Yashiro pointed toward Renjiro's role, his voice carrying a note of cold certainty. "Deployment rosters, garrison logistics, military restructuring, inter-clan coordination, defence policy; these are the areas where Renjiro's influence is felt most directly. He never needed to openly champion the Uchiha. He simply did his job, and the practical consequences of his leadership have improved our position without demanding our gratitude."
Yashiro reinforced the point, his voice carrying a note of grim recognition. "The clan that once rejected him is now benefiting from his influence. He helped us without asking for anything in return, without expecting our loyalty, without using his position to extract concessions. And now Danzō wants to destroy him for it."
The emotional temperature of the room rose, the younger Uchiha beginning to openly argue that the accusation could not be viewed independently from the clan's political history. One particularly hawkish Uchiha activated his Sharingan, the red glow catching the lamplight and making his eyes seem to burn with inner fire.
"Danzō doesn't actually care about Orochimaru," he declared, his voice carrying the particular intensity of someone who had spent years studying the elder's political manoeuvres. "If Danzō truly cared about forbidden experimentation, the village would have dealt with countless other shinobi. Instead, he chose Renjiro, an Uchiha, the Jōnin Commander, someone increasingly influential under Minato. This is not about justice. This is about removing a threat to Danzō's power."
Tekka expanded on the argument, his voice carrying the weight of someone who had analysed the strategic implications. "Renjiro's position is strategically important to the Uchiha. As long as he remains Jōnin Commander, we have a direct connection to the village's military command. The Police Force isn't isolated. Renjiro's influence can counterbalance the elders. The clan cannot easily be pushed back into the margins."
The accusation began to be interpreted as something much larger; a coordinated attack designed to remove Renjiro, isolate the Uchiha, and restore the old political order that had kept the clan suppressed for generations.
More Sharingan activated throughout the chamber, the red eyes glowing like embers in the dim light. Scabbards struck against the floor as officers shifted their weight, their hands moving instinctively toward their weapons. Voices began overlapping, the murmur of conversation rising into a chaotic din as emotions overwhelmed restraint.
Some clan members openly called the accusation an attack against the Uchiha, their voices carrying the particular fury of people who had endured decades of marginalisation and were now being pushed toward the breaking point. The anger shifted from "protect Renjiro" to "protect the clan," the transition happening so smoothly that Fugaku recognised the danger before anyone explicitly said the word coup.
Yashiro turned toward Fugaku, his expression carrying a note of challenge. "How much longer do we sit here and play their administrative games?" he demanded. "Danzō has already bypassed normal procedures once. Hiruzen supported stripping Renjiro of command. The elders are moving against him. The Jōnin trial could simply become another mechanism to remove him."
Tekka stepped beside Yashiro, his voice carrying the particular intensity of someone who had already moved past debate to action. "The Military Police Force is already mobilised enough to respond rapidly. We have the numbers, the training, the strategic positions. Renjiro could be the missing piece in our political equation; Hiraishin, the Mangekyo, Uzumaki sealing techniques, Jōnin respect, direct relationship with Minato. With him at our side, we could challenge the existing leadership."
The chamber erupted. Multiple voices shouted overlapping demands; "Fifth Hokage Renjiro!" "Take the Tower!" "Death to the Shimura!" Sharingan spun throughout the cavern, the red eyes creating a dizzying kaleidoscope of light and motion. Chakra pressure began destabilising the oil lamps, the flames flickering and dancing as if caught in a wind that existed only in the spiritual realm.
Some Uchiha actually began standing, their bodies coiling with readiness. Others started discussing logistics; Police Force deployment routes, administrative building layouts, ANBU response times, communication protocols, and which clans might support them in a coup.
Crucially, Renjiro himself wasn't present. They were attempting to decide his future without him, treating him as a weapon to be wielded rather than a person with his own agency.
Fugaku allowed the room to reach its emotional peak before he finally opened his eyes.
His Sharingan flashed, the three tomoe spinning with a slow, deliberate rhythm. He released an overwhelming burst of chakra, the pressure washing through the chamber like a tidal wave of pure authority. The shockwave snuffed several lamps, plunging portions of the cavern into darkness. Weapons rattled against armour. The silence that followed was absolute; even the most furious Uchiha froze, their bodies responding to the primal command of their clan head's power.
"SILENCE!" Fugaku's voice cut through the chamber like a blade, his single word carrying more authority than all the shouted demands that had preceded it.
He rose from his position, his movement slow and deliberate, his presence dominating the space. "You are behaving like academy students rather than the descendants of one of Konoha's founding clans. You speak of seizing the village as though it were a battlefield objective, as though the Hokage Tower were a fortress to be stormed rather than the heart of the home of millions of civilians."
He descended from the platform, his footsteps echoing against the polished stone floor. "A coup would immediately transform political suspicion into undeniable rebellion. Danzō's accusations would become self-fulfilling prophecies; the village would no longer be debating whether the Uchiha were disloyal; they would have proof of rebellion. Danzō doesn't need to defeat us militarily. He only needs to provoke us into making the first move."
Fugaku's anger became colder when he turned to the topic of Renjiro. "You shout his name as though he were a weapon waiting to be drawn. You speak of making him Hokage without his consent, without his knowledge, without any indication that he would accept such a position. Have you forgotten who Renjiro is? He has never been controlled by the clan. He doesn't owe us political obedience. He has his own relationship with Minato, his own principles, his own path."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the assembled faces. "If you force his hand, you may discover that being an Uchiha does not guarantee his loyalty to us. Renjiro might oppose Danzō and still oppose our coup. He might see your actions as a betrayal of everything he has worked for, as a threat to the village he has sworn to protect."
The irony was not lost on the older members of the clan. Renjiro once had every reason to hate them, had been treated as an outcast by the very people now claiming him as their own. Yet he had never used his authority against them. And now the clan was prepared to destroy Konoha supposedly in his name.
Fugaku returned to practical matters, his voice carrying the particular authority of a military commander issuing orders. "The Military Police Force will remain on normal patrol. We will maintain ordinary jurisdiction. We will not mobilise against the leadership. We will not approach the Hokage Tower. We will not provoke ANBU or Root. We will not draw weapons unless normal duty requires it."
He paused, his gaze hard. "No retaliation against Danzō. No threats against the elders. No unsanctioned movement toward Renjiro. If I hear a single whisper of mutiny, you will leave this cavern tonight without your badge. Anyone who acts independently will be treated as a rogue element."
Fugaku straightened his haori, his presence still dominating the chamber. "I will meet Renjiro privately. I will hear his position directly. Only then will the clan determine what assistance, if any, Renjiro actually wants."
He looked over the subdued gathering one final time. The younger Uchiha avoided his gaze, their earlier fervour cooling under the weight of his authority. Yashiro and Tekka remained visibly dissatisfied but didn't challenge him. Inabi quietly lowered his head. The older veterans understood the wisdom behind the order, their expressions carrying the particular relief of people who had seen war and knew its cost.
"This meeting is adjourned," Fugaku declared. "Disperse. Clear your heads."
He turned toward the shrine's central altar, his hand reaching for the wooden gavel that rested there. The implement came down with a sharp crack that echoed through the cavern.
THUNK.
The sound seemed to mark the end of the rebellion before it had truly begun. One by one, the Uchiha began leaving, their footsteps echoing against the stone floor as they filed toward the hidden passage. The atmosphere remained tense, the anger still simmering beneath the surface, but the immediate possibility of an armed uprising had been contained.
Fugaku remained standing alone for a moment after everyone began filing out, his expression unreadable. He looked toward the hidden passage leading out of Naka Shrine, his thoughts settling on Renjiro and the dangerous question now hanging over the clan.
What will Renjiro do when he learns how close his own clan came to starting a war in his name?
The question had no easy answer. But Fugaku knew that the conversation he would have with Renjiro would be one of the most important of his life. The future of the clan, perhaps the future of the village itself, depended on what happened next.
He turned and left the chamber, following the others into the darkness.
=====
Bless me with your powerful Power Stones.
Your Reviews and Comments about my work are welcome
If you can, then please support me on Patreon.
Link - www.patreon.com/SideCharacter
You Can read more chapters ahead on Patreon
Latest Chapter on Patreon: Chapter 980-Did you expect me to ignore it?