With the overall situation settled, he naturally had no desire to remain aboard a broken ship destined to sink.
No matter what, he was an Uchiha jonin with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, someone with a certain amount of influence. Even if his past experiences had kept him from entering the clan's inner circle, he could still retain a certain status.
Watching the two elders and Uchiha Kin change their attitudes within mere seconds before the Mangekyō Sharingan, along with the clan members who had become excited, agitated, even fanatical at the sight of those eyes, Uchiha Gen spoke loudly. "To avoid suspicion regarding Fugaku's disappearance, I will not personally involve myself. I'll leave it to you to investigate here. How does that sound?"
The seasoned veterans present immediately understood the meaning behind those words.
Uchiha Gen would not interfere and would leave it for them to handle.
What did that mean?
Was this the first pledge of allegiance?
No, it did not yet count as a pledge of allegiance. He was merely giving them a chance to declare their stance and choose a side.
Would they choose the Clan Head, who was destined to become yesterday's news, and Fugaku's branch? Or would they choose the Great Elder and Uchiha Gen, old yet vigorous and at the height of their power?
They did not need to think twice to know what they should do, or what sort of answer they should give Uchiha Gen.
As for the truth?
The truth was no longer important.
What mattered was what they should do now and in the future.
The Second Elder was the first to react. He knew that the tide had turned. Before those eyes, any scheme for power seemed pale and powerless.
"Indeed. There must be something suspicious about this matter. The