How Could We Restore the Uchiha Working with This Bunch of Vermin?

Inside the Uchiha Clan Meeting Hall, the air seemed to have congealed, heavy enough to suffocate. Dim yellow lamplight flickered, illuminating faces filled with emotion: confusion, contemplation, anxiety, and anger.

The clansmen seated around the hall were worked up, directing their outrage at Konoha High Command. They were particularly unhappy with a certain unmentionable Lord Fall Guy, while some in the crowd aimed their accusations at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Konoha High Command has treated us Uchiha so unfairly! They've suppressed us at every turn for years, stripping away even the duties and authority rightfully ours!" An Uchiha clansman shot to his feet and slammed both hands onto the table. Veins bulged on his forehead, and the tomoe of his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, proclaiming his fury.

"Exactly! We've rendered outstanding service to Konoha, but look at our standing now. Even if things have changed lately, haven't you noticed someone tails us whenever we leave home?" another elite Jonin of the Hawks with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan echoed heatedly, anger flashing in his eyes.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi has never taken us seriously! He's always treated us as outsiders! It's time to act and reclaim the dignity the Uchiha deserve!" Another furious shout rose from the crowd.

Uchiha Fugaku sat at the head of the hall, listening to his clansmen's protests and arguments. His mouth twitched as a small metal cube inside his sleeve vibrated slightly, transmitting Sasuke's voice straight into his mind.

[Dad, to put it plainly, what matters most to us Uchiha is saving face. Give us enough face, and we won't even frown if we have to bleed ourselves dry.

Most of what's happening now comes from years of pent-up grievances. They've completely lost their heads, and the ones stirring things up are just those few with personal grudges.]

Listening to Sasuke's still somewhat languid voice, Fugaku shook his head slightly.

The special ninja tool Sasuke had suddenly produced two days earlier truly was marvelous. Apparently, it had been made using Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements, taught to him by the Sage of Six Paths. Feeding chakra into it allowed people to communicate remotely through their thoughts.

After studying its functions, however, Fugaku's first reaction had been that with a tool like this for exchanging information, an outright rebellion might actually be feasible.

But after glancing at the hundreds of tragic endings in [Ebisu], Fugaku behaved himself. His indecision really wasn't his fault. If anyone else knew every step they took could lead their clansmen into eternal damnation, they would have hesitated even more than he did.

The trouble Danzo had stirred up over the past two days had clearly set off those clansmen who already harbored resentment toward the village. If Fugaku didn't do something more, all his efforts over the years would plainly vanish like bursting bubbles.

There was nothing Fugaku could do about that, either. Uchiha moods were like June weather or a baby's face: they changed at the drop of a hat, and once they did, it was especially easy for them to fixate on a dead end.

The clan's Hawks had now reached the limits of their patience. If he acted as he always had, he would probably have to fight them first. Seen that way, there seemed to be only two options.

A: reveal his Mangekyo, forcibly suppress his clansmen, and continue pursuing reconciliation.

B: reveal his Mangekyo, launch a rebellion immediately, and ambush Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Clan Leader, are you really going to keep enduring this? We've clearly made changes, yet how has the village repaid us? With Root lurking around our tracks? Or by keeping our every move under surveillance?"

"Exactly! Clan Leader, the village doesn't have that many more high-level fighters than we do now. If we strike while they're unprepared, our coup cannot fail!"

"That's right. The power of the Sharingan lets us crush those weaklings with ease. Even the strong will sink forever into our genjutsu."

Seeing Fugaku lapse into his usual hesitation, several elite Jonin of the Hawks rose and loudly demanded action. As they raised their arms and rallied the crowd, the factions within the meeting hall became clearly divided.

Roughly a quarter were Hawks advocating war, a quarter were Doves advocating peace, and another quarter were fence-sitters who said either peace or fighting was fine. The remaining quarter belonged to the Oddball Faction.

That final quarter was a complete hodgepodge. There were those fanning the flames. Those looking for trouble because they wanted a fight. Those cracking sunflower seeds and chatting while waiting for a good show. Those holding forth grandly on how everything should be run. Those wanting to pull Fugaku down and become clan leader themselves-a middle-aged Jonin with two tomoe. Those declaring that none of this was a problem and that Uchiha Fugaku merely needed to split himself into five forces and deal with all of Konoha's high-level fighters simultaneously. There was even one claiming he could take Hiruzen Sarutobi down with a single sliding tackle-a young Chunin who hadn't awakened his Sharingan. Others were researching how to use genjutsu to develop a holographic Icha Icha Paradise. That last group made up more than half of this quarter.

In short, they were a bunch of championship-grade Uchiha who perfectly embodied every Uchiha stereotype.

Looking at the three sharply divided groups below him, along with the tangled mess of lunatics, Uchiha Fugaku pondered for a long time before finally making his choice between A and B.

He chose C.

How could we restore the Uchiha working with this bunch of vermin?

"Clan Leader, it's time to make a decision. Do you intend to keep swallowing humiliation for the sake of compromise, weak and spineless as before?

"Or will you shoulder the honor of being an Uchiha and let our ancestors' glory shine once more?!"

Stepping forward, Uchiha Ryota, the leader of the Hawks, fixed his Three-Tomoe Sharingan on Fugaku's eyes. He looked ready to replace the clan leader outright at the slightest disagreement.

"Ryota, you!" Seeing this, Fugaku's staunch supporter Uchiha Yakumi immediately bristled, veins bulging as he stepped directly in front of Uchiha Ryota.

"Enough. As leader of the Uchiha Clan, since I have shouldered this responsibility, I must live up to every 'Clan Leader' you call me and lead everyone toward a better future.

"I will not evade that responsibility. Nor is the Uchiha Clan's current predicament something I wish to see. We must work together to change it."

"Ha. Clan Leader, spare us the same old circular talk. Every faction could hear that speech and think your politics agree with theirs. Just tell us now: do you want to fight, make peace, or keep silently enduring?"

Seeing that the Hawks, Doves, fence-sitters, and chaos faction all thought Fugaku made sense, a cold glint flashed through Uchiha Ryota's eyes. He gave a derisive laugh and snapped everyone out of it.

Yet rather than getting angry at Ryota's actions, Fugaku smiled faintly. He discreetly fed chakra into the communicator in his hand, and after receiving a certain someone's reply, he stood and swept his gaze over the clansmen.

"Since everyone's passions are running high, it's time we displayed our edge as one of Konoha's founding clans. We need to reclaim the treatment rightfully ours. But before that, we must reach a unified position."

"Right. Whatever happens, we're all members of the same clan. We advance and retreat together."

"Yes. Let the minority follow the majority."

"Clan Leader... isn't this a little too radical...?"

All sorts of voices rose, but Fugaku simply stared straight at Uchiha Ryota and continued speaking.

"I hereby call a vote. If more than half vote to launch a coup, we will ambush the Hokage directly.

"The vote begins now. Ryota proposes that we launch a coup outright. Who agrees? Who opposes?"

Under Ryota's somewhat startled and uncertain gaze, Uchiha Fugaku smiled and raised his own hand. After a brief silence, everyone in the hall began casting their votes. Strangely, once the abstentions were excluded, the votes for and against were exactly tied.

The hall instantly erupted. Someone suddenly remembered that a few people apparently still hadn't participated and was about to fetch them when a figure stepped straight into the meeting hall.

"I oppose!"

"Uchiha Itachi! You!"