On the riverbank,
After a fierce exchange of taijutsu, the two Uchiha leapt apart and began forming hand seals once more!
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
Twin fireballs roared across the surface, colliding midair and exploding in a blinding flash of searing heat!
The river water hissed and vanished into steam, shrouding the battlefield in a dense white mist that obscured the view of all the onlookers.
Inside the vapor, Uchiha Fugaku, his three-tomoe Sharingan spinning like scarlet wheels, swiftly locked onto Uchiha Chiya's chakra presence, preparing to strike.
Yet, Chiya suddenly released his killing intent and stood defenseless before Fugaku.
"What's the meaning of this?" Fugaku demanded, eyes narrowing.
"I can't win against you," Chiya replied quietly. "There's no point in continuing."
He exhaled, exhausted. "Besides… my chakra's almost gone."
"So, you're conceding?" Fugaku's voice carried clear disappointment.
Though he had thought Chiya's challenge reckless, he had respected the young man's courage his willingness to act on conviction rather than fear.
That alone set him apart from most Uchiha.
But to surrender before even being defeated...
"It seems you're not yet prepared to find your resolve," Fugaku said gravely.
"I am prepared," Chiya answered sharply. "But not for defeat."
"I seek enlightenment not through losing to you—" he paused, gaze firm— "but through becoming clan head and guiding the Uchiha toward true prosperity!"
Fugaku's eyes flickered with surprise.
Then Chiya continued, voice steady:
"Uncle Fugaku… what do you think of the current relationship between the Uchiha and the village leadership?"
Fugaku was silent for a moment, then answered, "There's tension misunderstanding between us and the Hokage's advisors. But I believe, given time, it will fade."
Chiya's lips curved faintly.
Fade away? If only that were true.
In the end, it wasn't the distance that vanished
it was the Uchiha themselves.
"But reality tells a different story," Chiya said coldly. "The higher-ups' surveillance and restrictions grow worse every month."
Fugaku's expression hardened, his pride wounded.
"Uncle Fugaku, you've always loved the village deeply," Chiya pressed. "You've chosen patience concession to show Konoha that the Uchiha bear no grudge."
"But that kindness has gone unanswered."
"What does that tell you?"
"It means the village leaders have never trusted us. They don't see the Uchiha as part of Konoha."
"If this continues, their oppression will only deepen and our clan's resentment will only rise."
"You can restrain the anger now, but later?"
"When that rage explodes, someone will seek an outlet…"
Fugaku fell silent.
But his clenched fists betrayed the truth Chiya's words had struck home.
No one desired conflict except the foolish. Fugaku least of all.
He had always dreamed that the Uchiha might live peacefully within the village their ancestors helped found.
He had offered goodwill time and again to the Hokage's office, even joining the Konoha Military Police to serve the village faithfully.
But in return, what had they received?
Suspicion. Isolation. Surveillance.
And Chiya was right resentment among the clan was already simmering.
Even now, Fugaku could sense the unrest beneath the surface.
When he looked at Chiya again, his eyes had changed from those of a mentor to those of a man seeing a future he could neither control nor deny.
He was astonished that Chiya could see through the clan's predicament so clearly!
Even Fugaku, usually composed, spoke in a low, strained tone: "Then what do you propose, Chiya?"
"Change."
That was Chiya's simple answer.
"Let me take the mantle of patriarch," he declared. "I'll reshape the Uchiha's direction myself!"
Fugaku's hands clenched at his sides. "You speak recklessly… You're only a jonin. In the Uchiha's long history, the patriarch's seat has always belonged to those of proven strength those who've awakened the full Sharingan."
Chiya met his gaze unflinchingly. "It's not just strength that makes a leader, Uncle Fugaku. It's love for the clan! True love the kind that puts the Uchiha above one's pride. That's why I'm prepared to give my life to lead our people toward a new future!"
Fugaku's heart stirred at his words.
By now, the steam rising from the scorched river had begun to fade, revealing their silhouettes once more.
Looking into Chiya's determined eyes, Fugaku was silent for a long moment. Then, faintly, he smiled. "To bear the name 'Patriarch' is to bear the burden of the clan's fate. Make sure you understand that before seeking enlightenment."
Chiya's lips curved slightly.
The patriarch's test passed.
…
Soon, the water vapor cleared completely.
All eyes turned toward the center of the river.
Gasps echoed across the banks.
"What, what's going on here!?"
Before them, Chiya stood over Fugaku, a kunai buried in the older man's abdomen.
Fugaku's face was pale, his body collapsing slowly as crimson blood spread beneath him.
"This… this can't be!"
"Chiya actually defeated the Patriarch?"
"This is insane I must be caught in a genjutsu!"
"It has to be some kind of trick! No way he beat Fugaku-sama head-on!"
"That's right! It must've been a cheap tactic!"
Facing their accusations, Chiya did not flinch. He spoke plainly, even boldly.
"You're right. I didn't win fairly."
"I used deception. But isn't that what shinobi do?"
His words struck them like a thrown kunai.
Ninja by definition used cunning, stealth, and guile. Assassination, espionage, ambush, deception… that was the very essence of their craft.
Realizing this, murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Well… when you think about it, Chiya's only a jonin. Even using tricks, defeating the Patriarch at all is impressive."
"Exactly! If you charge at a stronger enemy head-on, you're a fool, not a hero!"
"Chiya, that was brilliant!"
"Yeah! A true shinobi fights to win, no matter the method!"
…
Lying on the ground, Fugaku cracked open one eye, watching the scene unfold.
This brat…
His mind works faster than most jonin I've met.
With only a few words, he's turned the crowd—and the loss into a symbol of victory.
–