Uchiha Mayhem

The regular clan meeting happened to fall during the holidays.

Rikusei glanced sideways at Kaku, who was sitting in the front row and staring intently at the Flame Gunbai. The more he looked, the more suspicious it seemed. It looked staged no matter how he saw it.

Sensing the gaze behind him, Kaku, whose brown hair was tied in a short ponytail, turned to the boy and gave him a warm smile—the kind rarely seen at school.

So fake!

Startled by that phony performance, Rikusei couldn't help hugging himself to quell his goosebumps.

As more and more people sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, the spacious auditorium gradually grew lively.

Unlike the Dance King contest, this was a full clan meeting, and only clan members who had awakened their Sharingan were allowed to attend.

Wearing a high-collared robe a size too small, Rikusei sat securely on the left side of the second row, thanks to his status as the clan leader's disciple. His small figure stood out in the crowd.

The first row was filled with Uchiha elders and squad captains. With a trace of amusement in his heart, Rikusei figured quite a few of them must have surrendered to the Senju Clan.

But that was in the past. Whether to follow Madara and resist to the bitter end or go with the flow and surrender to the Senju was a difficult choice.

Rikusei had no intention of criticizing anyone. If he had crossed over a little earlier, he would have surrendered to the Senju Clan along with them.

After centuries of conflict, the merging of the ninja clans was an unstoppable trend. No individual's will could change it.

They didn't have to wait long. Everyone soon took their seats.

Rikusei silently counted the attendees. Despite the war, the number of Uchiha who had awakened their Sharingan was still quite substantial: seventy.

Madara slowly walked up onto the stage and stood in front of the wall bearing the Flame Gunbai and the plaque that read "Uchiha." He looked at the crowd. "Kaku! Explain the positions the Uchiha Clan will hold in Konoha from now on."

"Yes, Clan Leader." Kaku rose from the front row and stood a little behind Madara's left side. "The main departments the Uchiha Clan will serve in are the Police Department, the Interrogation Department, and the Logistics Department!"

"Setsuna will serve as Captain-General of the Police Department."

"Huoli will serve as Captain-General of the Interrogation Department."

"Tobihi will serve as Captain-General of the Logistics Department."

Kaku fixed his gaze on the people whose names he had called and said sternly, "Since our fellow clan members belong to different squads and also have other duties, the positions will be filled by volunteers. Once they arrive at their new departments, they'll be reorganized into squads with ninja from other clans."

"You may discuss it now."

When he finished, the expected buzz of discussion never came. The room fell into an eerie silence.

Madara calmly took in the expressions of the clan members below. "If you have any questions, ask."

"Those of us who are married need to go home and discuss it with our families."

A man with a cross-shaped scar on the bridge of his nose spoke in a gentle tone that didn't match his appearance.

"Those with families should discuss it, then. What about those who aren't married?" Madara's gaze moved across the crowd. As clan leader, he knew exactly who among them wasn't married.

Looking at the crowd, which had fallen silent again, Rikusei couldn't keep his thoughts to himself: Teacher, you're the leading unmarried man here! Hashirama's brats have already started going on missions.

"I'll reserve a spot in advance. I want to join the Logistics Department!"

Lowering his hand, Rikusei shook his head at the crowd's snickers, making it clear he wasn't going to stoop to their level.

"Is Rikusei joining?"

On the wooden platform, Kaku sighed at the clan members who were grinning foolishly. They'd regret it once they realized what they were giving up. He looked at the boy with his hand raised and teased him.

"He's still young. Once he graduates, he'll naturally go where he's needed." Madara's voice swept through the room, and the good-natured laughter receded like a tide.

The chance to tease the clan leader's disciple in public didn't come often. You had to seize it when you could. A genius who awakened his Sharingan at five, Setsuna thought, having been the first to laugh.

"Have you made up your minds, then?" After the laughter, the mood relaxed. Kaku brought the conversation back around. "If you take a position in the village, you won't be doing missions for the village or the clan anymore. The village will pay your salary."

?!

Madara wore the satisfied smile of a fisherman who'd landed a catch and quietly watched as the crowd erupted into a clamor.

Rikusei watched with a conflicted expression as people scrambled to their feet, eager to join. He was completely hidden behind them.

Well, they wouldn't lift a finger until they saw the bait.

Kaku glanced helplessly at Madara, who wore a fisherman's smile, and shrugged in sympathy for the noisy clan members.

"How are any of you acting like Uchiha?!" Setsuna, with half a mask wrapped around his forehead, stood up and waved his arms, shouting at the unruly crowd. "Aren't you ashamed? Sit down, all of you!"

Rikusei looked past the crowd as they sat back down and glanced at Setsuna, who stood on Madara's right. He was a frank man whose joy and anger were easy to read on his face.

Because Setsuna resembled Izuna a little, he had always looked after Rikusei at the Clan Academy and answered every question he had about ninjutsu.

"Those who want to work in the village's departments need to be prepared." Madara's gaze swept over their faces. His fierce eyes made their hearts tremble. "You'll be working with people from other clans, such as the Senju Clan—no, there is no Senju Clan anymore."

The news that the Senju Clan had disappeared had already spread widely through the village. Quite a few ninja present had encountered Senju who were gradually changing their surnames. Still, hearing it from their clan leader brought a pang of sadness. A century of conflict had finally come to an end.

Madara continued, addressing the clan members shrouded in sorrow. "Kaku and I know who among you can't get along with other clans. Those people needn't apply."

"Now, let's talk about something else."

The calm around Madara instantly gave way to a surging battle spirit. He spoke to the crowd, brimming with enthusiasm.

"?"

Kaku stared blankly at Madara on his right. He had no idea what was going on. No one had mentioned this to him when they discussed the details of the meeting.

"We're going to capture all the Tailed Beasts!" Madara said evenly, his composure restored.

His calm words were like a meteor blazing through the Celestial Realm before plunging into the sea that was the auditorium, sending three waves surging through the heat: the first crashed over their bodies, the second over their hearts, and the third was the crowd's astonished cries, spreading in every direction.

The instigator's lazy tone blended with the crowd's astonishment. Rikusei didn't want some sharp-eyed person to figure anything out.

He didn't need to pretend, though. Everyone was already shocked by the news.

These were Tailed Beasts!

One or two wouldn't be a problem with the clan leader there.

But they weren't the Uzumaki Clan, experts in Sealing Jutsu.

The Uzumaki?

Some people in the room had already figured it out. If the clan leader could say this, it had to mean the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki were joining forces.

The Uzumaki were the Senju's cousins. With their help, it should be fine. Besides, Uzumaki Romi, the grandmaster of sealing, was still alive.

"Those who don't want to take up positions in the village can join the Tailed Beast Hunting Squad, which I'll lead." Once the crowd had quieted down, Madara addressed them, his eyes blazing.

"That's great! We get to fight alongside the clan leader again!"

The younger, more hot-blooded Uchiha began cheering loudly.

Setsuna, still on the wooden platform, made no move to quiet the excited crowd. His own heart was already pounding with excitement. He murmured, "This time, we won't be facing the familiar Senju Clan, but Tailed Beasts capable of changing the very heavens and earth!"

Kaku gazed helplessly at the overjoyed crowd. That was the kind of charisma Madara had: just a few words, and he could get them all fired up.

"What about me?!"

Rikusei stood up, but the crowd swallowed him again. His question was drowned out by the excited cheers.