"I disagree!" Shisui suddenly stood up.
At first, he had agreed with the plan.
He thought it was a good idea to find a clan member who could change the villagers' personal impressions of the Uchiha.
But as the meeting went on, things started to sound more and more wrong.
Controlling public opinion, establishing a religion...
Put plainly, wasn't this just dividing Konoha?
"This plan is pushing the Uchiha Clan into a fire pit."
If someone else had spoken up, the clan members present might not have taken it seriously. But Shisui was different.
He was widely recognized as the clan's greatest prodigy, and he had earned the name "Body Flicker Shisui" during the Third Shinobi World War. His standing in the Uchiha Clan was exceptionally high.
At Shisui's objection, the clan members who had been excited moments earlier seemed to have a bucket of cold water dumped over them. They quickly calmed down.
They frowned and carefully considered the downsides of the plan.
There was no denying that if the idea succeeded, they would become Konoha's second governing power, with influence in the village rivaling Sarutobi Hiruzen's.
But if it failed, they might have an excuse to defend themselves, yet life for the Uchiha Clan would undoubtedly become even more difficult.
And there was one more important point.
Shisui was a member of the Anbu. He would certainly tell Sarutobi Hiruzen what Yan had said today.
That meant the plan was doomed from the start, like duckweed without roots.
Watching the expressions on the clan members' faces change, Uchiha Fugaku began to waver as well.
The plan actually suited him quite well. He could shift most of the blame onto others, at the cost of tarnishing his reputation a little more.
But he didn't want to fall out completely with the Konoha High Command.
"Ah!" Uchiha Fugaku sighed and asked Yan, "Yan, do you have anything else to add about this plan?"
From Uchiha Fugaku's tone, Yan could tell that the clan leader was hesitating again.
As expected, a worthless fool couldn't be reasoned with!
It was only natural for the clan members to change their minds.
They weren't in the clan leader's position, so naturally they centered their opinions on their own perspective. They were also easily swept along by the group's mood.
But Uchiha Fugaku was the clan leader.
As the head of the Uchiha Clan, he was wavering just because of a few words from others.
Yan couldn't see much hope in following someone like that.
Still, he wanted to try.
He didn't care whether the Uchiha Clan lived or died, but he didn't want to die himself.
Yan cleared his throat. "Clan leader, the important part of this plan is the details. I can't explain everything in just a few words, but I still hope you'll give it careful consideration."
Then he shifted gears.
"Actually, it won't matter if Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others find out about this plan. I already have measures in place to deal with that."
"After all, my Uchiha Clan is one of Konoha's great clans. We have centuries of history and resources behind us."
"If you're really concerned, all the Uchiha Clan needs to contribute is money and a small number of people. I'll take care of the rest."
"I'll bear the consequences of failure all by myself!"
For some reason, Uchiha Fugaku felt a little guilty under Yan's unwavering gaze. He turned his head away and said,
"This plan is too important. Let's wait until after the meeting, then I'll discuss it with the elders."
"You said there were two steps. What's the other one?"
Hearing that, Yan sighed inwardly. The hope he'd been holding on to finally died.
But he still needed to complete the system's mission, so he stood silently for a moment before speaking.
"The second step is to improve the overall strength of the Uchiha Clan."
"As everyone knows, the Sharingan is the ultimate expression of Yin Release. It evolves mainly through extreme emotional changes."
"And what kind of place can cause intense emotional swings?"
"The casino!"
"At a casino, some people get rich overnight while others lose everything. Add in the atmosphere, and it's the perfect place to stir up emotions."
"Going from heaven to hell feels terrible. In some ways, it's even worse than losing a loved one."
At this point, Yan paused and looked toward the clan members around him.
The air in the meeting room seemed to freeze.
His words were like a stone thrown into a lake, sending ripples across the surface.
Neither the Radical Faction nor the Conservative Faction seemed to have any objections to the plan. Even the Neutral Faction was on board.
After all, no matter which path the Uchiha Clan eventually took, strength would always be the most important thing.
And perhaps because Uchiha Fugaku had already objected several times, he seemed a little embarrassed to keep doing so.
Still, out of caution, he said,
"Yan, opening a casino isn't against the law in Konoha, but it would still have a bad effect. Besides, the Uchiha Clan also serves as the Konoha Military Police Force. If word got out..."
"Clan leader!" Yan interrupted. "I never said we should open the casino to the public."
"Besides, it's only an idea. We don't even know if it'll work."
"We can find some older clan members who haven't awakened their Sharingan, or who have only awakened the Single Tomoe or Double Tomoe, and test it on them. If it really works, we can expand it to the whole clan!"
"That's just to be safe."
Uchiha Fugaku nodded thoughtfully. "Yan, it's good that you're thinking this through. I'm very pleased."
"Then I'll leave opening the casino and choosing the clan members to you!" That would also keep Yan from bringing up that God-Making Plan again.
The clan members around them chimed in, too. They agreed that Yan, the one who had come up with the idea, was the best person for the job.
Seeing that the clan members weren't bringing up the God-Making Plan again, Shisui let out a long breath. At last, the tension left him.
He patted Yan on the shoulder and said,
"Yan, do your best. I believe you can handle it!"
Yan could only shake his head helplessly.
What a bunch of hopeless fools. They were quick enough to agree when it came to messing with their own clan members.
[Side Quest 3: Complete]
[Reward: Proficiency in Fire-Style Chakra Nature Transformation]
Hearing the system notification in his ear, Yan had no mind to check the reward.
Looking at Uchiha Fugaku on the stage, an idea suddenly crossed his mind.
He definitely wasn't going to give up on the God-Making Plan. After all, the Uchiha Clan simply couldn't match the Hokage faction in raw strength.
If he wanted to turn the tables and take control, he could only start by finding a way to control public opinion in Konoha. That would make everything else much easier.
Of course, that would take people and money.
Taking control of a casino might be a good place to start.
"Clan leader!" Yan straightened up. "Since you've entrusted this task to me, I'll do my best."
"But, well... I'm not sure how many people and how much money you're planning to give me?"
Uchiha Fugaku laughed heartily and said generously, "Name what you need. Consider it compensation for opposing your ideas earlier."
Yan's lips curled slightly.
Since you put it that way, I won't hold back.
"Clan leader, I need five jonin, preferably with the Three Tomoe; twenty special jonin and chunin combined; fifty genin; and thirty million ryo in cash!"
Hearing Yan ask for the moon, Uchiha Fugaku nearly choked.
Before you continue