The Elders' Quarrel

After a long silence, First Elder Uchiha Kazuma spoke gravely. "Fugaku, Shimura Danzō has gone too far! He not only deployed his subordinates to monitor the Uchiha Clan, but even secretly turned one of our clan members into an inside informant. He clearly has no regard for our clan! How do you intend to deal with this?"

Third Elder Uchiha Hiroto could hardly wait to respond. "This matter requires careful consideration. I believe this was all Shimura Danzō's idea alone. Danzo cannot speak for the Third Lord Hokage, much less the Konoha High Command."

Second Elder Takuto said calmly, "That is mistaken. Everyone knows Shimura Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi are close. There is no guarantee the Third Hokage was unaware of this; he may even be pulling the strings behind the scenes."

"What makes you say that? The Third Lord Hokage could never do such a thing. He is a man who possesses the Will of Fire! He has always advocated resolving the Uchiha Clan's problems peacefully!" the Fourth Elder declared indignantly.

"What a joke! Did he really know nothing? Whenever something crucial happens, he always hides behind the scenes and plays the villain! When Danzo relocated the Uchiha Clan to a remote area, he never stepped forward! I think he may have ordered Danzo to do all of it!"

"That's right, and he claimed the village was short of funds! He wanted our Uchiha Military Police Force to take a pay cut. I doubt he would say a word if he were asked to support the Hyuga Clan for free!"

"You! The Third Hokage is absolutely not that kind of man." The Fourth Elder's face flushed bright red.

"'You' what? Why bother arguing? You go on about the Third Hokage day after day. Does your precious Third Lord Hokage even know who you are?" Elder Takuto had a knack for infuriating people without taking responsibility.

"Exactly. I don't think you even remember your own surname anymore. It's 'Lord Hokage' this and 'Lord Hokage' that all day long. Why don't you change your surname to Sarutobi? Want me to go inform them for you tomorrow?" Uchiha Kazuma could enrage the Second and Fourth Elders with just a few casual words.

"Whatever you say, shouldn't the village come before the clan? Without the village, where would your clan be? Besides, we haven't lost anything. We should make concessions for the village."

"We should? Has water gotten into your brain, or did that old bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi fool you silly? What do you mean, we should? Why should we be the only ones? What about the other clans? Why don't they have to sacrifice anything? Why don't they have to contribute?"

"I've had enough! Every day they accuse our clan of being mentally unstable and say our emotions are volatile. In this era of raging war, what clan's shinobi haven't set foot on a battlefield? What clan hasn't experienced painful separations and deaths? Whose heart isn't filled with shadows? The Hyuga Clan? The Inuzuka Clan? Or the Ino-Shika-Cho clans?"

"Is it just because we have the highly distinctive Sharingan that we must suffer endless hostility? Their behavior is growing more and more excessive. It's unbearable!" Uchiha Kazuma declared in righteous fury.

"Just how thoroughly have you been brainwashed by the 'Will of Fire'? Of course, who doesn't want the village to prosper? But if the clans no longer exist, how can there be a village? If the entire Uchiha Clan perishes because of Danzo and his ilk, let's see where you can go on preaching about the village's interests coming first!"

"But..."

"Enough!" Uchiha Fugaku slammed his hand on the table. "The most important thing right now is to solve the problem before us, not to keep arguing!"

Seeing that the elders were still arguing, Uchiha Fugaku's expression grew increasingly stern. "Making a spectacle of yourselves like this, aren't you afraid the young people will laugh at you?"

The four elders saw the stunned expressions of the guards and Military Police Force members behind them and finally fell silent.

"Clan head, you're absolutely right." A steady-looking middle-aged man stepped forward. "Our clan members have already given up too much. If we keep giving ground, I'm afraid..."

"Do you think others know nothing of sacrifice?" Uchiha Hiroto's tone grew stern. "The Uchiha Clan isn't the only clan that has contributed to the village! They too have been making sacrifices in silence!"

"Then what exactly have they contributed?" Uchiha Kazuma challenged.

"If we now tell our clan members that, to protect the clan's interests, they are willing to make enemies of all of Konoha, wouldn't that be utterly foolish?" Uchiha Hiroto's tone grew even sterner.

"What's wrong with pursuing our own interests?"

"Enough, enough! Why have you started again?" Uchiha Fugaku shouted, trying to stop the endless quarrel. "We can't keep fighting among ourselves. We have to unite and face the threats outside together."

"Unite? What right do we have to talk about unity now?" the Second Elder said sarcastically. "Unity isn't something you can achieve just by talking about it."

"Then what are we supposed to do? How do we resolve our relationship with the village? Are we supposed to sit and wait for death?" Uchiha Kazuma looked helpless and angry.

He looked at Fugaku, his tone changing. "Clan head, if you take a weak stance on this incident again, I don't know what I might do! Don't blame me for showing no mercy when the time comes."

"You dare!" the Fourth Elder shouted at Uchiha Kazuma.

Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath, striving to remain calm. "Everyone, please don't get worked up. I understand that all of you are acting out of care and concern for the clan. But what we need most right now is to stand united against our outside enemies, not fight among ourselves."

The greatest crisis facing the Uchiha Clan at that moment was not outside pressure or threats, but internal division. If they could not unite, they would ultimately be nothing more than fish on someone else's chopping block.

Hearing this, the elders gradually calmed down. They too knew that every word Uchiha Fugaku had said was true.

The question of how to handle the situation now lingered in the elders' minds. Second Elder Takuto was the first to ask, "Then what should we do now?"

Fugaku answered with a resolute look. "Elders, please return home and rest. I will convene a clan meeting tomorrow morning. Please bring those you trust and attend on time. At the meeting, I will propose a solution that satisfies everyone."

"What?" several elders exclaimed in unison. The clan meeting wouldn't be held until tomorrow? Wasn't he leaving them in suspense?

But no matter how they pressed him, Uchiha Fugaku only smiled without answering.

After the meeting ended, Uchiha Fugaku stood alone by the window, gazing at the brilliant sunlight outside, a faint smile playing on his lips.