Lance had learned more than a few secrets of illusion from Shisui Uchiha. Now, those very insights had found the perfect target the Sixth Elder.
The moment his genjutsu took hold, the entire council chamber fell silent.
Just seconds ago, several of the elders had been chuckling smugly, but now not one of them dared to breathe too loudly. The laughter had vanished, replaced by a chilling awareness: Lance Shen was no obedient youth to be ordered around.
He wasn't a docile sheep.
He was a hedgehog covered in thorns prick him the wrong way, and you would bleed.
"Lance Shen! What do you think you're doing? Are you challenging my authority?"
Fugaku Uchiha's deep voice thundered through the room as he rose from his seat. In a flash, he appeared beside the trembling elder, his Sharingan spinning as he dispelled the illusion that held the old man captive.
Fugaku's chest heaved. The clan leader's composure had cracked for the first time Lance's audacity had truly gotten under his skin.
As the genjutsu faded, the Sixth Elder sat slumped in his chair, sweat pouring down his temples. His eyes darted toward Lance with a mix of dread and disbelief. Only he knew what horrors had clawed at his mind during that illusion.
Lance, in contrast, remained composed. He opened his palms slightly, his tone calm but resolute.
"As for whether this counts as a challenge to your authority, Clan Leader, I'll let you decide," he said. "But I've done nothing wrong. Respect is earned, not demanded. The clan may grant him the title of Elder, but that doesn't give him the right to shout at me like I'm a servant."
His gaze swept across the room. "If you've truly made great contributions to the clan, then yes, I'll respect you for your wisdom, for your age, for your service. But unfortunately… you haven't."
A faint smirk touched his lips as his eyes flicked back to the Sixth Elder.
"What you've brought this clan is not strength, but endless compromise. You've taught our people to bow, to submit, to live with our tails between our legs."
His voice dropped, sharp as a blade. "A coward like you doesn't deserve my respect."
The room went completely still.
He had said it outright no flattery, no pretense. The words were brutal, but they struck true.
Ignoring Fugaku's deepening scowl, Lance turned toward the rest of the elders and raised his voice.
"Tell me, everyone. Does it not bother you that a man like this sits among you as an equal? Are you not ashamed that such weakness represents our clan?"
The question hung in the air like smoke.
For a moment, no one responded. Then, one by one, several elders exchanged awkward glances, eyes flicking toward the pale and shaken Sixth Elder. A few looked away in embarrassment.
Because, truth be told, Lance wasn't wrong.
The elder had been humiliated controlled by a genjutsu before their very eyes, unable to resist even for a second. And now, that same man still had the audacity to call himself an Elder of the Uchiha?
The shame was palpable.
"Lance Shen," the Sixth Elder croaked after a long silence, forcing strength into his trembling voice. "Are you trying to drag this clan into ruin?"
The accusation might have carried weight if it hadn't been so desperate.
Lance couldn't help it. He laughed.
The sound was genuine, unrestrained, echoing off the chamber walls.
"If refusing to crawl on our bellies means the clan will perish," he said, still grinning, "then the Uchiha should have died eight hundred times by now."
Even some of the other elders struggled not to smile. The Great Elder, in particular, had to cover his mouth to suppress a chuckle. His gaze on Lance softened noticeably.
This boy, he thought, was born to lead the strong. His fire, his pride, his defiance these were the marks of a true Uchiha warrior.
Such spirit shouldn't be silenced. It should be embraced.
"Enough!"
Fugaku's sharp voice cut through the rising murmurs. The clan leader's patience was thinning. He fixed both men with a cold stare.
"This ends here," he declared. "Sixth Elder, I will not tolerate any more baseless accusations or insults toward the younger generation."
Then his gaze shifted to Lance. "And you, Lance Shen I will not allow such insubordination to happen again. Do I make myself clear?"
His tone was that of a leader trying to restore order, but the outcome was obvious.
Both were reprimanded, but only one walked away unscathed.
For Lance, the rebuke was nothing a token slap on the wrist. But for the Sixth Elder, it was a humiliation that stripped away the last shred of authority he possessed.
From this day forward, he would never again dare to scold a younger member of the clan, not even in jest.
The knowledge hit him like a punch to the chest. His vision darkened, and he nearly fainted from rage.
The pacifist faction he led had already lost its influence. Now, no one would defend him. The few who sympathized stayed silent out of self-preservation. The others simply looked on, secretly relieved that it wasn't them in his place.
Once the tension eased, Fugaku took a deep breath and turned back to address the assembly.
"Because of certain recent events," he began, "some members of our clan have voiced dissatisfaction toward certain individuals."
He paused, his voice heavy with unspoken meaning. "Lance is right about one thing. The Uchiha have their own pride and dignity. We cannot live our lives trying to please others. We cannot keep bending ourselves to fit into a mold the village expects of us."
Even though Fugaku had no desire to purge the pacifists completely, he could read the room. The momentum had shifted beyond his control.
The clan had made up its mind. The tide favored the strong.
If he openly opposed that now, he would risk splitting the clan in two and a divided Uchiha would fall faster than any outside threat could bring them down.
The only move left was to let the weak faction fade quietly, sacrificing them for stability.
"Clan Leader!" The Sixth Elder's voice broke through, desperate. "Everything we've done is for the good of the family! The village grows wary of us. If we can change our image, earn the Hokage's trust, we can finally belong in Konoha again!"
Lance couldn't help himself this time. He laughed outright a sharp, mocking sound that filled the hall.
The Sixth Elder's face twisted with fury. "What is so funny, Lance Shen?!"
"What's funny?" Lance wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, still smirking. "Everything you just said. It's hilarious, really. You talk about 'earning their trust' as if we're beggars waiting for scraps. Tell me, Elder how many times must we kneel before they finally accept us?"
He leaned back slightly, his expression hardening. "Maybe the real problem isn't how they see us. Maybe it's that you've forgotten who we are."
The silence that followed was deafening. Even Fugaku hesitated, watching Lance with a new kind of respect and a hint of unease.
Because in that moment, he realized something:
Lance Shen wasn't just another fiery youth. He was a force sharp, commanding, and utterly fearless.
A man who could no longer be treated as a subordinate.
A man the Uchiha would soon have to reckon with.