The Clan Meeting

Night had just fallen, and people were already gathered outside Naka Shrine.

Unlike last time, there were clearly many more people here.

Representatives from the Uchiha Clan's various branches, members of the Police Force, younger-generation ninjas, and even some clan elders who rarely showed their faces had arrived at the shrine one after another.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Heavy as if a stone were pressing down on everyone.

Shin-getsu stood at the foot of the stone steps outside the shrine, looking up at the row of torches with a calm expression.

But he knew tonight's clan meeting wouldn't be as simple as "discussing the Secret Tunnel" and "calming everyone down."

Because someone was fanning the flames.

And doing it very skillfully.

Too skillfully.

He had just come from the records room, and the moment the Hokage Building announced compensation, voices had started rising within the Uchiha Clan, saying that "Shin-getsu should step forward."

That wasn't a coincidence.

It was a setup.

Someone was trying to push him to the very front of the Uchiha Radicals, turning him into a banner scorched by flames.

Shin-getsu stepped onto the stairs.

When the clan members on either side saw him, they moved aside to make way.

Unlike a few days ago, the gazes falling on him were no longer merely curious.

There was anticipation, too.

Even a hint of fervor.

"He's here."

"Shin-getsu's here."

"That's the kid who unlocked Two-Tomoe at nine?"

"I heard he stopped another probe last night and even managed to leave evidence behind."

"That kid's got a clearer head than plenty of adults."

"If he's willing to step forward, the younger generation in the clan will have someone to rally around."

The voices weren't loud.

But Shin-getsu heard every word clearly.

He didn't respond. He simply walked into the shrine, calm and composed.

The farther inside he went, the heavier the pressure of the meeting became.

Torchlight flickered in the shrine's main hall.

Fugaku was still seated in the place of honor.

Uchiha Tekka, Inabi, Yashiro, and the others sat on either side.

Shisui was there as well.

Itachi stood behind Fugaku, his expression composed.

But Shin-getsu noticed at once that Itachi's gaze was heavier than usual.

Clearly, the mood within the clan today was weighing on him, too.

As soon as Shin-getsu entered, Tekka gave him a meaningful look.

The message was clear:

Something's off tonight.

Shin-getsu gave a barely perceptible nod and took his place at the front.

Fugaku glanced over the assembled crowd and spoke in a low voice.

"Now that everyone's here, let's begin."

"We'll discuss three things tonight."

"First, the attack on Shin-getsu's residence and the Secret Tunnel in the clan grounds."

"Second, the response from the Hokage Building."

"Third, some unusual talk that's been going around the clan lately."

At his words, many people in the hall shifted.

The last point in particular made some of the younger clan members glance at one another.

It was obvious Fugaku had already sensed that something was wrong with the mood in the clan.

Tekka was the first to stand, speaking bluntly.

"Clan Head, what's there left to discuss about the Secret Tunnel?"

"The on-site investigation results are already in."

"Anbu's old-style Communication Needle, Anbu-system Sealing Jutsu, signs of recent maintenance, an automatic Destruction Formula."

"Taken together, these aren't things you can brush off with 'enemy village spies.'"

"If anyone still wants to blame outsiders, I'm the first to say I don't buy it."

The moment he spoke, the atmosphere in the shrine grew even tenser.

Some younger clan members nodded, while others glowered in silence.

Fugaku didn't answer Tekka. He turned his gaze to Inabi instead.

"Inabi."

Inabi stood and spoke solemnly:

"The investigation I was responsible for is complete."

"The person who infiltrated Shin-getsu's residence last night left by way of the Secret Tunnel in the northwestern part of the clan grounds."

"The entrance showed signs of long-term maintenance."

"One section of the Sealing Technique bears a strong resemblance to the Anbu Old-Style Sealing Technique."

"We've secured the site and handed it over to the Hokage's direct Anbu and the Police Force for a joint investigation."

Inabi spoke steadily.

Every word landed in the air like a nail being driven in.

At this, the faces of several clan elders darkened further.

If it were only a verbal accusation, they could still suppress it.

But now they were speaking with evidence from the scene.

The Uchiha weren't fools who acted on anger alone.

Once they had evidence, their anger would be even harder to contain.

One of the elders spoke slowly.

"What did the Hokage Building say?"

Fugaku didn't evade the question.

"The Hokage Building acknowledged the investigation but gave no real conclusion."

Tekka sneered.

"Another investigation."

"They're certainly good at investigating."

Every time something happens, they investigate. Then once they're done, there's no follow-up.

"If Shin-getsu hadn't found the Secret Tunnel, we probably wouldn't even have had the right to investigate."

The remark was sharp.

And far too close to the truth.

Many young Uchiha in the shrine clenched their fists.

Some had already started cursing Danzo under their breath.

"Enough."

Fugaku raised a hand, quieting the growing unrest.

"We're not here tonight to vent our anger."

"We're here to solve the problem."

Then he looked at Shin-getsu.

"Shin-getsu, tell us again what happened after last night."

In an instant, every gaze turned to Shin-getsu.

Shin-getsu took a step forward, his expression calm.

"Someone infiltrated my residence last night and left an Eavesdropping Talisman."

"After I found it, I didn't pursue them any further. I only left some Tracking Powder behind."

"Afterward, the Police Force followed the trail and found a Secret Tunnel on the outskirts of the clan grounds."

"There were signs of recent use inside."

"The other party probably wasn't using it for the first time."

He paused, then continued:

"In other words, the Uchiha Clan Grounds weren't targeted only last night."

"Someone had been laying the groundwork here long before that."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Those words carried too much weight.

So much that many people couldn't respond right away.

"Someone had been laying the groundwork for a long time?"

"Does that mean we've been watched all these years?"

"Who would do something like that?"

"Who else could it be?"

"Danzo?"

"Root?"

The voices grew harder to suppress.

Shin-getsu didn't fan the flames. He simply added calmly:

"We can't draw a definite conclusion about who it was yet."

"But we can be sure it wasn't some ordinary rogue ninja, and it wasn't something hastily planned a day or two ago."

That distinction mattered.

He didn't directly accuse Danzo.

That would make it too easy for the other side to turn the accusation back on him.

But he didn't leave his enemy any room to retreat, either.

The words "not an ordinary rogue ninja" were already enough to make people think of Konoha's High Command.

Fugaku glanced at Shin-getsu, a hint of approval flickering deep in his eyes.

The boy knew exactly what to say—and what not to say.

Tekka stepped forward again.

"Clan Head, I'll be blunt."

"A lot of people in the clan are holding back their anger right now."

"It's not because we're impulsive. It's because we've been holding it in for too long."

"Yesterday, the Hokage Building said it would investigate. Today, Anbu and the Police Force are still investigating the Secret Tunnel together."

"But the more they uncover, the sicker it makes us feel."

"If it really was just an enemy village spy, why would the Anbu Old-Style Sealing Technique be in the outskirts of our clan grounds?"

"If it really was just a coincidence, why did someone trigger the Destruction Formula in the tunnel as soon as Shin-getsu's residence was probed?"

"This means someone's been watching us all along."

"And not just for a day or two. They've been watching us for a long time!"

His words clearly raised the emotions in the room another notch.

At last, someone in the shrine couldn't hold back and stood up.

"That's right!"

"We can't keep putting up with this!"

"Clan Head, investigate Root directly!"

"Even if we don't have evidence, we should force them to show themselves!"

"What if they'd taken one of our children last night?"

"Would we still be sitting here talking calmly today?"

When Shin-getsu heard this, his expression didn't change, but he knew the fish were starting to bite.

Sure enough, just then, a young Uchiha sitting in the back suddenly stood up.

"I think the person who should step forward now isn't the Clan Head."