Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame

Uchiha Kō looked at Uchiha Kiyoshi, seemingly trying to read something from his expression. But Uchiha Kiyoshi's face was stiff, showing no change at all.

Uchiha Kō sighed. "Lead the way."

"Yes!" Uchiha Kiyoshi replied. He opened the gate to the Uchiha Clan Compound and led Uchiha Kō inside. Though Uchiha Kō had never explored the compound and was curious about it, he had been summoned by the clan head to negotiate. He couldn't afford to lose face.

So Uchiha Kō kept his eyes forward, ignoring the looks and murmurs of those around him. Most of the Uchiha clan members were curious about him. After all, they'd heard rumors that he was the one commanding the war in the Land of Rain.

But those were only rumors. Nothing had been confirmed. Otherwise, why hadn't the clan head or Lord Hokage said anything?

Uchiha Kō sighed. He'd known these people would look at him like that. But he wasn't some pushover they could gawk at whenever they pleased!

He gave a cold snort and gathered chakra in his hand. Magnet Release: Great Wind Curtain (an original, unranked jutsu) blocked the clan members' prying eyes.

A curtain of sand and wind gathered, cutting off the Uchiha clan members' view. They couldn't see a thing of Uchiha Kō.

Everyone's expression changed. Magnet Release—Kekkei Genkai Magnet Release! And with Uchiha Kō's Sharingan, he was a genius with two Kekkei Genkai!

The Uchiha clan members no longer looked curious. Their faces were filled with shock and delight!

Though they were a clan that revered strength, they also valued honor above all else. Now that their clan had produced a genius with two Kekkei Genkai, he was bound to become the darling of the Uchiha Clan!

If the genius didn't want them to look, then they'd leave. They all had the Uchiha name, after all. That was enough! In an instant, the shinobi all dispersed.

Uchiha shinobi respected geniuses and the strong. Uchiha Kō raised an eyebrow. This Uchiha clan wasn't so bad after all!

With Uchiha Kiyoshi leading the way, Uchiha Kō soon arrived at the home of the clan head, Uchiha Hirotomo. He knocked, but Uchiha Hirotomo didn't answer.

Uchiha Kō frowned and knocked again. Still no answer. He let out a cold laugh. Heh, trying to give me the cold shoulder? Fine. I'll just flip the table!

Uchiha Kō said, "Kiyoshi, step aside!" Uchiha Kiyoshi stared at him, unsure what he was about to do. Uchiha Kō clapped his hands together, took a deep breath, and exhaled a torrent of scorching flames.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!" Uchiha Hirotomo could no longer stay calm. His eyes snapped open, and he formed hand seals. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall! Water Release: Water Prison Technique!"

The Water Formation Wall held back the Great Fire Annihilation for two seconds. In that time, the Water Prison Technique enveloped the house. At last, the Water Prison Technique and the Great Fire Annihilation collided, and both dissipated.

A figure slowly emerged from a cloud of white steam. His whole body was red. Don't ask—it was from getting steamed!

Uchiha Kiyoshi's eyes widened, and the corner of his mouth twitched as he looked at Uchiha Kō. What the hell? He went straight to jutsu without a word!

Uchiha Hirotomo emerged with dark lines across his forehead. He'd only wanted to keep Uchiha Kō waiting for a little while. Going straight to jutsu was a bit much!

Uchiha Kō smiled faintly. "Greetings, Clan Head."

Uchiha Hirotomo's frown eased. "Kō, you're here. Come in, please." As he spoke, he gestured toward his home. Uchiha Kō didn't move, merely looking at the house with a smile.

Uchiha Hirotomo scratched his head. Neither of them moved. At last, he gave Kiyoshi a look. Uchiha Kiyoshi immediately understood, left the courtyard, closed the gate, and stood watch outside.

Uchiha Hirotomo and Uchiha Kō sat at the stone table in the courtyard. Neither spoke. Uchiha Kō knew they were testing who would speak first. The first to do so would be at a disadvantage.

Looking at Uchiha Kō's appearance and bearing, Uchiha Hirotomo couldn't help drawing a sharp breath. His looks were somewhat like that lord's, while his bearing was a little like Uchiha Izuna's.

He was elegant and astute, as if everything had been calculated. Uchiha Hirotomo couldn't understand why Uchiha Kō looked so much like that lord, yet had a personality like Lord Izuna's.

He'd have to check the family records sometime. This boy was no ordinary person.

As for Uchiha Kō, he studied Uchiha Hirotomo's appearance and noticed he looked a little like Uchiha Itachi. The tear troughs beneath his eyes were very prominent, and his hair hung smoothly down on either side.

But unlike Uchiha Itachi, there was a light in his eyes. He also wasn't so young yet already looked utterly lifeless.

After a long silence, Uchiha Hirotomo sighed. "A hero in the making, even at such a young age. Kō, I'd like to ask whether you'd be willing to serve as an elder of the clan."

Uchiha Kō fell silent, not answering immediately. He weighed whether it would benefit him.

Uchiha Hirotomo didn't press him. He believed Uchiha Kō would agree. The Uchiha Clan needed someone clever. He didn't have much time left, and once he died, plenty of people would set their sights on the Uchiha Clan.

Uchiha Kō thought it over for a long while. Becoming an elder meant the Uchiha Clan's fate would be bound up with his own. That was a responsibility. But as an elder, he'd have access to the clan's intelligence network. And what was intelligence?

Intelligence meant having the initiative. The sooner he learned of the enemy's plans, the sooner he could come up with a countermeasure. There was another point, too: the Uchiha Clan was genuinely decent. They could be arrogant, but they wouldn't scheme against him.

He couldn't afford to let his guard down against the likes of Shimura Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen. He couldn't contend with them alone, so he had to claim the strength of the clan—and real power, too!

As for Fugaku? He was better at preserving than advancing. Among Konoha's clans, if you lacked the will to advance, you might as well prepare to be swallowed up and enslaved!

Thinking this, Uchiha Kō took a deep breath. "I can, but I have one condition. If you don't agree, Clan Head, I'll have no choice but to look after myself."

Uchiha Hirotomo was delighted. His aim was to bind Uchiha Kō to the Uchiha Clan. Offering him an elder's position had only been a test; if that didn't work, he could offer more.

"Kō, go ahead and tell me. As clan head, I'll agree." Uchiha Hirotomo smiled faintly.

Uchiha Kō nodded. "Put the Uchiha Clan's intelligence network under my control. If anything happens, I want to be informed immediately!"

Uchiha Hirotomo nodded. "No problem. You'll be an elder, so you'll have the right to access the information."

"Clan Head, I don't want the right to access the intelligence. I want control of the intelligence network!" Uchiha Kō smiled faintly.

Uchiha Hirotomo fell silent. He'd deliberately changed the subject just now because he knew how important this was. But judging by Uchiha Kō's attitude, he knew he couldn't brush him off.

"Agreed." This time, Uchiha Hirotomo didn't try to change the subject again, because he'd seen Uchiha Kō's eyes turn into Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Ding! (Three-Tomoe Sharingan) activated.

To increase his leverage—in other words, to show off his talent—Uchiha Kō had chosen to force his way through the upgrade to Three-Tomoe.

An eighteen-year-old with Three-Tomoe Sharingan, plus Magnet Release. As long as he survived, he was sure to become a Kage Level powerhouse!

What could Uchiha Hirotomo do? Go along with it!