The Person in Charge

Happiness does not disappear; it merely shifts from one person's face to another's.

"Hahaha!"

Uchiha Chen tried his best to hold it in, but eventually, he trembled and burst into laughter, earning him a roll of the eyes from Hikari, who was watching TV and eating oranges nearby.

Huh? Where did the peeled orange in my hand go?

Forget it, it's not important.

The Flame Gunbai is truly a tool of many wonders.

As a weapon, it can absorb Five Elements ninjutsu and reflect them in the form of Wind Style, and it can even deflect attacks on the level of a Tailed Beast Bomb; as a fragment of the God Tree, it possesses immense research value.

But for Uchiha Chen right now, the Flame Gunbai has one other crucial purpose:

He who holds the Flame Gunbai commands the clan's affairs!

The Flame Gunbai possesses a "strong claim" to the position of Uchiha clan head, one that holds far more legitimacy than the position held by Uchiha Fugaku, who inherited it through private succession.

Of course, it's not as if Uchiha Chen could just pull out the Flame Gunbai and Fugaku would obediently step down; in all likelihood, a fight would still be necessary.

Previously, Uchiha Chen hadn't entertained thoughts about the seat of the clan head beneath Fugaku's backside, partly because he had left for the Eastern Front shortly after obtaining his prosthetic eye, and partly because his prestige within the Uchiha clan was not yet sufficient.

But now, Uchiha Chen has forged the reputation of the "Flame Ghost" on the Eastern Front, has become proficient in the use of his prosthetic eye's power and ocular techniques, and carries the righteous cause of having recovered the Flame Gunbai.

One could say his troops and armor are ready, his wings are fully grown, and destiny is on his side!

The only thing that still gives him a slight pause is Uchiha Fugaku's "Schrödinger's Mangekyō Sharingan" and the unknown ocular techniques he might possess.

Mangekyō ocular techniques are often bizarre and unpredictable; if Fugaku has a powerful technique, Uchiha Chen could genuinely face a disaster.

However...

Uchiha Chen glanced at the feet beside him that were constantly moving and distracting his mind.

"Come on, Hikari, eat an orange!"

Uchiha Chen peeled two more oranges, tore them into segments, and began feeding them to Hikari.

Hikari, who had been focused on the TV, used her hands to catch them at first, but finding it troublesome, she blinked, pointed directly at her slightly parted mouth, and let Uchiha Chen toss them in.

The Uchiha Style Throwing Technique has finally developed an unexpected new use: fancy orange feeding.

There are two trees in Uchiha Chen's small courtyard; one is a peach tree, and the other is also a peach tree.

"The spring sunshine is truly wonderful!"

A gust of wind blew by.

The peach blossoms danced lightly in the wind, creating a brilliant rain of flowers that suddenly swirled rapidly in the breeze before scattering, revealing a black-clad youth carrying a kodachi.

"Achoo!"

Uchiha Shisui rubbed his nose, which was sensitive to pollen, and flashed a sunny smile at Uchiha Chen, who was sunbathing in the courtyard:

"Big Brother Chen, what do you think of this new Flower Body Flicker technique I created?"

"Flashy and loud."

Uchiha Chen, lying on a rocking chair, stretched and plucked a petal. "But it is quite cool. I've already copied it, thanks!"

"Ah, huh?"

Shisui widened his eyes.

Uchiha Chen stood up and said nonchalantly:

"Relax, at worst you can just copy my ninjutsu later. We're all just copying each other!"

"Tch!" Shisui looked at Uchiha Chen with an indescribable expression.

This clan brother of his was talented, certainly, but when it came to creating ninjutsu, he never actually created anything. At most, he was capable of "micro-innovation," copying others' ninjutsu and modifying them for his own use.

"Let's go, the clan meeting is starting," Shisui said, bringing up the real business.

"Wait a moment, let me change my clothes!"

Uchiha Chen turned and went into the house, emerging a short while later wearing the traditional attire of the Uchiha clan.

A dark blue, front-opening, high-collared Gunbai Robe with wide sleeves, paired with cropped ninja pants tied tight at the calves with bandages, and finished with a pair of open-toed sandals.

This set was a perfect one-to-one replica that Uchiha Chen had a tailor make based on the Izuna outfit he had seized from Obito; wearing it, he had the absolute air of an old-school Uchiha.

"Is it really that formal?"

Shisui grinned, not thinking much of it, and naturally followed behind Uchiha Chen.

"Oh, right, Big Brother Chen. Inabi's hand is healed!"

Walking on the way to Naka Shrine, Shisui said gossiping:

"It's just that he hasn't been home much lately, and every time he returns, his face is full of dark circles. I wonder if he spent too much money curing his hand and is busy taking on missions?"

"Is that so?" Uchiha Chen replied indifferently.

"Also, these past few days, the clan has been acting strange!"

At this point, Shisui's expression turned serious, and a trace of worry appeared in his eyes:

"I can't really explain it. I haven't heard of the Radical Faction or the Rebel Faction planning anything lately, but things just feel weird! I've been out on missions a few times recently and haven't been keeping up. Brother Chen, you've been in the clan the whole time, do you know anything?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing major! It's just that I'm planning to compete for the position of clan head, that's all!"

"That's good—wait, what?"

Shisui's mind went blank, and he stood frozen in place. It took a long while before he used the Body Flicker Technique to catch up behind Uchiha Chen again.

"Clan head?"

Uchiha Chen nodded, his expression unchanging.

"Right now, the Uchiha are being watched by an unknown powerhouse possessing both Mangekyō and Wood Release, while internally, various factions are tearing each other apart. On top of that, the Konoha high command holds a hostile attitude toward us. Aren't these all signs of a crumbling foundation and an impending collapse? Uchiha Fugaku is incapable of handling this, so I suppose I'll have to go through the trouble of doing it myself!"

Huh? This... Shisui wasn't against Uchiha Chen becoming clan head, but this was just too sudden!

"Brother Chen!" "Chen!"

Just as Shisui was gaping in shock, four or five Three-Tomoe clansmen who had been waiting by the roadside approached. After offering their greetings, they fell in line behind Uchiha Chen without a word.

These individuals were all Uchiha who had served on the Eastern Front; they knew of Uchiha Chen's combat record and had become his first batch of supporters.

What shocked Shisui the most was that Uchiha Inabi, who had always been "unconvinced, unconvinced, and still unconvinced" by Uchiha Chen, was actually among them.

You guys actually supported Brother Chen before I did?

Feeling a strange sense of urgency in his heart, Shisui hurriedly declared, "You know me, Brother Chen, I definitely support you!"

"Shisui!"

A somewhat angry voice rang out.

Shisui turned his head to see his great-uncle, Elder Ryoji, glaring at him. He had clearly overheard what was said earlier.

Shisui shrank back.

His grandfather Kagami and his father had both passed away at a young age, and since he had been raised under Elder Ryoji's watch, he was somewhat intimidated by this great-uncle.

From here, they could already see Naka Shrine in the distance.

"Chen!" Elder Ryoji let out a soft sigh, looking at Uchiha Chen as he tried to persuade him earnestly:

"Don't let the voices of outsiders praising you as the Uchiha's number one expert cloud your judgment. Fugaku has been famous for a long time, and his strength is definitely not below yours. Besides, he has been the clan head for six or seven years now, and he has many supporters in the clan. You have no chance of winning! Trust me, show some restraint and wait ten years. Ten years from now, I will definitely support you to run!"

Wait another ten years?

I can't wait even a second!

"Elder Ryoji, please don't try to persuade me anymore!"

Uchiha Chen straightened his back, his deep blue robe fluttering and rising in the wind, highlighting his confident profile:

"This time, I am definitely going to run. Let's see who has the greater ability!"