The clan meeting naturally ended on a sour note.
Uchiha Setsuna refused to compromise, while Uchiha Fugaku had his own plans.
Most interesting of all, every single one of the doves sided with Uchiha Fugaku.
That gave Uchiha Fugaku the confidence to force the matter through, and it was easy to imagine how sour Uchiha Setsuna must have looked.
Still, Haori wasn't surprised by the doves' choice.
In truth, they were just like the hawks: each side wanted to secure the clan's future in its own way.
The difference was that the doves believed in advancing through peaceful negotiations rather than violence.
When necessary, they were willing to make concessions to speed things along—like giving Kakashi the Sharingan this time.
They didn't want their power to flow outside the clan, either, but if the eye could serve as leverage to improve the Uchiha's reputation,
and ultimately help Uchiha Fugaku become Hokage, then it wasn't such a bad deal!
To be honest, their reasoning wasn't wrong. But how could Uchiha Fugaku possibly get the chance?
Konoha's current political structure could basically be viewed as a grand alliance built around the Second's system. All four of Konoha's most powerful figures were his students!
They might not dare appoint the next Hokage outright, the way the Second had, but did they have the ability to put forward candidates?
After all, if the people waiting in line for the position were all their own, what difference did it make who they appointed?
Besides, the doves keep thinking they can achieve everything through nonviolence. But how can there ever be true peace without struggle?
Haori couldn't help shaking his head. Still, he was even more determined to clear out all the clan's upper ranks.
Hawks or doves, they all believed they were the ones who knew best. Haori had seen that for himself today.
"But this clan meeting really paid off. Everyone's made their move, so now the show can begin."
A good show needed time to build, and the moment still hadn't come. Besides, Haori himself wasn't ready to take the stage.
After all, he still wasn't strong enough to impress anyone. Fortunately, Uchiha Fugaku always seemed to give everyone an assist at just the right moment.
Maybe he simply couldn't stand the clan's current state, or perhaps he wanted to earn some merit. Either way, the man had taken his promising eldest son straight to the Land of Grass!
The war in the Land of Grass had ended, and both sides had slowly begun negotiations, but that didn't mean the clashes would stop.
Or rather, neither side was stupid. They both knew that to get more out of the negotiations, they had to demonstrate their strength.
For the time being, though, that had little to do with Haori. After the clan meeting, nothing much was happening, and he was living comfortably enough.
Every day, he either helped Uchiha Hikari work through her feelings, tried to get her to go out with him, or sparred with Might Guy and Kakashi.
Might Guy and Kakashi had plenty of free time now, and since they were close, they often came looking for Haori.
Hikari liked watching them spar, but she always kept herself hidden.
Partly because she didn't want to give herself away, and partly because she didn't want to interact with anyone else.
Thud, thud, thud—
In a wooded area not far from the Uchiha Clan, two figures darted back and forth, trading blows.
The next moment, one of them was just a little too slow. A powerful kick sent him crashing to the ground.
"I lost."
Kakashi rubbed his stomach and looked at Haori, who had come to a stop in front of him. He couldn't help admitting defeat with a wry smile.
He was honestly at a loss. He hadn't won a single match against Haori lately!
He'd already learned just how absurdly strong Haori was back in the Land of Grass.
That Taijutsu, almost like a dance, was something Kakashi simply couldn't learn. He still couldn't say how powerful it really was, though.
Now he'd had time to experience it firsthand, and it was truly despair-inducing.
No matter how hard you tried, no matter how much you pushed yourself, you couldn't land a hit. Meanwhile, your opponent could seize on your weakness in an instant and strike a fatal blow.
Anyone would be left stunned by that.
"You all right, Kakashi?"
Haori walked over with a smile, reached out a hand, and asked.
"I'm fine."
Kakashi took Haori's hand and got back to his feet, but soon let out a sigh.
"You're really good. It feels like you can see through every move I make.
I can pick up on some things, but never clearly. It's a pretty awful feeling."
What are you complaining about? Uchiha Hikari beats me up even worse.
Hearing Kakashi, Haori couldn't help grumbling to himself.
Haori knew Hikari had the Mangekyo Sharingan, so naturally, he was curious about its power.
Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to ask someone what their eyes could do.
Aside from the fact that it was a private matter, the 'eye technique transplant' he'd received last time had made him wonder whether the girl had been forced to undergo one herself.
And judging by the "inhuman torment" she'd once mentioned, it couldn't have been a happy memory. Haori wasn't about to reopen old wounds.
Besides, the Mangekyo Sharingan's power wasn't limited to its eye techniques. As far as he knew, it surpassed the Sharingan in every way.
Naturally, Haori wanted to know how powerful it was, so he'd specifically asked Hikari to spar with him. The result spoke for itself.
"You're just not used to the eye yet. Things will get better once you are."
Though he was grumbling inwardly, he still offered Kakashi some reassurance.
"I'm definitely not used to it yet. That eye uses up way too much chakra."
Kakashi sighed helplessly. The Sharingan's chakra consumption had caught him completely off guard.
He hadn't thought his chakra reserves were low, but ever since he'd gotten the eye, he'd found they could barely keep up.
"That's only natural. You're not from the Uchiha Clan."
Haori rubbed his chin, then suddenly thought of something and asked curiously,
"Come to think of it, I remember you used to wield a sword. Why haven't I seen it lately?"
"My sword?"
Kakashi paused at Haori's question, then shrugged.
"It's being repaired. It'll take a few more days, but I think it'll be ready in time for the mission."
This time, it was Haori's turn to pause.
He'd thought Kakashi would say he wasn't planning to use a sword anymore or something like that. After all, in the original story, Kakashi's fighting style was very Uchiha-like.
Perhaps, in Kakashi's mind, Obito had died because of him, and he was carrying Obito's eye.
So he wanted to get the most out of that eye, as a way of honoring Obito.
As a result, his fighting style became one of testing his enemy with ninjutsu first, then using the Sharingan's insight to support Chidori and finish them off.
Now, though, it seemed he was choosing to use a sword again. The change struck Haori as especially amusing.
He wondered what Obito would think if he knew.
"Wait, did you just say mission?"
Haori suddenly caught on. He looked at Kakashi curiously.
"Yeah. We're heading to the Land of Grass in a few days. I heard some people from Kirigakure are roaming around and might sabotage the negotiations."
Kakashi nodded, then glanced at Haori in surprise.
"Didn't you know? Your name's on the roster for this mission too."
"Really?"
Haori frowned. He genuinely hadn't known—no one had told him yet.
But as he listened to Kakashi, he realized that Madara's big show was about to begin!
Right then, the system in his mind suddenly stirred.
[New Side Quest Acquired] [1. Personally kill Kakashi and Rin to help Obito awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan] [2. Save Rin and plunge Obito into endless suffering] [Quest Rewards: Unknown]
Thanks to the generous donors Rice Ball Is Sea-Breeze-Flavored and To Passing Years for the tips. Thank you, thank you!
This rookie author humbly asks you to follow along. The number of readers who keep up with the story now will determine everything for this book. Putting it aside to read later can easily lead to it getting dropped.
Thank you, everyone! orz