The Uchiha Were Seething with Anger

Meanwhile, at the Uchiha Compound.

As always, the Uchiha Compound carried an air of quiet distance and pride.

But today, that atmosphere was tinged with suppressed anger and undercurrents of heated discussion.

The family meeting room was heavy with tension.

Seated at the head of the room was a man in his forties, with a stern face and sharp eyes. He wore the traditional high-collared robes of the Uchiha Clan.

His features bore some resemblance to the future Uchiha Fugaku, but his demeanor was more openly forceful and hard-edged.

He was none other than the current head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Chishin—Uchiha Fugaku's father.

Below him sat several of the clan's senior elders and elite jōnin, including elders from Uchiha Ling's branch, as well as several powerful figures in charge of the family's Police Force.

"Has the report been confirmed?" Uchiha Chishin asked in a low voice, his tone brooking no argument.

"It has, Clan Head," replied an elder in charge of intelligence, his voice grave. "Ling was indeed attacked at the hospital. He killed all three assailants, and Anbu took away their bodies. According to our informants at the hospital, there's a very high probability that the attackers' tactics and equipment came from Root."

"Root... Shimura Danzō!" Another elder, hot-tempered by nature, slammed his hand on the table and roared.

"That bastard has some nerve! He actually dared to openly assassinate a member of our Uchiha Clan—one who had just rendered great service to the village, no less! Is he declaring war on our clan?!"

"Calm down, Elder Setsuna."

Uchiha Chishin glanced at him, though a cold glint shone in his own eyes. "It may not be a declaration of war, but it is an outrageous provocation and a test of our limits!"

"How is that child, Ling?" asked Uchiha Nobuhiro, a relatively mild-mannered elder.

"He sustained a few new injuries, but nothing serious. Anbu has placed him under close protection," the intelligence elder replied.

"According to witnesses, he was agitated at the time and demanded to know why the village was treating him this way."

At those words, many of the Uchiha present wore complicated expressions.

There was anger, concern, and a feeling of... inexplicable kinship.

How much had the Uchiha Clan once done for Konoha?

Madara Uchiha had founded Konoha alongside the First, and Kagami Uchiha had served as a trusted bodyguard to the Second Hokage.

Yet as time went on, all the Uchiha received in return was suspicion, exclusion, and marginalization. They had been shoved into the Police Force—a position that seemed powerful but actually left them isolated.

The feeling of being rejected by the village and targeted by its leadership was practically carved into the bones of every Uchiha.

Now, a talented young member of their clan had just rendered great service to the village, presenting himself in an overwhelmingly positive light and changing some villagers' prejudices against the Uchiha. And in the blink of an eye, he had been subjected to such dark treatment!

How could the entire Uchiha Clan not feel grief for a kindred spirit?

"I remember that child, Ling..." Uchiha Nobuhiro said slowly. "He was an outstanding student at the Academy. Even his essay on the Will of Fire earned praise from the Third Hokage.

"I thought he might become a bridge between the Uchiha and the village. I never imagined..."

"A bridge? Hmph!" Uchiha Setsuna sneered. "Do you see now? This is the true face of the village's leadership! They will never truly trust us Uchiha!

"As long as we have these eyes, they'll always fear and exclude us! Showing goodwill and making compromises only invites them to push us around even more!

"In my opinion, we absolutely cannot let this go! Danzo and those higher-ups must pay!"

The hawkish voices immediately drew plenty of support.

"Exactly! We have to respond forcefully!"

"Send out the Police Force and investigate Root!"

"Let them know the Uchiha aren't to be trifled with!"

The Uchiha Clan was in an uproar at the meeting.

"Silence!" Uchiha Chishin barked, quelling the discussion.

He surveyed the room and spoke slowly. "Revenge? How? Go to war with the Hokage's faction?

"That would play right into certain people's hands, giving them an excuse to purge the Uchiha once and for all!"

The Clan Head's words brought the agitated crowd to their senses.

"But, Clan Head, we can't simply swallow this insult!"

Uchiha Nobuhiro said, "This is about more than Ling's personal safety. It concerns the dignity and future of our entire clan.

"If we back down this time, next time they'll use even more despicable methods against any one of our people!"

Uchiha Chishin nodded, a shrewd, calculating light in his eyes. "Of course we can't back down. This is not only a crisis, but also an... opportunity."

Uchiha Chishin leaned forward slightly. His voice dropped, but grew more forceful. "That child, Ling, did very well. He not only survived and killed his attackers, but more importantly, he made a public issue of the incident and put himself firmly in the right!

"He is now a victim, a hero, unjustly persecuted. He'll earn the sympathy of many people—even members of ninja clans that usually stay neutral."

"Lady Mito Uzumaki has already personally taken up the matter and pressured the Third Hokage.

"Our job isn't to blindly call for blood. We must use this incident cleverly to win the greatest possible benefits for the Uchiha, while pushing Ling further into the spotlight.

"We'll make him a new channel for dialogue between the Uchiha and the village—a perfect example of someone who has been treated unjustly, yet still 'keeps his heart with the village'!"

The elders' eyes lit up. Their Clan Head saw further and deeper than they did.

"First, the clan will submit a formal protest to the Hokage in the strongest possible terms! The language must be forceful, but it must stay within the rules. We'll emphasize the Uchiha's contributions and loyalty to the village.

"We'll stress our shock and fury over this heinous incident, demand that the culprits and their mastermind be punished severely, and insist on absolute guarantees of our safety!"

"Second, we'll send a delegation to visit Ling with the highest honors, conveying the clan's concern and support.

"Let him know that the clan is his strongest backing. At the same time... we can gently help him understand that only a strong clan can safeguard his personal safety and dignity." His words carried a deeper meaning.

"Third, we'll use the Police Force's authority to conduct 'legal' inspections of Root's outlying operations and bases, under the pretext of 'investigating the attack and maintaining Konoha's security.'

"We don't need to catch them doing anything. We just need to make a show of it, make life difficult for them, and let Danzo know that the Uchiha's anger is not something he can take lightly."

"Lastly, we'll quietly spread the story among the villagers. People need to know how the Uchiha's hero was treated!

"We'll win public sympathy and overturn the image that's been smeared for so long!"

The Uchiha leaders present nodded one after another, their eyes filled with admiration and approval. Their Clan Head truly lived up to his title.

"Good. Get to it at once." Uchiha Chishin waved them away.

The others accepted his orders and swiftly left.

The meeting room now stood empty, with Uchiha Chishin the only one left. He walked to the window and looked at the young clan members training diligently on the grounds. At last, his gaze shifted toward Kage Rock.

"Uchiha Ling..." he murmured, the faintest curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Perhaps... you really can bring about some unexpected changes. For the Uchiha, and for this village..."

"And these eyes..." His eyes quietly turned scarlet. One Tomoe, then two, then three began to spin, merging into a single pattern. "In the end, they'll make the world see the truth."

The Uchiha machine began to turn efficiently, following the Clan Head's will.

Before long, the Konoha High Command received a strongly worded formal protest from the Uchiha Clan.

Members of the Uchiha Police Force began appearing frequently near certain Root bases to conduct "routine patrols," their attitude "polite" but firm.

The story of "a young hero being assassinated" began to circulate quietly in taverns, mission halls, and other places, passed along in hushed tones as "I heard" and "they say." It stirred up discussion and sympathy among ordinary villagers and ninja.

At the hospital, Uchiha Ling was visited by a delegation from his clan, led in person by the elder Uchiha Nobuhiro.

They brought precious medicinal herbs and the clan's "concern." Their words offered comfort, while also subtly emphasizing the importance of the clan's strength and support.

Uchiha Ling gratefully accepted their gifts, acting like a young man who had found the warmth of belonging and been greatly encouraged.

[Uchiha Nobuhiro's satisfaction +20]

[Uchiha Chishin's relief +30]

[Anger and support from numerous Uchiha clan members +1200]

Looking at the massive new influx of emotional points on the system interface—especially the ones from the Clan Head—Uchiha Ling knew that the Uchiha tide had been successfully stirred as well.