The Uchiha's New Voice

Everyone fell silent.

Shin-getsu's gaze shifted slightly, glancing at the person.

Uchiha Shinsuke.

The name Tekka had mentioned.

An outer member of the Police Force, usually unremarkable.

But tonight, he was standing right here.

Shin-getsu didn't look at him immediately, instead observing the reactions of those around him.

Shinsuke's words were like a pre-set fuse.

As expected, several young clan members nearby were clearly stirred.

"What do you mean?"

"If the clan head won't step up, are you going to?"

Shinsuke didn't panic. Instead, he took a step forward, his voice not loud, but very persuasive.

"My meaning is simple."

"We already know who the enemy is, lurking in the shadows."

"Then we shouldn't keep waiting."

"The clan head always says we need to investigate, be restrained, and wait for a reply from the Hokage Building."

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

"We've waited for the Uchiha to be relocated to the edge of the village."

"We've waited for the Police Force to be isolated."

"We've waited for our children to be almost taken away as test subjects."

"Are we going to keep waiting now?"

"If we wait any longer, will the Uchiha only have a clan monument left?"

At these words, many young Uchiha fell silent.

Because it struck their truest emotions.

Frustration.

Unwillingness.

Anger.

Shin-getsu stood in place, but his heart was exceptionally calm.

What Shinsuke said wasn't new.

What was truly new was--

He knew how to strike at the most painful spot.

And, he didn't point the spearhead directly at the Hokage Building, but focused the firepower on "Fugaku being too conservative."

This was typical divisive rhetoric.

If the Uchiha truly followed this emotion, they would end up splitting into two factions.

One faction would believe in flipping the table immediately.

The other would believe in continuing to play it safe.

And people like Shinsuke would often hide within the angry faction, amplifying the voices of the true instigators.

As Shin-getsu was thinking, Shinsuke looked at him again.

"Shin-getsu."

"You did the right thing last night."

"You are clearer-headed than many of the adults."

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

As these words were spoken, Shin-getsu's heart almost immediately confirmed it.

Here it comes.

Praise to destroy.

It was indeed this tactic.

Not killing you directly.

Nor demeaning you directly.

But pushing you up high.

Pushing you to the very front.

Pushing him to a position where all the firepower could be concentrated on him.

Shin-getsu did not respond immediately, choosing instead to look at Fugaku first.

He wanted to know if Fugaku would suppress this sentiment on the spot.

However, Fugaku did not speak right away.

He simply watched Shinsuke quietly, his gaze profound.

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

But he was in no hurry to interrupt.

Because he wanted to see.

He wanted to see how many more people would follow Shinsuke's lead.

Sure enough.

The moment Shinsuke finished speaking, two more young clansmen stood up immediately.

"That's right!"

"Shin-getsu explains things more clearly than the elders!"

"Since 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 his Two-Tomoe at such a young age, which proves he is a natural powerhouse!"

"Let him lead us in the investigation!"

The atmosphere in the room was suddenly whipped into a frenzy.

Tekka's expression changed instantly.

Just as he was about to lash out, Shin-getsu raised his hand and gently pressed down on his wrist.

Tekka was stunned, looking down at Shin-getsu.

Shin-getsu's eyes were very calm.

Calm to the point of being nearly cold.

The meaning was clear:

Don't be impatient.

It is not yet time for you to speak.

Fugaku finally spoke, his voice low.

"Quiet, everyone."

"Shin-getsu is still young; he is not suited to take on such a position."

"Matters within the clan are handled by the Clan Head and the Police Force."

Upon hearing this, Shinsuke seemed to have been prepared.

He took a step forward, his tone becoming even more righteous.

"Clan Head."

"I am not denying you."

"I just feel that the Uchiha needs a voice that can better convince everyone."

"Last night, when facing the probing of Root, Shin-getsu did not back down."

"Today, his Two-Tomoe awakening is something the whole clan has witnessed."

"He is more qualified than many others to be pushed to the forefront."

"If you truly care about the Uchiha, you shouldn't be suppressing a genius, but rather letting that genius lead the way."

In an instant, Shin-getsu finally understood.

This wasn't just a simple attempt to build him up only to destroy him.

This was about pitting him against Fugaku.

They were packaging him as the "new banner of the Uchiha," making the Radical Faction within the clan feel that Fugaku was old, conservative, and slowing down the Uchiha's counterattack.

Once this narrative took hold, Fugaku's Right to Speak within the clan would be weakened.

And he, Shin-getsu, would be pushed to become a figurehead.

By then, whether he liked it or not, he would be forced to stand at the center of the storm.

Shin-getsu sneered inwardly.

Danzo's move was truly insidious.

He wasn't striking from the outside, but rather prying open a crack from within the Uchiha itself.

Let the clan fight amongst themselves.

Let them descend into chaos.

Let them tear open the contradictions of the future ahead of time.

And then, reap the rewards of the aftermath.

Shin-getsu raised his eyes and looked at Shinsuke.

"You really want me to step forward?"

Shinsuke's expression remained calm.

"I simply feel that the person truly capable of leading the Uchiha out of this predicament should not be buried."

Shin-getsu nodded.

"Is that so?"

His tone was very light.

So light that it carried almost no heat.

Yet it was precisely this lightness that made many people in the room feel an unusual sense of oppression.

Shin-getsu took a step forward.

"Then let me ask you a few questions."

Shinsuke raised a hand.

"Ask."

Shin-getsu looked at him, his voice steady.

"First, when did you find out last night that my residence had been probed?"

Shinsuke paused.

"I heard about it."

Shin-getsu continued, "Second, after the secret tunnel was discovered, who was the first person to tell you to 'have me step forward'?"

Shinsuke's eyes flickered imperceptibly.

"Many people in the clan think so."

Shin-getsu nodded.

"Third, you said I understand things better than many of the elders."

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

Shinsuke did not hesitate.

"First, investigate Danzo, then force the Hokage Building to provide results, and finally, let the clan regain the initiative."

Shin-getsu looked at him.

"Who taught you this rhetoric?"

Shinsuke's expression shifted slightly.

"What rhetoric?"

Shin-getsu did not raise his voice, merely continuing:

"You speak very well."

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

"If I truly step forward and the Uchiha completely break ties with Konoha, who will bear the consequences?"

"You?"

"Or the people behind you?"

Shinsuke's pupils constricted.

The atmosphere in the room turned tense in an instant.

Fugaku's gaze also darkened completely.

And Shin-getsu did not stop.

He approached Shinsuke step by step, his voice remaining steady.

"You are right."

"The Uchiha needs geniuses."

"But the Uchiha needs to know even more who is using the name of a genius to push us into a pit of fire."

"Your words claim to be for the good of the Uchiha."

"Yet you repeatedly emphasize that I should step forward, repeatedly emphasize that the clan head is too conservative, and repeatedly steer the clan's anger toward me."

"Don't you think you're being too impatient?"

Shenjie's forehead was beaded with sweat.

He had thought that Shin-getsu, being young, even if intelligent, wouldn't be able to speak so steadily under the pressure of a clan meeting.

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

Not only was he not falling for it, he was turning the questions back on him.

Each question hit the mark.

Shin-getsu suddenly stopped.

"Answer me."

"Who sent you?"

Shenjie's face turned pale, and he immediately said:

"No one sent me!"

"I wanted to say this myself!"

Shin-getsu looked at him, and the corner of his mouth suddenly curved into a faint arc.

"Is that so?"

"Then you're even dumber than I thought."

Shenjie's face instantly flushed red.

Just as he was about to retort, Shin-getsu raised his hand and pointed at his sleeve cuff.

"What are you hiding inside your left sleeve?"

Shenjie's heart leaped.

He instinctively tried to pull his hand back.

But it was too late.

Shin-getsu said calmly:

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

"Or perhaps, you haven't even learned this small trick yet, and you're already rushing to be the 'new voice of the Uchiha'?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire shrine erupted.

"Communication Talisman?"

"He brought a Communication Talisman?"

"What does that mean?"

"Isn't this a clan meeting?"

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