Ran sat in the primary seat of the hawk faction, looking down at Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui with open disdain.
"What you just said was complete nonsense," Ran said coldly.
He had barely begun to build momentum when the hawk faction erupted on their own.
"Bullshit!"
"Pure bullshit!"
Ran's mouth twitched slightly in embarrassment, but he quickly straightened his expression.
"Uchiha Shisui," he continued, "how much do you actually know about the grudges and blood feuds of the Warring States Period? Or is everything you know straight out of Konoha's textbooks?"
"Do you really not understand that history is written by the victors? Or do you honestly believe that under the leadership of the Third Hokage and Danzo Shimura, the Uchiha can truly integrate into Konoha?"
"To put it bluntly, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is nothing more than a man obsessed with reputation and empty ideals. His mouth is full of hypocritical talk about benevolence and righteousness, yet he's never done a single truly practical thing."
"He's a useless old man whose debts are constantly being settled by others."
"Yes, he fought bravely in the Second Great Ninja War. But what happened after that?" Ran slammed his hand onto the table. "After winning, he actually paid reparations to the Hidden Sand Village. Tell me—does he have shit for brains?"
Shisui froze, his mind struggling to process what he was hearing.
Itachi's expression changed immediately.
"Second Brother, you're not allowed to speak disrespectfully about Hokage-sama!"
The moment Itachi spoke, nearly a hundred pairs of scarlet eyes snapped toward him at once.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Ran roared. "Call me Ran!"
He grabbed the table and hurled it straight at Itachi.
Itachi's pupils shrank. He drew his blade in an instant and slashed.
Crash!
The table split cleanly in two—but Itachi's arm trembled slightly as he sheathed his sword, shock flashing through his eyes.
What terrifying strength…! he thought.
Shisui stepped in quickly.
"Ran, I believe that decision was meant to demonstrate Konoha's stature as a great nation," Shisui said calmly. "The Hidden Sand Village is a barren land with little economic stability."
"Hokage-sama's attempt to appease them must have been based on considerations of the bigger picture."
As he spoke, Shisui's gaze never left Ran.
From their brief chakra clash earlier, he could already tell—Ran's strength was no weaker than his own, perhaps even greater.
When faced with someone truly powerful, Shisui was still willing to listen and debate.
"What 'bigger picture'?" Ran sneered. "Does Hiruzen Sarutobi even have a sense of the bigger picture?"
"Using Konoha's money to appease the Hidden Sand Village—he's mentally deranged. Everyone bled and died on the battlefield, and as Hokage, he doesn't demand compensation from the losers. Instead, he hands them money!"
"That's worse than a six-year-old child. At least a child knows to hit back when struck and demand compensation."
His words were crude, but every sentence cut straight to the point.
Shisui fell silent, his thoughts spiraling.
Strangely enough… Ran's logic made far more sense.
Once someone is forced to view things from a different angle, countless hidden problems suddenly come into focus.
That was exactly what was happening to Shisui now.
"You're just too naïve, Brother Shisui," Ran said indifferently. "You believe whatever you're told."
"Do you know the real reason behind the death of Uchiha Kagami?"
Shisui's pupils contracted violently.
Uchiha Kagami was his grandfather—his own blood.
Konoha had always claimed that Kagami died in battle after encountering a powerful enemy.
But the way Ran spoke…
It sounded like that wasn't the truth at all.
Uchiha Fugaku frowned deeply.
"Ran, what exactly are you trying to say?"
On the surface, it sounded like a reprimand—but in truth, Fugaku was protecting him.
Several elders of the dove faction were already glaring in anger. These pro-Konoha elders could not tolerate Ran's open condemnation of the revered Third Hokage.
"Old man, you're the one with the biggest problem," Ran said casually, tilting his head and pointing straight at Fugaku. "Don't worry—I'll deal with your issues once I'm done here."
Fugaku's mouth twitched.
What problem do I have?
And what does this rebellious brat think he's doing? Starting a coup?
If Ran had known what Fugaku was thinking, he would've laughed and pointed at Itachi:
Big brother, rain or shine, I'll be waiting for you at Naka Shrine. Winner becomes Clan Head—loser is the traitor.
But that was a story for later.
Ran stepped forward, stopping right in front of Shisui and looking down at him.
After fully fusing with Uchiha Madara's [Founding of Konoha] template, Ran's body had grown taller and more imposing.
Under that gaze, cold sweat trickled down Shisui's back.
Why…?
Why did the pressure radiating from Ran feel heavier than the Clan Head's?
No—heavier even than the Third Hokage's!
If Shisui hadn't already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he might not have been able to resist kneeling.
"Brother Shisui," Ran said calmly, "your grandfather's eye was taken by Danzo Shimura."
"That mission back then was also orchestrated by Danzo in secret cooperation with the Hidden Sand Village."
"Otherwise, why do you think Danzo always keeps his right eye covered?"
"Think carefully—wasn't Senior Kagami's left eye destroyed… and his right eye missing?"
Shisui staggered backward, staring at Ran in disbelief.
"No… impossible… that's impossible…"
Ran's words shattered everything Shisui believed.
He could never have imagined that the dignified, austere Danzo—who willingly hid himself underground as Konoha's 'Root'—was actually a sinister conspirator who stole a comrade's bloodline and colluded with foreign enemies.
"That's enough!" Itachi shouted angrily. "Second Brother, do you realize what crime it is to slander Konoha's Hokage advisor without evidence?!"
Ran clicked his tongue.
He stretched out one hand toward Itachi.
In an instant, a deep-blue skeletal arm materialized out of thin air, surging forward with terrifying speed.
Because his reaction was too slow, Itachi was caught.
The skeletal hand seized him tightly.
"How many times do I have to say it?" Ran said coldly. "Call me Ran. Can't you even understand basic human speech?"
"And let me make this clear, Uchiha Itachi—when I'm speaking, stop interrupting me."
"A political amateur like you—what the hell do you even know?"
Held firmly in place, Itachi couldn't even perform a Substitution Jutsu. He could only struggle in furious helplessness.
Gasps echoed throughout the hall.
This man—one of the top three strongest in the Uchiha Clan—had been subdued so easily?
No.
That wasn't right.
This wasn't some nobody.
This was someone who had been hiding his strength all along.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
Susanoo.
Overwhelming. Terrifying. Majestic.
Uchiha Fugaku finally grew anxious.
No matter how rebellious his son was, this had gone too far.
"Enough!" Fugaku shouted. "Ran, Itachi is still your brother. Do you truly intend to kill him?"
Ran's body trembled slightly.
After a long pause, he let out a quiet sigh and slowly loosened his grip.
Itachi dropped to the ground, gasping for air.
Just as he was about to summon his own Susanoo, Shisui shot him a sharp warning glance.
Unfortunately for them—
Every one of these subtle movements was clearly seen by Ran.