Chapter 54: Uchiha Clan Meeting, a New Era Is Coming!
What did Uchiha Fugaku endure his entire life for? For the survival of the clan, he willingly bore the Village's suspicion and his clansmen's misunderstanding. He forcibly suppressed the Hawk Faction's radicalism, attempting to find a fragile balance between Konoha and the Uchiha.
Uchiha Fugaku even placed his unrealistic hopes for peace on his own son, Uchiha Itachi. And the result? Everything he did, in Uchiha Akira's eyes, was merely a cowardly act leading to the clan's demise. Reality seemed to be confirming this.
Fugaku closed the study door. Alone, he walked into the deepest part of the residence, the ancestral shrine. Here, the memorial tablets of the Uchiha clan's ancestors were enshrined. Wisps of green smoke curled in the dim shrine, making the names on each tablet appear solemn and dignified.
"Ancestors... I, Uchiha Fugaku, have governed the Uchiha Clan, perhaps indecisively, perhaps missing opportunities. But I have never had even a trace of betrayal towards the clan. Perhaps, Akira is right. Strength is everything. Without enough power to make the world fear, any peace and dignity are merely illusions."
3 days later, the clan meeting. Voluntarily step down? No. That was not Uchiha Fugaku's honorable exit. He would stand before all the clansmen, and in the manner of a Clan Head, meet his end. Even if it meant fighting to the death.
...
Uchiha Akira, having walked out of Fugaku's residence, was bathed in the afternoon sun. He could sense that Uchiha Fugaku would not surrender without a fight. This was already within his expectations. After all, he was a man known as the 'Fierce Eye'. And a man capable of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan could never be without his pride.
"Akira." Kenji and Shunichi's figures appeared silently behind him.
"How are the preparations coming along?" Akira asked without turning his head.
"Everything is ready," Kenji replied in a deep voice. "The Elder Guard is fully on standby. At the clan meeting in 3 days, we will take full control of the venue, inside and out, to ensure no incidents occur."
"Very good." Akira stopped and turned to face them. "Remember, our goal is to smoothly take over the entire Uchiha, not to create internal strife. Fugaku is the Clan Head. Even if he is about to step down, he must be given the respect he deserves. However," a cold glint flashed in Akira's eyes, "if certain pests from outside the Clan dare to make small moves during the Uchiha's power transition, eliminate them all directly, leave no one behind!"
"Yes!" Kenji and Shunichi knelt on one knee.
Akira waved his hand, signaling them to withdraw. He looked up towards the Hokage Rock. Dismissing Fugaku was only the first step. Next, he had to face the colossal system carved into that mountain, known as "Hokage."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō... Soon, it will be your turn." As long as he became the Clan Head, Akira's strength would certainly receive a significant boost. At that time, whether it was Hiruzen Sarutobi or Danzō Shimura, any schemes and tricks would become futile in the face of absolute power.
...
At a training ground, countless kunai and shuriken, like a rainstorm, struck the targets, making a dense "thudding" sound. Uchiha Itachi stopped, his chest heaving violently.
Itachi was well aware of the conflict between his father and Elder Akira. Akira's domineering nature had already sealed the outcome. Furthermore, Akira's formidable strength and Mangekyō Sharingan visual prowess, which was not yet widely known, all worried Itachi. If Uchiha Akira ascended and became the Clan Head, then the Uchiha Clan and the Village would completely lose any possibility of peace.
Caught in the middle, Itachi was momentarily unable to choose between the clan that raised him and the village to which he swore allegiance.
"Itachi." A gentle voice sounded. Uchiha Mikoto walked over, smiling and carrying a plate of rice balls. "Don't overexert yourself."
"Mother." Itachi took the rice balls but had no appetite whatsoever. Mikoto looked at the pain in her son's eyes and sighed softly. She reached out and tidied the messy strands of hair on his forehead. "No matter what happens, your father, he just wants to protect this home in his own way. Protect... all of us."
Itachi's body trembled almost imperceptibly. His father was like this, but what about himself? What kind of choice should he make? Should he choose the clan or the village? Itachi thought of his younger brother, Sasuke, and deep within his heart, he was once again filled with a firm conviction: even for Sasuke, he had to persevere.
The final night of the 3-day deadline. The moonlight, like water, quietly spilled into Uchiha Fugaku's courtyard. He put on a black montsuki haori, worn only during the most solemn ceremonies, with the large Uchiha fan crest on his back. He sat quietly on the veranda, gazing at the crescent moon in the sky.
"Have you decided?" Mikoto appeared silently behind him, draping an outer coat over him.
"Mm." Fugaku did not turn around, merely giving a soft affirmation. "I have led the Uchiha for over a decade; there must be a proper conclusion." His voice was calm, carrying the composure of one whose era was drawing to a close.
Mikoto did not try to persuade him further. She simply sat quietly beside her husband, resting her head gently on his shoulder, just like every night for the past decade.
The night deepened.
The next day, early morning, the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the ancient eaves of Naka Shrine. The entire Uchiha Clan Territory awoke. Countless Uchiha clansmen, dressed in formal attire and with solemn expressions, converged from all directions toward the shrine that would determine the clan's fate. The atmosphere was extremely heavy.
Uchiha Akira, dressed in black, walked slowly, surrounded by the Elder Guard. Almost simultaneously, at the other end of the shrine, Uchiha Fugaku's figure also appeared. Fugaku was alone, appearing somewhat solitary, yet his steps were steady, like a dragon or a tiger, still carrying the dignity of a Clan Head.
Their gazes met in the morning air. There were no sparks, no killing intent. Yet, all the Uchiha clansmen present felt an invisible storm brewing. The end of one era and the beginning of a new one was today.