Riot (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

"Heh, Clan Leader Uchiha Fugaku, you truly understand the bigger picture!" A smile appeared on Sarutobi Hiruzen's aged face.

He understood the principle of wielding the stick and then offering a carrot.

"Please rest assured, Clan Leader Uchiha Fugaku. Konoha will not forget your contributions. The costs for your entire clan's relocation will be covered by the village."

"However!" Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly shifted his tone. "You are aware of the village's current difficulties, so I must ask you to front the expenses for now. The village will certainly reimburse you in the future!"

"This is my promise to the Uchiha Clan as Hokage!"

"You are too kind, Lord Hokage. The Uchiha Clan understands!" Uchiha Fugaku had nothing else to say but that.

"Then, the meeting is adjourned!"

"Take care, Lord Hokage!"

Uchiha Fugaku walked out of the Hokage Building alone.

Looking at the bustling streets before him, his heart was filled with confusion.

Where exactly did the future of the Uchiha Clan lie, and how were they supposed to coexist with the Hokage's faction?

Or rather, did the Uchiha Clan... even have a future?

"Lord Yan, the clan leader will be back soon!"

"I know. You know what to do next, right?"

"I do. I certainly won't let you down."

"Then go... Hideto!"

When Uchiha Fugaku returned to the clan grounds, he found the surrounding clansmen staring at him.

Their gazes were filled with dissatisfaction, agitation, and anger, but the usual respect was nowhere to be found.

It was as if they were looking at a criminal.

This scene left him feeling puzzled.

He had just returned from the Jonin Meeting and hadn't even had the chance to announce anything yet. Could something else major have happened?

Before Uchiha Fugaku could ask for details, a clansman jogged up to his side and asked urgently.

"Clan Leader, is the casino closing? Is the Uchiha Clan being forced to relocate? Did you surrender to the Hokage?"

"How dare you!" the guard standing beside Uchiha Fugaku shouted. "Is that any way to speak to the clan leader? Do you have no sense of decorum?"

The clansman ignored him, only staring at Uchiha Fugaku with a pair of scarlet eyes.

The surrounding clansmen did the same, their eyes locked onto Uchiha Fugaku, waiting for his answer.

How do they know?

Looking at those familiar faces, Uchiha Fugaku opened his mouth.

But for some reason, the words he wanted to use to defend himself wouldn't come out, and he could only lower his head in shame.

Uchiha Fugaku's reaction, seen through the eyes of his clansmen, immediately caused an uproar.

"The rumors are true. The clan leader really did sell out the Uchiha Clan."

"Why call him clan leader? He's just an old dog, a traitor to the Uchiha Clan."

"Is it true that he's going to move into the Hokage Building with his wife and son?"

"I don't believe it. I don't believe the clan leader is that kind of person!"

"Pah! Running dog!"

"..."

The oppressive atmosphere within the clan was ignited instantly, like a spark thrown into a powder keg. With a "bang," flames and smoke spread rapidly.

Everyone's expression became twisted and ferocious, and the feeling of anger grew like weeds in their hearts.

Everyone who heard the news felt betrayed.

The clansman who had pressed Uchiha Fugaku for answers even awakened his Sharingan because of it.

Scarlet tomoe slowly rotated in his pupils, faintly tinged with a hint of madness.

Watching the scenes unfolding around him, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but feel a sense of panic.

When did the Uchiha Clan... become like this?

He quickly turned to his guard and ordered.

"Notify the clan's jonin. I am calling a clan meeting!"

The guard nodded repeatedly. "Understood, Clan..."

At that moment, a voice suddenly came from afar, interrupting his next words.

"No need, Clan Head Fugaku, we have all arrived."

A path opened up through the crowd.

Slowly, the figures of Yan, Yashiro, Shisui, Tekka, and others appeared in view.

Behind them followed a multitude of clan ninjas and ordinary clansmen.

A single glance revealed nearly four hundred ninjas and over a thousand clansmen.

They either had their Sharingan activated, eyes flickering with an eerie light, or wore expressionless, cold faces, all staring fixedly at Uchiha Fugaku.

No one spoke, and a heavy pressure permeated the air.

Uchiha Fugaku looked at the people before him, his pupils constricting slightly as a chill surged through his heart.

The Radical Faction and the Neutral Faction were present in full, more than half of the Conservative Faction had arrived, and with ordinary clansmen continuously joining from all directions, the number had already exceeded half the clan.

Yet behind him, there were only a few ninjas belonging to the clan head's faction, hastily summoned by his guards, numbering fewer than seventy.

How did Yan manage this?

Yan stepped forward slowly, each stride seemingly carrying the weight of a thousand pounds; the sound of his footsteps echoed through the street, striking at everyone's nerves.

"Clan Head Fugaku, it seems you haven't brought us any good news today!" Yan's voice was cold and filled with provocation.

Uchiha Fugaku forced himself to remain calm. "Yan, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Yan's lips curled slightly, revealing an eerie smile that carried a bone-chilling implication. "I only want to seek fairness for the Uchiha Clan."

As he spoke, he looked around at the angry, bewildered clansmen and shouted aloud, "Do you all still not understand? What has our blind forbearance actually bought us?"

Yan pointed at Uchiha Fugaku. "It is sudden betrayal!"

He pointed at the surrounding clansmen. "It is endless disappointment!"

Then he pointed at the distant Hokage Building. "It is their unscrupulous oppression of us!"

"We can no longer sit idly by like this!" Yan's voice boomed like a thunderclap, vibrating through the air. "We must resist and let them know that we are not to be trifled with."

"Not just for the future of the Uchiha Clan, but so that we ourselves can live with dignity and enjoy a better life."

"We can no longer remain silent."

"We must use our strength to make them pay a heavy price for their actions!"

Yan's words burned like a raging fire in everyone's hearts.

The clansmen were stirred to a frenzy, flames of anger burning in their eyes as if ready to erupt at any moment.

Everyone clenched their fists, their bodies trembling slightly.

It was the prelude to the explosion of long-suppressed emotions.

Only one final spark was needed to set it all off!

"It's bad, Lord Yan, something terrible has happened!"

At that moment, a panicked and urgent voice came from afar.

The corners of Yan's mouth curled up slowly. It was time!

A ninja was seen sprinting across the rooftops, shouting as he ran, his voice loud enough for every clansman present to hear.

"It's bad, Uchiha Hideto has defected! He has already gone to Sarutobi Hiruzen to snitch, saying he wants the Hokage's faction to purge the Uchiha Clan."

Upon hearing this, the clansmen were stunned for a moment, and then those suppressed emotions erupted instantly like a volcano.

"Kill that traitor!"

"Fight the Hokage's faction to the death!"

"Pull Sarutobi Hiruzen down from the position of Hokage!"

"Long live the Uchiha!"

"..."

In an instant, the shouts reached the heavens, and the clansmen surged outward like a tidal wave.