Uchiha Clan Assembly

"Did you notice it, Hiruzen?"

After seeing the daimyo off to rest, Utatane Koharu spoke in a chilly tone, a hint of vigilance in her voice.

"Of course I noticed. The daimyo has seen the discord between us and the Uchiha, and he wants to win the Uchiha over." The Third's face darkened, and a trace of coldness flashed through his eyes.

"All along, the daimyo has wanted to establish a private ninja force that belonged solely to him, not Konoha. Holding a football league is just a pretense this time; using the league to win over the Uchiha is his real goal." Mitokado Homura spoke as well, his tone full of concern.

"Once the Uchiha are able to openly align themselves with the daimyo, they will have the leverage to break away from the village. They will be even harder to deal with then." Utatane Koharu spoke with an exceptionally grave expression, her eyes full of wariness.

"The Uchiha would not dare to openly betray the village and break away. But they would dare to collude with the daimyo in secret and profit from it, and they have plenty of nerve." The Third spoke faintly as well, a trace of helplessness in his voice.

"How should we respond, then?" Utatane Koharu asked, her eyes full of urgency.

"Didn't we discuss before that, if it truly came to the last resort, we could allow the daimyo to establish the Twelve Guardian Ninja? This afternoon, I will find time to discuss the matter of the Twelve Guardian Ninja with the daimyo in detail and firmly keep the initiative in our hands." The Third said in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of resolve.

"What if the daimyo insists on going his own way?" Mitokado Homura asked, his eyes full of worry.

"If the daimyo insists on going his own way, then let him. After all, he is the daimyo. What can we do to him? Even Danzo is still confined to quarters." The Third spoke blandly, with a meaningful undertone.

But Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu both understood. Danzo was confined to quarters, but he had a solid alibi. Without Danzo to take the blame, all of Konoha would remain righteous and aboveboard in the sunlight.

Meanwhile, after returning to the Uchiha Clan Territory, Fugaku Uchiha encountered the First Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder, who had been waiting for him.

"Is there something you three elders need?" Fugaku Uchiha asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

The three elders told Fugaku Uchiha about the drawbacks of Uchiha awakening the Sharingan too early.

"Our Sharingan Kekkei Genkai actually has such a drawback?" After hearing the three elders' explanation, Fugaku Uchiha's eyes widened as he spoke in disbelief.

To the Uchiha, the Sharingan was perfection itself. It could copy ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu; it was also beautiful, exquisite, and mysterious. More than that, it was synonymous with power.

Thus, the Uchiha worshipped their Kekkei Genkai madly and desperately wanted to awaken the Sharingan, believing that possessing the Sharingan meant possessing everything. Yet they had never considered that the Sharingan could have flaws such as awakening too early, being impossible to control, and causing unchecked arrogance and conceit.

No, it was not merely those who awakened it early. Those who awakened it late had the same problem. Although the Uchiha claimed to look down equally on everyone outside the Uchiha, in truth, even Uchiha clansmen who had not awakened the Sharingan were beneath their contempt. Thus, the Uchiha also made distinctions between outsiders, treating some as close and others as distant.

For those close to them, they could destroy the world. Yet toward strangers and enemies, they were filled with coldness and ruthlessness. Coldness and ruthlessness alone were not the problem, since they were equally cold and ruthless toward everyone. The most terrifying thing was arrogance. That arrogance would wound everyone and turn the Uchiha into the enemy of all.

That was also why the Uchiha would ultimately be exterminated.

In short, this flaw might not seem major, but at its worst, it could destroy the Uchiha. Especially now, when the Uchiha lived under Konoha's protection, such arrogance was even more terrifying. It made the Uchiha forget that they were not strong enough and could not stand alone in the ninja world.

During the Warring States Period, fools like that had all died. But in the era of ninja villages, such fools might be becoming the Uchiha's upper ranks. Once they made a wrong decision, the outcome would be death for them and annihilation for the clan.

Therefore, Fugaku Uchiha could not help but feel astonished.

"You must have asked Little Chuan already, right? What did Little Chuan say?" Fugaku Uchiha rubbed his temples, suffering a headache for a moment before his eyes suddenly lit up. Remembering the clan's genius youth, he immediately asked.

The First Elder nodded and said in a deep voice, "Little Chuan does have a solution. He proposed a systematic training plan specifically for the Uchiha's exceptional geniuses. Through this plan, we can cultivate geniuses powerful enough to suppress the inflated egos of the other clans. However, he needs the support of our entire clan, as well as at least one billion ryo in funding."

"The entire clan's support is not a problem, but one billion ryo..." Fugaku Uchiha frowned. "That is no small sum. We must convene a clan assembly and obtain everyone's approval."

The Second Elder snorted coldly, his tone resolute. "Then convene the clan assembly! One billion ryo in exchange for a systematic training plan is not a bad deal for us. As long as we can cultivate sufficiently powerful geniuses, the Uchiha's future will be secure."

Fugaku Uchiha gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Of course we trust Little Chuan, and we understand the purpose of doing this. But the problem is, how do we make the other clansmen believe? We cannot openly reveal the flaws of our Kekkei Genkai at the clan assembly, can we? Although I trust our clansmen, the fewer people who know a secret concerning the clan's foundation, the better."

The First Elder sighed as well and rubbed the space between his brows. "Let us put aside the flaws of the Kekkei Genkai for now and speak only of the one billion ryo Little Chuan needs. After everything that has happened, there should be quite a few people in the clan who believe in Little Chuan. Let us vote first. If it does not pass, we will think of a way to persuade them."

"That is all we can do." Fugaku Uchiha nodded helplessly, concern flashing through his eyes. "I only hope the clansmen can trust Little Chuan unconditionally, just as we do."

Very soon, Fugaku Uchiha issued an order, announcing that a clan assembly would be held one day later.

However, the news reached the Third Hokage's ears almost immediately.

"The Uchiha Clan is holding a clan assembly at a time like this? What exactly are they trying to do?" The Third frowned tightly as a wisp of bluish smoke slowly rose from the pipe in his hand.

At this time, the Stilt Football competition was in full swing. Rather than paying attention to the Stilt Football tournament they had organized, the Uchiha Clan was secretly convening a clan assembly. The intent behind this made the Third uneasy.

"What else could it be?" Utatane Koharu snorted coldly, gloom flashing through her eyes. "We must have been negligent and allowed the daimyo to reach some sort of agreement with them. The Uchiha Clan has always been ambitious. This time, they are probably trying to use the opportunity to make some big move."

Mitokado Homura nodded as well, his tone carrying a measure of indignation. "That is right. The Uchiha Clan has never been peaceful. Their clan assembly is probably intended to let them fully side with the daimyo and completely break free from the village's control."

"Uchiha... Uchiha..." The Third murmured softly, a trace of coldness flashing through his eyes. "Those damned Uchiha really are pressing forward step by step."

Utatane Koharu looked at the Third, urgency in her voice. "Then what should we do? Are we just going to watch them cause trouble?"

The Third took a deep breath and slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, helplessness flashing through his eyes. "We are not Danzo. Without evidence, we cannot act rashly. Even if they truly intend to fully side with the daimyo, it cannot be accomplished overnight. Have Root monitor their every move as closely as possible. Once Danzo's confinement ends, leave it to him to handle."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance. Though unwilling, they could only nod in agreement.

That was the sorrow of those who lived beneath the sunlight: they always had to be bound by rules.