder.

Upon learning of Uchiha Taka's treatment, he could not help but grow angry.

Uchiha Taka had gone as the representative of himself and the Third Elder, representing the two of them. Uchiha Fugaku humiliating Uchiha Taka like this was clearly an intentional slight against them.

"Yes, the Clan Head is quite imposing. Unfortunately, he only dares to flaunt that imposing manner before fellow clansmen. Why have we never seen you show such authority at village meetings?"

Third Elder Uchiha Sima, who had a hooked nose, also said.

In his eyes, Uchiha Fugaku humiliating Uchiha Taka was a provocation against himself and the First Elder.

Though the other man was the Clan Head, he and the First Elder were also clan elders. Their status was not much lower than his, and they would not tolerate such provocation.

"Hmph, I have yet to question how you discipline your subordinates, yet you have come after me first."

Uchiha Fugaku snorted coldly.

If it had been the original owner, he would surely have sought to preserve the clan's internal unity by letting a major matter become minor and a minor matter disappear.

But he was not the original owner, and he understood even more clearly that the more he yielded, the more they would push their luck.

His cold gaze swept over First Elder Uchiha Setsuna and Third Elder Uchiha Sima as he said.

"A mere ordinary clansman dared to contradict me. Is this how you discipline your subordinates?"

Seeing Uchiha Fugaku's unyielding attitude, First Elder Uchiha Setsuna and Third Elder Uchiha Sima flew into a rage and immediately shouted.

"How we discipline our subordinates is not for you to judge. Even if he was in the wrong, it is not your place to discipline him."

All this time, they had grown accustomed to Uchiha Fugaku yielding before them.

Now that they saw Uchiha Fugaku taking such a hard stance, the anger in their hearts was instantly ignited like a powder keg.

"There's no need for this, no need for this. We are all members of the same clan; there is no need to make things so tense. Everyone, calm down."

"The clan's situation is dire right now. If even we cannot unite, then the clan will have no hope."

Seeing that both sides were truly enraged, Second Elder Uchiha Moru hurriedly acted as a mediator and tried to persuade them.

"Besides, this is not what we should be discussing today, is it?"

Thinking of what they had gathered to discuss today, First Elder Uchiha Setsuna and Third Elder Uchiha Sima exchanged a glance and temporarily suppressed their anger.

Though they were furious over Uchiha Fugaku's "provocation," there was indeed a more important matter to discuss today.

Taking a deep breath, First Elder Uchiha Setsuna looked coldly at Uchiha Fugaku and said.

"Before we begin, I have a question. Why was the clan meeting changed so that only the four of us would participate?"

Among the higher-ups, the majority supported himself and the Third Elder. It would be more advantageous to their faction if all the higher-ups attended the clan meeting.

"Even if you had not asked, I would have said so, because this is precisely the key matter we are about to discuss."

"The reason I changed the clan meeting so that only the four of us would attend is because among the clan's higher-ups—"

Uchiha Fugaku paused, his gaze sweeping over the three elders before he said solemnly.

"A traitor has appeared!"