The news that the Uchiha would be selecting a clan leader was certainly shocking enough to outsiders.
A change of clan leader really was not a good thing for a clan, because it could be rife with conspiracy and betrayal.
That was how bloodline clans worked. The clan leader was generally a member of one particular branch, and the position almost never fell into anyone else's hands.
Only if every member of that branch died would they consider someone from another branch, making that person the new clan leader to lead the clan's progress and development.
This was not even the first time the Uchiha had faced such a situation-decades ago, Madara Uchiha had defected from Konoha, which was how the position of clan leader had fallen to Uchiha Fugaku's branch.
But back then, their hand had been forced, so naturally, nobody had anything bad to say.
They could either defect from Konoha with him or stay in Konoha and choose another clan leader. Anyone with a functioning brain knew which option to choose.
But things really were different now. Uchiha Fugaku was alive and well, and he even had two sons, yet they were replacing him.
Nobody would believe it if they claimed there was no conspiracy or betrayal involved.
For Xia Yan, however, this was no major event, because he had been working toward replacing the Uchiha's leader for many years.
Although he had never told anyone his thoughts or methods, anyone with a clear head knew what Xia Yan had done for the Uchiha and had guessed some of his aims.
So this really was no strange development. Many major clans understood perfectly well that something unusual might happen to the Uchiha someday.
It was just that the day had taken rather too long to arrive, especially