Stepping Down

"Chen, this is the Clan Head Seal!"

Uchiha Fugaku pulled an exquisite seal from his robes and struggled to sit up, intending to hand this symbol of the clan head over to Uchiha Chen, but he suddenly shook his head.

"I forgot, you have the Flame Gunbai in hand; you have no need for this."

"I still do!"

Though Uchiha Chen said this, he did not reach out to take the seal from Fugaku. Instead, he turned his head to look at the group of disheveled 'beggars' a few hundred meters away and beckoned to them.

And so, The thirty or so clansmen who had been watching the battle finally moved, running over briskly and forming three neat rows under the loud shouts and commands of Uchiha Setsuna.

Each of these impassioned, red-eyed men stood as straight as a blade, dozens of crimson Three-Tomoe staring fixedly at Uchiha Chen, their eyes filled with admiration, excitement, and longing.

One hunchbacked old man in his fifties, in order to stand a bit straighter, even shoved his long sword into the back of his collar, straining his chest to clamp the blade against his back.

Damn, this group had never maintained such a neat formation even when heading to the battlefield.

Watching the Uchiha clansmen—known throughout the Shinobi World for their individuality and unruly nature—display such discipline and obedience, Uchiha Chen knew that this group of lunatics had been desperately waiting for a King of Lunatics to lead them.

The Uchiha are just that simple; they are born to worship those of their own kin who are strong and crazy enough, and they often feel admiration for outsiders who possess the same traits.

Take Senju Hashirama, for instance—a man who used force to forcibly reshape the order of the Shinobi World according to his own will. Just how crazy and strong must that be?

Uchiha Chen slowly scanned every person present.

Among this group of mid-to-high-level Uchiha, each likely had many subordinates and relatives who had awakened the Sharingan, effectively covering the entire Uchiha Clan.

With their approval, there would be no more obstacles to taking over as clan head!

Uchiha Chen pondered for a few seconds, reached out, and took the seal—crafted by the clan after the original Flame Gunbai was lost—from Fugaku's hand.

"Then, from this day forward, I am the Clan Head of the Uchiha. Who agrees, and who opposes?"

Uchiha Chen leaped lightly onto a tree stump that had been reduced to wood by the Susanoo, looking down at the clansmen from above.

"Agreed!"

The clansmen, currently at the peak of their fervor, shouted aloud.

"Clan Head Chen!"

The succession of the Uchiha Clan Head was just that simple, plain, and unadorned, filled with the lingering echoes of the Warring States period: the authority of a clan naturally belongs to the strongest.

"Very good, very spirited!"

Uchiha Chen nodded.

"Now, I will say a few words. First, I do not like the current unhealthy atmosphere in the clan where factions are divided, hostile toward one another, and holding each other back. This must change!"

Uchiha Chen focused his gaze on the leaders of the clan's major factions.

The Uchiha Clan could currently be divided into four factions: the Dove Faction, the Hawk Faction, the Super Hawk Faction, and the Conservative Faction.

The leader of the Dove Faction was Uchiha Ryoji, who advocated following the path of his brother, Kagami, by integrating into the Hokage's circle, sending geniuses to study under them, and eventually becoming the Hokage.

The Hawk Faction was Fugaku's political base, whose main strategy was to directly run for Hokage; regardless of whether they could win, they had to be the Hokage!

The Super Hawk Faction was the Rebel Faction advocated by Setsuna, who wanted to directly kill the Monkey and stage a coup to become Hokage. Finally, the remaining Conservative Faction felt the first three were too conservative and preferred to simply establish a new Konoha, having the clan head become the First of a new Hokage line.

In short, while their paths differed, their ultimate goal was always to become the Hokage!

With a single 'glare', Uchiha Chen made the elders tremble and sweat profusely before he withdrew his gaze and continued:

"Secondly, since I am the Clan Head, everything must be done according to my will. My orders are to be obeyed and executed without condition or excuse! Finally."

Uchiha Chen stood tall, unreservedly releasing his sharp, blade-like aura, and declared with authority:

"Follow me, and we will surely recast the glory of the Uchiha and make the Uchiha even greater!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Uchiha Chen shot toward the nearby forest like an arrow released from a bow, and with a few quick moves, he dragged a disheveled figure out from the woods.

"Someone from the Hyuga Clan, what are you doing at the Naka River?"

Uchiha Chen unceremoniously threw this Byakugan-wielder, clearly a member of the Branch Family, onto the ground.

"The village sensed the tremors, and the Third sent us to investigate, I..."

Staring at dozens of Sharingan, the young man from the Hyuga Branch Family was terrified and incoherent, but he still managed to convey the general meaning.

"So the Third has come!"

Uchiha Chen sneered. "Shisui, take Fugaku back to the clan grounds to heal. Everyone else, stay here with me and wait for our Lord Third."

"Clan Head Chen..."

Shisui looked at Uchiha Chen with a pitiful expression. He had simulated the assassination of the old thief Sarutobi countless times in his mind, yet he wasn't being brought along now?

Seeing that Uchiha Chen did not react, Shisui frowned, but still reluctantly went to help Fugaku up.

"Everyone, loosen up your muscles!"

Uchiha Chen looked at the dark forest under the moonlight, cracked his knuckles, and said to the clansmen:

"A little game: you can only knock them out, no killing, and no making a scene. Let's see who catches the most! The three with the fewest captures will have their heads shaved bald!"

"Huh?"

Clearly, the clansmen were not yet accustomed to Uchiha Chen's erratic train of thought.

But after their initial surprise, they immediately grew excited, revealing bloodthirsty smiles and eyeing one another with wicked grins.

This was just too thrilling!

"Clan Head!" Uchiha Ryoji started, then hesitated.

He wanted to say that this would intensify the conflict between the village and the clan, but remembering Uchiha Chen's previous 'my word is law' stance, he ultimately swallowed his words.

I am glad you realize you should listen to your Clan Head, Clan Head Chen thought.

But I do not like that reluctant expression on your face.

"Elder Ryoji, don't tell me you're past your prime?"

Uchiha Chen cast a pitying glance at Uchiha Ryoji and sighed, saying:

"It was my oversight! After all, you aren't young anymore; not everyone is like Elder Setsuna, who remains vigorous and sharp despite his age!"

Setsuna, who had been singled out, puffed out his chest and mocked:

"I'm nearly seventy this year, yet I can still eat five pounds of rice, three pounds of meat, and drink two jars of wine a day, and I still practice my swordsmanship for two hours before bed. You're not even sixty and you've already withered?"

You old geezer, aren't you afraid of bursting from eating so much?

Uchiha Ryoji glared fiercely at Setsuna, leaped ten feet into the air, performed a high-difficulty sword routine, and finished by doing one-fingered handstand push-ups.

"I am in excellent health! What I meant was, I intend to compete for first place!"

That damned competitive spirit!

Taking a deep breath, the inverted Uchiha Ryoji felt a rush of blood surge into his head, casting all thoughts of the big picture and the village to the back of his mind.

A naturally proud Uchiha man must never admit that he is not up to the task!