Screening

"Alright! Itachi, let's go find Yu together! After all, he is the brother you love most!" Shisui said softly, seeing that Itachi had returned to his normal self.

"Mm!" Itachi nodded heavily.

Near the edge of the forest in Konoha stood an independent wooden villa, its interior brightly lit at this moment.

In the living room, a group of youths dressed in the Uchiha clan's traditional blue-black robes, bearing the red-and-white fan crest on their backs, sat neatly in two rows, kneeling on the floor.

Every person's expression was tense and solemn.

Uchiha Lieyang glanced at the clock nearby. "The time is almost here. Everyone, prepare to welcome the Young Clan Head!"

"Yes! Captain Lieyang!" the group replied in unison.

A flash of fire suddenly appeared at the entrance, and the expressions of everyone present tightened simultaneously.

Uchiha Lieyang hurriedly rose and walked to the door. Through the gap, he saw that delicate, youthful face outside and quickly threw the door open.

"The Young Clan Head has arrived!" Uchiha Lieyang shouted toward the room behind him as he held the door wide.

Yu was slightly taken aback to see two rows of clansmen sitting in perfect order, all bowing their heads in a formal dogeza posture and shouting, "We await you, Young Clan Head!"

Seeing this scene, Yu felt a moment of speechlessness, then looked at Uchiha Lieyang, who stood with the solemnity of a loyal and devoted guard.

"Big Brother Lieyang, there is no need for this next time. Since when did our Uchiha clan start following such formalities?"

"Young Clan Head, this is the respect the clansmen wish to express to you. After seeing you crush that old man Danzo's Wind Style jutsu with one hand today, everyone holds you in high regard!" Uchiha Lieyang replied with a straight face.

Seeing this, Yu decided not to say anything more and walked straight toward the seat of honor.

Strolling over to the seat Uchiha Lieyang had prepared for him, Yu sat casually on the cushion at the head of the room. He turned his gaze to Uchiha Lieyang, who had followed him and sat in the position to his lower right. "Big Brother Lieyang, whose estate is this?"

"Reporting to the Young Clan Head, this is a property I purchased temporarily, specifically for us to hold this gathering," Uchiha Lieyang replied respectfully.

Yu was momentarily stunned; he hadn't expected this subordinate, who was so fiercely loyal to him, to be a wealthy man as well.

But then again, it made sense. As the grandson of the Uchiha's second elder and the only heir, it was only natural for him to have money.

"Big Brother Lieyang has been very thoughtful. Once I have my own assets, I will naturally compensate you," Yu said with a faint smile.

"What is this compared to striving for the Young Clan Head's grand ambition for the clan? Please, Young Clan Head, do not say such things again!"

Yu opened his mouth slightly at this. He felt that the members of the Uchiha clan were essentially masochists; once you beat them into submission, they would become incredibly devoted and consider everything for your sake.

Looking at the fanatical expressions of those gazing toward him, a smirk tugged at the corner of Yu's mouth.

So that was it! The current fanaticism was likely still only skin-deep; ultimately, this world was ruled by the fist.

Although he had displayed great power at the mere age of six during the Clan Meeting, leaving the clan elders in a sorry state and defeating the clan's genius Jonin—all while standing his ground against an attack from a Kage-level powerhouse during the dispute between the clan and the higher-ups, not to mention his father being the Clan Head—any one of these feats would be enough to make an Uchiha famous. To have them all gathered in one person, and at his age, meant that saying he surpassed the ancestor Uchiha Madara was not merely praise, but a fact.

However, Yu knew that this alone was not enough. It could only make the proud Uchiha clansmen fanatical on the surface. To make them submit from the heart and body, they needed to personally experience Yu's true strength.

With this in mind, Yu decided to stop talking and get straight to the point. After all, once he succeeded, the Uchiha clan would not only directly control Konoha but might even rise to become the royal family in the future.

When that time came, what did these small things matter?

Yu scanned the youths present, his mental energy slightly overflowing. In an instant, everyone present, including Uchiha Lieyang, felt a wave of pressure.

"I believe everyone is clear on Konoha's current attitude toward our Uchiha clan. We have reached a point where we must resist; otherwise, in the near future, we will only become meat on the chopping block for Konoha's higher-ups."

Upon hearing Yu's words, all the youths immediately sat up straight, their eyes fixed firmly on him.

"I know that most of you here were drawn by my strength. For that, I, Uchiha Yu, am honored that you trust a child like me so much. Now, let us start with a simple self-introduction so I can get to know you all!"

"Yes! Young Clan Head!"

The Uchiha youths replied in unison.

"I am Uchiha Gen, greetings to the Young Clan Head!"

"I am Uchiha Keigai, greetings to the Young Clan Head!"

"I am Uchiha Jukuma, greetings to the Young Clan Head!"

The numerous youths introduced themselves respectfully one by one.

Relying on his powerful memory, Yu instantly committed their faces, characteristics, and names to heart.

Once everyone had finished, Yu spoke calmly.

"Gentlemen, I believe you all feel the difficulties our Uchiha clan faces today. What I want to say is that if a family is not of one mind, nothing can be accomplished. If we want to confront the higher-ups of Konoha, we must first be united ourselves. I hope that from now on, there will be no more talk of 'radicals' or 'moderates'—such absurd divisions."

"Furthermore, our immediate goal is to eliminate these two factions within the clan. From now on, there can only be one voice in the entire clan, and that is my voice. Can you do this?"

Yu looked at the Uchiha youths with a sharp gaze.

Instantly, some of the youths' expressions changed, and the look they gave Yu was no longer as fanatical as before.

Yu had anticipated this. This was the Uchiha; everyone had their own reasons for being stubborn. Only through overwhelming strength and undeniable facts could they be truly convinced.

Yu remained unmoved by their reactions, waiting for what would come next.

"I, Uchiha Lieyang, will surely obey the will of the Young Clan Head!"

The first to stand up was, without a doubt, Uchiha Lieyang, who had already been beaten into submission by him.

"What about you all?" Yu nodded toward Lieyang before looking at the others.

"Young Clan Head, I admit that you are a once-in-a-century genius of the Uchiha clan, perhaps even comparable to our ancestor Madara, but isn't it a bit too arrogant to think you can control the will of the entire clan just by relying on us?"

A young clansman stepped forward, bracing himself against the powerful aura Yu was exuding, his eyes flickering with hesitation.

He had originally thought the Young Clan Head, so highly esteemed within the clan, would be a rational person, but clearly, he had misjudged him. This arrogant tone made him feel a slight sense of revulsion; after all, even the ancestor Madara could not completely control the thoughts of the entire clan back then.

"You don't need to understand the path I take; I only want to know if you agree with what I just said!" Yu replied with a light chuckle.

"Forgive me, but I find it hard to understand. If this is the Young Clan Head's way of thinking, then how is it any different from the ancestor Madara back then? Captain Lieyang, I shall take my leave." Having said this, the Uchiha youth stood up quickly and walked toward the door.

Uchiha Lieyang's face turned unsightly. He had carefully handpicked this group of people, and he hadn't expected someone to leave right at the start; this was clearly a slap in his face.

Yu, however, showed no reaction to this, instead continuing to ask calmly, "Is there anyone else who wishes to leave?"

In an instant, more than a dozen other Uchiha youths who had been hesitating hastily bowed to Uchiha Lieyang and walked away quickly.

They had originally come today to hear what high-minded ideas this youth, who was compared to the ancestor Madara, might have. Instead, they were met with such dictatorial words. Out of face, they hadn't been the first to stand up, but now that someone had taken the lead, they had no choice but to excuse themselves.

Yu watched the clansmen leaving one after another with deep, inscrutable eyes. He hadn't intended to keep too many people today anyway. Resources were limited, and he needed to filter out those with wavering hearts first. Only by keeping the clansmen who firmly believed in him as his first batch of elite enforcers could he waste fewer resources.

After all, there were only so many medicinal herbs available, and it was clearly unrealistic to improve everyone present. Rather than letting those who followed him feel that things were unfair, it was better to screen for the most loyal ones now and establish a hierarchy. Once resources became more abundant in the future, they would be distributed based on seniority. Presumably, those who left today would regret it deeply enough.

It was only when only twelve clansmen remained that Yu nodded in satisfaction.

"Brother Lieyang, there is no need to feel guilty. People's hearts change. Once we achieve results in the future, the clansmen will know who was right and who was wrong!" Yu said, casting a leisurely glance at Uchiha Lieyang, whose face was so gloomy it looked as if it could wring out water.

"Young Clan Head, it is my fault for not selecting the right people. Will this affect your upcoming plans?" Uchiha Lieyang asked, bowing slightly.

"It won't. I had already anticipated their departure! Now, let me explain what we are going to do next!" Yu replied indifferently.

"Yes, Young Clan Head!" the remaining people answered in unison.