Outside Naka Shrine.
This clan assembly wasn't being held inside the shrine's narrow inner chamber.
There simply wasn't enough space.
In the past, only Uchiha who had awakened the Sharingan were usually qualified to attend clan meetings. But this time was different—every single Uchiha shinobi had been summoned. Even rookie genin who normally handled nothing but D-rank errands had been dragged in.
The last time a gathering of this scale had occurred was when Uchiha Madara chose to reconcile with the Senju and jointly establish Konoha.
That memory alone made everyone's emotions complicated.
Today's meeting would likely decide the fate of the Uchiha for decades to come.
"He's here—Hokuto is here!"
A shout suddenly cut through the crowd.
Almost instantly, the noisy gathering fell silent. Dozens of gazes turned in unison toward the source of the voice. The sea of bodies parted on its own, opening a clear path straight to the front.
Hokuto felt all those eyes on him, yet showed not the slightest discomfort. He walked forward calmly, wearing his usual faint smile.
On the elevated platform, Uchiha Futada stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching Hokuto approach step by step.
"Clan Head," Hokuto said lightly, stopping several paces away, "you already know why I called this meeting."
"You and Senju Tobirama are relics of the old era. The new age has no vessel capable of carrying you."
"The future needs young people like me to lead the Uchiha."
"Step down."
Straight to the point.
No pleasantries. No ceremony.
Only naked confidence, arrogance, and pressure.
The assembled Uchiha could all feel it—today's Hokuto was completely different from the man they remembered.
"So bold," Futada praised, then his tone shifted abruptly, a chill creeping into his voice. "Having someone like you among the younger generation is indeed the Uchiha's fortune."
"But don't you think you're being far too arrogant?"
"Do you truly believe that just because Tobirama is dead, you can run wild in the Uchiha—no, in all of Konoha?"
As he spoke, Futada's presence surged outward. His three-tomoe Sharingan spun open, chakra erupting like a storm. The wooden platform beneath his feet cracked and groaned, splintering as if it might collapse at any moment.
Hokuto's expression didn't change in the slightest.
This level of pressure wasn't even close to enough to make him retreat.
"Today, you want to become the Uchiha clan head," Futada continued coldly. "Do you truly think you deserve it?"
He extended a hand, pointing toward the assembled crowd.
Futada's supporters immediately understood the signal.
"Only Clan Head Futada is fit to lead the Uchiha!"
"You're just a brat drunk on your own strength!"
"You're not qualified!"
One voice after another erupted in opposition, spreading like wildfire. The shouts of Tetsuka, Inabi, and Hokuto's supporters were completely drowned out.
A tidal wave of rejection thundered across Naka Shrine.
Futada's lips curved into a faint, satisfied smile.
More than a decade of leadership had given him solid authority within the clan. He wasn't some hollow figurehead. Being able to rise as clan head after Madara's departure and lead the Uchiha into stability and prosperity wasn't something Hokuto could overturn with a few bold sentences.
Hokuto turned his head slowly toward the loudest cluster of opposition.
More than a dozen three-tomoe Uchiha were glaring at him like wolves sizing up prey.
Hmph.
So you're all against me?
Fine.
Then let's flip the table.
"Magma Release: Rasenshuriken!"
With a cold snort, Hokuto instantly condensed a blazing Rasenshuriken in one hand. Molten chakra spiraled violently, radiating blistering heat and terrifying destructive intent. He controlled the output precisely—enough to teach those dozen Uchiha a brutal lesson and silence the entire crowd at the same time.
If you're going to shout that loudly, you deserve an education.
He didn't hesitate.
The Rasenshuriken tore through the air and flew straight toward them.
"Damn it—he's insane!"
"Move—!"
"We can't scatter! The younger clan members are behind us!"
"Barrier team, now!"
Those dozen Uchiha felt lethal danger crash down on them. They had no choice but to block it head-on. If the technique detonated freely, the weaker clan members behind them would be slaughtered.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
"—!"
"Ninjutsu: Four-Sided Barrier!"
Layer upon layer of defensive techniques erupted in frantic succession. A sealing specialist barely managed to stabilize and restrain the Rasenshuriken at the last instant.
BOOM!
A violent explosion roared outward.
A scorching shockwave swept across the entire gathering. Dust and debris blasted into the air. Weaker Uchiha were knocked flat, tumbling across the ground. Fortunately, there were no fatalities—only burns, torn clothing, and panicked injuries.
Every Uchiha present looked shaken, faces pale, ears ringing, hearts hammering in their chests.
Who came to a clan meeting expecting to gamble with their lives?
"You bastard—you're a madman!" Futada roared, his eyes blazing as his Sharingan spun violently. Hokuto had actually dared to unleash such a dangerous technique in this setting.
He can't be allowed to live.
Just as Futada prepared to move—
Another Magma Release Rasenshuriken condensed smoothly in Hokuto's hand.
Futada froze instantly.
Murderous intent locked behind his eyes as he stared at the blazing weapon hovering in Hokuto's palm.
"Well?" Hokuto grinned arrogantly, holding the ultimate weapon as casually as a toy. "Calmed down yet? Still feel like shouting?"
The Uchiha below glared at him with burning fury—but none dared speak.
One by one, heads lowered.
Especially the dozen who had blocked the first attack—clothes scorched, bodies injured, breathing ragged. Hatred burned in their eyes, yet not a single one dared take a step forward.
If Hokuto threw another one, they'd be forced to block it again.
And they didn't have Hokuto's madness.
Hokuto was more Uchiha than the Uchiha themselves.
"Magma Release?" Futada's gaze sharpened. "How do you even possess such a bloodline technique? The Uchiha have nothing like this."
Hokuto answered him with nothing more than a flat stare.
As if he would ever reveal his greatest secret.
"Hmph. So this is your trump card?" Futada said grimly. "Let me tell you—your actions have already violated clan law. Even killing you would be justified."
"It's not too late to turn back. Lay down your arms. I can spare your life."
"Are you really going to cut yourself off from the Uchiha entirely?"
His tone carried weight now, no longer pushing recklessly. He was clearly afraid of provoking Hokuto into throwing another Rasenshuriken.
Truly—
A naturally dangerous Uchiha.
And the way Hokuto's fingers tightened imperceptibly around the spinning chakra sphere made it painfully clear:
If anyone misjudged him even slightly…
The next explosion might not be controlled at all.
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