Uchiha's New Voice

Everyone fell silent.

Shin-getsu's gaze shifted slightly, sweeping toward the speaker.

Uchiha Shinsuke.

The name Tekka had mentioned.

A peripheral member of the Police Force, usually unremarkable.

But tonight, he had chosen to stand here.

Shin-getsu didn't look at him right away. Instead, he first observed the reactions around him.

Shinsuke's remark was like a fuse he'd prepared in advance.

Sure enough, several young clansmen nearby were visibly riled up.

"What do you mean?"

"If the clan head won't stand up, are you saying you will?"

Shinsuke didn't panic. Instead, he stepped forward, his voice not loud, but persuasive.

"My meaning is simple."

"We already know who's lurking in the shadows."

"So we shouldn't keep waiting."

"The clan head keeps saying we should investigate, hold back, and wait for a reply from the Hokage Building."

"But the question is, after all these years of waiting, what have we gotten?"

"We've been moved to the edge of the village."

"The Police Force has been isolated."

"Our children nearly got taken away as test subjects."

"Are we still supposed to keep waiting?"

"If we wait any longer, will the Uchiha be left with nothing but a memorial stone?"

At those words, many young Uchiha fell silent.

Because he had struck at the emotions they felt most deeply.

Frustration.

Resentment.

Anger.

Shin-getsu stood still, but his mind was exceptionally calm.

There was nothing new in what Shinsuke had said.

What was new was this—

He knew exactly where to press to hurt the most.

And instead of directly targeting the Hokage Building, he had focused his fire on "Fugaku being too conservative."

It was a classic tactic for sowing division within the clan.

If the Uchiha really followed this wave of emotion, the clan would end up split into two factions.

One would believe they should flip the table immediately.

The other would insist on staying the course.

And people like Shinsuke would often hide among the angry faction, amplifying their voices for the real instigators.

As Shin-getsu considered this, Shinsuke looked toward him again.

"Shin-getsu."

"What you did last night was right."

"You're more clearheaded than many adults."

"I think you should be the one to step forward."

At those words, Shin-getsu was almost certain at once.

Here it comes.

Praising him to death.

Just as expected. This was their play.

They wouldn't kill you outright.

They wouldn't put you down outright, either.

Instead, they'd push you higher.

Push you to the front.

Push you somewhere all the fire could be concentrated on you.

Shin-getsu didn't respond right away. He looked toward Fugaku first.

He wanted to see whether Fugaku would suppress this wave on the spot.

But Fugaku didn't speak immediately.

He simply watched Shinsuke in silence, his gaze deep.

Clearly, Fugaku had also realized something was wrong with this man.

But he didn't rush to interrupt.

Because he wanted to see.

He wanted to see how many others would jump in alongside Shinsuke.

Sure enough.

As soon as Shinsuke finished speaking, two more young clansmen stood up.

"That's right!"

"Shin-getsu understands things better than the adults!"

"If we know there's a problem, we should let someone with more courage step forward!"

"The clan head is too conservative!"

"We need a new voice!"

"Shin-getsu awakened the Two-Tomoe at such a young age. He's a natural-born strongman!"

"Let him lead us in the investigation!"

The mood in the hall was swept up in an instant.

Tekka's expression changed on the spot.

He was about to explode, but Shin-getsu raised a hand and gently pressed down on his wrist.

Tekka froze and looked down at Shin-getsu.

Shin-getsu's gaze was calm.

So calm it was almost cold.

The meaning was clear:

Don't rush.

It's not your turn to speak yet.

Fugaku finally spoke, his voice low.

"Everyone, quiet."

"Shin-getsu is still young. He's not suited to take on this kind of responsibility."

"The clan head and the Police Force will handle clan affairs."

Shinsuke seemed to have been expecting this.

He stepped forward, his tone growing even more righteous.

"Clan head."

"I'm not questioning you."

"I just think the Uchiha need a voice that can inspire more confidence right now."

"Last night, Shin-getsu didn't back down when Root tested him."

"Today, he awakened the Two-Tomoe. The whole clan saw it."

"He's more qualified than many people to be pushed to the forefront."

"If you truly care about the Uchiha, you shouldn't hold back a genius. You should let him lead the way."

In that instant, Shin-getsu finally understood.

This wasn't just an attempt to praise him to death.

They were setting him against Fugaku.

They were dressing him up as the "Uchiha's new banner," making the Radical Faction believe that Fugaku was old-fashioned and conservative, slowing the Uchiha's counterattack.

Once that claim took hold, Fugaku's authority within the clan would be weakened.

And he, Shin-getsu, would be made into a symbol.

By then, whether he wanted to or not, he'd be pushed into the eye of the storm.

Shin-getsu sneered inwardly.

Danzo's move really was sinister.

Instead of striking from the outside, he was prying open a crack from within the Uchiha.

Letting the clan fight among themselves.

Letting them descend into chaos.

Letting them tear open the conflicts of the future ahead of time.

Then he could sit back and reap the benefits.

Shin-getsu raised his eyes to Shinsuke.

"You really want me to step forward?"

Shinsuke remained composed.

"I just think the person who can truly lead the Uchiha out of their current predicament shouldn't be overlooked."

Shin-getsu nodded.

"Is that so?"

His voice was light.

So light that it carried almost no anger.

Yet it was precisely that lightness that made many people in the hall feel an unusual pressure.

Shin-getsu took a step forward.

"Then let me ask you a few questions."

Shinsuke raised a hand.

"Go ahead."

Shin-getsu looked at him, his voice even.

"First, when did you find out last night that someone had tested the defenses around my home?"

Shinsuke paused.

"I heard about it."

Shin-getsu continued, "Second, after the Secret Tunnel was discovered, who was the first to tell you, 'Let me step forward'?"

Shinsuke's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.

"A lot of people in the clan feel that way."

Shin-getsu nodded.

"Third, you said I'm more clearheaded than many adults."

"Then where do you think I should lead the Uchiha?"

Shinsuke answered without hesitation.

"Investigate Danzo first, pressure the Hokage Building to give us an answer, then let the clan take back the initiative."

Shin-getsu looked at him.

"Who taught you that line?"

Shinsuke's expression changed slightly.

"What line?"

Shin-getsu didn't raise his voice. He simply continued:

"You make it sound good."

"But you haven't answered the most important question."

"If I really step forward and the Uchiha and Konoha break with each other completely, who will bear the consequences?"

"You?"

"Or the people behind you?"

Shinsuke's pupils contracted slightly.

The atmosphere in the hall turned tense in an instant.

Fugaku's gaze darkened completely.

But Shin-getsu didn't stop.

He advanced toward Shinsuke step by step, his voice still steady.

"You're right."

"The Uchiha need geniuses."

"But more than that, the Uchiha need to know who's using a genius's name to push us into a fire pit."

"You claim to be acting for the Uchiha's good."

"But you keep insisting that I should step forward, keep saying the clan head is too conservative, and keep directing the clan's anger toward me."

"Don't you think you're in too much of a hurry?"

Shinsuke's forehead was beaded with sweat.

He had thought that Shin-getsu was young, and that no matter how clever he was, he couldn't possibly speak so calmly under the pressure of a clan meeting.

But now it seemed this kid wasn't falling for it at all.

Not only was he refusing to take the bait, he was turning the questions back on him.

Every question hit the mark.

Shin-getsu suddenly stopped walking.

"Answer me."

"Who sent you here?"

Shinsuke's face paled, and he immediately said:

"No one sent me!"

"These are my own thoughts!"

Shin-getsu looked at him, the faintest hint of a smile suddenly curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Is that so?"

"Then you're even more foolish than I thought."

Shinsuke's face flushed crimson.

He was just about to protest when Shin-getsu raised a hand and pointed at his sleeve.

"What are you hiding inside your left sleeve?"

Shinsuke's heart lurched.

He instinctively tried to pull his hand back.

But it was too late.

Shin-getsu said coolly:

"If you only wanted to express your opinion, why bring a Communication Talisman fragment?"

"Or did you rush to become the 'Uchiha's new voice' before even learning how to pull off such a simple trick?"

At those words, the entire Shrine erupted.

"A Communication Talisman?"

"He brought a Communication Talisman?"

"What does that mean?"

"Isn't this a clan meeting?"

"Shinsuke, what exactly are you hiding in your sleeve?"