The mention of Impure World Reincarnation brought every Uchiha into line

Fugaku sat there sulking, not even bothering to speak.

His face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and the corners of his mouth kept twitching.

He had thought he was among the steadiest, most cautious members of the clan.

Yet the moment he opened his mouth to offer an idea, he had been slapped right back down.

He was normally easygoing, but this time, he really did feel humiliated.

Worse still, there was nothing he could do about it. A little thought made it clear that Yan Uchiha really had not been talking nonsense.

Hiruzen Sarutobi alone really could not pull this off. There was nothing wrong with that argument.

But he was the Clan Head! Could Yan not spare him a little dignity?

Fugaku looked utterly exasperated, but he finally nodded. "Well... all right. Yan has a point. I didn't think it through."

"In that case, we'll set this matter aside for now."

"Given the current situation, we Uchiha can only maintain the status quo with the village."

Nobody present said a word. They all fell silent.

Yes, everyone knew Yan Uchiha had said nothing wrong.

But actually accepting it still left a knot in their chests.

That was hardly surprising. These Uchiha were used to being proud, and anyone would need time to digest such a crushing blow.

Still, proud as they were, their brains had not stopped working.

Jin Uchiha's words had hit them like a bucket of cold water, jolting them awake—the Uchiha really were no fucking match for the village right now.

What else could they do but stay silent? Jump up and pick a fight?

As Fugaku finished speaking, the shrine became so quiet that they could hear one another breathing.

Looking helpless, Yan Uchiha narrowed his eyes and swept his