First Time Attending a Meeting

The resolution of the elders' opinions was as swift as lightning; in less than ten minutes, everything was settled.

At this moment, Uchiha Hirotomo spoke slowly: "Since no one has any objections, I hereby officially announce that Uchiha Xiao has become the sixth elder of our Uchiha Clan!"

As his words fell, the entire hall fell silent, followed immediately by a burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers.

However, Uchiha Hirotomo was not swayed by the lively atmosphere. He continued, "Furthermore, the Hokage has specifically entrusted me to lead Uchiha Xiao to attend an important meeting, so I must ask you all to kindly make way." Having said this, a faint smile appeared on Uchiha Hirotomo's face.

Hearing this, the crowd and the elders did not hesitate; they moved quickly, stepping aside to clear a wide path. Uchiha Xiao walked in front with steady, composed strides, while Uchiha Hirotomo followed at a leisurely pace.

The two walked further and further away until their figures disappeared at the edge of the clan grounds.

Once they had departed, the previously quiet crowd instantly erupted into a frenzy, with people whispering and discussing the matter amongst themselves.

"Big Brother, I don't know why, but I feel like Uchiha Xiao's face looks familiar!" The Fifth Elder frowned slightly, turning to ask the First Elder with a thoughtful expression.

The First Elder smiled faintly, gently stroking his beard, and said slowly, "Old Fifth, you were still young when the events of those years took place, so it is normal to have forgotten. In truth, Uchiha Xiao's features bear an eighty-percent resemblance to the late Madara Uchiha! Not only that, but his high level of talent and the unique aura he exudes in every gesture are exactly like those of Madara Uchiha." At this point, the First Elder could not help but look up and laugh heartily.

The Fifth Elder nodded slightly in agreement, a look of reminiscence appearing on his weathered face. His thoughts were instantly pulled back to his childhood; he was only five or six years old at the time, and by a stroke of fate, he had actually caught a glimpse of the legendary Madara Uchiha.

Although much time had passed, the shock brought by that fleeting glance remained deeply imprinted in the depths of his young heart.

On the other side, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

"Xiao, was your move just now a bit too ruthless?" Uchiha Hirotomo frowned slightly, sighed heavily, and looked at the cold-faced Uchiha Xiao beside him with a helpless expression.

Uchiha Xiao let out a cold snort, his eyes revealing a hint of chill: "Hmph! Some people have been willing to act as lackeys for others for so long that they would even strike down their own kin. For trash like that, I think my methods were quite merciful."

Hearing this, Uchiha Hirotomo nodded with utter helplessness, wanting to say more but stopping himself: "Sigh... the Fourth Elder, he..."

However, before he could finish, Uchiha Xiao stopped abruptly, the corners of his mouth curling up into a mocking smile: "What? Does the Clan Head wish to take this opportunity to teach me a lesson?"

Faced with Uchiha Xiao's questioning, Uchiha Hirotomo quickly waved his hands and shook his head repeatedly: "No, no! Let's go, attending the meeting right now is more important!"

In his heart, offending such a rare genius within the clan for the sake of a Fourth Elder who had behaved improperly was simply not worth the cost.

Having received his answer, Uchiha Xiao nodded slightly, and the two continued walking toward the Hokage Building.

Along the way, they brushed past many other clan heads and elites, nodding to each other or exchanging brief pleasantries.

Among them were Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho families. Additionally, there were two others—men with white pupils!

Uchiha Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, his thoughts racing.

After a moment of reflection, he reached a conclusion: the shorter man was most likely Hyuga Akagi, as his status as the eldest son of the Hyuga main branch was naturally extraordinary; as for the tall, composed elder beside him, it was undoubtedly his father, though he did not know the man's name at the moment.

Just then, Uchiha Hirotomo followed Uchiha Xiao's gaze. When he saw the Hyuga father and son, a faint smile appeared on his face, and he whispered: "Xiao-kun, look at those two. The older one is the current head of the Hyuga clan—Hyuga Akagi. And the young, handsome man standing beside him, if I am not mistaken, should be his eldest son, Hyuga Hizashi."

Uchiha Xiao nodded slightly to acknowledge Uchiha Hirotomo's words, followed by a soft grunt of response. He then turned to Uchiha Hirotomo and thanked him.

With that done, the two walked side by side toward the Hokage Building, as an important meeting awaited them.

Tsunade had been feeling rather uninterested, finding it quite annoying to have to attend a meeting so early in the morning. However, when she saw Uchiha Xiao, her eyes lit up, and she walked toward him.

She smiled and patted Uchiha Xiao's broad, solid shoulder, saying in a sweet voice: "Hey! Xiao-kun, this is truly unexpected! To think I would see you in a place like this!"

Uchiha Xiao had been focused on what was in front of him, but the moment that familiar voice reached his ears, he immediately snapped back to reality. The corners of his mouth curled into a faint arc as he replied softly: "Indeed, it is quite a coincidence, Xiao-Tsunade."

Jiraiya, standing to the side, heard their exchange and his eyes widened so much they nearly popped out of their sockets. He stuck out his long tongue, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

What did I just hear? Xiao-Tsunade? What is going on here? He quickly turned his gaze toward Tsunade, hoping to get an explanation from her.

At this moment, a blush spread across Tsunade's pretty face, making it look like a ripe apple.

Surprisingly, however, she showed no signs of anger; instead, she appeared somewhat shy and embarrassed.

Just then, Jiraiya felt as if his heart had been pierced by a blade. A sharp pain struck him, and it felt as if a deep crack were slowly spreading across his heart.

On the other side, Orochimaru narrowed his long, slender eyes and let out a "tsk-tsk" of laughter.

He reached out and patted Jiraiya on the shoulder, saying with a hint of mockery: "Enough, stop spacing out. The old man is still waiting for us!"

Having said that, he turned to look at Uchiha Xiao not far away, a playful smile on his face that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Uchiha Hirotomo, standing in the crowd, was completely stunned by the scene before him.

He never would have imagined that the shrewd Uchiha Xiao would have such an intimate relationship with the noble Princess Tsunade, to the point of being able to call her by a nickname!

Tsunade was blushing, but after a few seconds, she said to Uchiha Xiao, "Let's go. This should be your first time attending a meeting. Xiao-kun, remember to listen more and speak less; the meeting will be over before you know it."

Uchiha Xiao nodded with a smile, "Alright."

And so, the two walked into the Hokage's office side by side, leaving Uchiha Hirotomo alone in the hallway, questioning his entire existence.