Inside the Uchiha Clan's compound.
By the time Fugaku stepped through his front door, all the Jonin had already withdrawn.
Joy filled every corner of the Uchiha District.
"We really won this time!"
"Elder Yan really is something. Even backed into a corner like that, he still managed to turn things around."
"Now that felt good! This is what the Uchiha should be like. I was sick of swallowing all that humiliation."
"The Clan Head's back!"
The Jonin all started shouting over one another, grins covering their faces.
Yes, after what had happened tonight, the Uchiha certainly had reason to celebrate.
Though no blades had actually been drawn, they had undeniably gotten the upper hand over the village leadership.
Fugaku stood there, looking at those all-too-familiar faces, his emotions churning.
They had come so close!
If Yan had not left that letter beforehand, if the Hokage's side had not finally been persuaded, fewer than one in ten of the Jonin standing here tonight would likely have survived.
"Thank you all for your hard work." Fugaku raised his right hand and motioned for quiet. Once everyone settled down, he said softly, "The danger has passed. The Uchiha are on solid ground now. Go home and rest. We'll discuss the rest tomorrow."
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in cheers.
That night, the entire Uchiha Clan Compound was awash with joy.
Even Uchiha Setsuna could no longer keep a grin off his aged face.
But celebration aside, the thought that Yan Uchiha's prestige would only grow after this made the knot in his heart tighten further.
That was how it worked. When the Uchiha fought outsiders, Setsuna did not mind standing alongside Yan—if the clan fell, he would suffer right along with it.
But once the outside enemy was gone,