Uchiha Takashi becoming the Uchiha Clan's Third Elder did not cause much of a stir. After all, the former Third Elder had already set a precedent.
Besides, Ryō Uchiha had only been in his teens when he took over as clan leader, so everyone could accept Uchiha Takashi as a ten-year-old elder.
Back in the present.
When Uchiha Takashi walked out of the Third Elder's house, he still felt a little dazed. How had I become an elder just by walking through a door? Was this right?
"Hey! Takashi! What did the Third Elder call you over for?" Aka Uchiha asked. "Does he have some important mission for our squad?"
Uchiha Takashi opened his mouth, unsure how to explain, and could only take the elder's token out of his robes. "The Third Elder told me to become an elder..."
Aka Uchiha and Homura Uchiha: ∑(O_O;). Dude, joking around is one thing, but how did you go and become an elder behind our backs?
"Wait, what? Huh?! This thing's fake, right? Did you buy it in town?" Homura Uchiha snatched the elder's token and examined it from every angle. In the end, he confirmed that it was genuine.
Aka Uchiha's mouth would not close. "Why would the Third Elder make you an elder?"
Uchiha Takashi shook his head. "I don't know either. The Third Elder said he apparently didn't have much time left, and then he had me take over as Third Elder."
Just then, an Uchiha suddenly came out of the Third Elder's house, looked at Uchiha Takashi, and walked up to him to speak.
"Elder Takashi, since you are now the Uchiha Clan's Third Elder, please head to Naka Shrine for a meeting. The First and Second Elders are already waiting for you there."
Uchiha Takashi scratched the back of his head and could only follow him.
When they arrived outside Naka Shrine, the Uchiha clansman guiding him slowly stepped aside and gestured for him to enter. "Third Elder, please go inside."
Feeling apprehensive, Uchiha Takashi slowly walked in. When he entered the meeting room, two people were already seated inside.
With Uchiha Takashi included, all three of the Uchiha's senior leaders were now present.
As for the clan leader, the position had remained vacant since Ryō's death. They had yet to find a suitable replacement, and the council of elders took on the major responsibilities.
"You must be the Third Elder's successor, Uchiha Takashi. A young hero indeed," the First Elder said with a smile.
"First Elder, Second Elder." Uchiha Takashi greeted the two somewhat stiffly.
The First Elder waved a hand. "Since you are the successor the Third Elder chose, relax a little. You are an elder now, just like us.
"You know what the Third Elder's main duties are, don't you?"
"I do. Taking care of the clan's orphans, and finding work within the clan for clansmen who have lost their ability to fight or been injured," Uchiha Takashi said with a nod.
The Second Elder then said, "But the Third Elder's duties go far beyond that. The Third Elder also oversees our Uchiha Clan's logistics.
"Many of the clan's expenses are the Third Elder's responsibility. Since you are taking over now, though, you probably cannot handle too much all at once. You can start by trying to manage expenses in various areas. If there is anything specific you don't understand, just ask us."
Uchiha Takashi nodded. Following the principle that the more he said, the more mistakes he would make, and the less he said, the fewer mistakes he would make, he decided to say nothing at all. Although his soul was already in its twenties, it was still better not to speak carelessly about things like this.
After explaining the matters concerning the Third Elder's role, the two elders began discussing the Uchiha Clan's recent external affairs.
The First Elder pointed to several places on the map. "Recently, the Senju Clan has begun provoking our Uchiha Clan, and the Uzumaki Clan also appears intent on encroaching on us.
"They seem to have persuaded the Sarutobi Clan to join them as well. Given our current strength, facing three clans at once would be somewhat difficult.
"Should we maintain a friendly attitude to prevent the situation from deteriorating further?"
The Second Elder pondered for a moment before saying, "I believe we should maintain a firm stance. After all, the Senju Clan is only testing us. If we back down now, they will certainly push for more."
The First Elder turned to Uchiha Takashi. "What does the Third Elder think?"
Hearing himself called on, Uchiha Takashi looked at the map spread across the table, then said, "Perhaps we could try forming alliances with others."
Both men were startled by Uchiha Takashi's words. The Second Elder folded his arms, raised his head, and spoke with an air of extreme arrogance.
"Why would our Uchiha Clan need to rely on anyone else? We can deal with all outside enemies through our own strength alone!"
Although the First Elder was not as adamant as the Second Elder, he expressed much the same sentiment. Neither wanted to form alliances.
Uchiha Takashi tiredly rubbed the space between his eyebrows. Well, then. The arrogant Uchiha disdained alliances with others and disdained relying on their allies' strength. Uchiha, all right.
Uchiha Takashi offered his reasoning. "But although we can withstand an attack from the three great clans,
"it would have an enormous impact on our clansmen, and the casualties would be tremendous.
"Why can't we make use of other clans to reduce our Uchiha Clan's losses?"
Hearing this, the First Elder shook his head. "I understand your thinking, but forming alliances with other clans is no easy matter.
"First, our Uchiha Clan has not formed an alliance in a very long time. The other clans all harbor some degree of hostility toward us.
"Besides, we cannot guarantee that other clans would truly treat us as allies rather than stab us in the back at a critical moment."
Uchiha Takashi said, "...Well..." Wasn't getting backstabbed by allies an inherent risk? That was why you had to be extremely careful when choosing allies and secure leverage over them.
Had the Uchiha Clan already started fearing backstabs at this point? Then it looked like Lord Madara's fear of having his back exposed in later years was purely hereditary.
The Second Elder was displeased with the First Elder's words. "Why should we fear anyone? The Uchiha Clan has never feared anyone! Whatever outside enemies come, we will face them with our strength alone!"
Uchiha Takashi: "..." What a battle junkie. The Second Elder really was a purebred Uchiha. That was exactly the flavor.
"But without allies holding them in check elsewhere, if the Senju Clan joins forces with the Uzumaki Clan and the Sarutobi Clan to attack us, our Uchiha Clan will suffer tremendous losses."
Uchiha Takashi still tried to persuade them. After all, he was an Uchiha too. He could not simply watch the Uchiha clansmen go off to their deaths.
The First Elder stroked his beard. "If the clan leader were still alive, perhaps he would listen to your suggestion. But now that the clan leader has passed away, our Uchiha Clan currently has no one skilled in diplomatic negotiations.
"I fear that if we went out to negotiate an alliance, we would end up making enemies instead..."
Uchiha Takashi: "..." Silence was tonight's Cambridge. How many times had he fallen silent since coming to this meeting? The First Elder really did have a fair amount of self-awareness about the Uchiha Clan.
With the Uchiha's negotiation skills, they would probably step onto the table the moment they arrived, point at the other party, and say, "Either become our allies and fight the Senju with us, or get beaten up by us!"
There was no need to doubt whether this could happen. It was absolutely very possible! Purebred battle Uchiha were like that: no brains, only reliance on their own strength.