Unleashing His Silver Tongue

As Hane's words fell, the hall below went silent.

A moment later.

"Long live the Young Clan Leader!"

"Long live the Young Clan Leader!"

Fervent roars echoed through the entire hall.

At the same time, Hane's system notifications rang without pause. Apart from the occasional string of Malice Points numbering over a thousand, nearly all of them were massive waves of Gratitude Points.

In the dozen or so minutes Hane had spent establishing his authority, he had gradually gained nearly twenty thousand Gratitude Points.

He had gained no small number of Malice Points as well—over ten thousand. There were roughly two hundred people at the clan assembly. To gain so many Gratitude Points, it seemed that most of the clan members below recognized him at this moment.

They had even called him the Young Clan Leader. That was different from Hane calling himself that; it was recognition from the clan members. If things remained this way, then once Fugaku no longer wanted the position, Hane would undoubtedly become the Uchiha Clan Leader.

Looking at the enthusiastic leeks below, Hane nodded in satisfaction. He raised a hand slightly, and the hall immediately quieted down.

Hane glanced at Elder Flame, who was glaring at him with hatred, and curled his lips into a smile. "That's a nice look in your eyes. I hope you can keep it up in the future!"

After saying that, Hane casually waved his hand, sending a Five Elements Spirit Gathering Art toward Elder Flame, who was kneeling on one knee. In an instant, the old man's burned arm was enveloped in five-colored light. The wound healed rapidly before everyone's eyes, scabbed over, and shed away.

As for his beard and hair, Hane did not bother with them. That was his punishment. After all, Hane did not want such a fine leek to die from his own fire toxin.

Leeks, huh? I just loved that stubborn look of yours—when you couldn't stand me, yet couldn't kill me.

In the eyes of the Uchiha clan members, their Young Clan Leader had merely waved his hand again, sending what looked like a healing Ninjutsu toward Elder Flame before he could react. Elder Flame had been about to flee, but his charred-black right hand quickly grew fresh flesh and returned to normal.

That miraculous sight made the pupils of the clan members and elders present constrict once more.

At that moment, everyone looked at the calm young man seated below Fugaku as though they were looking at some rare treasure.

The Uchiha Clan had quite a few people proficient in Fire Release, Lightning Release, and Genjutsu, but there were truly very few who excelled at Medical Ninjutsu—much less Medical Ninjutsu like Hane's, capable of regrowing flesh and restoring bones.

Hane himself did not think much of it. The Five Elements Ninjutsu within Dao Arts was not merely a set of offensive techniques; it could be called a general outline for the use of the five elements. As long as Hane's comprehension of the laws of each element was deep enough, these techniques would naturally come at his fingertips.

Elder Flame looked toward the young man on the platform, seemingly wanting to say something. But after moving his lips, he ultimately said nothing and silently returned to his seat.

The most obvious sign was that the Malice Points on Hane's system panel, which had originally stood at one thousand, instantly dropped to only five hundred.

Hane twitched his lips and looked at Elder Flame below. "Don't do that, old man. I still prefer that unruly look of yours."

"Cough! Cough!"

Seeing that the hall had calmed down again, Fugaku coughed twice. "Since no one has any objections, let's hear what your Young Clan Leader has to say!"

Fugaku was overjoyed inside. Originally, he had only wanted his son to come and show off his strength, using his eldest son's excellence to intimidate the radicals who were always opposing him.

Yet he had never expected that his son would use a fine display of fire control to practically settle the matter of the next clan leader.

Although this position was not yet entirely secure, Fugaku believed that as long as his son continued to be this outstanding, it would sooner or later become as stable as Mount Tai.

Hane swept his gaze across the clan members watching him intently.

"The higher-ups' suppression of our Uchiha Clan is already known to everyone. Blindly enduring it is a sign of weakness. But given reality, we currently lack the strength to resist the entire village, so compromise has become inevitable."

Everyone had originally assumed that, as the clan leader's son, his words would favor the clan leader's side. But the more they listened, the more confused they became. What was he trying to do by taking neither side? If not for the strength Hane had displayed earlier, someone would likely have already been unable to restrain themselves from causing trouble.

"Therefore, in this situation, unity is the most important thing for our Uchiha Clan. As for relocating the clan grounds, we cannot refute the village on moral grounds.

"Because it is not only the Uchiha Clan that is moving. Every clan in the village is being adjusted. If our clan alone makes a fuss, it will make the Uchiha Clan appear unable to see the bigger picture.

"However! The fact of unfairness also exists. As the original clan grounds in the center of Konoha, we are being moved to the remote banks of the Naka River. The village must offer sufficient benefits to compensate the clan members for this injustice.

"We cannot be asked to make sacrifices simply because the village is currently at war and the border with the Land of Lightning is tense. Are there not Uchiha Clan ninja bleeding on the Land of Lightning border? Has the Uchiha Clan not rendered merits to the village?

"Why should we shed both blood and tears? What are the warriors at the front lines, who risk their lives to defend the village, fighting for? So that their families and children can be sacrificed once again?

"That is why the Uchiha Clan cannot accept this. Those who gather firewood for others must not be left to freeze to death in the wind and snow. It is such a simple principle. If Lord Hokage does not understand it, and Konoha's higher-ups do not understand it either, then the village cannot blame the Uchiha Clan for standing up in resistance. The village was unjust first; it was not the Uchiha Clan that betrayed the village."

"Therefore, only a united Uchiha is a strong Uchiha! That is my proposal: demand compensation from the village's higher-ups. Without compensation, the Uchiha Clan will absolutely not relocate. Does anyone have any other opinions?"

Hane's impassioned words gradually faded, and the entire meeting hall fell silent. At that moment, all the clan members below stared blankly at the young man on the platform.

They had always known that the village was unfair and that this was a plot by the higher-ups, but no one had been able to express such righteous arguments with such clarity and order.

No one knew how long passed...

"I support the Young Clan Leader. That's right, we should demand compensation from the village!" Uchiha Yashiro, who had remained silent for a long time, looked solemnly at Fugaku.

"Me too!" Another elder stood up.

"Me too!"

"Me too..."

There were seven elders in the Uchiha Clan in total, and six of them had now stood up.

Everyone had assumed that Elder Flame, a member of the Hardline Faction, would not rise. Yet unexpectedly, Elder Flame stood up without hesitation and looked toward the still-stunned Fugaku.

"Fugaku, I have to admit, you really stepped in dog shit to have such an outstanding son." After saying that, he gave Hane an approving glance.

Hane's heart sank. No, old man! Where did that unruly side of yours go? And what's with these hundred Recognition Points? I really did prefer how you were at the beginning! Hane howled inwardly.

Fugaku gradually came back to his senses, but after hearing Elder Flame's words, his face still darkened. "Since the clan elders all agree, I will report the outcome of this clan assembly to Lord Hokage. As for the result... that will depend on how Lord Hokage chooses to decide."

Fugaku did not want to argue with Elder Flame anymore. After all, the man had lost enough face today. He was still a clan elder, so Fugaku had to leave him some room to save face.