Deciding the Victor

"Begin!" the referee on the sidelines commanded, his right hand slicing down from above his head.

Nara drew a shuriken and flung it at Fugaku. Uchiha Fugaku mirrored the movement, and the shuriken collided in mid-air.

With a rhythmic clinking and clattering of steel, the two managed to parry each other's projectiles with pinpoint precision. Every single weapon was intercepted by the opponent.

Running low on ninja tools, Nara channeled chakra into his feet and leaped backward, his hands weaving seals at blinding speed. Finishing with the Tiger seal, he quickly manifested a Fire Release technique.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Almost simultaneously, Uchiha Fugaku unleashed his own fire jutsu, and the two massive fireballs collided head-on!

The arena was bathed in a crimson glow, the temperature soaring instantly. Fortunately, those attending the clan meeting were all chunin or jonin, so they could withstand the heat.

Nara and Fugaku stood their ground, cheeks puffed out as they poured flames into the clash.

Ultimately, due to the age gap, Nara's flames began to falter.

Uchiha Fugaku remained expressionless, his demeanor indifferent. He increased his chakra output, and the fire roared with renewed intensity.

The referee on the side activated his Sharingan, observing the situation closely to ensure he could intervene if things went south.

"As expected of Wicked Eye Fugaku."

"He's truly strong."

The clansmen watching from the sidelines whispered among themselves.

"As expected of Brother Fugaku!"

Nara gritted his teeth, emphasizing the word "brother" with extra weight; he was merely suffering the disadvantage of his youth.

"The outside world calls me the Copy Ninja, but today, I'll let you witness my own original jutsu!"

As Nara spoke, he cut off his chakra flow, and the fireball extinguished. He leaped onto the wall, his feet adhering to the surface to evade Fugaku's flames, while his hands blurred through a new set of seals.

After a few seals, Nara gripped his right wrist with his left hand, and a visible mass of chakra condensed in his right palm.

The chakra emitted a blue light and let out a chirping sound, much like the cries of a thousand birds!

It was the jutsu Nara had claimed as his own: Chidori!

"Lightning is actually condensing in his hand!"

"Has he mastered lightning?"

"Why is there the sound of birds chirping!?"

Every ninja in the arena couldn't help but gasp. They activated their Sharingan to observe the Chidori.

For the Uchiha, who possessed the Sharingan, copying jutsu was nothing new; almost any Uchiha who had awakened the eyes could pull it off. Yet, they found they couldn't easily replicate this Lightning Release technique.

This meant the jutsu was incredibly complex, requiring specialized training to master.

Because of his all-attribute constitution, Nara had always defeated his opponents by using the exact same jutsu they used against him during combat.

For the defeated, it was a cruel fate to lose to the very technique they were most proficient in.

Yet, the Uchiha known as the Copy Ninja had now developed a unique jutsu of his own.

This was something only a true genius could achieve!

The elders in the arena looked at one another, exchanging glances before giving slight nods.

"Brother Fugaku, I can't guarantee I can hold back under the power of Chidori. You should surrender!"

"So this jutsu is called Chidori? Don't worry, give it your best shot." Fugaku replied with a calm face and an indifferent tone.

Nara stopped holding back. Stimulated by the lightning attribute, his cells were activated, and his speed and strength increased dramatically.

With a powerful push from his feet, he surged in front of Fugaku in an instant.

Nara didn't aim for Fugaku, but instead drove his hand into the ground beside him.

With a loud thud, a massive crater was torn into the earth.

Fugaku broke into a cold sweat. At such high speed, his Sharingan could only track the movement, but his body was far too slow to react or dodge.

"You lost," Nara said calmly.

Seeing that Nara had clearly held back by attacking the empty ground, a flicker of frustration crossed Fugaku's otherwise expressionless face.

"I lost," Fugaku replied with a hint of bitterness.

Uchiha Nara's father, Uchiha Sanzang, watched from the platform and nodded slightly, clearly approving of his son's genius.

"Brother, it makes no difference who leads. Let's not let this damage their relationship. Nara saved the villagers of Whirlpool Village from the border and performed a great service, earning high praise and recognition from Sarutobi Hiruzen. Besides, Fugaku is a few years older than Nara; let Fugaku yield to him this once."

Uchiha Sanzang spoke to his older brother, Uchiha Okura, beside him.

"Hmm." Uchiha Okura nodded, his face unreadable.

Uchiha Nara secured the votes of five elders, winning 60 to 56 against Fugaku, and was ultimately elected as the clan head.

"Uchiha Nara is the winner. The inauguration ceremony will be held in three days. From now on, Uchiha Nara will lead the Uchiha clan toward its glory."

Uchiha Okura stood up and said indifferently. Though he did not seem to exert any chakra, every ninja in the hall heard his words clearly.

The Uchiha elites below the stage applauded one after another.

Inside the Naraku House.

Uncle Uchiha Okura and Uchiha Sanzang sat in the main seats of the living room, while Nara sat below them, much like a subordinate reporting on his work.

"Nara, you have successfully won the election as you wished, and you will lead the clansmen from now on. However, what plans do you have for the development of the Uchiha?"

Uchiha Okura spoke calmly. It was unclear if it was a trait inherited by the Fugaku line, but from Okura to Fugaku, and even the future Uchiha Itachi, they all shared this same detached, arrogant demeanor.

"Uncle, the Uchiha clan has been repeatedly marginalized and suppressed by the Konoha high command. Brother Fugaku and I had only just performed meritorious service and established our reputation when we were transferred to the east coast of the Land of Fire to guard against the Land of Water.

The Land of Water is currently in turmoil; they have neither the strength nor the motive to invade the Land of Fire. This is sufficient proof of how much the high command fears our clan's military achievements.

Yet, our clan controls the Military Police Force and holds power in our hands. We draw salaries from Konoha while raising our own clan ninjas. Although the Military Police Force has made some contributions to maintaining order in Konoha, the Hokage faction only sees the Uchiha living securely within the village, unthreatened.

Ninjas from other clans are fighting for their lives on the battlefield, while we Uchiha draw fixed salaries and stay within the village. Not only is our strength not being depleted, but the number of our ninjas continues to grow.

If I were the Third Hokage, perhaps my next step would be to dispatch the Uchiha clan to defend against the regular armies of other nations."

During the Third Great Ninja War, the Uchiha clan did indeed single-handedly take on the Land of Water, with one clan guarding against an entire nation. It was also during that time that the reputation of Shisui the Body Flicker spread.

Uchiha Nara paused slightly before continuing:

"The duty of the Military Police Force is to maintain public order and apprehend those with criminal tendencies. As an organization for maintaining order, if the Hokage were to draft us to the battlefield, should we go, or should we not?"

Nara's question caused the Great Elder Uchiha Okura and the Military Police Force Captain Sanzang to fall into deep thought.

During the Third Great Ninja War, the Uchiha clan dispatched a large number of ninjas, including the renowned Shisui the Body Flicker, but even more clansmen were sacrificed. It was precisely in the war in the Land of Earth that Uchiha Obito was sacrificed. (Konoha records state Obito was sacrificed; his true identity was only revealed much later.)

Nara continued: "If we accept the order to go to war, sacrifices will be inevitable. The strength of our clan's ninjas will inevitably be weakened. However, at the same time, we Uchiha are a clan of warriors; only in war can we evolve our Kekkei Genkai... the Sharingan.

But the Hokage's conscription is a political consideration. If we obey this time, will we have to obey the next time? If we refuse to obey, the conflict between the high command and the Uchiha might erupt directly. In that case, how should we handle it?"

Uchiha Nara spoke eloquently, clearly understanding the Uchiha's predicament and the thoughts of the Hokage's high command.

Perhaps the Third Hokage had considered a peaceful resolution, but due to the power of the Military Police Force, the provocations of Danzo, and the smears from other advisors, he eventually resorted to ruthless measures.

"Most importantly, the reputation of the Military Police Force is not good within the village. It is widely criticized by both villagers and other ninjas."