Clan Meeting (4)

Uchiha Yushu's speech immediately sparked instinctive disgust in many clan members. That was simply the nature of the Uchiha Clan.

I'm an Uchiha. I'm proud, I'm arrogant—but if you're prouder and more arrogant than me, then I can't stand you.

Yushu ignored those disgusted looks. He had never intended to take over as clan head peacefully, and he was preparing to stir up trouble himself. He knew exactly what these clansmen were like.

If you're more arrogant and pretentious than me, I'll hate you. But if you have the strength to back up that arrogance and leave me with nothing to say, then not only will I not hate you—I'll respect you.

That was the Uchiha Clan: a contradictory clan. It was also why Konoha's higher-ups targeted the Uchiha Clan so relentlessly.

The Uchiha Clan had been proud for a thousand years, until they encountered the man named Hashirama Senju, who beat the pride right out of them.

They had willingly made peace with the Senju Clan and built the Hidden Leaf Village together.

After Hashirama Senju, even Tobirama Senju failed to truly win the Uchiha Clan's respect. Still, his methods were sophisticated enough that nothing major came of it.

But what was the current Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi? He was merely a ninja from the Sarutobi Clan, a minor clan that had trailed behind the Senju Clan during the Warring States era. His own strength was not particularly impressive either.

Yet he was Hokage, and for decades, he had used every underhanded and despicable method imaginable against the Uchiha Clan. How could the Uchiha Clan possibly accept that?

But although every member of the Uchiha Clan was a combat genius, when it came to the empty-headed business of political struggle, it was not merely that they lacked experience—they simply did not know how to do it at all.

Watching their clan decline further and further, until they could no longer be called the foremost ninja clan and looked even more miserable than obscure minor clans like the Mitokado Clan and Utatane Clan, it was not hard to understand why most clan members had begun contemplating a coup.

"Yushu, there's no need to make things so troublesome. I'm willing to hand the position of clan head over to you. Wouldn't it be better to become clan head smoothly?"

Fugaku Uchiha was still trying to persuade him.

Yushu did not know whether Fugaku Uchiha wanted to throw him out as a shield to draw fire, or whether he truly believed Yushu could lead the clan well. After glancing at Fugaku, Yushu shook his head.

"I already said it. Rather than receive charity, I'd rather take it myself."

As he spoke, he looked provocatively at the man behind Fugaku who had clearly wanted to kill him all along. "Kento, shall we have a match?"

How could the already furious Uchiha Kento endure such provocation? The moment he had entered and seen Yushu sitting beside the clan head's seat, he had already been displeased. After being provoked by this string of events, he was nearly out of his mind. Without even asking Fugaku's opinion, he charged straight at Yushu.

"Uchiha Yushu, don't get so full of yourself! That title of strongest in the clan is nothing more than praise from a bunch of juniors. Do you really think you're that powerful? I'll teach you a lesson today!"

They were fighting!

Although scenes like this were not uncommon during clan meetings, today was completely different. Many people turned their attention toward the two combatants.

No one stopped them, and no one stepped in to help. They merely waited for a victor to emerge.

"We are ninja. We are Uchiha."

Even while exchanging blows with Kento, Uchiha Yushu continued speaking. "In the ninja world, throughout the Uchiha Clan's thousand-year legacy, there has never been any emphasis on seniority."

"That is merely protection granted by the strong out of pity for the weak. If you want me to treat you as a senior, it's simple—defeat me!"

As soon as his words fell, Uchiha Yushu unleashed high-speed streams of flame from both hands. Not only Kento, who stood directly in front of him—even those elsewhere in the room, including the people behind Yushu, could feel waves of scorching heat rushing at their faces.

The air throughout the entire space warped from the extreme heat, as though space itself had been twisted.

"It's here—Vermilion Bird's legendary, unparalleled Fire Release!"

"What kind of temperature is this? Even Lord Jiraiya's Fire Release, enhanced with special fuel, isn't this hot!"

"So this is the strength of Yushu, who bears the title Vermilion Bird?"

Cries of shock erupted from the crowd. It was not because they were weak. On the contrary, everyone present was a jonin, and the Uchiha Clan excelled most at Fire Release. That was why so many people seeing such a battle for the first time could not help crying out in amazement.

Only today did they learn that Fire Release could be this powerful.

Yushu had no intention of killing anyone, so the stream of flames was not particularly fast. With Kento's jonin-level abilities, he had enough time to think of a solution.

Kento used the Great Fireball Technique as well, attempting to block it, but the Great Fireball vanished the instant it met the stream of flames, as though it had never existed.

With no other choice, Kento did not dodge. Instead, he pulled out a massive shuriken and tried to block it head-on. Before long, the shuriken melted, and Kento's hands were nearly carbonized.

But when the stream of flames reached Kento, the high heat suddenly ceased. Yet the flames, originally crimson, turned blazing white. Anyone with eyes could tell that their temperature had become even more terrifying.

The blazing white stream of flame reached Kento's forehead, then flowed backward like water, returning to Yushu's hands as though time itself had reversed before vanishing.

Such superb control made everyone present wonder whether Fire Release could truly achieve something like this. Could the Fire Release they had learned really even be called Fire Release?

Of course Fire Release could not do this. This was my cheat ability, and one of the more mediocre ones at that: Fire Man's fire-control power from the X-Men. It had not originally been this strong. Yushu had only achieved this level of fire control by building upon the template and combining it with chakra.

Medical ninja quickly treated Kento. His hands could not be saved. The fool had insisted on taking it head-on, and now no one spoke up for him. They all tacitly accepted the outcome.

After showing off a little, Uchiha Yushu had no intention of stopping. He spoke again. "Anyone who wants to challenge me can continue. There's no need to fight one-on-one. You can all come at me together."

Seeing that no one stepped forward, he knew his Fire Release had been too shocking, and no one dared to make a move for the moment.

So he continued, "My Fire Release is too powerful, and I don't want to bully you. From now on, I'll use it only for defense. As long as you don't deliberately touch it, you won't end up like Kento."

As he spoke, he removed his black coat, revealing the combat suit beneath. At the same time, he made a show of forming several hand seals.

At once, crimson-gold flames covered his entire body. Huge wings of flame spread from his back, and he flew to the center of the gathering place, hovering five meters above the ground.

Looking down at the gathered clansmen, he crooked a finger at them arrogantly. "Come on, challenge me!"