Whoosh—!
The pressure in the entire meeting room was terrifyingly low. One could hear a pin drop, and everyone could clearly hear their own breathing. This was a challenge from the leader of the Uchiha Clan's Hawk faction!
And faced with this scene.
"Xianren."
Uchiha Yashiro drew a deep breath. His eyes held deep exhaustion and a trace of despair, but even more than that, resilience and an utter refusal to compromise!
Everyone waited for his answer.
All eyes were fixed on his face.
"Have you thought about those ordinary Uchiha clansmen?!"
He stood like an unyielding rock:
"They have always held goodwill and affection toward the village. They are not shinobi, but their opinions matter just as much. When you consider letting the Uchiha Clan vent its hatred, have you considered what will become of them?!"
"The Uchiha shinobi can flee."
"But what about them?!"
Facing everyone's gazes, he did not back down. Instead, he coldly returned every stare.
"They are Uchiha too, not disposable bargaining chips to be swept up by the Uchiha Clan's hatred and cast aside for revenge!"
The fence-sitters looked at Uchiha Xianren.
Then at Uchiha Yashiro.
"Damn, Uchiha Xianren makes a lot of sense!"
"Mm... Uchiha Yashiro is also very right!"
Mm...
Why did everything anyone said sound so reasonable? Were the fence-sitters only here to listen in?
"So what?! Without the protection of the Uchiha Clan's strong, how could these ordinary clansmen even exist?! When the skin is gone, how can the hair remain attached?!"
"You have no conscience saying that! Without the ordinary clansmen of the Uchiha Clan, how could powerful people like us exist?!"
Uchiha Xianren and Uchiha Yashiro glared at one another.
Each argued fiercely from reason!
Both were furious and helpless. How... could neither do anything to the other?