The Road Shōji Chose

Clamor, noise.

Then came all manner of bitter complaints.

Ever since the night of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack, this had practically become a regular "performance" at the Uchiha Clan's secret high-level Clan Meetings. As he listened to the resentful words below and heard not a single constructive suggestion,

Fugaku took a deep breath.

"Enough!"

The low shout carried an imposing, chilling force.

The clan members below stiffened, and the atmosphere inside the secret meeting abruptly fell silent.

"Do not waste words on meaningless things. What matters most now is how our clan should respond to the village's call-up order. Agreeing requires no further discussion, but refusing requires a reasonable justification. The Uchiha Clan is also a part of Konoha. Even if we are currently facing certain difficulties, that fact will not change. We cannot once again voluntarily place suspicion upon ourselves!"

After sweeping his cold gaze across the faces of the clan members below, Fugaku spoke slowly.

"Elders, what are your thoughts on this call-up order? This concerns a matter of great importance to the clan. I hope each of you can offer your opinions."

If he could not truly make the decision alone,

then he would draw upon the wisdom of the group.

In Fugaku's view, whether they agreed or refused, both options held advantages and disadvantages for the Uchiha Clan. With that in mind, what Fugaku hoped to see even more was a consensus within the clan before making the corresponding decision. On this point, the opinions of the Eight Great Elders were crucial.

Fugaku also needed the aid of those eight highly respected elders, both in experience and prestige.

Elder Genran, Uchiha Chie, Uchiha Ryūshi, and the other elders exchanged glances, but none of them spoke immediately.

It was precisely during this brief pause that—

"Clan Head, I have an immature suggestion. May I have some time to explain it?"

From the seats on the left below,

Shōji, judging that the time was right, stood up. Beside him, Shisui's expression shifted from concern to surprise as Shōji looked toward Uchiha Fugaku at the head of the room and spoke.

The sudden remark in the silence,

and from a "new clan member" who had only been qualified to join Clan Meetings for a little over half a year.

The moment Shōji rose, he immediately drew the attention of the forty or fifty clan members present. Even Fugaku was slightly taken aback, while Elder Genran, seated on the left, also looked at Shōji with surprise.

"You are Shōji, correct? This is a gathering for discussing major clan affairs. So long as one belongs to our clan, one naturally has the right to speak. Whatever opinion you have, feel free to voice it!"

As the clan head, Fugaku could not possibly remember the names of all several thousand members of the clan. However, he could absolutely remember the names and faces of those at Chūnin rank or above, especially a talented member like Shōji, who had recently awakened his Sharingan to the Three-Tomoe level and firmly stepped into the ranks of Jōnin.

There was no way Uchiha Fugaku could forget him.

Although Fugaku had originally expected only the opinions of the eight elders at this Clan Meeting, dismissing the earlier remarks from the clan members as mere venting, Shōji's composed and calm manner now stirred a rare trace of anticipation deep within Fugaku's heart.

"Yes, Clan Head!"

After giving a slight bow in respect, Shōji raised his eyes again and swept them across the faces of the clan members before him. With an exceedingly solemn expression, he said, "I believe the Uchiha Clan should answer the village's call and send part of our clan members to the front lines to fight the Kumo Ninja. This is not only for the sake of the village, but also for the future of our clan!"

He got straight to the point, voicing his own opinion directly.

Shōji had no intention of beating around the bush.

But the moment his words fell,

"What!?"

"For the clan!? Shōji, you should think carefully about your wording!"

"Hmph! Shōji, if young people do not understand, they should speak less and listen more to their elders! You do not understand the clan's current situation at all!"

"Exactly, Shōji! You can eat recklessly, but you cannot speak recklessly!"

The atmosphere that had only just calmed down instantly became noisy and heated once more.

Of the forty or fifty clan members present, nearly half looked at Shōji with cold sneers. The most hot-tempered among them directly mocked him.

In their eyes,

this was an utterly irresponsible and thoughtless statement.

This was exactly why they said young people today did not understand the bigger picture at all!

What sort of situation had the village already forced the Uchiha Clan into? And they were still supposed to serve and sacrifice for the village!?

What a joke!

Faced with the ridicule of these clan members,

Shōji's expression did not change.

"Shōji..."

Beside him, a faint look of worry also appeared on Shisui's face.

At the head of the room,

the eight Uchiha elders all looked at Shōji with unusual expressions. Elder Genran in particular seemed to be reassessing him.

"Silence!"

After giving Shōji a deep look, Fugaku spoke in a low voice.

The accusations below came to an abrupt halt.

"Shōji, you understand that you must be accountable for your words at a Clan Meeting, correct?"

"Yes, Clan Head!"

"Then explain why you think this way! You must convince not only me, but also the clan members seated here. As a member of the Uchiha Clan, your words must befit your status!"

"Yes!"

Shōji turned slightly, his bright eyes fixed on Uchiha Fugaku above. After bowing once more in reply, he straightened his body again.

A peculiar presence seemed to spread from him.

"Everyone knows that our clan is currently in a position where we are being questioned by the entire village. The Hokage distrusts us, and our other comrades doubt us. In such circumstances, even one wrong step could bring extremely dire consequences. Konoha is the Konoha founded by the Uchiha, but the Uchiha are also the Uchiha of Konoha. I hope you can recognize this and stop treating the two as separate. What we need to do now is earn the support and trust of the majority, not blindly vent our emotions!"

Shōji spoke in a steady voice.

Yet those words only made the mockery on the clan members' faces grow more pronounced.

"But have you considered that this may very well be yet another suppression of our clan, Shōji?"

From the seat on the right at the head of the room,

Uchiha Chie, the elder of the Uchiha Clan's Fourth Branch, looked at Shōji with indifferent eyes and questioned him in an exceptionally stern tone.