The next day at noon, during the lunch break.
After finishing his shift at the Security Force, Youhu went to Naka Shrine as promised.
Naka Shrine was where the Uchiha Clan held their ceremonies. Apart from important festivals and clan meetings, hardly anyone came here normally. Only one or two Uchiha Chunin were stationed here as guards.
After entering the shrine, Youhu immediately spotted Tiehuo. Several young Uchiha stood beside him.
When he saw Youhu, Tiehuo approached with an admiring look. The young Uchiha beside him frowned. "Captain Tiehuo, is Youhu the Uchiha you said could Save The Clan?"
"Isn't Youhu just a Chunin? What makes him capable of leading us?"
"Even if Youhu exposed some secrets of the Hokage Faction yesterday, there's no need to regard him as the Hero who will save the Uchiha. I think you, Captain Tiehuo, are better suited to lead us."
That was it. This was the right flavor—the fearlessness of people who feared neither Heaven nor Earth.
Ordinary Konoha Ninja would never have this Uchiha mindset of refusing to reform even after being beaten into a spinning top.
Youhu gave Tiehuo a knowing look. Tiehuo immediately understood and viciously smacked the sheaths of his blades against the mouths of those insolent Uchiha, shouting:
"Do not show Lord Youhu any disrespect."
"Lord Youhu is indeed a Chunin, but his strength is far beyond that of an ordinary Chunin. Yesterday, I sparred with Lord Youhu and was completely helpless against him."
"If you want to provoke Lord Youhu, you must defeat me first."
Hearing this, the Uchiha wore shocked expressions and all turned to look at Youhu.
Youhu had always kept a low profile within the clan, never revealing his abilities. He was not a worthless fool who could not even awaken the Sharingan, but he was certainly no genius either.
Captain Tiehuo was different. He had become a Jonin at eighteen and was now a core member of the clan.
Yet such a formidable Captain Tiehuo had openly admitted that he was inferior to Youhu. Could Youhu be the clan's Deepest Hidden Ninja?
Noticing the gazes fixed on him, Youhu's lips curled into a smile.
"Tiehuo, bring them inside."
He did not waste words on the Uchiha Tiehuo had recruited. Instead, he directly activated the Mangekyō Sharingan. When the four-leaf clover flashed across his eyes, every Uchiha present fell into deathly silence.
"Captain Tiehuo, I'm not mistaken, am I? That's the legendary..."
"There's no mistake. That must be the Mangekyō Sharingan that the clan had not seen in decades—only Uchiha Madara had ever awakened it!"
Tiehuo nodded and followed Youhu into the inner shrine. Seeing this, the other Uchiha hurried after them, their faces filled with fanaticism and delight at the sight of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
That was the Mangekyō Sharingan—the clan had finally produced a powerhouse capable of standing against the Hokage.
"Riches and honor unseen in one's hometown are like fine clothes worn in the dark. Showing off in front of others really is satisfying."
Youhu silently recited an old saying from his homeland. Looking at the fanatic Uchiha before him, he said calmly:
"The situation within the clan and the village is still unclear. For now, do not spread the fact that I awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Yes, Lord Youhu."
After witnessing the Sharingan, the several men no longer had any of their former arrogance. They knelt on one knee and answered.
They were all loyal subordinates of Tiehuo. Their earlier hostility had only come from their dissatisfaction with Tiehuo pledging allegiance to Youhu. But after seeing the Mangekyō Sharingan, they instantly understood Tiehuo's decision.
Youhu was not surprised. This was the deterrent power of the Mangekyō Sharingan within the Uchiha Clan.
Even if his ninjutsu and Taijutsu were inferior to those of many Elite Jonin, as long as he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, he had already stepped into the threshold of Kage Level.
A certain Shimura Ninja who did not wish to reveal his name had once said so himself.
"There are no useless Sharingan, only Uchiha who do not know how to use them. Even the most useless Sharingan can shine brightly after being transplanted into an arm implanted with Hashirama Cells."
After gaining a full dose of emotional validation, Youhu asked Tiehuo, "Tiehuo, our conversation in the shrine won't be overheard by Yachiyo's and Shisui's people, will it?"
Tiehuo hurriedly replied, "Don't worry. They're the ones assigned to protect Naka Shrine today, and the barrier inside the shrine is perfectly intact. The Hokage Faction can't monitor us either."
Youhu nodded in satisfaction. He was quite pleased with Tiehuo's arrangements.
As expected of a seasoned Jonin from the Guard Division, he had taken every aspect of the matter into consideration. The only problem was that the Uchiha he had recruited were of rather uneven quality.
Youhu remembered that these clansmen were not particularly strong. The strongest among them was only at the level of a Special Jonin.
Still, considering Tiehuo's own strength and influence, this was already the limit of what he could gather.
After organizing his thoughts, Youhu said, "The several of you also attended the clan meeting yesterday and heard what I said there. What do you think of my suggestion last night?"
"This..."
The Uchiha hemmed and hawed, unsure what to say. They found it truly difficult to evaluate the proposal that the Clan Head divorce and marry the Third Hokage.
Yesterday, they had treated the matter as an amusing piece of wild history. But after seeing the Mangekyō Sharingan today...
The only possible conclusion was that Lord Youhu's suggestion must have had a deeper meaning.
At that moment, Uchiha Tiehuo stated his view:
"Lord Youhu wanted Fugaku Clan Head to marry the Third Hokage in order to damage the Third Hokage's prestige and narrow the gap between us and the Hokage Faction."
"Ever since the Second Hokage established the Security Force, we Uchiha have always held authority over it. But because of this authority, we have also paid a considerable price."
"All this time, we Uchiha have enforced the law harshly as members of the Security Force. While maintaining order in the shinobi village, we have also offended Ninja and villagers of every kind, placing them completely at odds with us."
"If we Uchiha want to resist, we must first shatter the halo surrounding the Hokage."
"At the same time, we must let the villagers see the true face of the Hokage Faction and make them abandon their illusions about the Hokage."
"Only then can the Uchiha rise again. Only then can Lord Youhu become the next Hokage and make the Uchiha great once more."
"Good grief, now they're even saying I should become Hokage."
Youhu muttered inwardly. Izanami really is effective.
Not only had Tiehuo found his true self, but his eyes had also become clear. His intelligence had successfully reclaimed the high ground, and he no longer possessed the typical Uchiha foolishness.
With Tiehuo serving as their class representative, the surrounding Uchiha finally understood Youhu's deeper intentions.
One by one, they came to a sudden realization. The only thing left in their eyes as they gazed at Youhu was worship.
So Lord Youhu's seemingly deranged actions at the clan meeting had this deeper meaning? Lord Youhu actually wanted to damage the prestige of the Hokage Faction and indirectly raise the Uchiha's standing.
Their thinking had been too narrow. They had been unable to comprehend the deeper meaning behind it.
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