Chapter 2: The Clan Meeting Begins; Shisui's Moral Blackmail!
The faces of those in the room were grim, and the atmosphere was stifling.
Uchiha were known for being arrogant, prideful, and perhaps a bit reckless, but they were certainly not fools. A clan meeting called at nearly two in the morning? There was no doubt about it—this was a direct move against them.
"Fugaku has gone too far!"
"We only just finished off those Root rats. Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo haven't even said a word yet, but Fugaku already can't sit still."
"If someone didn't know better, they'd think Fugaku was Hiruzen Sarutobi's lapdog!"
The men in the room were filled with righteous indignation. Especially when they remembered that they were the ones who had voted Fugaku into the position of Clan Head, the realization felt like a bitter pill they were forced to swallow.
Uchiha Jin's brow furrowed slightly. Though his speech had been interrupted, he didn't lose his temper. Instead, he raised a hand to silence the room, his voice remaining remarkably calm.
"Until one possesses the strength of Lord Madara—the kind of power that can suppress the entire Shinobi World—it's fine to be a little arrogant, but one must still play by the rules of the game."
"Let's go."
He was the first to head toward Naka Shrine, with the others following closely behind him. These stubborn Uchiha didn't quite grasp the full meaning of his words, but Jin had already proven his capability. More importantly, he was a powerhouse who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, so they followed him unconditionally.
In the terminology of the shinobi world, Jin had proven his "caliber."
Ten minutes later, at Naka Shrine.
The Neutral and Moderate factions had arrived early. At this moment, the faces of both groups were unsightly, their eyes flickering with suppressed fury.
The reason was simple.
In their eyes, the Uchiha's situation was already precarious enough. Uchiha Jin, this suddenly rising Mangekyo user, hadn't become the stabilizing force the clan needed. Instead, he had become the greatest source of instability within the family.
Especially tonight—acting against Root again?
During the previous instances of the Radicals' reckless behavior, the Hokage-sama had been magnanimous enough to forcefully suppress the matter. But tonight, they had done it again?
The Moderates and Neutrals, having reached the end of their patience, had formed a rare alliance today. They intended to use this clan meeting to teach Uchiha Jin a proper lesson!
It was at this moment that the Radical Faction arrived.
Led by Uchiha Jin, they completely ignored the "murderous" glares from the other two factions and took their seats with practiced indifference.
"Enough. The meeting is called to order," Fugaku said, his brow knit as he spoke directly. "Root lost three squads tonight, and one Anbu squad was wiped out. Does Elder Setsuna have anything to say about this?"
He was blunt. They were all too familiar with one another for Fugaku to bother with pleasantries.
Shisui added a follow-up: "The Hokage-sama is barely able to restrain Danzo-sama any longer. However, the merciful Hokage has decided to give the Uchiha one last chance."
"Elder Setsuna, the clan's situation is critical!"
"I hope you will hand over the culprits. Otherwise, even if the Hokage-sama wants to help us, it will be difficult."
Others began to speak up one after another, nearly all of them pointing the finger at the Radicals. They yearned for a stable life and had been thoroughly assimilated by the village's ideology. Coupled with the characteristic Uchiha single-mindedness, they truly placed their trust in Hiruzen Sarutobi.
This was the "Uchiha Mindset."
Their brains simply couldn't process complex political maneuvering. Once they believed in something, it was nearly impossible to change their minds—even the seemingly "gentle" Shisui and Itachi in the original story were no exception.
This was precisely why Uchiha Jin, despite being a transmigrator for so many years, had never considered recruiting Shisui or Itachi. Before his rebirth, he had thought it would be easy to change the Uchiha, especially since he arrived quite early in the timeline. But after actually living as an Uchiha for a while, he had tossed that idea straight into the trash.
It was useless!
The "gentle" Shisui and Itachi were actually the most extreme of the Uchiha; that was exactly why they were able to awaken the Mangekyo.
Uchiha Jin was the same.
Possessing the memories of two lives made him an extreme individual as well. It was only because he came from a modern, educated background that he possessed a broader perspective and more insight.
This was also the real reason why he had never sought help from others when his parents were taken by Root. Even now, having awakened the Mangekyo and taken control of the Radicals, he still hadn't revealed the truth of his parents' abduction to the clan.
Because he was extreme, he could awaken the Mangekyo.
"Heh, I'm afraid I must apologize."
"This old man has retired. If there's something to discuss, take it up with Jin."
"By the unanimous decision of our faction, Jin-kun is now the Leader of the Radicals. He will also be taking my seat as a Clan Elder."
Just as Jin was lost in thought, Uchiha Setsuna spoke up with a smile. After finishing, he ignored everyone's reactions and sat there looking perfectly at ease.
The members of the other two factions were stunned into silence, their faces filled with disbelief.
Fugaku looked shocked. "Elder Setsuna... you're retiring?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?" Setsuna countered.
Fugaku fell silent.
Shisui's face turned pale, and he couldn't help but speak up. "Jin-kun certainly has strength, but he's far too young!"
"Furthermore, the position of Elder requires a clan-wide nomination. How can it be handed over so privately?"
Setsuna's expression didn't flicker, a playful smirk touching the corner of his mouth. "Every single member of the Radical Faction supports Jin-kun. Would you like to hold a vote right here and now?"
Shisui fell into silence. He knew a vote would be pointless. Although he looked down on Uchiha Jin and even felt a trace of resentment toward this "troublemaker," he couldn't deny that the boy's prestige within the Radical Faction was incredibly high.
Even if the Moderates and Neutrals disagreed, the support of the Radicals alone was sufficient. After all, this wasn't an election for the Clan Head.
Taking a deep breath, Shisui turned to look solemnly at Uchiha Jin.
"Jin... Elder."
"Let's return to the topic at hand. This matter is vital to the Uchiha clan. I hope you can give me an answer immediately."
"Hand over the culprits. Do not make things difficult for the Hokage-sama!"
Following Shisui's words, everyone's eyes fell upon Uchiha Jin. They were all curious to see how this new leader of the Radicals would solve the problem before him.
If he didn't hand them over, he would provoke the village. If he did, he would lose the loyalty of his own faction.
However...
Sitting beside Setsuna, Uchiha Jin's expression remained unhurried and calm. He had been silent since entering the shrine, and only now, upon hearing Shisui's inquiry, did he finally look up.
"Hand over the culprits?"
"Shisui, what are you talking about?"
"I'm still completely in the dark. Members of Root and Anbu were killed—why are you asking me to hand over the so-called culprits?"
"It seems you've already decided that the Radicals are responsible. Where is your evidence?"
"If you can just pin a crime on my faction without a shred of proof, then I suppose whenever anyone in the village dies, you'll just assume the Radicals did it."
"Aren't you being a bit unreasonable?"
"Or are you planning to execute us based on 'concocted charges'?"
"While my faction and yours have our grievances, surely you wouldn't be so shameless as to frame us just to gain more political leverage for the Moderates, would you?"