Uchiha are actually cheap bones

"Sōken, over here."

Uchiha Chihaya, seated in the second row, waved.

As a young junior who had been promoted to Jonin less than half a year ago, she should ordinarily have been seated in the back. But privilege existed everywhere. With an elder as her Grandfather, and being a girl besides, Chihaya had squeezed into the front row alongside Elder Ryuji to claim a seat, and no one had anything to say about it.

Uchiha arrogance had long since seeped into the very bones of the clan.

What was more, everyone qualified to attend the gathering was among the clan's elite. Their pride was three times stronger than that of ordinary clan members. They certainly would not do something so embarrassing as seriously argue with a girl!

"Chihaya, sit properly. Don't fidget around, or everyone will laugh at you." Sōken walked over and pressed a hand onto his childhood friend's head. He glanced at the vacant seat beside her that belonged to him. "I'm sitting somewhere else today. Call Futaba over to sit with you."

With that said, he released his hand.

He bypassed the second row and continued forward, stopping at the first row, where only the six elders sat side by side. Then he sat cross-legged beside Elder Homaru, at the far right. There were no spare cushions for him there, so he chose the more comfortable cross-legged posture.

A small commotion immediately broke out among the clan members behind him.

Sōken's rule-breaking behavior sparked a wave of murmurs. Some thought he was disregarding the rules, some believed he truly was bold, while others simply did not care about such a trivial matter.

"Hey! Boy, I like your guts."

Elder Homaru laughed, casting a sidelong glance at Sōken beside him, his eyes full of delight.

Hearing Elder Homaru's unmistakable support, the clan members in the rear immediately erupted into even fiercer discussion. Fortunately, everyone understood what kind of place this was. All disputes remained verbal; no one would leap up in anger and draw a blade.

"Since I've decided to do it, I should naturally take my stand openly and proudly."

Sōken answered as if it were only natural.

He sat there cross-legged, his back ramrod straight, like a Famous Sword forged through countless hammerings. Simply looking at his back, one could feel the sharp and unwavering will within him.

"Well said!"

Elder Homaru nodded, the appreciation in his eyes growing even stronger. He himself was fiery and high-spirited by nature, and he most admired children with such keen vigor. In his opinion, the Uchiha should be this spirited and flamboyant, this arrogant and overbearing!!!

Comparing him to Fugaku, whose steady temperament was so stifling it made one feel suffocated, Homaru could not help feeling puzzled. How had he supported Fugaku for clan head in the first place?

While the two of them were chatting, the tardy Lord Clan Head finally arrived!

He wore the Police Force uniform—a green vest paired with dark trousers. On the outer sides of his sleeves near the shoulders was the Police Force insignia: an Uchiha Gunbai set within a Shuriken.

The clan head had not come alone. Six Jonin from the clan followed behind him, all trusted retainers much like Uchiha Yashiro. The youngest-looking among them was glaring at Sōken with extreme displeasure. If looks could kill, Sōken would probably have been a corpse riddled with holes by now.

"Sorry to have kept everyone waiting. I had a personal matter to deal with and arrived a step late." Fugaku Uchiha walked before the Stone Tablet, turned around, and stood still as he surveyed the clan members gathered in the Secret Chamber. His gaze paused on Sōken's face for an extra second before shifting ahead. "Without further ado, I called this emergency gathering to announce something."

He paused for several seconds, waiting until the clan members had all perked up their ears in rapt attention, before continuing in a different tone. "I intend to transfer the position of clan head to Uchiha Sōken."

One stone stirred a thousand waves!

The clan members had not been entirely unprepared!

But... everyone had expected a rather fierce struggle. Some had been looking forward to the clan head using an iron fist to suppress the disobedient brat, while others wanted to see Flame Demon display his might and successfully seize the position... In any case, it was supposed to be thrilling!

And this was it?

What kind of half-hearted farce was this?

It was not only the clan members who were surprised—the elders also looked quite taken aback. Genji Uchiha frowned and instinctively turned his head toward his grandson seated at the far right—

"Forgive me, Clan Head, but I must refuse."

Sōken rose to his feet, his clear, ringing answer reaching every clan member's ears.

Before one wave had settled, another rose.

"Huh?!!!"

"What's going on?"

"This is completely different from what I heard. What the hell is happening?"

The clan members were utterly bewildered.

Whether elderly, middle-aged, or young, they all looked at one another in confusion, completely unable to understand what this situation was.

"Sōken, are you sure you know what you're saying?"

Fugaku Uchiha frowned as he looked at Sōken, who had stepped forward. "You..."

"The position of clan head does not need to be handed over!" Sōken forcefully cut off Fugaku Uchiha before he could finish. He raised his head and met Fugaku's eyes. "Rather than having it given to me, I prefer taking it with my own hands."

After saying that, he turned around and faced this group of Jonin-level clan members.

"You all know me, right? I'll skip the introductions and get straight to why I'm here today. I believe Clan Head Fugaku lacks the ability and resolve to lead the clan through this crisis. I may be young, but I believe I have more than enough ability to sit in the clan head's seat. So today, I'm making this clear: the position of clan head will be mine and mine alone!!"

He did not deliberately slow his speech to arrange his words.

At a time like this, things like Talk no Jutsu were nothing but a joke! He did not believe he could convince so many clan members with his mouth alone, nor did he want to see such a thing happen. Compared to a silver tongue, he believed the fists in his hands would make the clan members understand his determination more deeply and recognize the authority of their next Lord Clan Head.

To put it bluntly, aside from their well-known arrogance, Sōken felt that the Uchiha Clan also had something of a masochistic streak.

Back then, Madara Uchiha had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the First Hokage—Hashirama Senju. The beating had left the Uchiha Clan so terrified that they no longer dared rebel against the First Hokage. They would rather oppose Madara Uchiha, their own clan head, than make an enemy of the First Hokage. That alone showed how deeply the Uchiha Clan of that time feared the overwhelmingly powerful First Hokage.

Now, he intended to follow the First Hokage's example and make these clan members, arrogant to their very bones, submit completely beneath his feet.

"Mr. Sōken."

Fugaku Uchiha raised his voice. "There's no need to make this so complicated. I'll hand the clan head's position directly to you. This will be an official transfer of authority, and the clan members won't object."

Sōken cast the clan head a sidelong glance.

Then ignored him.

He did not know whether Fugaku Uchiha sincerely intended to yield his position, or whether he believed Sōken lacked the ability to control the clan and planned to throw him out as a shield while continuing to manipulate power from the shadows... But either way, regardless of Fugaku Uchiha's true intentions, Sōken had no intention of accepting.

He had not forgotten Grandfather's warning on the approach path!

"Toshiwa, how about we have a match?"

Sōken provocatively crooked a finger at the handsome young man standing beside Fugaku Uchiha. Uchiha Toshiwa was one of Lord Clan Head's youngest trusted aides, and ever since entering the secret chamber, he had been glaring at Sōken with extreme displeasure.

Sure enough, Already deeply dissatisfied with Fugaku Uchiha's decision to hand his position over to Sōken, Toshiwa's fury had risen to its peak after Uchiha Sōken repeatedly spouted reckless remarks and slandered the clan head. And now, he was openly provoking him—

"Uchiha Sōken, don't get too arrogant! Is that how you speak to your seniors? Don't think that a little fame makes you the strongest in the clan."

With a sharp shing, the short sword left its sheath. Blinded by rage, Uchiha Toshiwa slashed at Sōken.