Establishing Authority (Seeking Votes! Seeking Investment!)

Sōken was determined to establish his authority.

Even if no one picked a fight with him, he was prepared to take the initiative and stir one up.

If he did not beat these unruly clansmen into submission here, taking the clan head's seat would be pointless. What he wanted was a clan as obedient and compliant as Samehada—not an Uchiha clan that paid lip service while acting otherwise, went east when told west, and chased dogs when told to catch chickens.

"Chihaya, Arashiyama, and Shisui, don't interfere. This is my round."

Sōken stopped his companions from acting.

At a time like this, he could not call for help.

He needed to establish an authority that belonged solely to him.

Genji Uchiha stood up at that moment. With Uchiha Arashiyama's help, he restrained Sōken's supporters and directed the group to shuffle back toward the right side of the Secret Chamber, leaving the central space to Sōken and those clansmen resentful of his tyranny and brutality.

"Sōken, what exactly are you trying to do? The position of clan head..."

Fugaku Uchiha's brows were tightly furrowed. The situation had completely slipped beyond his control, and this was not what he wanted to see.

If he searched his conscience, had he intended to make Sōken a figurehead while secretly retaining control of the clan's power himself...? Naturally, the answer was no. He simply felt that Sōken was too young and worried that his youthful impulsiveness would lead him to mistakes too grave to undo.

He truly believed he wanted to lend Sōken a hand—unless Sōken really was hopelessly useless.

Bang!!

The thrown shuriken shot across the short distance like a cannonball, grazing past Fugaku Uchiha's temple hair before burying itself deep in the stone wall behind him. Large chunks of rock broke loose and tumbled down from the tremendous impact, and even the fine tengu mural was destroyed.

Sōken lowered the left hand that had just thrown the shuriken, his scarlet eyes fixed on the man who had been designated clan head.

"Lord Clan Head, I thought I had made myself very clear. I believe you lack sufficient ability and resolve. Faced with the village's relentless pressure, you have accomplished nothing except make the clansmen endure in silence. You have made wrong decisions time and again, and you bear an inescapable responsibility for the clan falling into its current state."

"So don't talk about stepping down. Fine, I'll take over this mess as it stands, but don't think the mistakes you made in the past can simply be wiped clean."

"Uchiha Sōken, do you know what you're saying?"

Uchiha Yashiro stepped forward.

"I do!"

"Then do you understand what the clan head has done for the clan—"

"Shut up! Are your ears deaf? Didn't you hear what I just said?"

Sōken rebuked him sharply, his gaze icy.

Without the slightest hesitation, he cast Illusionary Arts: Binding Chain Technique at him, cleanly crushing Uchiha Yashiro's resistance. The veteran Jonin, a man of considerable standing within the clan, lost all ability to resist and was nailed in place.

"Yashiro!!"

"Uchiha Sōken, you little bastard."

Seeing Uchiha Yashiro defeated immediately enraged several of his friends. Four veteran Jonin, all around their forties, attacked in unspoken unison. Their years of cooperation meant they instinctively coordinated without needing a single extra word.

In this narrow, enclosed space, large-scale offensive ninjutsu was unsuitable. Besides, with Uchiha Yashiro and Uchiha Kōhei—the unlucky fellow likewise pinned down by the Binding Chain Technique—as precedents, competing with Sōken in genjutsu was clearly an unwise choice.

With ninjutsu and genjutsu ruled out, only taijutsu remained.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!!

Shuriken and kunai came raining down like a storm.

"Manipulated Shuriken Technique? Don't forget, I have the Sharingan too, uncles!"

Sōken clearly saw the steel wires coated in non-reflective paint trailing from the shuriken and kunai. With a light flick of his wrist, Samehada instantly swelled in size, its sharp spikes rising. A casual sweep to either side knocked every shuriken and kunai away, never giving those steel wires the chance to get close.

Uchiha Style: Gale Sword.

Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame.

A pincer attack came from front and back in rapid succession. Clearly, the shuriken assault had merely been a feint, meant to conceal the attacks of the other two. Of course, if Sōken had carelessly failed to notice the steel wires on the shuriken, the feint would have become a genuine attack.

Samehada: Chakra Devouring Slash.

Sōken reacted with astonishing speed.

They had all clawed their way off the battlefield alive. Perhaps these four uncles possessed greater combat experience, but that did not mean Sōken would lose to them. The title Flame Demon had been established atop the corpses of hundreds of elite Mist Ninja.

He swung Samehada in his hand. Already nearly as tall as a person, Samehada suddenly extended to almost twice its length, striking later yet arriving first. With tremendous speed and force, it slammed heavily into the two blades, driving both men back with the heavy impact and the brief weakness that came with having their Chakra devoured.

Samehada: Flying Chain Slash!

Having dealt with the four men's joint assault, Sōken's counterattack followed in an instant.

Samehada's hilt abruptly lengthened and twisted like a serpent.

Samehada, covered in spikes, suddenly opened its huge, blood-filled maw and viciously bit down on the clansman who had not retreated far enough. He had no time to use either the Substitution Technique or the Body Flicker Technique. Everyone had overlooked—or rather, did not understand—that this was a living sword with a will of its own. Its changing blade was not a characteristic of the Ninja Tool; strictly speaking, it was a living creature.

The clansman caught in Samehada's jaws let out a scream.

His Chakra was mercilessly stolen away.

As the other three tried to rush in and rescue him, Sōken used a Body Flicker Technique and was already right beside another man. In that split-second exchange, their eyes met almost instinctively. Just as the uncle inwardly cried out in alarm, Sōken unhesitatingly fired another Illusionary Arts: Binding Chain Technique at him.

In the blink of an eye, two of the four had been taken out.

That was with Sōken holding back and not going for the kill. Everyone understood one thing: unless one possessed an absolute advantage, capturing someone alive was several times—if not ten times—more difficult than killing them. Yet while under siege, Sōken had turned the tables and captured two of them alive.

That move instantly intimidated quite a few clansmen who had been about to step in and help.

The clansmen were not blind. At a time like this, everyone had already activated their Sharingan, and they had seen the clash between Sōken and the four veteran Jonin of the clan with perfect clarity.

Because of that, they deeply understood just how powerful and terrifying Sōken was.

Logically speaking, they all possessed Three Tomoe Sharingan and were all Jonin. These four veteran Jonin had eaten rice for several decades longer than Sōken. Even if Sōken was a peerless genius, the battle should not have been this one-sided. Yet Sōken had defeated two of them in swift, decisive succession.

As for why, there was only one answer.

Flame Demon's strength was not limited to the Fire Style Jutsu that had made him famous among the Mist Ninja. His taijutsu had cleanly defeated two clan Jonin, and now his Genjutsu had subdued three veteran Jonin one after another... In ninjutsu, taijutsu, and Genjutsu alike, he had no weaknesses.

Even Shisui, who had retreated to the right side of the Secret Chamber, was beginning to have doubts.

"Sōken... did he really not activate his Mangekyo?"

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