Becoming Clan Head and Awakening the Mangekyō!

Bai Ye?!

A flicker of confusion crossed Uchiha Fugaku's eyes. He instinctively looked toward Bai Ye, who stood among the crowd opposing him, and doubts began to rise in his mind.

What on earth was going on?!

Uchiha Fugaku could not understand why it was Bai Ye!

He had considered many people, but Bai Ye had never even crossed his mind.

It was not as though Uchiha Fugaku had never sounded Bai Ye out before.

After all, he was one of the strongest members of the clan's younger generation. No one would overlook their opinions, not even Uchiha Fugaku.

But from those earlier attempts, Bai Ye had come across as someone on the fringes of the Uchiha Clan.

He showed no interest in many of the clan's affairs.

Yet this very person had now become the one forcing him out?!

He was no fool.

Uchiha Fugaku knew perfectly well that today's situation could never have happened unless these people had planned it together.

No wonder the atmosphere had felt so strange when he first arrived.

This meeting had been aimed at him from the very beginning.

"So, Bai Ye, was this your idea?!" Uchiha Fugaku asked, looking at him. Although phrased as a question, he already knew the answer.

Judging from what had happened, the Radical Faction had opened the attack, the Middle Faction had immediately followed, and the Dove Faction had remained silent.

Clearly, the four of them must have reached some agreement beforehand.

Otherwise, the Middle Faction would not have taken such a firm stance, nor would the Radical Faction and the Dove Faction have come to an understanding on this matter.

"Yes, Clan Head Fugaku. I believe you're no longer suited to lead the Uchiha Clan.

"Since the Nine-Tails' Rampage, Clan Head Fugaku, we've lost our original clan grounds. Our people were moved from the most prosperous central district to this remote place, surrounded by Anbu and ninja clans watching us.

"You've turned a blind eye to our people's resentment, and you haven't been able to reconcile the conflicts between our three factions or unite the Uchiha as one.

"So before this clan meeting, I approached the three elders, hoping I could change the Uchiha Clan's current situation."

Bai Ye made no attempt to hide it. Fugaku had already figured it out, after all.

Besides, if he did not even dare admit this, what would the others think of him?!

Once Bai Ye finished speaking, every Uchiha below the platform glared angrily at Uchiha Fugaku.

He had voiced exactly what was in their hearts.

The Uchiha had always had conflicts with the village, but they had not been serious.

They had mainly revolved around the Uchiha wanting access to the highest seat of power, while the village guarded it so tightly that they had no chance of becoming Hokage.

Aside from that, there had been nothing else.

But everything had changed after the Nine-Tails' Rampage.

The village's wariness of the Uchiha had reached its peak.

To be fair, there was little they could say about that.

Many people had seen the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes. Naturally, they would suspect the Uchiha.

Afterward, the Uchiha had been placed under surveillance and driven out, fully igniting the conflict between the two sides.

The Uchiha Clan had once lived in an extremely prosperous area.

It was nothing like their current home. Their old grounds had been in the central district, while this was a remote area. Even the property values were different.

Yet the village had offered no compensation whatsoever.

Most of their former land had now been taken over by clans like the Sarutobi and Shimura.

How could the members of the Uchiha Clan possibly have no grievances about that?

What had Uchiha Fugaku been doing as clan head?!

He had secured absolutely nothing for the Uchiha.

That was also why so many people in the clan were now dissatisfied with Uchiha Fugaku.

"Your ideas will bring destruction upon the Uchiha!"

Uchiha Fugaku gave Bai Ye a long, searching look.

He could clearly sense what Bai Ye was thinking.

And there was indeed a strong possibility that it would destroy the Uchiha.

Was it not something Uchiha Fugaku wanted too?!

But he knew very well that unless he balanced the relationships on both sides properly...

Whether within the clan or outside it, the Uchiha would have ceased to exist long ago.

"I'd rather make mistakes than do nothing."

Uchiha Fugaku opened his mouth, but for a moment, he did not know what to say.

After Bai Ye said that, anything he said would sound wrong.

Rather make mistakes than do nothing-was that not the same as calling him useless to his face?!

He embodied the opposite: doing nothing rather than risking a mistake.

After saying that, Bai Ye paid Uchiha Fugaku no further attention. He walked up to the platform step by step, then turned to face the Uchiha below.

"That year at the Valley of the End, Madara Uchiha faced Hashirama Senju. When I heard how Madara lost everything in that battle against Hashirama, the image stayed with me forever.

"At that moment, I thought that if I could become the Uchiha Clan Head, I would win it all.

"Now that the position is right before me, I have to consider whether this might be my only chance in this lifetime. I believe Madara deserves immense credit for the Uchiha Clan's former supremacy...

"Restoring the glory of the Uchiha is our duty!!!"

Bai Ye's words rang out, shaking everyone to their core.

After a brief silence, the gathering erupted.

"Become our clan head!!!"

"We support Bai Ye!!!"

Madara had left alone back then, a solitary figure beneath the setting sun, with not a single person choosing to follow him.

Yet now, many of them even found themselves missing Madara.

If Madara Uchiha were their clan head now, would they ever have to endure such humiliation?!

Even though Madara Uchiha had died, he had chosen to die standing. He had returned to fight a decisive battle with Hashirama Senju, and the Shinobi World still remembered that battle.

At this moment, many of them were also thinking that Madara truly did deserve credit for the Uchiha's former supremacy.

But now was no longer the time to dwell on the past.

Bai Ye had put it so well: restoring the glory of the Uchiha was their duty!

Those words set the blood of many Uchiha clan members boiling.

Faced with this scene, Uchiha Fugaku knew he had lost.

Unless something unexpected happened, he would have no chance left.

Even he had felt stirred upon hearing those words.

If they could truly make the Uchiha better and restore the clan's glory, would he, Uchiha Fugaku, not want to see it too?!

"Fugaku?" Uchiha Hui's quiet call pulled Uchiha Fugaku out of his thoughts.

It was no longer just the three elders supporting Bai Ye. Many Uchiha had chosen to support him as well.

Especially after that final speech-Uchiha Hui, after all, had truly witnessed the era of Madara Uchiha.

He had lived through that era all the way to the present.

Leaving everything else aside, even Bai Ye's sheer boldness surpassed Uchiha Fugaku's.

That also made him feel that Bai Ye becoming clan head would not be a bad thing.

Uchiha Huo was so excited that he had almost announced it on the spot.

He had only held his tongue to preserve Uchiha Fugaku's last shred of dignity.

Looking at all those eyes fixed on him, Uchiha Fugaku knew the tide had turned against him.

He had originally wanted to fight for his position.

He actually had a trump card: his Mangekyō. If he revealed it, no one would be able to remove him from the position of clan head.

Because, in the end, the Uchiha Clan respected strength above all.

But now, Uchiha Fugaku gave a self-mocking smile. Have I lost even the courage to reveal my Mangekyō and keep my position as clan head?!

At that thought, he understood why he had lost to Bai Ye.

If he did not even dare stand up to Bai Ye, how could he dare stand up to Konoha?!

At some point, without even realizing it, he seemed to have lost the spirit of his youth.

That youthful spirit seemed to live in Bai Ye now.

Uchiha Fugaku let out a long breath and looked around before finally resting his gaze on Bai Ye. "From today onward, I, Uchiha Fugaku, am no longer the head of the Uchiha Clan. I hope you can do as you said and restore the Uchiha Clan's glory!"

If Bai Ye could truly accomplish that, he was willing to step down.

He was not someone who clung to power.

After he announced his resignation and everyone chose Bai Ye to take his place, Bai Ye became the new head of the Uchiha Clan.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for removing Uchiha Fugaku from office. Uchiha fortune has increased by 1,000. Current fortune: -4,000. Distributing fortune improvement reward. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Mangekyō Sharingan. Would you like to claim it?]

Holy shit!!?

The Mangekyō?

Joy surged through Bai Ye. Although he had just become clan head, he knew the truth very well.

In the end, he still needed strength.

If he was not strong enough, no amount of big talk would change the Uchiha's situation.

But now, he had the Mangekyō.

It did not mean he was invincible, but at least his chances had gone from nonexistent to possible.

I'll claim it later!

Bai Ye gave the command silently. Now was not the time. There were too many people here, and he did not want to reveal that he had the Mangekyō.

"Bai Ye, now that you've become clan head, what should we do next?!"

Every Uchiha present looked at Bai Ye with excitement.

They wished they could immediately set out and accomplish something great.

Thanks to Bai Ye's ability to sell them a dream, restoring the Uchiha's glory felt within reach!

"Everyone, let's hold another clan meeting in three days. I'll spend the next two days organizing my thoughts, and I'll be sure to give you a good plan then. How does that sound?!"

Bai Ye was in no hurry.

He still needed to organize his plans for what came next.

Although the other Uchiha were somewhat disappointed, they did not say much.

It really was too early right now.

They could spread the news first, let Bai Ye sort out his thoughts, and discuss it again in three days.

The clan meeting dispersed, to reconvene in three days, while news of Bai Ye becoming clan head began spreading rapidly.

When Uchiha Fugaku returned home, he was still somewhat dazed.

"What's wrong, Fugaku?! Why are you back so early today?" Uchiha Mikoto looked at him worriedly. She could tell he was distracted from the moment he returned.

Besides, had he not come home far too early from today's clan meeting?!

"It's nothing serious. They simply removed me as clan head at today's meeting. I'm no longer the head of the Uchiha Clan. Bai Ye is the clan head now."

"Bai Ye?!"

A flash of surprise crossed Uchiha Mikoto's eyes.

She had heard of that young man. How could it be him?!

But remembering how dejected Fugaku had looked when he came home, she quickly comforted him. "It's all right, Fugaku. If you're no longer clan head, you'll have more time to spend with Itachi and Sasuke.

"Leave the clan's affairs to the young people!"

Hearing Uchiha Mikoto's words brought Uchiha Fugaku some peace of mind.

He really could set aside the Uchiha's affairs for now.

Perhaps he truly was not suited to being clan head.

A trace of helplessness crossed Uchiha Fugaku's face. It seemed he had failed as clan head all these years, and as a father too...

Meanwhile, on Bai Ye's side.

After saying goodbye to everyone and returning to his room, Bai Ye immediately chose to claim the system reward.

Excitement stirred within him.

Would it be a Mangekyō unique to me, or someone else's Mangekyō abilities?!

If it was someone else's ability, Kamui would probably be the best, but Bai Ye still hoped more for his own Mangekyō!

The instant he claimed the system reward, the three tomoe in Bai Ye's eyes began spinning wildly, finally forming the shape of a snowflake within his pupils.

"So this is my Mangekyō, and this ability... Amenotokotachi..."

The ocular techniques in both eyes were Amenotokotachi.

Amenotokotachi was the god of permanence and time, and his abilities were indeed related to time.

Upon activating his left eye's ability, he could freely return to any point within the previous seven seconds, including restoring himself to his state at that moment or appearing directly at his former location. By consuming vast amounts of ocular power and chakra, he could even restart time.

Upon activating his right eye's ability, he could see everything that would happen within the next seven seconds and jump to any point within those seven seconds.

After learning what those two abilities did, Bai Ye wanted to say only one thing: Who else can challenge me?!

It was practically like giving himself invincibility!

His left eye's ability let him rewind at any time. For example, if he was injured, he could return to a state in time when he had not been injured.

Or, when facing an attack he could not dodge, he could return to his position a few seconds earlier. That was even faster than moving through space!

His right eye's ability was even more broken, with a hint of omniscience and omnipotence. Most importantly, if he killed someone in a favorable timeline, he could jump straight to that timeline, making their death inevitable and denying the enemy any chance to change it.

And most importantly, he could consume vast amounts of chakra and ocular power to restart time.

That was beyond broken!!!

Although the ability consumed enormous amounts of ocular power and chakra, Bai Ye could already sense that without a Sage Body, he would probably go blind after using it a dozen or so times.

But this ability... every use could save my life!!!!!!!!

Holy shit!!!

I've never had such an amazing start...

Still, Bai Ye knew perfectly well that the Uchiha clan revered strength. Fortunately, he had demonstrated enough combat prowess back then. Among the younger generation, only he and Shisui had earned most people's recognition for their strength.

Otherwise, becoming clan head today would not have been something he could pull off with talk no jutsu alone!