Clan Gathering

Night had just fallen, and the area outside Naka Shrine was already packed with people.

Unlike the last time, there were significantly more people present.

Representatives from every branch of the Uchiha clan, members of the Police Force, the younger generation of ninja, and even some clan elders who rarely showed their faces had all arrived at the shrine one after another.

The atmosphere was heavy.

It was so heavy it felt like a stone was pressing down on them.

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

Yet, he knew that tonight's clan meeting would not be as simple as "discussing the secret passage" or "calming emotions."

Because someone was fanning the flames.

And they were pushing at just the right moment.

Too perfectly.

He had just come out of the archives, and the Hokage Building had just offered compensation, when voices began to emerge within the Uchiha clan calling for "Shin-getsu to step forward."

This was no coincidence.

It was a setup.

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

Shin-getsu lifted his foot and walked up the steps.

The clansmen on both sides saw him and parted to clear a path.

Unlike a few days ago, the gazes landing on him now were not merely curious.

There was expectation.

There was even a hint of fanaticism.

"He's here."

"Shin-getsu is here."

"Is that the kid who awakened his Two-Tomoe at nine years old?"

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

"That kid has a clearer head than many adults."

"If he's willing to step forward, the younger generation of the clan will have a backbone."

These voices were not loud.

But Shin-getsu heard them clearly.

He did not express his stance, simply walking calmly into the shrine.

The further in he went, the heavier the oppressive feeling of the clan meeting became.

Inside the main hall of the shrine, the firelight flickered.

Fugaku remained seated in the main seat.

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

Shisui was there as well.

Itachi stood behind Fugaku, his expression quiet.

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

Clearly, the shift in the clan's direction today had put pressure on him as well.

As soon as Shin-getsu entered the room, Tekka shot him a look.

The meaning behind that gaze was obvious:

Something was wrong tonight.

Shin-getsu gave an imperceptible nod and walked to an empty spot in the front, standing still.

Fugaku swept his gaze over everyone and spoke in a low voice.

"Since everyone is here, let us begin."

"We will discuss only three things tonight."

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

"Second, the response from the Hokage Building."

"Third, some abnormal rhetoric that has recently appeared within the clan."

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of many in the room shifted.

The last sentence, in particular, caused some of the younger clansmen to instinctively look at one another.

It was clear that Fugaku had already sensed that the wind was blowing in the wrong direction within the clan.

Tekka was the first to stand up, his voice direct.

"Clan Head, what more is there to say about the secret passage?"

"The results of the on-site investigation are already out."

"Anbu Old-Style Communication Needles, Anbu-system sealing techniques, signs of recent maintenance, and a Destruction Formula."

"When you put all these things together, it's no longer something that can be brushed off as just 'enemy village spies'."

"If anyone still wants to shift the blame elsewhere now, I, for one, won't believe it."

As these words were spoken, the atmosphere inside the shrine grew instantly tighter.

Some young clansmen nodded, while others remained silent with dark expressions.

Fugaku did not respond to Tekka's words, turning his gaze toward Inabi instead.

"Inabi."

Inabi stood up and said in a deep voice:

"The portion of the investigation I was responsible for has concluded."

"The person who infiltrated Shin-getsu's residence last night followed an exit route that passed through the secret passage in the northwest of the clan grounds."

"There are signs of long-term maintenance at the entrance of the secret passage."

"One of the sealing formulas there is highly similar in style to the Anbu Old-Style Sealing Technique."

"We have already sealed off the scene and handed it over to be investigated jointly by the Hokage's direct Anbu and the Police Force."

Inabi spoke with great composure.

Every sentence drove into the air like a nail.

Hearing this, the expressions of several elders in the clan grew even gloomier.

If it were only verbal suspicion, it could still be suppressed.

But now, they were speaking with physical evidence from the scene.

The Uchiha were not fools who acted solely on anger.

Once they had evidence, their fury would only be harder to contain.

One of the clan elders spoke slowly.

"What is the Hokage Building's explanation?"

Fugaku did not evade the question.

"The Hokage Building acknowledges the investigation, but they have not provided a real conclusion."

Tekka sneered.

"An investigation, again."

"They are certainly best at investigating."

"Every time something happens, they investigate, and once the investigation is over, there's no follow-up."

"If Shin-getsu hadn't discovered the secret passage, I'm afraid we wouldn't even have the right to investigate."

This remark was sharp.

And it was far too true.

Many young Uchiha in the shrine clenched their fists.

Some had already begun to curse Danzo under their breath.

"Enough."

Fugaku raised his hand, suppressing the restlessness in the room.

"Tonight is not for you to vent your emotions."

"It is to solve the problem."

Having said that, he looked at Shin-getsu.

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

In an instant, all eyes fell upon Shin-getsu.

Shin-getsu stepped forward, his expression calm.

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

"After I discovered it, I didn't pursue them deeply, only leaving behind Tracking Powder."

"Afterward, the Police Force followed the tracking trail and discovered the secret passage on the perimeter of the clan grounds."

"There are signs of recent use inside the secret passage."

"The other party likely hasn't been using it for the first time."

He paused, then continued:

"In other words, the Uchiha clan grounds were not just targeted last night."

"Someone laid the groundwork here a long time ago."

The room fell silent for a moment.

The weight of those words was immense.

So heavy that many could not immediately process them.

"Laid the groundwork a long time ago?"

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

"Who would do such a thing?"

"Who else could it be?"

"Danzo?"

"Root?"

The voices grew increasingly difficult to suppress.

Shin-getsu did not continue to incite them, merely adding calmly, "I cannot draw a definitive conclusion as to exactly who it is just yet."

"But one thing is certain: it was neither a common rogue ninja nor a spur-of-the-moment decision made over a day or two."

This was the crucial point.

He did not bite down on Danzo directly.

Because doing so would make it too easy for them to counter-attack.

Yet, he left the enemy no room to retreat.

The phrase "not a common rogue ninja" was enough to make people think of the Konoha high-level hierarchy.

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

This child knew exactly what should be said and what should not.

Tekka stepped forward at this moment.

"Clan Head, I'll be blunt."

"Many in the clan are holding back their rage right now."

"It's not because we are impulsive, but because we have been stifled for too long."

"Yesterday, the Hokage Building promised an investigation, and today, the Anbu and the Police Force are still searching the secret tunnels together."

"But the more they uncover, the more disgusted we feel."

"If it were truly just enemy village spies, why would the Anbu Old-Style Sealing Technique appear on the perimeter of our clan grounds?"

"If it were truly just a coincidence, why would someone trigger the Destruction Formula in the secret tunnels the moment Shin-getsu's residence was probed?"

"This proves that someone has been watching us."

"And not just for a day or two—they've been watching for a very long time!"

These words clearly pushed the emotional tension to a new height.

Inside the shrine, someone finally could not help but stand up.

"That's right!"

"We can't endure this any longer!"

"Clan Head, investigate Root directly!"

"Even if there is no evidence, we should force them out!"

"What if it had been our children taken away last night?"

"Would we still be able to sit here and talk like this today?"

Hearing this, Shin-getsu's expression remained unchanged, but he knew in his heart that the fish had begun to bite the hook.

Sure enough, at that moment, a young Uchiha sitting in the back row suddenly stood up.

"I think the person who should be stepping up for the clan right now is not the Clan Head."