Under the glow of countless crimson Sharingan, Fugaku Uchiha did not waste time with pleasantries.
"A great deal has happened in the village these past days," he began evenly. "Much of it concerns our clan. I believe everyone here understands the situation."
"You are the elite of the Uchiha. Tonight, I want your voices heard. The decision we make will determine our future."
"This meeting concerns the fate of our clan. Speak freely. Hold nothing back."
He stepped aside slightly and gestured toward the elders seated at the front—Elder Setsuna and the Second Elder.
Setsuna rose immediately.
His movements were sharp, impatient.
He turned toward the gathered shinobi, voice ringing through the underground chamber.
"Everyone has seen what we've endured these past days!"
"ANBU stand guard at our gates. Our movements are restricted like criminals under watch!"
"The hostility of the village leadership is no longer hidden. We are standing at the edge of danger!"
He raised two fingers.
"There are only two paths before us."
"First—turn a blind eye. Endure humiliation. Allow the village to carve us apart piece by piece until nothing remains."
"Second—stand up and resist! Let the village hear our voices. Let them see our resolve. Let them understand the Uchiha are not prey to be trampled!"
He swept his gaze across the chamber.
"Will you kneel and wait for death?"
"Or will you stand and fight your way toward survival?"
The words struck like sparks in dry grass.
Most of the gathered Uchiha erupted with anger—voices rising, fists clenched, eyes blazing scarlet.
A smaller portion hesitated.
They had doubts.
But the balance had shifted.
After days of pressure from the village—rumors, surveillance, humiliation—the ratio between moderates and radicals had flipped almost overnight.
"Setsuna, stop exaggerating the danger!"
The Second Elder, Uchiha Yashiro, rose quickly, sensing the tide turning too fast.
"Everyone, do not be misled! The conflict between the clan and the village has not reached that point!"
The chamber quieted, though the anger did not vanish.
Yashiro still held considerable prestige among them.
He faced the clan.
"The village's recent actions have causes behind them."
"The higher-ups are not targeting the entire Uchiha clan. They are targeting certain individuals within it."
"If certain people had not harbored inappropriate ambitions, things would not have escalated this far!"
Murmurs spread.
He continued.
"The Third Hokage has given the clan head and me his word. If we resolve our internal issues, he will let bygones be bygones. The pensions for our fallen and the rewards for our contributions will be distributed as promised."
Many pairs of eyes turned slowly toward Setsuna.
No name had been spoken.
But the implication was obvious.
Setsuna narrowed his eyes.
"If I'm not mistaken," he said coldly, "the 'certain individuals' you refer to… would be me?"
Yashiro hesitated.
Then he nodded.
"Yes."
"If you had not entertained improper thoughts and inflamed tensions, the village would not have responded so severely."
He had not wanted to speak so bluntly.
But Setsuna's rhetoric was igniting the room.
If he did not redirect the anger inward, he feared he would lose control entirely.
Setsuna gave a sharp laugh.
"I admit some of the village's recent actions may have been triggered by my response."
"But tell me—am I truly the origin of all this?"
He turned toward the crowd.
"Who moved first?"
"Was it not the village that attempted to withhold pensions from our fallen? Was it not they who sought to reduce the rewards owed to those who bled on the battlefield?"
"Because Clan Head Fugaku did not immediately bow to their unreasonable demands, they spread rumors—staining our reputation!"
His voice rose.
"What crime have we committed?"
"For fighting? For shedding blood for Konoha?"
"Is that our sin?"
Yashiro fell silent.
Because Setsuna spoke truth.
The initial provocation had come from the village.
Below them, anger deepened.
Setsuna pressed on.
"Yes—I acted to defend our interests. The village reacted."
"But did I act wrongly?"
He turned back toward Yashiro.
"You say that if we solve our 'internal problem,' Hiruzen Sarutobi will forgive everything."
"Is that not proof that my resistance forced their compromise?"
The words struck.
Because there was logic there.
From one perspective, the village had indeed stepped back to avoid further escalation.
Setsuna's eyes flashed.
"If I had not resisted, our reputation would be destroyed, and our fallen would have died for nothing."
"But because we resisted—because we showed unity—they retreated."
He stepped forward.
"What does that mean?"
"It means the village leadership can worry."
"It means they can fear."
"They fear that we might overturn the table."
"They fear that a united Uchiha cannot be suppressed."
"Only because they fear us do they compromise!"
He let the silence hang.
"For years, we retreated in the face of pressure. I understand your caution."
"But how much room do we have left to retreat?"
"Now you have seen it yourselves."
"When we stand together, the village steps back."
"So tell me…"
He did not shout his ultimate intent.
Not yet.
This required gradual ignition.
"You still wish to retreat?"
Breathing in the chamber grew heavy.
Scarlet eyes burned brighter.
Anger, long suppressed, had found validation.
And once validated—
It became far harder to contain.
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