The atmosphere inside the Shrine was extremely oppressive.
At last, a middle-aged Uchiha ninja spoke up.
"Clan head, we can't put up with this any longer."
"They've already sneaked into the clan grounds to abduct someone!"
"Today it's Shingetsu. Could it be our children tomorrow?"
Someone immediately chimed in.
"Exactly!"
"How much blood have we Uchiha shed for Konoha?"
"How many of our people died the night of the Nine-Tails Incident?"
"And what did we get in return?"
"The village suspects us, keeps us under surveillance, and pushes us to the outskirts."
"Now they even want to take our children as test subjects!"
"What is this supposed to mean?"
"Are we Konoha's comrades, or materials they keep penned up?"
As soon as he said that, low, angry murmurs filled the Shrine.
Many people clenched their fists.
Some of the younger clan members had even activated their Sharingan.
Their scarlet eyes looked especially striking in the firelight.
Fugaku didn't rush to speak.
He simply watched everyone in silence.
As clan head, he had to hear how his people truly felt.
But the more he listened, the heavier his heart grew.
The rift between the Uchiha and Konoha was deeper than he had imagined.
Last night's incident had been like a blade, ripping open the thin veneer of peace they had barely managed to maintain.
An elder slowly spoke.
"Fugaku, what did you find out about the bodies?"
Fugaku looked at the Police Force member beside him.
The man immediately stood and said gravely, "Neither body had any identifying marks."
"Their ninja tools had also been tampered with."
"But judging by their equipment, methods, and route of entry, they didn't seem like ordinary rogue ninja."
Another clan member sneered.
"If they weren't rogue ninja, then who were they?"
"They bypassed the village patrols, found Shingetsu's home, and dared to strike inside Uchiha territory."
"Who else could do that but someone from the village?"
"The Anbu?"
"No, they didn't have any Anbu markings."
"Then there's only one place left."
He didn't continue.
But everyone knew what he meant.
Root.
Shimura Danzō.
No one said the name aloud, but it hung over the Shrine like a shadow.
Shisui frowned.
He looked toward Fugaku.
Fugaku remained silent.
At that moment, another Uchiha from the Radical Faction stood up.
"Clan head, we have to demand an explanation from Lord Hokage!"
"And what if the Third Hokage doesn't give us one?" someone asked coldly.
The Shrine fell silent again.
That was right.
What if the Third Hokage gave them no explanation?
Or simply said, "We'll investigate," and then let the matter die?
It wasn't as if that had never happened before.
Every time the village suspected the Uchiha, the Uchiha were the ones who backed down.
Every time a conflict broke out, the Uchiha were told to put the greater good first.
Over time, the clan had grown less and less confident that Konoha High Command would handle things fairly.
"If they don't give us an explanation, that means they've got something to hide!" someone shouted angrily.
"Then we'll investigate ourselves!"
"Investigate?" another clan member sneered.
"Root is hidden underground and answers directly to Danzō."
"Without the Hokage's orders, how are we supposed to investigate?"
"Force our way in?"
"Why not?"
"They dared to abduct our child. Why should we keep following the rules?"
His words immediately set off even more people.
"Exactly!"
"We can't put up with this any longer!"
"The Uchiha won't just let others slaughter us!"
"Clan head, give the order!"
"At the very least, mobilize the entire Police Force and seal off the area around the clan grounds!"
The voices grew louder and louder.
The atmosphere was spiraling out of control.
Itachi stood behind Fugaku, his brow furrowing tighter.
He understood the clan's anger.
If Sasuke had been the one abducted last night, he couldn't have stayed calm either.
But if the Uchiha openly confronted the village now, the consequences would be severe.
Konoha had only recently begun to recover from the Nine-Tails Incident, and tensions within the village were already high.
If the Uchiha mobilized on a large scale, the Third Hokage and the other leaders would surely think they were planning a rebellion.
That would only escalate the conflict further.
Itachi glanced at Shisui without thinking.
Shisui was silent too.
In the past, Shisui would have been the first to urge the clan to stay calm, telling everyone to trust the Hokage and avoid conflict.
But tonight, he didn't speak up right away.
Because earlier that day, in the hospital room, Shingetsu had asked him a question.
If the Uchiha were always the first ones expected to back down whenever people talked about avoiding conflict, was that fair?
The question kept echoing in Shisui's mind.
It made it impossible for him to casually say, "Everyone, calm down first," as he had before.
Because he had suddenly realized that telling people to stay calm could sometimes be cruel to those who had been hurt.
In a corner of the Shrine.
A young Uchiha suddenly stood up.
"Clan head, I want to see Shingetsu."
Everyone turned to look at him.
The young man was named Uchiha Tekka. He was highly respected among the younger members of the Police Force, had a fierce temper, and had always been deeply dissatisfied with Konoha High Command.
Fugaku looked at him.
"What do you want to see him for?"
Tekka said gravely, "He was the only one who survived last night."
"Some things should be heard from his own mouth."
"We also need to know exactly what those two intruders said."
Fugaku frowned.
"His injuries are serious. He needs to rest."
Tekka immediately replied, "Clan head, I'm not trying to make things difficult for him."
"But this concerns the entire Uchiha Clan."
"If he can stand up and tell the truth, the clan will have more grounds to demand an explanation from the village."
When he finished, quite a few people nodded.
"Right."
"Let Shingetsu speak."
"He's the victim. His words will carry the most weight."
"We can't speak for him by keeping quiet."
Fugaku's expression darkened.
He understood exactly what they were thinking.
Shingetsu was the victim.
A nine-year-old child had been taken to be used as a test subject. It was exactly the sort of thing that could inflame the clan.
If Shingetsu personally accused Konoha High Command at the clan meeting, the Uchiha's anger would flare even higher.
By then, even if Fugaku wanted to suppress it, he might not be able to.
But if he didn't let Shingetsu appear, the Radical Faction might think he was deliberately covering things up as clan head.
He was caught between two impossible choices.
Just then, a weak but clear voice came from outside the Shrine.
"Clan head."
"I can speak."
Everyone turned at once.
At the entrance to the Shrine.
Uchiha Shingetsu wore an oversized black clan robe. His face was pale, and bandages were wrapped around his body.
Blood had seeped through near his left shoulder.
A young Uchiha was supporting him.
It was clear he had forced his way here from the hospital room.
Fugaku frowned.
"Who let you come?"
Shingetsu said quietly, "I came on my own."
He raised his head and looked at the Shrine, packed with Uchiha clan members.
His black eyes, still untouched by the Sharingan, held no fear.
Only calm.
"I know what you all want to ask."
"I can tell you what happened last night."
The Shrine fell silent.
Many people looked at the child differently now.
Nine years old.
Badly injured.
Both parents dead.
Nearly taken away the night before.
And now he dared to stand in front of so many clan members.
That courage alone had already earned him the respect of quite a few Uchiha.
Fugaku said gravely, "Shingetsu, your injuries haven't healed."
Shingetsu looked at Fugaku.
"Clan head, I can endure the pain."
"But I don't want other people deciding that I should stay silent."
At those words, many members of the Radical Faction looked at him with admiration.
What a kid!
Tough as nails!
That's how the Uchiha should be!
Fugaku gave Shin-getsu a long look.
He suddenly realized that the boy's appearance tonight had probably not been a coincidence.
Shin-getsu knew they would treat him as a fuse.
But he had still come.
He might even have come deliberately to serve as that fuse.
Before you continue