Xuanye's expression settled, and he said calmly:
"The problem is that you, the clan leader, are too weak. You won't even put up a show of resistance. No wonder people push you around."
If you were a pushover, people would still dare to bully you even if you possessed great power.
Konoha's unruly villagers were the best example. They bullied everyone equally, then, tragically, most of them were killed or injured when Pain attacked the village.
But if you were willing to risk your life to tear a chunk of flesh from anyone who bullied you,
then even if you were an ordinary person, others would think twice before laying a hand on you.
As Fugaku pondered what Xuanye really meant, Xuanye went on:
"If you refuse to rebel because you don't want to drag the Uchiha Family to the brink of destruction,
what about Konoha? Aren't they afraid the Uchiha Family might drag Konoha into a war?"
When people said you had a weapon of mass destruction, you had better actually have one.
And when the Konoha High Command worried about another Uchiha Madara appearing, the Uchiha Family had better actually have a pair of Mangekyō eyes.
Because Konoha no longer had a Senju Hashirama.
Xuanye continued, patiently laying it out. "The Third Great Ninja War has only just ended. Konoha is surrounded by wolves, especially Iwagakure and Kumogakure. Which of them wouldn't love to take another bite out of Konoha?"
"Count your eyes, and the Uchiha Family's fighting strength makes up at least a quarter of Konoha's—perhaps even a third!"
"What would happen to Konoha if they drove the Uchiha Family into rebellion?"
Before Fugaku could think it through, Xuanye answered firmly, "Even if Konoha put down the Uchiha rebellion, it would suffer a devastating blow. It might never recover."
"And then the wolves surrounding it would swarm in and tear apart the entire Land of Fire and a crippled Konoha."
"The Uchiha Family has no chance of defeating Konoha, but it can drag all of Konoha into the Abyss with it."
Fugaku was stunned.
He had never imagined that enemies he had once faced on the battlefield might become the Uchiha Family's "allies" in changing its situation.
Xuanye continued, "Sarutobi Hiruzen is much shrewder than you. He knows Konoha could never withstand an Uchiha rebellion, so he's been cutting away at you slowly, testing your limits bit by bit. When Danzo wants to take drastic measures, Hiruzen steps in to play peacemaker."
"And you didn't even see it."
Fugaku took a deep breath and looked at the young man before him, who was only a few years older than his son.
He suddenly felt as though he had wasted the past few decades of his life. Even a young man saw things more clearly than he did.
"If that's true, what should I do?"
Fugaku did not even realize that he had straightened in his seat and was asking Xuanye for advice.
Xuanye said calmly, "Nothing."
"The next time Konoha demands that the Uchiha Family make a sacrifice, show them your eyes at the right moment and let them see how furious you are. Then refuse to compromise, no matter what they say."
"If you hold firm under the pressure, someone will step forward to mediate. Most likely, it'll be one of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans."
"After all, politics is about mutual compromise. If you refuse to give ground, the Konoha High Command will have to give ground first, so long as they don't want mutual destruction."
"Remember: having no sword and choosing not to draw the one in your hand are two different things."
With that, Xuanye drained his tea and rose to leave.
He had said all he could. If Fugaku still proved hopeless, Fugaku could not blame him for "clearing the ruler's side."
As the saying went, a godlike enemy was less frightening than a pigheaded ally.
Before making his move, Uchiha Genya would never allow such an unstable element to remain within the group he controlled.
Xuanye did not know exactly how strong Fugaku was, but he had absolute faith in his own eyes.
At the thought of the power in those eyes, Xuanye could not help smiling to himself.
Fugaku watched Xuanye walk away. Just as Xuanye was about to cross the threshold, Fugaku called out:
"Xuanye, I haven't asked yet. What exactly can your Mangekyō do?"
Every pair of Mangekyō eyes had different abilities. Most ocular techniques were unremarkable, but some were terrifying.
A Mangekyō ocular technique could be an even greater threat than Susanoo!
Having awakened the Mangekyō himself, Fugaku knew that well.
Susanoo's power was known. Mighty as it was, an outside force could still break through it.
But Mangekyō ocular techniques... the unknown was what made them truly impossible to guard against.
Xuanye glanced back at Fugaku and smiled faintly.
"Clan leader, would you tell someone what your Mangekyō ocular technique does?"
With that, Xuanye left.
Fugaku watched him go in silence for a long while before finally letting out a sigh.
He had yielded to Xuanye once again, letting the question of his Mangekyō ocular technique drop.
Whatever else happened, Xuanye was a member of the Uchiha Family. The stronger Xuanye became, the stronger the family became. That would not change.
As for Xuanye's advice... Fugaku intended to find a chance to try it.
Xuanye was right.
However badly things turned out, it would be better than being slowly carved up in peacetime.
On his way home, Xuanye was not at all surprised that Fugaku had stopped asking questions.
Fugaku was used to compromising. Even after Xuanye had taught him how to resist, he would instinctively back down when the stakes were lower.
Used properly, that temperament made him the perfect pawn.
Back at his house in the clan compound, Xuanye began refining Chakra as usual.
Awakening the Mangekyō had greatly increased the amount of Chakra within him, bringing him firmly to Kage Level.
But training was something he could never stop doing.
Even with the system's help, every bit of progress he made through daily effort mattered. That dedication to growing stronger sometimes mattered more than any external aid.
With the aid of Musō Isshin, Xuanye refined Chakra with remarkable efficiency. Lightning Release training in particular came naturally to him.
He was even considering making Lightning Release the focus of his future training.
And when it came to Lightning Release, he had to think of Kakashi's Chidori, a ninjutsu perfectly suited to the Sharingan's ability to track movement.
Kakashi should have finished developing Chidori by now.
Even if he had not, his experience developing Lightning Release techniques would be invaluable.
And the arrangements Xuanye had made earlier that day should help.