The Clan Meeting

Yan, Shisui, and the other Uchiha stood outside, waiting for about half an hour.

The area around them was quiet, with only the occasional gust of wind and the rustling of leaves.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Then, a series of deep, sonorous bell chimes suddenly rang out from inside the building.

The sound pierced the walls and echoed through the night sky, drawing everyone's attention.

Hearing the bells, the Uchiha gathered outside headed into the building.

Shisui gently patted Uchiha Yan on the shoulder. "Yan, the clan meeting is starting. Let's head in too!"

Yan nodded and followed Shisui and the others into the council hall.

The doors to the hall swung slowly open, and a sense of history washed over them.

The room's layout made Yan's heart tighten.

The interior was spacious, and the walls all around were painted a tranquil blue, giving the room a dignified, solemn air.

Cushions were laid out on the floor, and some already had people seated on them.

Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head, sat cross-legged in the seat of honor at the front. His gaze was deep, and his presence radiated unquestionable authority.

The clan elders sat on either side of him, their expressions grave.

The Uchiha filed into the hall and took their seats.

Yan and Shisui exchanged a glance, then sat at the very back.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The sonorous chimes rang again, signaling the official start of the clan meeting.

"Is everyone here?"

A thin, white-haired elder asked.

He was the First Elder of the Uchiha Clan and one of the few elders still alive who had been born during the Warring States period.

Uchiha Fugaku, seated in the middle, glanced around. "Everyone's here."

The First Elder nodded, cleared his throat twice, and spoke in a steady voice.

"Since everyone is here, let's begin the clan meeting."

Uchiha Fugaku tapped the floor, the crisp sound drawing everyone's attention.

"Everyone knows about the Nine-Tails Rebellion six months ago, right?"

"Ever since that day, life for our Uchiha Clan in Konoha has only gotten harder."

"The Konoha High Command suspects us, the villagers don't trust us, and there's someone watching us like a hawk. I won't name names. We all know who I mean!"

"The purpose of today's meeting is to discuss the future of our Uchiha Clan and decide what we should do."

"Please speak in an orderly manner!"

"..."

The moment he finished, the clan members below erupted into heated discussion.

"The Konoha High Command definitely has bad intentions! If we just sit back and do nothing, our clan will be wiped out sooner or later!"

"I agree with Big Brother Tekka. Especially that old dog, Sarutobi Hiruzen. He'd love nothing more than to wipe out our entire Uchiha Clan."

"Bullshit! Plenty of people saw the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes. Their reaction is understandable. We should show them our determination to become part of Konoha. That's the only way to rebuild trust with them."

"Exactly! You Radical Faction types only ever think about fighting!"

"You're the one talking bullshit! Your whole family talks bullshit!"

"..."

Before long, the council hall was in an uproar.

Some lost their tempers and even opened their scarlet Sharingan, glaring at their opponents as if they were about to come to blows.

Seeing this, Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath and shouted.

"Quiet!"

A massive surge of chakra burst forth, sweeping through the entire room. The fired-up clan members immediately fell silent.

Uchiha Fugaku glanced around again and spoke in a stern voice.

"I told you to keep things orderly, and this is what you call orderly? Were you about to start fighting just now?"

The Uchiha below exchanged glances, then lowered their heads and fell silent, as if to say, Go ahead and say whatever you want.

Uchiha Fugaku shook his head helplessly.

As clan head, he knew the personalities of the people below all too well.

Whether they belonged to the Dove Faction or the Hawk Faction, they all had tempers like stray dogs. If what you said didn't fit their views, they treated it like bullshit.

After steadying himself, Uchiha Fugaku turned to the Second Elder beside him and asked, "Is there a clan member attending the meeting for the first time today?"

"Yes," the Second Elder replied with a nod. His hair was just as white, though he sported a goatee. "His name is Uchiha Yan. He awakened the Three Tomoe three months ago."

He swept his gaze across the room, pointed toward the back, and continued, "He's over there!"

Uchiha Fugaku followed the Second Elder's finger.

A handsome young man was looking back at him with wide eyes.

He blinked again and again, looking utterly innocent.

Fugaku thought back carefully.

He vaguely remembered that while the clan members had been arguing, Uchiha Yan hadn't joined in. He had sat on the floor, calm and composed, watching them with a smile.

"Yan!"

Hearing the clan head call him, Yan stood up from his cushion.

"What do you think about the future of the Uchiha Clan?"

Uchiha Fugaku's question immediately drew everyone's attention, including Shisui's.

Shisui had been curious for a while, but Yan had refused to say anything.

Now that even the clan head had asked, surely Yan would finally share his honest thoughts.

With everyone's attention on him, Yan's mouth twitched. Awkwardly, he scratched his neck with a finger.

What the hell kind of opinion could he have? If he had to sum it up in two words...

We're doomed.

Just as he was about to give a vague answer, the system suddenly issued a new task.

[Side Quest 3: Propose a constructive idea at the clan meeting that benefits the Uchiha Clan and earns the approval of more than two-thirds of the clan members]

[Reward: Mastery of Fire-Style Chakra Nature Transformation]

Yan's heart skipped a beat.

Wasn't this just forcing him into it?

A constructive idea that also had to win their approval? The system was making things impossible for him.

But with everyone scrutinizing him, Yan could only steel himself and tentatively ask, "I do have some thoughts. But I don't know whether you want to hear something more radical, more conservative, or more moderate."

Uchiha Fugaku raised an eyebrow.

There were three different ideas? Could this young man actually be a talent?

He hadn't seen it coming!

"Let's hear the radical one first."

Yan's head immediately began to ache.

But he had already gone this far, so he steeled himself. So be it.

His gaze swept across the room, and his clear, forceful voice rang out.

"The radical approach is simple."

"Starting now, we count all the money the clan can spare and buy large quantities of Explosive Tags, Shuriken, sealing scrolls, and other supplies for war. At the same time, we gather the clan's elders, children, and ordinary people and find a way to get them out of Konoha, or dig a large shelter beneath the clan compound."

"Once everything is ready, the ordinary people go into the shelter. We Uchiha shinobi take up our weapons and charge the Hokage Building, then drag the Sarutobi Brat out of the Hokage's seat."

"It's about time our Uchiha Clan had a Hokage of our own."

"..."