Hearing that Qiu Shan Uchiha had already made arrangements for Shisui, the Elder nodded in relief, then raised the second problem.
"The next matter is also the hardest: persuading Uchiha Fugaku. Although I don't think much of him, he is still the head of the Uchiha Clan, and most of our people still listen to him. He's also rather indecisive. That temperament is fine when it comes to maintaining good relations with Konoha in ordinary times, but when something important happens, it becomes a fatal flaw. It could ruin everything."
Qiu Shan Uchiha hadn't expected the Elder to judge Uchiha Fugaku's character so accurately. If not for Uchiha Fugaku's damned indecisiveness, the Uchiha Clan would never have ended up being exterminated. He clearly possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, yet when Uchiha Itachi, Konoha's Root, and Obito Uchiha slaughtered the clan's people, he hadn't organized them and led the resistance as their clan head. Instead, he had hidden away like a coward, waiting quietly in his room until Uchiha Itachi killed him without any resistance.
Uchiha Fugaku was the clan head, for crying out loud! As clan head, he should have shouldered his responsibility to the Uchiha Clan. And he hadn't done a proper job of guiding Uchiha Itachi's thinking, either. Despite being both the head of the Uchiha Clan and Itachi's father, he had ultimately allowed Itachi to become the Third Hokage's most loyal lackey. It wasn't merely that Uchiha Fugaku bore some responsibility; he had been utterly useless.
That was why Qiu Shan Uchiha had used Kotoamatsukami to control him as soon as they met yesterday.
In Qiushan's eyes, Uchiha Fugaku could only hold him back, yet his position as clan head was extremely important. Controlling him was therefore the only option.
The Elder didn't know that Uchiha Fugaku was already under Qiushan's control, which was why he was so worried.
Qiu Shan Uchiha couldn't tell the Elder about it, either. After all, controlling the clan head was an act of flagrant insubordination no matter how one looked at it. He could only reassure him:
"Don't worry, Elder. I'll go to the clan head right now and persuade him. Once he sees the glimpses of the future I show him, he'll definitely support my approach. If that still doesn't work, I'll come back to you, and we can persuade him together."
The Elder nodded helplessly. "That's all we can do. If I went straight to him myself, it would look like I was trying to force his hand, and that might backfire."
After listening to the Elder's repeated reminders and instructions, Qiu Shan Uchiha left his home. It was already dark and time for dinner, so he could conveniently drop by the Clan Leader's House for a free meal.
After leaving the Elder's house, Qiu Shan Uchiha strolled toward the Clan Leader's House without any hurry. He had already won the Elder over, and he called the shots where the clan head was concerned. He only needed to go through the motions, so there was no reason to rush.
It was already evening, and few people remained on the streets. Only a handful of children reluctant to stop playing were still trudging home as their parents called for them.
When Qiu Shan Uchiha arrived at the Clan Leader's House, the family happened to be having dinner. (Naturally, Uchiha Itachi had not yet returned from his mission.) Seeing Qiu Shan Uchiha arrive, they promptly invited him to join them, and he accepted without standing on ceremony.
Uchiha Mikoto hurried to the kitchen to prepare two more dishes, while Uchiha Sasuke, still a little boy, watched him curiously. As Uchiha Fugaku was the clan head, plenty of people came and went from their house, so Uchiha Sasuke was used to visitors. Qiu Shan Uchiha had rarely visited before, however, and Sasuke was unfamiliar with him, so some curiosity was inevitable.
Qiu Shan Uchiha returned Uchiha Sasuke's curious gaze with a friendly smile. Uchiha Sasuke was a genius himself, but he still fell somewhat short of his older brother, not only in talent, but also in intelligence and the way he looked at things.
Compared with his older brother, if Uchiha Sasuke hadn't possessed Indra's chakra and received his brother's help in attaining the eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Uchiha Itachi would have been the one who fit the protagonist mold.
Still, Sasuke was only a little boy who knew nothing yet, not the angst-ridden, bitter teenager who hated everyone, forced into premature maturity by the hatred Uchiha Itachi instilled in him. It would be several more years before he grew up.
With Sasuke present, Qiu Shan Uchiha didn't discuss Shisui or the Uchiha Clan's departure from Konoha with Uchiha Fugaku. They merely chatted about everyday matters. Dinner ended uneventfully, and Qiu Shan Uchiha successfully enjoyed his free meal.
After dinner, Mikoto took Uchiha Sasuke away, while Uchiha Fugaku led Qiu Shan Uchiha to the reception room.
Although Qiu Shan Uchiha had brought Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto under his control, he hadn't changed their thoughts or personalities, so they still lived and handled matters normally. Nor did Qiu Shan Uchiha use this as an excuse to do whatever he pleased. He remained polite when dealing with the clan head.
Once Uchiha Mikoto had served tea and left the reception room, Qiu Shan Uchiha told Uchiha Fugaku about faking Shisui Uchiha's death and having the Uchiha Clan leave Konoha. Uchiha Fugaku already knew that the Uchiha Clan would be exterminated in the future and had abandoned any hope of the clan living harmoniously with Konoha. Naturally, he readily agreed to Qiu Shan Uchiha's plan.
Once the plan was settled, they naturally discussed the details. After working out all the particulars and preparations, Qiu Shan Uchiha began discussing how to expand the Uchiha Clan's population with Uchiha Fugaku.
Once the Uchiha Clan established itself on the islands of the Land of Whirlpools, it would have to fend for itself. Although the clan had a sizable population, they would still inevitably find themselves stretched thin. As head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Fugaku would naturally have to take the lead in solving this problem by encouraging the clan members to have children. He also discussed quite a few incentives with Qiu Shan Uchiha.
By the time they had settled everything, it was late at night, and Qiu Shan Uchiha naturally stayed over.
Just as Qiu Shan Uchiha was about to turn in, Uchiha Mikoto came to his door carrying a late-night snack.
Qiu Shan Uchiha opened the door and saw Mikoto standing there prettily, carrying snacks and sake. She had changed into a fitted kimono, and her eyes brimmed with desire. They exchanged a glance, but neither said a word. Everything passed between them unspoken.
Qiu Shan Uchiha stepped aside to let Mikoto in, and as she passed him, she left behind a familiar fragrance.
Watching Mikoto's graceful, curvaceous figure, Qiu Shan Uchiha couldn't help taking a deep breath. As Uchiha Mikoto prepared to set the tray on the table, his eyes suddenly lit up. He had thought of a good idea.
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