Time resumed its normal flow.
The heated arguments continued. Uchiha Fugaku sat calmly at the head of the hall, listening in silence. To him, these voices merely represented the differing opinions of the clansmen.
This was also the first open collision between the hawk faction and the dove faction within the Uchiha Clan. Though the clash itself was minor, it marked the beginning of a deeper struggle between the elders of both sides.
Before this, the two factions had more or less maintained a fragile balance. Everything changed six years ago, during the Nine-Tails' Attack, when the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, died while suppressing and sealing the Nine-Tails.
At the time, Root issued an order forcing the Uchiha Clan to stand by, forbidding them from participating in the battle.
Afterward, the Village used one fact as justification: during the Nine-Tails' rampage, a Sharingan had appeared and controlled the beast.
Using this as an excuse, a meeting was convened to reinstate the former Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as the "Professor" and hailed as the strongest Hokage of his era.
At the same time, the higher-ups began discussing how the Nine-Tails' rampage might have been orchestrated by the Uchiha Clan as a threat to the Village.
Some argued that all Uchiha members had remained inside the clan compound during the attack, and that no one had left—so it couldn't have been them.
But under the joint pressure of the Hokage's advisors—Danzō Shimura, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado—those dissenting voices were swiftly silenced.
Hiruzen Sarutobi then issued a secret order:
> Relocate the Uchiha Clan to the outskirts of the Village, far from the political center.
At the same time, strengthen ANBU surveillance over the Uchiha.
If any Uchiha shows signs of contacting the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, Naruto Uzumaki—execute them on the spot.
Every clan in Konoha knew of this written order.
Every clan—except the Uchiha.
Under this invisible pressure, the other clans drew a clear line between themselves and the Uchiha, minimizing all contact.
The Uchiha Clan only knew about the first part—the forced relocation of their compound—and remained completely unaware of the execution order that followed.
Ran's thoughts snapped back to the present.
To be honest, he agreed far more with the hawk faction. He simply couldn't understand it.
Three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan—and they still lost?
Why didn't his so-called father fight?
Was he afraid?
No… someone who could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan couldn't possibly be a coward.
Ran looked at Uchiha Fugaku, who sat with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.
At that moment, a ninja stood up.
The instant he rose, the hall fell silent.
"Clan Head," the man said respectfully, "Uchiha Shisui has something to say."
Uchiha Shisui knelt on one knee, showing proper respect to Fugaku, the supreme leader of the Uchiha Clan.
Fugaku opened his eyes. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Shisui, speak freely. No need for such formalities."
Fugaku could clearly sense it—the chakra within Shisui was no weaker than his own.
In other words, Uchiha Shisui had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
If Shisui supported armed rebellion, then his eldest son—who shared a close bond with Shisui—would surely stand with him.
Three Mangekyō Sharingan.
In that case, what was there to fear from Konoha?
But the words that followed caused Fugaku's expression to darken, and a deep sense of loss crept into his heart.
"Clan Head," Shisui said calmly, "the Second Hokage once relied heavily on our predecessor, Uchiha Kagami. That was because he wished for the Uchiha Clan to truly integrate into Konoha."
"Later, entrusting us with the Uchiha Military Police Force was also a sign of the Village's recognition of our clan."
"As for the Nine-Tails' Attack, it is an indisputable fact that a Sharingan was involved in controlling the beast. It is only natural for the Village elders to be wary of us."
"If we wish for the Uchiha Clan to truly coexist with Konoha, then armed conflict is the worst possible option."
"Even if we were to win, both the Uchiha Clan and the Village would suffer devastating losses."
"Moreover, the Land of Fire is fertile and prosperous—something the other four great hidden villages have long coveted."
"Even if the Uchiha emerged victorious, how could a battered Konoha withstand invasions from the other villages?"
Shisui's reasoning was calm, methodical, and grounded in precedent.
His words caused many members of the dove faction to stroke their beards, nodding with approval.
"Shisui speaks to the heart of the matter," an elder said. "Clan Head, I believe he is absolutely right."
Ran glanced over.
The speaker was Uchiha Zongyi, the leader of the dove faction, according to his memories.
The hawk faction fell silent—not because they were persuaded, but because they lacked someone who could stand toe-to-toe with Shisui in terms of strength and prestige.
Within the Uchiha Clan, the strongest voice always carried the most weight.
At present, Uchiha Shisui's status was second only to Fugaku himself.
What made matters worse was that Fugaku's eldest son, Uchiha Itachi, had long been influenced by Shisui and firmly supported him.
As a result, the hawks could only shout slogans—always losing when it truly mattered.
Fugaku showed no emotion on the surface, but inwardly, disappointment weighed heavily on him.
With two pairs of Mangekyō firmly siding with Konoha, he felt utterly powerless to change the situation.
Shisui wanted to preserve both the clan and the Village—but had he ever considered this?
If things continued as they were, the Uchiha Clan would be slowly, quietly consumed by Konoha.
Uchiha shinobi had already begun to die mysteriously during missions.
Their bodies were returned without their eyes.
The numbers were small, but the message was clear.
Konoha had already drawn its blade.
Waiting passively would only lead to a slow, inevitable demise.
Suddenly—
Ran stood up.
His movement instantly drew every eye in the hall.
Even Fugaku's thoughts were interrupted as he turned to look at his second son, utterly bewildered.
Ran stepped out from behind Fugaku and walked toward the seats of the hawk faction.
"Little brother, go back to your seat," a voice said sharply. "Don't cause trouble."
The speaker was Uchiha Itachi, his brow furrowed.
Ran stopped mid-step.
Hearing that all-too-familiar voice, he let out a cold sneer.
"So that's who it is," he said disdainfully. "My dear big brother."
Itachi's expression darkened. He took a deep breath.
"Little brother—"
"Brother," Ran interrupted, his voice cold and commanding, "please call me Ran."
In that instant, the chakra within Ran exploded outward.
A vast wave of deep-blue chakra flooded the entire meeting hall.
Fugaku's robes snapped violently in the wind, his hair whipping about.
Shisui instinctively stepped back half a pace.
Itachi, completely unprepared, was forced to retreat seven or eight steps.
He stared at his younger brother in shock.
When did he become this strong?!
Shisui's pupils shrank.
For a brief moment, a terrifying Mangekyō pattern flickered within Ran's eyes.
If people of this era truly understood the past…
If Senju Hashirama or Senju Tobirama were standing here—
They would have thought Uchiha Madara had been resurrected.
"Brother," Ran said calmly, "do you have any further objections?"
With that, he walked to the front of the hawk faction and glanced at their current leader.
The man froze—then his face lit up with uncontrollable ecstasy.
Without hesitation, he relinquished his seat and stepped behind Ran, standing straight as his most loyal guard.