It took no time at all to resolve the elders' objections. In less than ten minutes, everything had been settled.
Just then, Uchiha Hirotomo spoke slowly. "Since no one has any objections, I hereby formally announce that Uchiha Xiao has become the sixth elder of the Uchiha Clan!"
The entire crowd fell silent. Then a wave of applause and cheers erupted.
However, Uchiha Hirotomo wasn't affected by the excitement. He continued, "Also, Lord Hokage specifically instructed me to bring Uchiha Xiao to an important meeting. So, I'd ask everyone to kindly make way for now." As he spoke, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Hearing this, the crowd and the elders wasted no time. They quickly moved aside, clearing a wide path. Uchiha Xiao strode ahead with steady steps, while Uchiha Hirotomo followed unhurriedly behind him.
The two walked farther and farther away until their figures disappeared at the end of the clan grounds.
Once they had left, the previously quiet crowd erupted into a hubbub. People began whispering and discussing what had happened.
"Elder Brother, I don't know why, but Uchiha Xiao's face seems familiar to me!" The Fifth Elder furrowed his brow thoughtfully and turned to ask the First Elder.
The First Elder smiled faintly and gently stroked his beard. "Lao Wu, you were still young when those events took place, so it's only natural that you've forgotten. Actually, Uchiha Xiao looks remarkably like Lord Madara did back then—almost eight parts out of ten. Not only that, his talent and the unique air he carries in every gesture are practically identical to Lord Madara's." At this, the First Elder threw his head back and laughed.
The Fifth Elder nodded slightly in agreement. A look of reminiscence crossed his weathered face. His thoughts went back to his childhood, when he'd been only five or six. By chance, he'd once seen the legendary Madara Uchiha with his own eyes.
Though a long time had passed, the shock of that fleeting glimpse had been etched deeply into his young heart.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere elsewhere was rather tense.
"Xiao, was that a little too ruthless?" Uchiha Hirotomo knitted his brows and sighed heavily, then looked helplessly at the cold-faced Uchiha Xiao beside him.
Uchiha Xiao gave a cold snort, a trace of chill in his eyes. "Hmph! Some people have spent so long willingly acting as other people's dogs that they can even bring themselves to kill their own clansmen. Against the likes of them, I'd say my methods were already quite merciful."
Hearing this, Uchiha Hirotomo nodded helplessly. "Sigh... The Fourth Elder..."
Before he could finish, Uchiha Xiao stopped abruptly. The corner of his mouth lifted in a faint, inscrutable smile. "What? Does the clan leader want to use this opportunity to teach me a lesson?"
Uchiha Hirotomo hurriedly waved his hands and shook his head. "No, no! Come on. Attending the meeting is more important right now!"
In his mind, offending a rare genius like the one before him over a mere ill-behaved Fourth Elder would hardly be worth it.
After receiving his answer, Uchiha Xiao nodded. Then the two continued on their way toward the Hokage Building.
On the way, they passed the leaders and elites of many other clans. Some exchanged nods with them, while others stopped for a brief greeting.
Among them were Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans. There were also two others, both with white eyes!
Uchiha Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, his thoughts racing.
After a moment's consideration, he reached a conclusion. The shorter man was most likely Hyuga Hiashi. As the eldest son of the Hyuga Main Family, his status was certainly extraordinary.
As for the tall, steady-looking elder beside him, there was no doubt he was Hiashi's father. But Xiao couldn't recall the man's name.
Just then, Uchiha Hirotomo followed Uchiha Xiao's gaze. When he saw the Hyuga father and son, a faint smile appeared on his face. He spoke softly. "Xiao, look at those two over there. The older one is Hyuga Akagi, the current head of the Hyuga Clan.
"And the handsome young man standing beside him should be his eldest son, Hyuga Hiashi, if I'm not mistaken."
Uchiha Xiao nodded slightly to show that he agreed with Uchiha Hirotomo, then gave a soft hum in reply. He turned to Uchiha Hirotomo and thanked him.
With that done, the two walked side by side toward the Hokage Building. An important meeting was waiting for them.
Tsunade hadn't been looking forward to it. Having to attend a meeting first thing in the morning was such a pain. But then she saw Uchiha Xiao, and her eyes lit up. She walked over to him.
With a smile, she gave Uchiha Xiao a light pat on his broad, solid shoulder. "Hey! Xiao, what a surprise. I never expected to run into you here!"
Uchiha Xiao had been focused on what was in front of him, but the instant that familiar voice reached his ears, he snapped back to attention. A faint smile curved his lips as he replied, "Yeah, what a coincidence, Tsunade."
Jiraiya heard the two of them talking and his eyes widened, almost popping out of his head. Then he stuck out his long tongue, his face full of shock and disbelief.
What did I just hear? Tsunade? What's going on? He quickly turned to Tsunade, hoping she would explain.
A blush instantly spread across Tsunade's pretty face, like a ripe apple.
Surprisingly, though, she showed no sign of anger. Instead, she looked a little shy and embarrassed.
Just then, Jiraiya felt as if a knife had plunged into his heart. A sharp pain struck him, and it seemed as though a deep crack was slowly spreading through his chest.
Nearby, Orochimaru narrowed his long, slender eyes and chuckled softly.
He gave Jiraiya a light pat on the shoulder. "All right, stop staring. The old man's still waiting for us!"
Then he looked toward Uchiha Xiao, a teasing smile on his face that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Uchiha Hirotomo, standing among the crowd, was completely stunned by what he saw.
He never would have guessed that Uchiha Xiao, so calculating just last night, was so close to the esteemed Princess Tsunade that he could call her by a nickname!
Tsunade blushed, but after barely two seconds, she turned to Uchiha Xiao. "Come on. This is probably your first meeting, so remember to listen more and talk less, Xiao. That's pretty much all you have to do to get through it."
Uchiha Xiao smiled and nodded. "Okay."
Then the two walked shoulder to shoulder into the Hokage's office, leaving Uchiha Hirotomo alone in the corridor, questioning his grip on reality.