Uchiha, is it over?

The mockery in those words was far too thick; no one present was a fool, so how could they fail to hear it?

The more obvious it became, the angrier these people grew, yet they found themselves unable to refute a single word from Genkawa Uchiha.

Fugaku Uchiha was also feeling a surge of anger now, staring fixedly at Genkawa Uchiha as he spoke in a harsh tone: "I know you have long held resentment toward the clan, but at a time like this, you should not be saying such things."

Seeing him like this, Genkawa Uchiha's smile only grew more radiant.

"So, what would you have me do?"

This question stumped Fugaku Uchiha for a moment.

He gazed at Genkawa Uchiha, ultimately leaving behind only a single sentence before returning to his seat at the head of the room.

"Be quiet."

Hearing this, Genkawa Uchiha shrugged, smiling as he returned to his original spot to sit back down, propping his chin on one hand and watching the scene unfold in silence.

The others were naturally filled with rage, yet they had no effective way to deal with Genkawa Uchiha.

Some were aware of what Yashiro Uchiha's earlier glance had meant—a suspicion that perhaps Genkawa Uchiha had been the one controlling the Nine-Tails—but upon reflection, they realized the possibility was slim, making Yashiro Uchiha's scolding well-deserved.

As for the battle between Genkawa Uchiha and the Nine-Tails, they chose to ignore it.

It was clearly an act that benefited the village and showcased the power of the Uchiha, yet they deliberately refused to dwell on it.

Their mindset was just that complicated.

So, once Genkawa Uchiha sat back down, these people simply treated his previous words as a hallucination, as if they had never happened, and turned their attention back to Fugaku Uchiha.

"We cannot agree to this!"

"That's right! If we agree to such a thing, the prestige of our Uchiha Clan will surely suffer a blow!"

The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, clearly unable to accept this outcome.

Fugaku Uchiha's expression was grim, but he could only keep his face stoic.

"This is a resolution from the Jonin Council; it cannot be changed."

This single point alone was enough to make everyone feel immense pressure.

The Uchiha present were merely arrogant and dismissive of others, but that did not mean they were idiots.

There was absolutely no benefit in going against the entire village.

Yet, they refused to accept this lying down.

"Make the village produce evidence that the Sharingan controlled the Nine-Tails!"

"Exactly! Even if the Nine-Tails was truly controlled by a Sharingan, it doesn't necessarily mean the person who controlled it was from our clan. After all, it is a Tailed Beast; even the strongest Three-Tomoe Sharingan couldn't possibly control it."

"That's right, the village's targeting of our Uchiha Clan is too obvious; we cannot agree to this!"

"Regardless, we are the strongest ninja clan, having founded Konoha alongside the Senju Clan. Is the village not afraid that by pushing us too hard, they will cause a massive disaster?"

In short, they said all sorts of things, but it all boiled down to one point: the village had no reason and no right to target the Uchiha like this, or else they would start a riot.

The scene was chaotic, with everyone talking over one another, yet no one was hitting the mark.

Or rather, once Fugaku Uchiha stated that it was a Sharingan that controlled the Nine-Tails, they had already run out of viable options.

Unless the person who controlled the Nine-Tails was found, the Uchiha Clan's punishment was a foregone conclusion.

Their protests were merely a reflection of their inability to accept reality.

Genkawa Uchiha yawned, stood up, and began to walk toward the exit.

This action immediately drew the gaze of the others.

Do not be fooled by the fact that Genkawa Uchiha had been staying in the corner, seemingly ignored by everyone.

In reality, many were secretly keeping an eye on his every move.

"Where are you going?"

A young Uchiha spoke up.

Genkawa Uchiha did not stop his pace: "Going back to sleep. The clan meeting is too boring."

This refusal to even look back truly angered the one who had asked, who could not help but stand up and take a few strides to block Genkawa Uchiha's path.

"Do you not have even a shred of Uchiha pride?"

As he spoke, the man gestured toward the room and shouted: "Can't you see that so many people are worrying about the clan? And you? What have you done?"

The crowd fell silent.

Genkawa Uchiha stopped and reached out to place a hand on the other's shoulder.

"I remember, your name is... Yakumi Uchiha, right?"

Yakumi Uchiha stared at him intensely, his eyes filled with scarlet, the three tomoe spinning slowly.

"A Three-Tomoe Sharingan at such a young age; your talent is not bad."

This comment made Yakumi Uchiha's skin twitch.

There was no other reason than the fact that Genkawa Uchiha had also revealed his Sharingan—the same three tomoe—yet he was even younger than Yakumi Uchiha, with a three-year age gap between them.

If these words had come from any other member of the Uchiha Clan, Yakumi Uchiha might have felt quite pleased.

But the fact that they came from Genkawa Uchiha made it rather difficult for Yakuhi Uchiha to keep a straight face.

I'm young and have good talent?

Then what about you?

Genkawa Uchiha patted him on the shoulder. "You, you're still too young. You should learn more from Clan Head Fugaku. Learn to endure for the sake of the entire clan; don't jump out and make a scene, or you'll just end up showing your incompetence."

Some people had already lowered their heads, and Fugaku Uchiha, sitting at the head of the table, couldn't help but clench his fists.

"Genkawa Uchiha, the clan meeting isn't over yet," he said.

Genkawa Uchiha shoved Yakuhi Uchiha aside and walked toward the exit without looking back.

"Then you all continue. Regardless, I am an outlier in the Uchiha; it makes no difference whether I am here or not."

This time, no one stepped forward to stop him.

He reached the door and pushed it open. Just as he was about to step out, he paused and turned his head back. "Right, let me state this in advance: I live here quite comfortably. So, regardless of whether the village wants the Uchiha Clan to move or not, I am not moving."

With a casual wave of his hand, he walked out.

The heavy doors closed once more, sealing off the inside from the outside, and cutting off the sight of Genkawa Uchiha's departing figure.

The room remained silent for a moment before erupting into an uproar.

"Damn that guy, how dare he act like that?"

Some stood up to shout, their faces twisted with unconcealable rage.

"Exactly! This is a clan meeting; how could that guy behave this way? Relying on his own talent, he has never held the clan rules in any regard. If you ask me, we should strip him of his surname."

"What an abominable fellow. He is simply a disgrace to the Uchiha."

Comments like these rose and fell in succession.

For a moment, it seemed as though everyone present was venting the anger they felt toward the village leadership's targeting of the Uchiha onto Genkawa Uchiha instead.

It was just a pity that they hadn't dared to say a word while Genkawa Uchiha was present, only letting their frustrations explode after he had left.

What this signified was self-evident.

Yakumi Uchiha watched this scene, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth.

He had gathered the courage to challenge Genkawa Uchiha earlier, fully expecting to be beaten—something Genkawa Uchiha had done frequently throughout his upbringing.

Those who had provoked Genkawa Uchiha in the past, regardless of their age, had basically all been beaten by him.

Yakumi Uchiha was no exception.

But this time, it was an exception.

Watching the reactions of his clansmen now, Yakuhi Uchiha came to a realization.

It seemed that aside from venting their emotions behind people's backs, the clansmen were completely helpless—whether facing the decisions of the village leadership or facing Genkawa Uchiha.

Is this really the Uchiha?

When did the Uchiha become so hypocritical?

Could it be... that what Genkawa Uchiha said years ago about the Uchiha being finished... was true?

On the other side, Genkawa Uchiha paid no mind to the matter at all.

It seemed that to him, such things were entirely inconsequential.

After leaving the shrine, he returned home and immediately saw someone lying across the low table in the room.

Her posture revealed her graceful curves, and combined with that aura of a married woman, she was full of charm.

Noticing the movement outside, Mikoto Uchiha opened her eyes and propped herself up, seeing Genkawa Uchiha had returned.

Before she could even speak, she heard Genkawa Uchiha's voice.

"Sister Mikoto, have you finally decided to come and live with me?"