Elder Dispute

Uchiha Xiao finished dressing. This time, he wore the robes of an Uchiha Clan elder—solid black, with the Uchiha fan crest emblazoned on the back, perfectly complemented by his hairstyle.

He was a handsome man through and through. As the elderly elders caught sight of Uchiha Xiao in this attire, their minds reeled; the hairstyle, the features—it all plunged them into the past.

Back in the Warring States period, when they were still young, they had witnessed the presence of that man himself within the Uchiha war tent.

The Great Elder of the Hawk Faction felt his breathing turn ragged, only snapping back to reality when the Second Elder tapped his shoulder.

He knew nothing of his grandson's affairs, but seeing Uchiha Xiao dressed this way, he felt an irrepressible urge to bow down.

The resemblance—it was too uncanny! Lord Madara had been just as arrogant and flamboyant back in the day.

The elders harbored various thoughts, but Uchiha Hirotomo remained unfazed, instead announcing, "Gentlemen, I trust you are all aware of today's events. Indeed, this is all thanks to the new elder beside me, Uchiha Xiao."

The Great Elder's eyes lit up. He was, in truth, a man who judged by appearances. Because Xiao looked so much like Madara Uchiha and was now the leader of the Hawk Faction, he felt a strong affinity for him.

The Second Elder belonged to the neutral faction, joining neither the Hawks nor the Doves. This personality trait had made him and his followers within the Uchiha clan quite unpopular.

The Third and Fifth Elders were the Great Elder's own younger brothers and were naturally members of the Hawk Faction, while the Fourth Elder was a Dove who chose to stand with the village; his son was none other than the late Uchiha Kagami.

"Clan Leader, may I ask what skills this new elder possesses to qualify for the position at less than twenty years of age?" It was the Fourth Elder who spoke. He frowned, sensing that this matter was not simple and determined to get to the bottom of it.

The Great Elder, who was at odds with the Fourth, snorted coldly. "Heh, Fourth, do you not trust the Clan Leader's judgment? Since Uchiha Xiao has been chosen as a new elder, he must certainly have the ability!"

The Third Elder sneered as well. "Heh, exactly! Based on this face alone, he is qualified to be an Uchiha elder!"

His implication was clear: Uchiha Xiao was likely a blood relative of Lord Madara. Need he even mention the talent and strength of Lord Madara?

The Fifth Elder nodded. The Fourth Elder looked toward the Second, but the Second Elder kept his head bowed in silence, as if he had heard nothing at all.

The Fourth Elder was speechless. Did these people only care about appearances? Yes, Uchiha Xiao resembled that man, but that man had betrayed the Uchiha!

Uchiha Xiao stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene coldly before speaking in a frigid tone, "Does anyone here have an objection? Why don't we settle this with a fight?"

With that, he looked toward the elders, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan manifesting. His robes fluttered without a breeze as he stared down the Fourth Elder.

The other elders trembled; it was that very gesture, even the tone of his voice was seven parts similar!

The Fourth Elder frowned, his own eyes shifting into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. He produced a kunai and said softly, "Young man, don't be too arrogant; it's easy to hurt yourself! Let me teach you a lesson."

No sooner had he spoken than the Fourth Elder used the Body Flicker Technique to lunge at Uchiha Xiao. Uchiha Xiao snorted, leaped back, and clapped his hands together: "Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

His chakra was natural chakra, causing the Phoenix Sage Fireballs to swell from small flames to the size of beach balls. The scorching temperature even caused those present to break into a sweat.

The Fourth Elder frowned, formed hand seals, and with a poof, transformed into a log, his figure reappearing outside the range of the attack.

The Phoenix Sage Fire struck the ground, leaving a massive crater that continued to burn with high-temperature flames.

"Hey, old man, do you want to dance, too?" Uchiha Xiao looked at the Fourth Elder with an aggressive gaze, to which the Fourth Elder merely offered a cold smile.

He used the Body Flicker Technique once more. It had to be said, he was truly Kagami's father; his use of the technique was so elusive it was impossible to track.

Uchiha Xiao's Sharingan darted back and forth, trying to capture the Fourth Elder's movements. At that moment, the Fourth Elder seized his chance, appearing in Uchiha Xiao's blind spot and thrusting his kunai with lethal intent.

If it landed, Uchiha Xiao would be dead or at least severely wounded! Uchiha Xiao's eyes turned icy. Is this old man trying to take my life?

With a snap of his left fingers and a surge of chakra, a steel shield materialized out of thin air, blocking the Fourth Elder's kunai.

Clang! The kunai and the steel shield collided, sending sparks flying.

"Magnet Release! It's Magnet Release!" The Great, Second, Third, and Fifth Elders gasped in unison. A Kekkei Genkai! This boy's talent was immense! It was terrifying; he might one day rival Lord Madara, or even the God of Shinobi himself!

Our Uchiha clan has a chance to become the Hokage! Their eyes betrayed their greed and ambition, unaware that in Uchiha Xiao's eyes, the position of Hokage was not at all alluring—it was a nuisance.

"Magnet Release! And it's Iron Sand! You brat!" The Fourth Elder gritted his teeth, but before he could say another word, Uchiha Xiao extended his right hand without even turning around.

He slowly clenched his fist. "Magnet Release: Iron Sand Binding Pivot!" As the words left his lips, the steel shield disintegrated into a cloud of iron sand that swirled around the Fourth Elder, wrapping him tight.

Uchiha Xiao decided to teach him a lesson. The Iron Sand Binding Pivot tightened, exerting crushing pressure on the Fourth Elder.

The Fourth Elder spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at Uchiha Xiao with growing panic. Could this new elder actually be trying to kill me?

Just as three of his ribs began to fracture under the pressure, Uchiha Xiao waved his hand. The iron sand dissipated, and the Fourth Elder fell from the air, with the Dove Faction members rushing to catch him.

The Fourth Elder's face was deathly pale as he glared at Uchiha Xiao. Losing face was one thing, but now that someone like this had appeared in the Uchiha...

Could the relationship between the village and the Uchiha ever be mended? They were already struggling to integrate, and now with such a talented youth appearing, would the higher-ups let this slide?

Otherwise, how could my son have... At this thought, his heart sank.

One man's loss is another man's gain. While the Fourth Elder was despondent, the Hawk Faction's eyes were shining. Whether it was his strength or his temperament, Uchiha Xiao was the perfect fit for their faction!

The Uchiha were a clan of warriors; they should solve everything with force!

Uchiha Hirotomo seized the moment to step forward. "Does anyone else have questions about Lord Xiao serving as an elder?" The Hawk Faction elders were all smiles; the Uchiha worshipped the strong, so naturally, there were no objections.

The Fourth Elder of the Dove Faction sighed. He had been defeated, and saying anything more would be useless. He looked at Uchiha Xiao, who stood unmoved, with a complex expression.

Uchiha Xiao felt nothing. As far as he was concerned, the Uchiha clan was currently useful to him and could provide him with intelligence, so he was determined to secure the position of elder.