Uchiha Hokaku's face was ashen, while Fugaku remained silent.
For Hokaku, Kin's audacity to challenge for the position of clan head was nothing short of treason.
The clan headship had always been predetermined, passed down through a single lineage.
But Fugaku...
For some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
If he didn't have to be the clan head...
Fugaku quickly suppressed the thought, lowering his head.
From the moment he could remember, he had been groomed to be the future clan head.
Yet the dual pressures from both the clan and the village weighed heavily on him.
Everything was already set in stone—there was no escaping it.
"Uchiha Kin! Do you have any idea what you're saying!?"
Hokaku, who had always prided himself on his magnanimity, finally lost his temper.
"I know exactly what I'm saying. But do you know what you're doing?"
Kin shot back.
In Hokaku's eyes, Kin's gaze was like stagnant water—utterly lifeless, so still that he could see his own reflection in them.
Suddenly, Hokaku realized he didn't understand this young man at all.
According to the reports, Kin was described as hot-blooded, fond of jokes, caring toward his comrades, and somewhat selfish.
But the Uchiha Kin standing before him now...
He seemed like a monster from another world, one that would devour not just the Uchiha clan, but all of Konoha.
Kin didn't wait for Hokaku's reprimand and continued calmly.
"You say Konoha discriminates against the Uchiha. You say the Hokage position is passed down through a single lineage, never giving the Uchiha a chance. You say the village elders are a bunch of ruthless bastards."
"But have you ever stopped to think—the Uchiha clan is no different?"
"Clan members who don't awaken the Sharingan, no matter how talented, are treated as disposable pawns in your eyes."
"Those who do awaken it are expected to selflessly dedicate themselves to the clan."
"Even the position of clan head is hereditary."
"If you refuse to change, why demand that Konoha does?"
In Kin's eyes, no matter how much Konoha and the Uchiha clashed, they were ultimately two sides of the same coin.
Hokaku's face darkened. Years of cultivated composure had never failed him—until now, with Uchiha Kin.
"This is the Uchiha's tradition. Konoha, on the other hand, claims anyone can become Hokage. They're not the same."
Konoha preached that anyone could rise to become Hokage, yet in practice, the title was still passed down through a select few.
If someone other than Sarutobi Hiruzen and his circle had taken the position after their return, Hokaku wouldn't have believed the Hokage title could become hereditary.
"Uchiha tradition." Kin smirked disdainfully. "The real tradition would've been Uchiha Madara's lineage, wouldn't it?"
That was the true line of the Uchiha clan leaders. Unfortunately, that bloodline had died out long ago.
Fugaku's branch had only inherited the position because they were the closest remaining descendants.
Hokaku finally understood—this young man wouldn't be swayed by mere words.
His very ideology was fundamentally different from theirs.
"You'll destroy the Uchiha, Uchiha Kin."
"Then try and stop me."
Kin casually tossed a shuriken into the lake, sending ripples across the water's surface.
The fish that had just bitten the hook fled in panic.
"Elder Hokaku."
Kin's tone dripped with mockery.
After Kin left, Hokaku closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
Originally, he had wanted to make Uchiha Kin understand that the clan was his true family—to persuade him to support Fugaku for the sake of the Uchiha.
But now, he saw the rift between Kin and the clan.
Or, more accurately—
The rift between Kin and the entire village.
He held no reverence for the Uchiha name, nor did he show any deference to Konoha.
That wasn't the mindset of a shinobi.
"Fugaku."
"I'm here, Elder."
Fugaku stepped forward respectfully.
"Be wary of Uchiha Kin. He could bring prosperity to the Uchiha—or he could destroy us."
Hokaku's voice was grave.
Fugaku didn't need Hokaku's warning to know that Kin was a double-edged sword.
"If the opportunity arises..." Hokaku paused, his face twisting slightly in conflict.
"Kill him."
Uchiha Fugaku's pupils contracted.
Could he really kill one of his own clansmen?
Even one who opposed him?
"The Uchiha cannot afford upheaval."
Hokaku didn't want to make this choice. If Kin had fully aligned himself with the village, he wouldn't have considered it.
But that wasn't the case.
Fugaku's gaze fell on the clear lake water, where the fish Kin's shuriken had struck floated lifelessly.
It hadn't stood a chance.
"The village and the clan..."
Hokaku's voice trailed off, but Fugaku was no longer listening.
"Hey, Yashiro-nii, babysitting?"
Having just left Hokaku's courtyard, Kin spotted Uchiha Yashiro awkwardly trying to comfort a crying little girl.
"Need some help?"
Yashiro shot Kin a deadpan look.
"Just don't make it worse."
Given Kin's idea of "comfort," the kid would probably just cry harder.
Kin shrugged and watched as Yashiro eventually managed to calm the girl down.
She bowed deeply to Yashiro.
"Thank you, Yashiro-jii."
Then she hurried off.
"I'm not that old..."
Yashiro scratched his cheek.
"Something happen to her family?"
Kin asked curiously.
Yashiro sighed, his expression somber.
"Her parents were killed by Kiri-nin. Just like yours."
"Kirigakure started a war too?"
Kin hadn't heard anything about Kiri launching an attack.
Yashiro shook his head.
"No full-scale war. They've just sent out small squads. Her parents ran into a jōnin team and... well."
"Though Kiri's not stable right now either. In a couple of days, I'll be escorting the young master to the Kiri front."
With the war in the Land of Rain raging, the flood of battlefield reports had overshadowed Kiri's movements—though the village had also been suppressing the news.
After all, the Kiri front was the Uchiha's responsibility.
Kin shook his head, forming hand seals. A puff of smoke later, a scroll appeared in his hand, which he tossed to Yashiro.
"Here, Yashiro-nii. Take this. Try to come back alive."
"What is it?"
Yashiro unrolled the scroll curiously.
"Stone Breathing...?"
"You've got Earth affinity and sword skills, right? Made this for you."
All the Breathing Styles he'd created were tailored for specific individuals.
Growing up, he'd been helped by many—Yashiro was one of them.
Even if Yashiro treated all the orphans the same way, to Kin, that kindness was something to repay.
Uchiha Kin always repaid his debts—and his grudges.
It was only a matter of time.
"Appreciate it."
Yashiro didn't refuse, reaching out to ruffle Kin's hair.
"Stop treating me like a kid, Yashiro-nii."
"Alright, alright. Kin's a full-fledged shinobi now."
Yashiro chuckled.
Kin glared at him.
You're still talking to me like I'm five, damn it!!
...
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(End of Chapter)