The Clan Head's Test

Night had fallen.

One lamp after another lit up along the streets of the clan grounds. Lin Feng had just sat down at home when hurried footsteps sounded outside.

"Lord Lin Feng! The clan head requests your presence immediately."

The clan member delivering the message stood outside the entryway, his tone respectful yet leaving no room for refusal.

Lin Feng's heart tightened slightly.

It was expected, but sooner than he had anticipated.

Although he had only repelled two clan members who provoked him at the training ground during the day, news of his Sharingan awakening had surely reached the clan head's ears. Shisui's earlier conversation with him might not have fully escaped the clan head's notice either.

"I'll be there at once."

Lin Feng straightened the collar of his clan uniform, took a deep breath, and stepped outside.

The evening wind swept through the streets, carrying a faint scent of burning incense.

It came from the shrine at the center of the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

The clan head's residence stood beside the shrine.

Lin Feng quickened his pace.

He was unsure whether Fugaku summoning him was good or bad, but after the battle earlier that day, at least he would not be regarded as someone lacking in combat ability.

After crossing two stone bridges and passing around a training field, the clan head's residence appeared at the end of his sight.

It was the largest courtyard in the entire clan grounds. Its bluish-black tiled roof looked solemn and imposing in the dusk, its walls taller than those of ordinary homes. Two Security Force members stood atop the walls.

Two lanterns hung before the main gate, their orange light falling over the doors and casting two blurred shadows.

The clan member who had delivered the summons was already waiting at the entrance.

"Please follow me."

Pushing open the heavy gates, Lin Feng stepped into the front courtyard of the clan head's residence.

The flagstones beneath his feet had been worn smooth and glossy. Neatly trimmed pine trees stood on either side, their resinous fragrance mingling with the scent of earth.

There were three gates within the courtyard.

The first was the main gate of the front courtyard, the second led to the reception hall, and the third led into the inner residence.

The messenger stopped before the middle gate and bowed slightly toward the interior.

"Clan Head, Lin Feng has arrived."

"Come in."

A steady male voice came from within.

Lin Feng's heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

He had seen Clan Head Fugaku many times—at clan meetings, festivals, and mission assignments—but he had never been summoned alone.

The man beyond that door was the most impossible presence to ignore in all the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

Pushing the door open, Lin Feng saw Uchiha Fugaku seated in the center of the reception hall.

The walls were dark gray, the floor wooden, and a dark low table stood in the middle with a teapot and two cups resting on it.

Fugaku sat facing the entrance, his hands folded on his knees. His black clan uniform bore no unnecessary decoration, yet his Three-Tomoe Sharingan turned faintly beneath the lamplight, radiating an invisible pressure.

"Sit. There's no need to be nervous."

Fugaku's voice was calm as he pointed to the cushion opposite him.

Lin Feng sat down as instructed, resting his hands naturally on his knees and keeping his back straight.

"I heard that at the training ground today, you defeated two opponents by yourself?"

Fugaku got straight to the point, with no emotion audible in his voice.

"What exactly happened?"

Lin Feng bit his lip and truthfully recounted what had happened that day.

"It was Sasuke and Kento from the clan. They believed I was usually lazy and challenged me. I intended to avoid it, but they spoke disrespectfully and attacked first, so I had no choice but to fight."

He neither embellished the story nor concealed the facts.

Lying before someone like Fugaku would have been foolish.

"Mm."

Fugaku picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"That Sasuke brat has always been like that, and Kento isn't much better. But defeating both of them proves you haven't neglected your basic training."

This was not a reprimand.

Lin Feng noticed a trace of satisfaction in Fugaku's tone.

"Your Sharingan... has already reached three tomoe?"

Fugaku set down his teacup, his dark eyes looking directly at him.

"When did it awaken?"

"A few days ago, while I was on patrol. I encountered a group of bandits lying in ambush, and it awakened in the crisis."

Lin Feng answered truthfully, his voice steady.

"I haven't fully mastered it yet. Shisui gave me some advice today on controlling my emotions."

At the mention of Shisui's name, Fugaku's brows twitched slightly.

"Shisui... that child is indeed dependable."

Fugaku lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingers, and his tone eased somewhat.

"However, the Security Force's authority is being squeezed away step by step by the Hokage Faction. The clan head's words no longer carry as much weight as they once did."

Lin Feng caught the implication behind those words.

Fugaku had begun discussing the situation.

"You mean... the recent policy adjustments, Clan Head?"

Lin Feng cautiously picked up the thread.

"Adjustments?"

Fugaku sneered, a barely perceptible anger in his voice.

"That decision-making process of the Hokage Office has completely excluded the Uchiha from the core circle. The Security Force has fewer and fewer matters it can handle. The clan's young people are not valued in the village, and even promotion slots are being taken first by other lineages."

Lin Feng remained silent and did not respond.

He knew Fugaku was speaking the truth.

In the original story, the conflict between the Uchiha clan and Konoha's upper ranks had intensified from the very moment the Security Force's authority began to be weakened.

"If the younger generation does not rise up soon, the Uchiha will inevitably be pushed to the margins."

Fugaku shifted the subject, his gaze falling on Lin Feng again.

"What do you think we should do?"

This was a test.

Lin Feng could feel Fugaku's gaze resting on his face, waiting to see how he would answer.

If he directly said, "We should support the Hokage," Fugaku would immediately see him as an outsider.

If he said, "We should settle it by force," he would be classified among the radicals.

"I believe that as long as we faithfully carry out our missions, improve our strength, and prove the Uchiha's value through our achievements, the clan will naturally not be underestimated."

Lin Feng's tone was calm, as though he were stating common sense.

"If one is strong enough, one will naturally have a voice."

The reception hall fell silent for several seconds.

Fugaku did not respond immediately.

He picked up his teacup, took another sip, and let his gaze linger along its rim for a moment.

"Very well. You have your own judgment."

Fugaku set down the teacup, his tone more relaxed than before.

"But remember, the Uchiha need strength that can step forward at critical moments."

"Critical moments..."

Lin Feng repeated those words silently in his heart.

Their implication was far too obvious.

Fugaku was not speaking of "now," but of "the future."

Not of "training," but of "stepping forward."

"You should go back and rest first. Your performance today was good."

Fugaku ended the conversation and waved a hand, signaling that he could leave.

"Yes. Thank you for your guidance, Clan Head. I'll take my leave."

Lin Feng rose, bowed slightly, and turned to leave the reception hall.

His steps were steady, his back straight, and he revealed no emotion.

Yet the moment he stepped through the middle gate, his back was already soaked in cold sweat.

Every word of Fugaku's phrasing carried danger.

"Step forward at critical moments"—that was practically a clear indication that the Uchiha had already prepared to act.

And in Fugaku's eyes, he had become a piece worth winning over.

The night wind brushed Lin Feng's face. He stood outside the gates of the clan head's residence, staring at the two swaying lanterns by the entrance.

Shisui had been right. The situation within the clan was more urgent than he had imagined.

There was no longer any hesitation in Fugaku's tone. There was only the resolve of, "We've already come this far."

Lin Feng clenched his fists.

His original plan had been to steadily get close to Shisui, slowly learn about the situation through his help, then seek a chance to visit Naka Shrine.

But now, it seemed that there might not be much time left in that window.

Fugaku's "critical moment" could arrive at any time.

And once the extermination plan began, everyone would be nothing more than a dead leaf swept up in the torrent.

Lin Feng looked up at the night sky.

There was no moon. Orion hung slanted across the heavens, its three stars glimmering coldly.

He turned and headed toward home, but his steps were far heavier than when he had come.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, he would go to Naka Shrine and see that stone tablet for himself.