Chapter 134: Fugaku: "Only Ikeizumi Won."
Setsuna Uchiha realized he could no longer wait. After a careful thought, he came to the conclusion that regardless of whether Uchiha Ikeizumi had dragged the Uchiha clan into trouble or whether the clan had offended all the nobles, he had to start this coup.
He had to be in the Hokage's seat to lead the Uchiha to glory. Otherwise, the great Uchiha clan would be ruined in Fugaku's hands!
But before that, the Uchiha clan had to be in his hands, not in the hands of that coward Fugaku.
"Come here!"
Setsuna commanded in a deep voice. "Notify all clan members in Konoha that there will be a clan meeting tonight! The location will be in the main hall of the Naka Shrine of the Uchiha clan!"
"Elder Setsuna, what about Lord Fugaku?" a hardline Uchiha ninja couldn't help but ask.
Setsuna snorted and said with a cold face, "Since I said 'all clan members,' of course they have to be called as well. The purpose of this clan meeting is to tell the clan members that Fugaku must step down!
At the same time, we must inform all the clan members of our plan. Let everyone be in the same boat as me. Either they choose to fight the Konoha higher-ups with me, or they choose to betray the Uchiha and be purged. No one can stay out of it!"
But at this point, Setsuna suddenly added, "Uchiha Itachi is an exception. In my heart, he is no longer a member of the Uchiha clan, but a mere ungrateful wolf!"
The hardline Uchiha ninja was immediately excited. "Yes, sir!"
The Uchiha clan's sudden movement naturally attracted the attention of the Konoha higher-ups.
Koharu Utatane frowned and said, "These guys can't be holding back anymore, can they? What's wrong with Fugaku? Why is the Uchiha clan so restless? Didn't Hiruzen tell him to keep a close eye on the Uchiha clan before he left?"
Her face was filled with dissatisfaction as she continued, "That old man Setsuna Uchiha really can't stay still for a moment. I wonder why Hiruzen let him out back then?"
Homura Mitokado pondered for a moment. Just as he was about to say something, a sudden voice chimed in. It was a very young voice, but because of the mask, it sounded muffled. "Lord Homura, Lord Koharu, you can send me back to the Uchiha to check things out."
When the voice sounded, both Homura and Koharu looked at a short Anbu ninja not far away.
Homura remembered Hiruzen's instructions. Just as he was about to shake his head, Koharu put a hand on his shoulder. Homura was stunned. He saw Koharu take a step forward, passing Homura, and said to Itachi Uchiha in front of her, "Itachi, go check it out. When you have information, report back immediately. Remember, don't expose yourself."
"That extreme kid Uchiha Ikeizumi's prophecy has made you an enemy of everyone in the Uchiha. Once your whereabouts are exposed, you might not be able to come back."
Itachi lowered his head slightly. "Yes, ma'am!"
After Itachi disappeared in a flash, Homura looked at Koharu with confusion. "What are you thinking? Itachi is also a very unstable factor!"
Koharu's eyes were dark. "Isn't it good to use an unstable factor to counter another unstable factor? There's no harm in it for Konoha."
Homura rubbed his forehead in frustration. If Hiruzen were here, he could probably make Koharu change her mind with just one sentence. But he still couldn't change her mind, since they were of equal status.
Homura said helplessly, "I hope Itachi can be more rational."
As night fell, all the Uchiha clan members gathered in the main hall of the Naka Shrine. Every Uchiha member had a solemn, nervous, grim, or excited expression as they sat upright.
At the very top of the main hall of the shrine, there were two cushions. Fugaku Uchiha knelt on the left, and Setsuna Uchiha knelt on the right. Many Uchiha clan members were whispering to each other.
"Why is there a clan meeting all of a sudden? Is it about electing a new clan leader, as was mentioned before? Or is it because of the things Uchiha Ikeizumi did?"
"Who knows…"
"Why are Elder Setsuna and Lord Fugaku sitting at the same level? Does that mean they're really going to elect a new clan leader?"
"Heh! Fugaku Uchiha has always been unwilling to hand over his monstrous son. A person who protects a monster that will destroy the Uchiha clan in the future is indeed unworthy of being our clan leader."
"Setsuna Uchiha isn't much better. From the looks of it, I don't know how many years he has left to live. Can such an old man become the leader of the Uchiha clan? I'd rather be the one to be elected!"
"Why hasn't the clan meeting started yet? Didn't everyone arrive? We've been waiting for ten minutes, right?"
"Not everyone's here. Isn't there an empty cushion over there?"
"..."
Setsuna, who was sitting at the same level as Fugaku, glanced at him and said faintly, "Fugaku, aren't you going to start?"
Fugaku also shifted his gaze to Setsuna. His face was blank and he said expressionlessly, "Elder Setsuna, didn't you call everyone here? Since Elder Setsuna has such great abilities and prestige, shouldn't you be the one to start?"
Setsuna snorted coldly. Since they had already fallen out, there was no need to be overly polite. He looked at the empty cushion in the crowd, his face not looking very good. "There's still a late kid missing!"
Fugaku said, "Ikeizumi is in the capital of the Land of Fire and can't make it back. Or, is it that just the little girl by Ikeizumi's side is not here, and that's enough to make Elder Setsuna have to be cautious and delay the clan meeting?"
"It seems that Ikeizumi's deterrence is indeed very strong. Even though he's not in Konoha, just one of his little followers is enough to intimidate Elder Setsuna."
Fugaku's cold words made Setsuna's face suddenly turn grim. A fire of anger brewed in his chest for no reason. Just as he was gritting his teeth and about to say something, a girl's crisp voice suddenly sounded outside the shrine. "Sorry, I'm late."
Everyone's eyes shifted, and they saw a weary-looking Ikeizumi Uchiha walk into the Naka Shrine. Everyone could see that the girl's clothes were stained with a lot of blood, which didn't seem to be her own.
When she walked in, a faint smell of blood slowly filled the main hall of the shrine, making many Uchiha clan members inexplicably nervous. Ikeizumi Uchiha, who believed in 'Absolute Justice,' had long become one of Uchiha Ikeizumi's spokespersons in the eyes of many. When she appeared, it always reminded people of Uchiha Ikeizumi. The whispers below seemed to have stopped.
Fugaku's eyes on the platform also showed a trace of complexity, and he muttered in his heart, "This child has completely become Ikeizumi's."
All of this seemed to be inextricably linked to him, the clan leader. If he had stopped the girl from choosing Uchiha Ikeizumi as the proctor for the Military Police Force's exam back then... perhaps the girl's life path wouldn't be what it was now. And she wouldn't have fallen out with Itachi.
"Hmph! Some juniors are becoming less and less respectful of the Uchiha clan meeting. They have no sense of time at all!"
Setsuna snorted coldly and said to the crowd, "Tonight's clan meeting officially begins!"
"This is going to be a problem…"
Not far from the Naka Shrine, Kakashi and Might Guy were squatting on a thick branch of the same tree. They were both looking at the Naka Shrine not far away under the dim moonlight. Kakashi, with his droopy dead-fish eyes, said helplessly, "They must have used some kind of sealing jutsu to block the sound. The sound from inside can't get out, so we can't hear what they're saying."
Might Guy rubbed his chin. "How about we just walk in and listen in openly?!"
Kakashi's mouth twitched. "You really have a shocking amount of wisdom!"
Going into a Uchiha clan meeting to listen in? Only this muscular, passionate, and idiotic person could come up with such an idea! They would probably be beaten out the moment they stepped in. And those are Uchihas with extreme personalities. Who knows if they would kill them? They might not even be able to get out if they went in.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Kakashi covered Might Guy's mouth. His gaze suddenly fell on another place, and he saw a small figure. "Is that… an Anbu ninja uniform?!"
Most of the Anbu ninjas had been taken away by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Only two Anbu ninjas remained in Konoha. One was him, Kakashi Hatake. The other was Itachi Uchiha.
"Itachi Uchiha…" Kakashi frowned. Itachi, who had long been considered a "traitor" by the Uchiha clan, still dared to show up in the Uchiha clan compound? What was he here for?
"Guy, keep an eye on him." Thinking of Uchiha Ikeizumi's "clan destruction prophecy," Kakashi said in a low voice, "Don't let him do anything stupid. This is a kid who's even more extreme than Ikeizumi."
In Kakashi's eyes, although Uchiha Ikeizumi's methods were extreme, he was at least doing it to uphold Absolute Justice. Every person Uchiha Ikeizumi had killed was someone who deserved to die. Not a single one was wronged.
But Itachi Uchiha was different. Kakashi had naturally heard of the so-called "clan destruction prophecy." He didn't understand why Itachi would want to destroy the entire Uchiha clan in the future. Even if many Uchiha ninja weren't good people, weren't there also many civilians, women, children, and elderly people in the Uchiha clan? Killing even innocent people… and his own kin. He would even kill his own father… and his own mother.
Kakashi had seen many things, but he still couldn't understand such behavior.
Kakashi added, "Let me correct myself. Itachi Uchiha's actions aren't extreme. His mind might be a little messed up."
In another location.
The three clan leaders of the Ino-Shika-Cho also looked at the Uchiha clan compound. Obviously, the hardline members of the Uchiha clan's intention to stage a coup couldn't be hidden from these Konoha clans. When they had an internal disturbance, it naturally attracted a lot of attention.
"They're not going to make a move while Ikeizumi, Lord Hokage, and the Anbu aren't here, are they?" Choza Akimichi narrowed his eyes and said helplessly, "I don't want to become enemies with these guys who have Sharingan!"
Shikaku Nara had one hand in his pocket and said, "Ikeizumi's act of killing the Daimyō might have made the hardliners in the Uchiha realize that they can't wait any longer."
"For the Uchiha to succeed in their coup, they need the support of the nobles and the Daimyō. Now that Ikeizumi has made the Uchiha clan offend the nobles and the Daimyō to death, the Uchiha hardliners can only burn their bridges."
Inoichi Yamanaka said expressionlessly, "If the Uchiha make any moves, the Yamanaka clan will step in to stop them."
Shikaku looked at him in surprise.
Inoichi explained, "This kind of stupid coup will only cause many innocent people to die. Both the civilians in the village and the civilians in the Uchiha clan will be affected. If it were Ikeizumi, he would also take action."
"I see…"
Shikaku smiled. "That's right. Since we've already sided with 'Absolute Justice,' we naturally have to uphold justice!"
He patted Inoichi's shoulder. "Don't worry. Since you've made up your mind, the Nara clan will follow suit."
Choza smiled and said, "The Akimichi clan will do the same."
"However."
At this point, Shikaku suddenly added, "I feel that the focus isn't on the Uchiha hardliners. For a Uchiha coup to succeed, they naturally have to get the approval of everyone in the village. The Uchiha hardliners will try their best to avoid harming civilians by mistake."
"The focus is on Itachi Uchiha!" He said slowly, "That's a Uchiha clan member with a very unstable mind. Ikeizumi isn't here, the Hokage isn't here, and Fugaku is probably also troubled by the internal affairs of the Uchiha clan. It seems like no one can watch him now."
Inside the main hall of the Naka Shrine.
"Everyone, the situation in the entire Land of Fire has become complicated and unpredictable due to a certain person's actions. Therefore, I believe that the Uchiha clan should elect a new clan leader as soon as possible. The new clan leader will lead the Uchiha clan to a new glory."
"Instead of sticking to old and rigid ideas, which will only cause the Uchiha clan to be more and more ostracized by the village, and which will make the future of the Uchiha clan more and more bleak!"
Although Setsuna didn't mention any names, all the clan members knew who he was referring to. His statements were indeed recognized by many clan members. After all, it was a fact that the Uchiha clan was being ostracized by the village.
Otherwise, why would the Uchiha clan compound be moved from the core of Konoha to the very edge, step by step? And why would they go from being able to participate in politics to only having the Military Police Force now? Fugaku's constant compromises had long caused a lot of dissatisfaction. Setsuna was just bringing up these points of dissatisfaction.
Setsuna's face was solemn, and his voice was hoarse. "Therefore, I propose that we elect a new clan leader at tonight's clan meeting! And I, Setsuna Uchiha, hope that you will elect me to be the new leader of the Uchiha clan!"
"I promise that after I take office, all the Konoha clans will have to bow down to the Uchiha clan! The Konoha higher-ups will not be allowed to ostracize the Uchiha clan anymore! No…"
"To be more precise… the Konoha higher-ups will change from those few people to our Uchiha clan members. Konoha will no longer be their Konoha, but the Uchiha's Konoha."
"Of course."
Setsuna slowly mocked, "If someone is willing to continue being ostracized by the village and willing to be looked at with prejudice, then you can continue to support Fugaku and continue to be the loyal dog of the higher-ups."
Below the platform.
Sasuke, who was kneeling with Mikoto Uchiha, suddenly widened his eyes. Just as he was about to stand up with indignation, he was held down by Mikoto.
"Sasuke, this is not a matter for a child to meddle in," Mikoto shook her head. She looked at the silent Fugaku with a worried gaze. She could see the anger brewing in the expressionless Fugaku's heart; but… she could also see the recognition of Setsuna's sarcastic words on the faces of many clan members below!
After one event after another, Fugaku had, after all, lost the support of the people. Even many moderate Uchiha clan members chose to remain silent at this moment.
Mikoto sighed.
But at this moment, in the midst of this eerie silence, a sudden voice that sounded very out of place said, "So, tonight we're going to elect a clan leader between you two?!"
Mikoto was stunned. She realized that the person speaking was the one behind her. When she turned around, she saw an elite Uchiha jonin with his hands in his pockets stand up without any reservation. His eyes were fixed on Fugaku and Setsuna on the platform. He showed no sense of respect.
"Yes," Setsuna said. "Fugaku is still the leader of the Uchiha clan, so he naturally has the right to run. I'm an Uchiha elder, and many young people support me, so I, who have the support of the people, naturally also have the right to run."
"Haha!" The Uchiha jonin who stood up suddenly grinned. "Then there's nothing to choose. If I have to choose between a cowardly coward and an old-aged useless person… I'd rather not choose anyone. I'd rather have a pig sitting in that position."
He turned around, his back to the crowd, and walked out while saying, "Let's have a clan meeting like this again when Uchiha Ikeizumi is here!"
At this time, the other two Uchiha jonin on his left and right also stood up.
One of them said expressionlessly, "I'm not interested in choosing between a useless person and a coward."
The other one smiled and said, "Sorry, a clan leader Fugaku who keeps backing down and an elder Setsuna who can't keep up with the times. We're more inclined toward 'Absolute Justice.' At least Uchiha Ikeizumi's magnanimity has our approval."
At this point, he looked at Ikeizumi Uchiha in the crowd. "You're probably already impatient, and you're only still sitting here out of politeness. That's right… after all, you're half-Uchiha. Your personality and way of doing things are different from ours. In that case, let us three troublemakers start it off."
After saying that, the two Uchiha jonin also followed the first person and walked out of the main hall of the Naka Shrine.
At this moment, the other clan members were all stunned. Many couldn't help but look at Ikeizumi Uchiha.
"A boring election game." Ikeizumi stood up, dragging her slightly tired body, and walked out of the hall step by step. She said, "Even if Lord Ikeizumi were still in Konoha, he probably wouldn't come to this kind of clan meeting because it's meaningless. No matter who becomes the clan leader, your vision is too low. It's either for so-called balance or for so-called power."
"If you could just think about the ordinary people in the Uchiha clan who have no say in things, if you could just lower your lofty gaze and look down for once, perhaps the Uchiha clan could still be saved."
After saying that, her back also disappeared from the sight of everyone.
.....
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