Clan Meeting

Inside the Secret Room.

A stone tablet covered in mysterious characters stood quietly in the room. The Tengu mural on the wall behind it seemed to carry some profound meaning as well.

Crackle.

Two braziers burned on either side, illuminating the inscriptions and mural, as well as the faces of everyone in the Secret Room.

More than fifty members of the Uchiha Clan sat on the floor before the stone tablet.

Some chatted loudly, while others whispered;

some wore calm expressions, while others looked agitated.

The Uchiha all wore matching dark blue, high-collared robes, with a family crest embroidered on the back: a Gunbai with a red fan and a white handle.

They looked neat and uniform at a glance.

It had to be said.

The uniforms were modern and stylish, and their fitted cut showed off the Uchiha's good looks and bearing to the fullest.

Just then.

Dan and Itachi's arrival drew plenty of attention.

Heads turned one after another.

The clan members looked them over, and when they saw Dan, many couldn't help showing surprise.

At nearly two meters tall, with a build so imposing he barely looked human, Dan was bound to draw attention wherever he went.

He wasn't wearing the Uchiha uniform. Instead, he had on a loose black Taoist robe, and neither his appearance nor his bearing made him look like an Uchiha at all.

Someone whispered:

"Isn't that Itachi, the Clan Head's son? Who's the huge guy next to him? He looks like trouble."

"I know. He's Itachi's uncle, Uchiha Dan. The Clan Head invited him to the Clan Meeting." Someone was clearly well informed.

"So this is the Clan Head's brother-in-law. I heard his Taijutsu is incredible. A while ago, he beat several spies to death in the street. He's certainly built like a tank, but has he awakened the Sharingan?"

Someone voiced their doubts.

After all.

According to clan rules, only clan members who had awakened the Sharingan were eligible to attend the Uchiha Clan Meeting.

Dan paid no attention to the clan members' murmurs.

His gaze swept over the crowd, calm as still water. He didn't recognize most of the faces, but he did spot a few familiar ones.

Yashiro, Tekka, Inohi, and the elder Uchiha Setsuna.

The moment those members of the Radical Faction saw Dan, their expressions changed.

They knew Dan better than the other clan members did. They were aware of his strength and recklessness, and his proposed "Shattered Jade Plan" had frightened even the Radical Faction.

Under Dan's gaze, they all turned their heads awkwardly, avoiding his eyes.

Huh?

After his gaze passed over Yashiro and the others, Dan suddenly spotted a black-haired woman smiling and waving at him.

It was his older sister, Uchiha Mikoto.

Although Mikoto was now a full-time housewife, focused on supporting her husband and raising her children, she was also a genuine Konoha Jonin, and had once been an elite member of the Police Force's First Squad.

She rarely attended Clan Meetings anymore, so it was obvious she'd come especially for her younger brother.

Dan smiled and walked straight toward her.

"Make way."

He swept his enormous hands through the crowd like fans. Some people refused to move, only to stumble aside when he shoved past them.

Before long.

Amid the angry glares of the clan members behind him, Dan reached the front row.

He dropped down beside Mikoto, his hulking frame like a small mountain shielding his sister.

"Dan, since this is your first Clan Meeting, there are a few things you should know beforehand..."

Mikoto took his arm and kindly explained the rules of the Clan Meeting to her younger brother.

"Mm-hm. Mm-hm."

Dan listened to his sister's chatter, nodding now and then, though it all went in one ear and out the other.

After leading Dan into the Secret Room, Itachi didn't stick with his uncle.

He looked around, but couldn't spot Shisui in the crowd, and began to worry.

Suddenly.

"Itachi!"

A bright, excited voice came from nearby. Itachi turned toward it and saw Uchiha Izumi.

She had only recently become a Genin, and this was her first Clan Meeting too. She was standing alone in a corner, looking a little lost.

Until she saw Itachi.

Itachi was happy to see her, but didn't show it. He simply walked over and said:

"Don't be nervous. A lot of the clan members here aren't as capable as you."

He was telling the truth.

Izumi had awakened the Sharingan at five, earlier than anyone else among the Uchiha that Itachi knew. By eleven, she had evolved it to the Three-Tomoe stage, a testament to her extraordinary talent.

Many clan members were already in their twenties, yet their Sharingan still had only one or two tomoe.

In their words, Izumi's "capacity" far surpassed that of an ordinary Uchiha.

Compared with a genius like Itachi, what Izumi currently lacked were combat skills and experience, along with the mentality of a strong fighter forged between life and death.

But as long as she didn't die young, she would gain all of that in time.

Hearing Itachi's encouragement.

Izumi finally relaxed and gave him a sweet smile, her excitement about the Clan Meeting returning.

Seeing how excited she was, Itachi sighed inwardly.

Izumi still didn't know what was happening with the Uchiha, or how severe the clan's internal divisions had become. If things got heated later—even if it came to blows—she'd probably be terrified.

Thinking of that.

Itachi looked at Izumi seriously and warned her:

"No matter what happens at the Clan Meeting, just listen. Don't say anything unless you have to, and don't take sides or make your position known. Understand?"

He was worried she'd get caught up in the turmoil and suffer for it.

"Oh... I understand."

Izumi nodded, only partly understanding. Itachi's words had made her realize that this Clan Meeting might not be what she'd imagined.

As the two were talking.

"Itachi."

A familiar voice came from behind him. Itachi turned and saw that Shisui had finally arrived.

"I'll be right back."

He left Izumi with those words and walked over to Shisui, soon striking up a conversation with him.

"Is that your uncle?"

Shisui glanced toward the front of the crowd. Dan's mountain-like back was impossible to miss, and it piqued Shisui's curiosity.

Dan really was different from the other Uchiha.

"That's him."

Itachi's expression grew serious as he asked Shisui once more, "I'm counting on you."

"Don't worry. I came prepared."

Shisui smiled, then folded his arms and sat down where he was.

Itachi sat with him. Together, they watched the clan members from the back row, coolly observing their every expression.

Up front.

"Dan, is there anything you're still unsure about?" Mikoto asked after explaining the rules of the Clan Meeting.

Dan thought for a moment, then suddenly started asking Mikoto for a full census.

"Hey, sis, how many Uchiha are there now? How many have awakened the Sharingan, and how many of those are Jonin?"

Mikoto was a little surprised. In the past, her younger brother had never cared about matters like these.

Now that Dan finally cared about the clan, Mikoto naturally answered everything she knew.

From her, Dan learned that—

The Uchiha Clan had nearly eight hundred members. It had declined from its peak of over a thousand, but it was still one of the largest clans in Konoha.

About a tenth of the clan had awakened the Sharingan—around eighty people.

Thanks to YELLOW Liang for the 500 Qidian Coins!