Over a hundred Uchiha Ninjas sat cross-legged, dressed in uniform dark clan robes, their crimson Sharingan flickering with an unusual light under the candlelight.
At the head of the room sat Uchiha Fugaku, wearing an embroidered clan robe that symbolized the authority of the Clan Head, but his face was so gloomy it looked as if it could drip water.
His gaze swept over the neatly arranged Clan Members below, and the chill in his heart grew heavier—among these one hundred and seven Three-Tomoe Ninjas, at least seventy looked at him with indifferent eyes, but when they turned to look at the other side, they were full of fanatical awe.
The one they stood in awe of was the man sitting opposite Grand Elder Uchiha Setsuna—Uchiha Xia Yin.
Shine still maintained that cold appearance, arms crossed over his chest and eyes tightly closed, as if all the surrounding disputes had nothing to do with him.
He just sat there quietly, yet like an invisible net, he enveloped the entire shrine, making it impossible for anyone to ignore his presence.
Beside Fugaku sat the three Elders in order.
Grand Elder Uchiha Setsuna's hair and beard were completely white, yet his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and his gaze toward Fugaku carried undisguised disdain;
Second Elder Uchiha Nanadai's expression was solemn, his eyes flickering as he clearly weighed the pros and cons;
Third Elder Uchiha Yakushi was full of rage, his hands tightly clenched, seemingly having long since reached the end of his patience.
"Clan Head, in this war, our Uchiha Clan sacrificed one hundred and forty Ninjas!"
As soon as the clan meeting began, Uchiha Setsuna took the lead in launching an attack, his voice loud and clear, causing the candlelight in the shrine to flicker slightly.
He suddenly stood up, his crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan staring fixedly at Fugaku, his tone full of interrogation: "The bones of the fallen Clan Members are not yet cold, but until now, the Village has not only failed to give any compensation or rewards, but hasn't even offered a single word of condolence! I wonder if the Clan Head has any explanation for this?"
Fugaku's fingers tightly gripped the cushion in front of him, his knuckles turning white.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and said in a low voice: "Everything I have done is for the peace of the Family and the Village!
In the battle against the Hidden Mist, although we had sacrifices, we also performed illustrious military exploits for Konoha.
As for compensation and rewards, Hokage-sama will make his own decision; we only need to wait patiently."
"Heh, wait patiently?" Uchiha Setsuna let out a sneer, the sarcasm in his tone undisguised, "Clan Head, do you even believe the words you're saying?
When Ninjas from other families return, they are either greeted by villagers lining the streets or personally welcomed by the Village higher-ups!
But what about our Uchiha? Our achievements are deliberately ignored by that old fogey Hiruzen Sarutobi, and even suppressed in secret! Our contributions are being intentionally downplayed!"
He suddenly pointed at Shine, his voice abruptly rising: "If Lord Xia Yin hadn't publicly defeated the Fourth Mizukage on the battlefield and awed everyone with Susanoo, I'm afraid all the efforts of our Uchiha Clan would have been completely erased by Konoha!
And you, the Clan Chief, besides leading the Clan Members to sacrifice themselves in vain on the battlefield, leaving more than fifty Clan Members without even their bodies being found, what other contribution have you made?!"
"Setsuna! What is the meaning of this?!"
This sentence completely ignited the fuse.
Third Elder Uchiha Yakushi slammed the table and stood up, his crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan glaring at Setsuna: "Battlefield conditions are dangerous, and sacrifices are inevitable! Clan Chief Fugaku led from the front, yet in your mouth, it becomes sacrificing in vain? You stayed in the Clan Compound and never set foot on the battlefield; what right do you have to criticize the Clan Chief?!"
Second Elder Uchiha Nanadai also stood up and said in a heavy voice: "Elder Setsuna, please watch your words! The Clan Chief has worked hard for the Family for many years and has performed great service; how can we allow you to slander him like this?"
"Slander?" Uchiha Setsuna looked at the two calmly, his gaze cold, "I am merely stating facts. Some people lack ability yet occupy the position of Clan Chief, hindering the Family's development—are others not even allowed to speak of it?"
"Bastard!" Uchiha Yakushi trembled with rage, raising his hand to form a seal, "If you hadn't refused to send the Radical Faction to support the front lines back then, how could our Clan Members have suffered such heavy losses? You have the nerve to stand here and twist the truth!"
"Support the front lines?" Uchiha Setsuna sneered, not backing down at all, "We stayed in the Clan Compound, guarding the homes of our Clan Members and preventing sneak attacks from the Hidden Mist—was that not for the Family and Konoha? Your killing of enemies at the front is a contribution, but our holding the line in the rear is not?"
The two were at each other's throats, their crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan clashing in the air, the collision of Chakra making the surrounding air stagnant.
The Clan Members below were also split into two factions; the seventy-plus Three-Tomoe Ninjas supporting Setsuna stood up one after another, staring fixedly at Yakushi and Nanadai with eyes full of hostility;
While the fewer than twenty supporters under Fugaku also struggled to stand up, though they seemed to lack confidence.
"Enough!"
Uchiha Fugaku could no longer hold back, slamming the table in front of him and roaring out.
He stood up, his face livid, his gaze sweeping over the arguing crowd: "Elder Setsuna! This is a clan meeting, not a place for you to vent personal grievances and incite internal strife! What exactly do you want to do?!"
Uchiha Setsuna slowly deactivated his Sharingan, a knowing smile curving at the corner of his mouth.
He glanced at Shine, who was resting with his eyes closed, then turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the Clan Members below, and announced loudly: "What do I want to do? It's very simple!
I believe that since Your Excellency the Clan Chief enjoys charging into battle for the Village so much, it would be better to hand over the position of Minister of the Konoha Military Police Force to someone else!"
He paused, his tone carrying an unquestionable dominance: "After all, in case the Clan Head once again leads the Clan Members to resist external enemies outside like this time, it would be better to have someone inside the Family who can take charge, so as not to be like a group of dragons without a leader!"
Fugaku's body suddenly stiffened, his face turning pale in an instant.
He finally understood Setsuna's true purpose—a power grab!
What Setsuna wanted was not just to question his prestige, but to seize the actual power in his hands!
He looked at the Clan Members below; the seventy-plus people supporting Setsuna chimed in one after another: "We support Elder Setsuna!"
"The position of Head of the Police Force should be held by someone capable!"
"Lord Xia Yin has illustrious military exploits, and Elder Setsuna is highly respected; both are more suitable than the current Clan Chief!"
The voices rose and fell, striking Fugaku's heart like a heavy hammer.
He knew that he was already powerless to change the situation.
More than seventy percent of the clan's combat power supported Shine, and as the pawn pushed forward by Shine, the demand Setsuna made at this moment undoubtedly represented Shine's will.
Even if he refused, he could not withstand the will of the vast majority of the Clan Members.
Fugaku suppressed the humiliation and anger in his heart and asked in a raspy voice: "Then who does Elder Setsuna believe is suitable to serve as the new Head of the Police Force?!"
...
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808