Establishing Authority at the Clan Assembly

The Uchiha Clan's council hall was packed with people, and the oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe.

All the clan elders, branch leaders, and core members had arrived. Everyone kept their heads lowered, whispering among themselves, their eyes filled with confusion and unease.

They had all received an order from Clan Head Fugaku. He was convening a full clan assembly to announce an important matter, and he had also invited the mysterious Uchiha Lin Chen.

Rumors about Lin Chen had long spread throughout the clan.

At Kannabi Bridge, he had single-handedly swept through hundreds of Hidden Stone elites. With a flick of his hand, he had slaughtered dozens of Root death warriors. He possessed the legendary Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Dual Kamui, and he was also an abandoned child cast aside by the clan.

All these labels had made his name the most taboo yet revered presence in the Uchiha Clan recently.

"What exactly is the clan head announcing? Why did he summon all of us?"

"Who knows? Look at the clan head's expression. He seems so serious. Could it have something to do with that Lin Chen?"

"He's just an abandoned child. Even if he's strong, what right does he have to enter our council hall? What is the clan head trying to do?"

Quiet discussions rose and fell. No one dared speak loudly, but none of them could suppress their curiosity.

Before long, Fugaku strode into the council hall.

He wore the clan head's robes, his expression grave. Rather than heading straight for the main seat as usual, he stood off to the side, bowed slightly, and looked toward the entrance with utmost respect.

That sight instantly stunned every clansman in the hall.

The main seat belonged exclusively to the Uchiha Clan head. Yet Fugaku was not sitting there and was instead waiting off to the side?

Who could possibly make the clan head show such respect?

As everyone wondered, a figure slowly stepped into the council hall.

Lin Chen stood tall, his steps steady and his expression as calm as still water. Not a trace of killing intent radiated from him, yet the moment he entered the hall, his crimson Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan slowly appeared.

Scarlet pupils and black pinwheel patterns, like the most forbidden thing in the world, instantly seized everyone's attention.

Without any unnecessary movement or polite exchange, Lin Chen walked directly to the main seat and slowly sat down.

His posture was composed, his expression indifferent, as though the seat had belonged to him from the beginning.

The entire hall fell deathly silent!

The next second, it erupted into chaos!

"Outrageous! You are nothing but an abandoned child of our clan, yet you dare sit in the clan head's seat? You have no respect for your elders!"

A white-haired elder slammed his hand on the table and rose to his feet. Pointing at Lin Chen, he shouted furiously, his face flushed red.

He was the oldest elder in the Uchiha Clan and had always strictly upheld clan rules. How could he tolerate an abandoned clansman desecrating the clan head's seat like this?

"Get down! How can you sit in the clan head's seat?"

"Even if you are strong, you cannot ignore the clan rules like this! The Uchiha Clan is not a place where an abandoned child can run wild!"

"Clan Head, stop him! We cannot let him trample on the Uchiha Clan's dignity like this!"

The other clansmen also chimed in, their faces full of displeasure and anger.

They could fear Lin Chen's strength and even be grateful that he had brought glory to Konoha and the Uchiha Clan, but they would never agree to let an abandoned child sit in the clan head's seat!

Deep down, they still looked down on Lin Chen as an "abandoned child," believing that he was unworthy of leading the Uchiha Clan.

Fugaku frowned. Just as he was about to rebuke them, Lin Chen raised a hand and stopped him.

Sitting in the main seat, Lin Chen swept his indifferent gaze across the hall. His voice was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable authority that drowned out every murmur.

"I am not sitting here to ask for your opinions. I am here to inform you of the result."

"From today onward, the Uchiha Clan will be under my control."

"All clan affairs will be decided by me. Every clansman, including all of you elders, must obey my orders. Those who submit will remain. Those who defy me will get out of the Uchiha Clan."

His few casual words exploded through the council hall like thunder!

He was going to take control of the Uchiha Clan?

He actually intended to directly seize control of the entire clan!

"Arrogant! Utterly arrogant!"

The hot-tempered elder from before trembled with rage. Pointing at Lin Chen, he roared, "The Uchiha Clan has stood for centuries, and there has never been a precedent of an abandoned child ruling the clan! Your origins are unknown, your nature unfathomable! What gives you the right to lead our clan?"

"Because I am stronger than all of you, and more capable of protecting the Uchiha Clan than you are."

Lin Chen's gaze turned cold, though his tone remained utterly calm. "You cling to outdated rules, stubborn and radical, suspected by Konoha's higher-ups and plotted against by Danzo. You live in constant fear every day and cannot even protect your own clan. What right do you have to question me?"

"You're talking nonsense!"

The elder retorted angrily, "The Uchiha Clan is one of Konoha's founders, with deep foundations. Why would we need your protection? You only have some strength and want to usurp the clan head's position. I will be the first to refuse!"

"You refuse?"

Lin Chen gave a faint laugh, and the aura around him abruptly changed.

There was no earthshaking eruption of chakra. Only an invisible spatial pressure, accompanied by the ocular power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, swept through the entire council hall in an instant!

Boom—

The invisible force crashed down upon every clansman like a mountain.

The weaker Uchiha members immediately had their legs give out. With thuds, they collapsed to the ground, their faces pale as paper, their bodies trembling violently. They did not even have the courage to raise their heads and look at Lin Chen. Their souls shook in overwhelming terror.

Several elders and branch leaders were stronger and barely managed to support themselves, but their faces flushed red, their teeth clenched, and sweat drenched their entire bodies. Every inch of muscle resisted desperately, yet they could not move in the slightest.

They tried to mobilize the chakra within their bodies and activate their Sharingan to resist, only to discover that their chakra had completely stagnated. They could not even move their eyes.

The ocular power of those Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was like an inescapable net, tightly binding them all. Even breathing became incredibly difficult.

Standing to the side, Fugaku was also deeply shocked by the terrifying pressure.

He knew Lin Chen was strong, but he had never expected him to be this strong. With pressure alone, he could suppress the entire Uchiha Clan. This level of power had long surpassed the Ninja World's understanding.

"You... you dare attack your clan elders? This is outrageous!"

The hot-tempered elder struggled to force out those words. There was no longer any hardness in his voice, only deep terror and unwillingness.

He had lived for most of his life, yet he had never experienced such terrifying power. Before Lin Chen, he did not even have the right to resist. He was no different from an ant.

"Elders?"

Lin Chen's gaze was icy as he looked down at him, his voice carrying a bone-piercing chill. "When the clan abandoned me, when I struggled to survive on the streets, when clansmen bullied and beat me, why did no one step forward and call themselves my elder?"

"Now that I have strength, you come forward, using clan rules to suppress me and your status as elders to pressure me. Don't you find that laughable?"

"I am taking control of the Uchiha Clan not because I covet the clan head's position, but because I want to save the lives of all you people!"

"If not for me, within five years, the Uchiha Clan will face the calamity of extermination. Blood will flow through the entire clan, and no one will survive. Your so-called clan rules and dignity will be worthless before such a catastrophe!"

Every word struck at their hearts, every sentence rang like thunder!

Lin Chen's words were like sharp blades, stabbing viciously into the heart of every clansman.

They stared at Lin Chen's cold Sharingan and felt the pressure they could not resist. The anger and dissatisfaction in their hearts were gradually replaced by fear.

They began to believe that what Lin Chen said might be true.

Given the Uchiha Clan's current situation, the disaster of extermination truly might descend upon them.

And in the entire Uchiha Clan, only Lin Chen had the ability to stop that disaster.

"I will ask one last time. Who objects?"

Lin Chen's voice rang out again, and the pressure suddenly intensified.

The members collapsed on the ground fainted outright. Several stubborn elders could no longer hold on either. Their legs buckled, and they dropped to their knees with heavy thuds, trembling all over and no longer daring to utter a word of refusal.

The hot-tempered elder who had been shouting moments ago looked ashen. He lowered his head and no longer dared meet Lin Chen's eyes. The last trace of resistance in his heart had been completely crushed.

The entire hall was silent. Everyone lay beneath Lin Chen's pressure, filled with awe. Not one of them harbored any further dissent.

Seeing this, Fugaku immediately bowed and said respectfully, "Fugaku, together with the entire clan, greets the Ruler. From this day onward, we swear to obey your orders unto death and never defy you!"

"Greetings, Ruler!"

The other clansmen followed suit and bowed, their voices unified and filled with reverence.

Lin Chen looked at the scene before him without the slightest change in expression and slowly withdrew his pressure.

The oppressive force around them instantly vanished. Everyone felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted and gasped for air. Their bodies had long been soaked in cold sweat.

As they looked at the youth seated in the main seat, there was no longer any contempt or dissatisfaction in their eyes, only deep reverence and submission.

From that moment onward, the Uchiha Clan had completely changed hands.

Lin Chen had become the true ruler of the Uchiha Clan!

"Very good."

Lin Chen spoke blandly, his tone calm. "Since you have submitted, then rules must be established."

"First, from today onward, all old clan rules are abolished. No one in the clan may call others 'abandoned child' again, and no one may bully the weak. Violators will be expelled from the Uchiha Clan and severely punished."

"Second, the entire clan is forbidden from clashing with Konoha's higher-ups or secretly plotting rebellion. Everything will follow my arrangements. Violators will be executed without mercy."

"Third, fully reorganize clan affairs, inventory all resources, and train elites. From now on, the Uchiha Clan may only grow stronger. Internal conflict is forbidden."

"Fourth, anyone who harbors dissent toward me or secretly disobeys my orders, whether elder or ordinary member, will be killed without exception!"

The four rules were cold and absolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

Yet they also put every clansman at ease.

They knew that with Lin Chen, an unparalleled powerhouse, watching over them and with such strict rules in place, the Uchiha Clan could not only avoid the calamity of extermination but also march toward a new era of glory.

"We shall obey the Ruler's orders!"

Everyone answered in unison, their voices incomparably firm.

Lin Chen nodded and looked toward Fugaku. "Fugaku, you will continue handling the clan's daily affairs and assist me in reorganizing the clan. Within three days, I want a detailed record of all clan personnel and resources, along with a list of those clansmen who secretly harbor dissent."

"Yes!" Fugaku accepted the order respectfully, without the slightest dissatisfaction.

He understood clearly that although he had relinquished the clan head's position, Lin Chen still trusted him enough to let him assist with clan affairs. This was the best possible outcome.

Lin Chen slowly stood, and his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan gradually faded, returning to ordinary black eyes.

"Today's clan assembly ends here."

"Remember what I said. Behave yourselves and obey orders. I will ensure that the Uchiha Clan prospers and that no one dares bully you."

"But if anyone dares to obey openly while defying me in secret, do not blame me for being ruthless."

After saying that, Lin Chen did not linger. He turned and slowly walked out of the council hall, his posture straight, his back solitary and proud, yet carrying a power that inspired awe throughout the clan.

Only after Lin Chen's figure completely disappeared did those in the council hall dare slowly rise. Looking toward the entrance, their eyes were filled with reverence.

From this day onward, the name Uchiha Lin Chen would not only shake the Ninja World, but would also be deeply engraved into the hearts of every Uchiha clansman, becoming their sole faith and support.

After leaving the Uchiha compound, Lin Chen raised his head and looked toward the center of Konoha, his expression calm and undisturbed.

Taking control of the Uchiha Clan was only the first step.

Next, it was time to deal with Danzo, Konoha's festering poison, and prepare for the coming Nine-Tails Rebellion.

His era had only just begun.