Uchiha Xiao got dressed. This time, he wore the robe of an Uchiha Clan elder. It was entirely black, with the Uchiha Gunbai emblem on the back, matching his hairstyle.
He looked every bit the handsome young man. When the elderly elders saw Uchiha Xiao dressed like that, their minds reeled. That hairstyle, that face—it plunged them into memories.
Back in the Warring States Period, when they were young, they had seen that lord's bearing in the Uchiha Clan's main camp!
The Hawk Faction's First Elder seemed to be breathing harder. Then Lao Er patted him on the shoulder, and he finally came back to himself.
He knew nothing about what had happened to his grandson. Now, seeing Uchiha Xiao dressed like that, he could hardly resist the urge to bow in reverence.
The resemblance was uncanny! Lord Madara had been just as arrogant and flamboyant back then.
The elders all had different thoughts, but Uchiha Hirotomo showed no reaction. Instead, he said, "Everyone, I'm sure you know what happened today. That's right, we owe it all to the newly appointed elder beside me, Uchiha Xiao."
The First Elder's eyes lit up. He was somewhat inclined to judge people by their appearance. Xiao looked so much like Madara Uchiha, and he was the leader of the Uchiha Clan's Hawk Faction, so he already felt quite favorably toward Uchiha Xiao.
The Second Elder was a neutral, belonging to neither the Hawk Faction nor the Dove Faction. His temperament had also made him and the Uchiha behind him quite unpopular within the clan.
The Third and Fifth Elders were the First Elder's younger brothers, so they were naturally members of the Hawk Faction. The Fourth Elder, meanwhile, had chosen to side with the village and belonged to the Dove Faction. His son was Uchiha Kagami, who had already died in battle.
"Clan Head, what abilities does this newly appointed elder have that qualify him to take the position at less than twenty years of age?" The speaker was the Fourth Elder. He furrowed his brow, feeling that something about this matter was off, and wanted an explanation.
The First Elder and Fourth Elder didn't get along, so he snorted. "Heh. Lao Si, don't you trust the Clan Head's judgment? Since Uchiha Xiao was chosen as a new elder, he must have what it takes!"
The Third Elder sneered as well. "Heh. Exactly! With a face like that, he could become an Uchiha elder!"
What he meant was that Uchiha Xiao might be a blood relative of Lord Madara. Did he even need to explain Lord Madara's talent and strength?
The Fifth Elder nodded. The Fourth Elder looked toward the Second Elder, but the Second Elder kept his head down and said nothing, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
The Fourth Elder was speechless. Did these people only care about his looks? It was true that Uchiha Xiao resembled that lord, but that lord had betrayed the Uchiha!
Uchiha Xiao folded his arms and watched the scene coldly. Then he said, "Which of you has a problem with this? Why don't we settle it in a fight?"
As he spoke, he looked at the elders. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared, his clothes fluttered without a breeze, and he fixed his gaze on the Fourth Elder.
The other elders shuddered. That gesture—and even the force behind his words—was seven-tenths like that lord's!
The Fourth Elder frowned. His Sharingan changed into three tomoe, and a kunai appeared in his hand. He said coolly, "Young man, don't get too cocky. You'll get hurt! Let me teach you a lesson."
With that, the Fourth Elder used the Body Flicker Technique to rush in front of Uchiha Xiao. Xiao snorted, then leaped into the air and clapped his hands. "Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
His chakra was natural chakra, so the Phoenix Sage Fire's tiny fireballs swelled until they were as big as balls. Their searing heat even made everyone present start to sweat.
The Fourth Elder frowned and formed Hand Seals. With a poof, he turned into a log, while his real body appeared outside the attack's range.
The Phoenix Sage Fire struck the ground, leaving a huge crater, where flames still burned at scorching temperatures.
"Hey, old man, are you going to dance, too?" Uchiha Xiao fixed the Fourth Elder with an aggressive gaze. The Fourth Elder chuckled.
Then he used the Body Flicker Technique again. What could he say? As Kagami's father, his use of the Body Flicker Technique was so hard to predict that he was impossible to track.
Uchiha Xiao's Sharingan darted back and forth, following the Fourth Elder's movements. At that moment, the Fourth Elder seized his chance and appeared in Xiao's blind spot, stabbing at him with his kunai.
If it hit, Uchiha Xiao would suffer severe injuries, if he didn't die! Xiao's eyes turned cold. Was this old bastard trying to kill him?
He snapped the fingers of his left hand. As his chakra flowed, a steel shield appeared out of thin air and blocked the Fourth Elder's kunai.
Clang! The kunai struck the steel shield, sending sparks flying.
It was Magnet Release! The First, Second, Third, and Fifth Elders all drew in sharp breaths at once. A Kekkei Genkai—Magnet Release! This young man's talent was extraordinary! Terrifyingly powerful. In the future, he might even stand shoulder to shoulder with Lord Madara—or even the God of the Shinobi World!
The Uchiha Clan finally had a chance to produce a Hokage! Their eyes gleamed with desire and ambition. What they didn't know was that, to Uchiha Xiao, the Hokage Position wasn't all that enticing. It was more of a nuisance.
"Magnet Release! And Iron Sand, too! You—" The Fourth Elder gritted his teeth. Before he could say another word, Uchiha Xiao stretched out his right hand without even turning around.
Then he slowly clenched his fist. "Magnet Release: Iron Sand Binding Pivot!" As soon as he spoke, the steel shield turned into a plate of scattered iron sand that surrounded the Fourth Elder, then wrapped around him.
Uchiha Xiao decided to teach him a lesson. The Iron Sand Binding Pivot closed in around the Fourth Elder, gradually tightening and applying pressure.
The Fourth Elder spat out a mouthful of blood, then stared at Uchiha Xiao in alarm. Was this newly appointed elder going to kill him?
Just as three of his bones began to crack under the pressure, Uchiha Xiao waved his hand. The iron sand dispersed, and the Fourth Elder dropped to the ground. The Dove Faction members hurried over to help him up.
The Fourth Elder was deathly pale as he glared at Uchiha Xiao. The humiliation was secondary. Now the Uchiha had someone like him.
Could the relationship between the village and the Uchiha really improve? The clan had already struggled to fit in, and now a talented young clansman like this had appeared. Would the village leadership really let it go?
Otherwise, how could his own son have... At the thought, his heart sank.
Some rejoiced while others grieved. As the Fourth Elder lamented his defeat, the Hawk Faction's eyes were already shining. Uchiha Xiao's strength and bearing made him a perfect fit for their faction!
The Uchiha Clan was a clan of fighters. They should use force to settle everything!
Uchiha Hirotomo seized the opportunity to step forward. "Does anyone else have any objections to Xiao-kun becoming an elder?" The Hawk Faction elders smiled broadly. The Uchiha admired strength, so naturally they had no objections.
The Fourth Elder of the Dove Faction sighed. He had already lost, and there was no point in saying anything more. He looked at Uchiha Xiao standing there, his gaze complicated.
Uchiha Xiao felt nothing about it. For now, the Uchiha Clan benefited him by providing information, so he was determined to secure the position of elder.