Clan Gathering

On the outskirts of Konoha.

Low mountains rolled in an endless succession. The chirping of swallows and sparrows swept over the roof of the Shrine, and petals from century-old cherry trees drifted down with the warm breeze, mournful, beautiful, and desolate.

It took some time to reach the Council Hall atop the mountain.

Many members of the Uchiha clan chatted along the way, treading the stone steps strewn with cherry blossoms, passing through the torii gate, and standing before the main hall to await the arrival of their clan head.

"Hey, have you heard? It seems the village is planning to make a move regarding the Police Force."

"I expected as much the moment the Anbu surrounded our district so tightly on the night of the Nine-Tails Incident. Those higher-ups have never trusted us."

"After all, there was a Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes."

"We were all at home, so how could anyone have controlled the Nine-Tails? Besides, that would require such immense ocular power!"

"Is it possible that Madara Uchiha... is still alive?"

"Shh! The clan head is here."

The murmurs ceased instantly. Everyone bowed in unison to Fugaku, and only after he had entered the Council Hall did they follow, one after another.

It was a very ancient shrine, yet after renovations, it showed no signs of decay.

Vermilion pillars and exquisite screens filled the space, but there were no shrines or Buddha statues; instead, tatami mats were laid out, with each seat arranged in perfect order.

"Look over there, Itachi Uchiha has arrived too."

"Yo, it really is the clan head's son. But I'm more interested in Uchiha Akashi. That guy is close with the Third Hokage and even served as a subordinate to Orochimaru; it's hard to gauge his stance."

"Just a spineless coward," someone nearby snorted.

Akashi sat kneeling in the middle row, observing everything around him, yet he remained silent.

His reputation within the clan had always been poor, and he was long since used to it.

The clan meeting began with the tolling of a bell.

Seeing that everyone was seated, Fugaku Uchiha spoke: "Everyone, it has been half a year since the Nine-Tails Incident. Konoha has largely recovered its vitality and is preparing to launch new construction plans. Today, I am here to discuss this plan with all of you."

"New construction plans?"

Many felt puzzled.

"That's right. Since the Nine-Tails attack also caused damage to the Police Force, Konoha has decided to assist us in relocating our clan district and the Police Force to the outskirts of the village."

At this point, Fugaku Uchiha paused.

The expected uproar erupted instantly.

The older generation of ninjas still knew how to exercise restraint, though their faces stiffened and they sneered repeatedly.

Some of the younger, arrogant, and hot-tempered ones shouted directly: "What is the meaning of this! It's clear they just want to isolate us."

"What does the village take the Uchiha for?"

"This is going too far!"

"Clan Head, you didn't agree to this, did you?"

The radical Uchiha voiced their protests one after another.

When they had shouted themselves hoarse, a representative of the moderate faction tried to persuade them: "Given what happened with the Nine-Tails, it is reasonable for the village to be suspicious of us. At least the Police Force is still under our control; our authority hasn't been diminished."

"That's right, the top priority is to rebuild the village's trust in us."

Trust?

Is there any trust left?

Several of the most impulsive clansmen nearly jumped up to retort, their faces flushed red.

Just as the two sides were arguing fiercely, Fugaku Uchiha gave a cough, and the Council Hall suddenly fell into absolute silence.

At this moment, Fugaku's prestige was at its zenith.

His voice compelled everyone to hold their breath and return to their seats.

"I know that moving is a chore and no one wants to do it, but as a part of the village and as its founders, the Uchiha must consider the bigger picture."

This statement essentially clarified his stance.

Fugaku continued, "That said, the village's solution is indeed too blunt. I will try my best to secure more compensation. What do you think?"

"This..."

The crowd hesitated.

The clan head's intention was already very clear; he was siding with the moderates.

In truth, Konoha had suffered heavy casualties during the Third Shinobi World War, and the losses of the Uchiha clan were also significant. At a time like this, tearing faces with the village was not a wise choice.

They had suffered a silent loss in the Nine-Tails Incident.

Fugaku could not fathom who would have used the Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails.

A handle had been given to them.

With the Fourth Hokage having sacrificed himself, the pressure of public opinion in the village was immense.

Danzo proposing the relocation plan at this moment was truly ruthless. The Third Hokage had just slashed the budget for Danzo's Root following the assassination attempt, so it was inconvenient for him to obstruct the plan further and risk making the relationship between the top brass too rigid, which would only invite ridicule from others.

After weighing various considerations, Fugaku chose to compromise.

"The number one coward in the ninja world, after all." Akashi had long since anticipated the outcome and let out a low yawn.

"What did you say?" Shisui, sitting nearby, turned his head curiously.

"Ah, I said the Clan Head has great foresight."

Akashi offered a practiced, fake smile.

Amidst the whispering of the crowd, Takehiko Uchiha stood up: "Clan Head, forgive my bluntness, but this decision makes things very difficult for us."

Fugaku sat upright, his gaze flickering toward Akashi from time to time.

The meaning was clear—

It was time for you to step up.

If he spoke well, it could pave the way for his own summary; if he spoke poorly, he could also draw the fire of the radicals. In any case, this kid had been mocked and ridiculed more than once, and his mental fortitude was strong enough that Fugaku trusted him.

Akashi received the signal and immediately grinned:

"Difficult? I say we just don't do it."

As soon as these words left his mouth, the entire Council Hall was stunned, and even Fugaku was left dumbfounded.

What the hell?

Whose side are you on?

Inabi Uchiha snorted coldly: "What kind of thinking is that?"

"My thinking is that there is no thinking. We discuss this from morning to night, and from night to morning—can we talk the Konoha high-ups to death? In the end, we'll still accept the decision with deep resentment."

"What did you say!"

"Just stating facts. If we don't accept it, what else can we do? Start a rebellion?"

Akashi shrugged.

Although he mocked Fugaku for being weak, he knew that regarding the decision to relocate the clan grounds, Fugaku was not wrong.

The Uchiha needed time to accumulate strength.

That one sentence silenced the crowd. Inabi Uchiha gritted his teeth and stubbornly retorted: "Re... rebel then!"

Akashi's gaze remained calm: "The Konoha high-ups know the Uchiha very well, but do you, Inabi-kun, know the Konoha high-ups? Do you know how many personnel the Anbu has? How many subordinates Danzo has? Do you know how many people are watching us from outside right now while we hold this meeting?"

At these words, many people felt their hair stand on end.

Akashi continued: "I'm guessing you don't."

"And you do?"

"I don't know either, which is why I don't say childish things like 'rebellion'."

Within two seconds, the familiar sound of mockery echoed through the room.

All sorts of taunts—bootlicker, coward, fence-sitter—emerged one after another, some even deliberately raising their volume.

"You must have been bought off by the high-ups a long time ago! You're always running to the Hokage Building. Traitor!" Ryoichi Uchiha jumped out again, shouting with a coarse voice.

"I've made a few trips to the Hokage, and so far, I've managed to increase the compensation for every household by five thousand ryo per square meter. If you really want a proposal, I'd like to ask the Clan Head to squeeze them for even more money."

Akashi tapped his forehead, "Since we can't resist, we might as well raise the price."

Getting money and a new home—what's not to like?

As for that place called the Police Force that everyone hates and dogs despise, they really think it holds so much power.

Can we please have a broader perspective?

"You..."

The dissenter stammered for a long time, unable to find a retort.

Although this guy was annoying, his points were logical, and he was even securing benefits for the clan members; the accusation that he had defected to the Hokage didn't seem to hold water.

A rare silence returned to the Council Hall.

Once the clansmen calmed down, they helplessly accepted reality.

Yes, what else could they do?

They were just venting their frustrations among their own people.

From the Clan Head Fugaku to the older generation of Jonin, everyone felt that Akashi made sense. Since it was an unavoidable fact, sulking was useless; it was better to fight for more benefits.

Fugaku felt quite gratified; he hadn't misjudged him.

Akashi was a talent!

Making him a double agent back then was truly the most correct decision.

Just then, a voice broke the silence.

"Brother Akashi, then you must have found out the specific plans of the Konoha high-ups, right?"

The one who spoke was Itachi Uchiha. He had been kneeling beside Fugaku Uchiha the entire time, but now he stood up, his tone remarkably mature and his demeanor exuding an air of wisdom beyond his years.

Several of the elders nearby even offered approving smiles.

What are you smiling at!

I was just about to wrap this up, and you just had to open your big mouth!

Akashi cursed inwardly, ignoring Itachi's question entirely as he raised an eyebrow. "How did you get in here?"

"I..."

"Since when are genin allowed to attend clan meetings?"

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

Everyone knew that Akashi Uchiha always did as he pleased; after all, what kind of young man in the Uchiha clan would he be without a bit of personality and arrogance?

Still, no one expected him to be this blunt.

Itachi Uchiha was the clan leader's son, after all; wasn't confronting him like this a direct insult to Fugaku?

Fugaku was stunned as well.

Aren't you on my side?

It was true that it was against the rules for genin to attend clan meetings. With so many ninjas in the clan, and most genin being children under ten, they couldn't offer constructive opinions, and there simply wasn't enough space for everyone.

But even so, Itachi was his son, a genius—surely that made him an exception?

He couldn't justify his position, so he couldn't lash out.

Fugaku felt incredibly stifled.

However, Itachi stepped forward and smiled. "Actually, chunin and genin are just different ranks. I believe it is better to prove my right to be here through strength. Brother Akashi, you can see for yourself if I have the qualifications."

The implication was clear: he was challenging Akashi.

But...

What did he mean by saying chunin and genin were just different ranks?

Was he implying he was stronger than a chunin?

Now, some of the Uchiha chunin were feeling annoyed as well.

Akashi scoffed to himself. If you don't know how to talk, you should just stay quiet. When a child tries too hard to act cool, it only becomes grating.

Everyone straightened their backs. Those looking for entertainment, those who opposed Fugaku, those jealous of Itachi's talent, and those who despised Akashi's attitude all turned their gazes toward them with excitement.

Everyone suddenly realized that a fight between the two might be far more interesting than the day's agenda.

Akashi scratched his head and grinned, baring his teeth. "Sure."

He left the second half of his thought unsaid—Actually, I've been wanting to beat you up for a long time.