Uchiha Ren stood where he was, the smile on his face growing ever brighter as he basked in the rising chorus of support.
"Tekka," he said, "set the clan meeting for tomorrow afternoon. Same place—Naka Shrine."
"Yes!"
Tekka nodded immediately.
With a casual wave of his hand, Ren dismissed the crowd.
—
In less than a single morning, his actions had already sent shockwaves through the entire Uchiha clan.
The impact—
So great that it nearly overshadowed even the news of Tobirama Senju's death.
Uchiha Ren—
Challenging Uchiha Raizen for the position of clan head.
One explosive revelation after another.
The Uchiha hadn't had such a feast of gossip in years.
And they were enjoying every moment of it.
—
At the same time—
Inside Uchiha Raizen's residence.
The spacious living room now felt cramped.
More than a dozen Uchiha sat gathered, their eyes fixed on Raizen, who sat upright at the center.
His wife, Uchiha Miya, moved back and forth with a tea tray, pouring drinks for the guests. The usual snacks were already insufficient, leaving her slightly flustered.
There had been no time to prepare.
But no one present cared about tea or refreshments.
They were all too preoccupied.
As Raizen's supporters, the events of the past two days had left them completely disoriented.
First—
Tobirama Senju had died during negotiations.
Before they could even process that shocking news—
Uchiha Ren had erupted onto the scene, shattering his previous image and directly challenging the clan head.
And to make matters worse—
The news of Tobirama's death had reportedly been spread by Ren himself.
They knew him well.
If not for the Sharingan—
They might have mistaken him for a Senju.
Something was deeply wrong.
Raizen held a pipe in his hand, taking slow drags as he tried to steady his thoughts.
It wasn't just them who were confused.
He was too.
In just two days—
The situation had changed so drastically it felt like decades had passed.
So fast—
That he almost wondered if he had grown old.
Just days ago, he had been planning to negotiate compensation from Tobirama after the peace treaty.
The Uchiha had committed heavily to the war.
Clan-trained shinobi deployed to the front lines.
Weapons supplied in massive quantities—shuriken, kunai—
A staggering cost.
Soldier pills in uncountable numbers.
All of it—
Money.
Shinobi risked their lives for a living.
And for what?
Profit.
Now—
All of it was gone.
Tobirama was dead.
Gone without warning.
And the captain he had personally elevated—
Uchiha Ren—
Had suddenly turned against him, attempting to seize the position of clan head.
The room gradually filled with smoke as more pipes were lit.
At first, some had held back.
But once Raizen began—
They all followed.
Silence lingered.
Until one finally spoke.
"Clan Head… what should we do about tomorrow's meeting?"
That broke the dam.
"Yeah, Clan Head, Uchiha Ren must have planned this for a long time."
"He was the first to get news of Tobirama's death…"
Raizen exhaled slowly, smoke curling upward as his thoughts turned inward.
Ren's past behavior—
And his current actions—
Were completely different.
A mask.
So that was it.
Someone who had hidden himself for so long—
Even he hadn't seen through it.
Impressive.
Truly impressive.
Only revealing his true nature after Tobirama's death…
So—
He had always aimed for the Hokage seat.
Raizen almost admired him.
Talent.
Strength.
Ambition.
All top-tier.
And the timing—
Perfect.
This was indeed the closest the Uchiha had ever come to the Hokage position.
But one question remained.
What gave him the confidence?
Raizen knew Ren was strong.
That much was undeniable.
That morning alone, he had defeated Uchiha Kagami with ease.
Within the clan—
Few could match him.
Even Raizen himself—
Could not guarantee victory.
In terms of combat power—
Ren might already be the strongest Uchiha.
But being clan head—
Wasn't about strength alone.
Raizen's gaze swept across the room.
Every person present—
An elite.
Most possessed three-tomoe Sharingan.
A coordinated force under his command—
Powerful enough to even threaten someone like Tobirama.
Though the cost would be catastrophic.
Strength alone?
Meaningless.
Influence.
Connections.
Authority.
Those were what mattered.
Without the Mangekyō Sharingan—
There was no qualitative gap between Uchiha.
Ren was strong—
But not untouchable.
"Enough," Raizen said calmly, setting his pipe aside.
"Stop complaining."
"Uchiha Ren is a genius of our clan. Fresh off the battlefield—arrogance is only natural."
His tone remained even.
Measured.
"I was chosen as clan head after Uchiha Madara left Konoha."
"If Ren believes he is more suitable…"
"Then we will discuss it at the clan meeting."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"Let the clan decide."
"Who is truly fit to lead."
A chill spread through the room.
The message was clear.
Ren—
Was about to suffer.
"Clan Head, you know me—I fully support you!"
"Same here!"
"That brat Ren is too arrogant—he has no idea how much you've done for the clan!"
"He must be taught a lesson!"
Voices rose in quick succession.
Declarations of loyalty.
Raizen raised a hand, silencing them.
"No matter what, Ren is still a genius of the clan. A contributor to Konoha."
"You were no better at his age."
His tone softened slightly.
"Talent deserves tolerance."
He had already made his stance clear.
Toward Ren—
He would not act rashly.
In fact—
In the future, when he grew older…
If Uchiha Fugaku proved unable to shoulder the burden—
Ren would not be a bad choice.
But now?
No.
The position of clan head—
He could step down on his own terms.
But he would never—
Allow himself to be forced out.
And tomorrow—
Would decide everything.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read chapters ahead on Patreon → patreon.com/c/MythArcStudio