Uchiha Nan stood where he was, the smile on his face growing ever brighter as he basked in the cheers around him.
"Tekka," he said calmly, "set the clan assembly for tomorrow afternoon. Same place as always—the Naka Shrine."
"Yes!"
Uchiha Tekka nodded firmly and accepted the order.
With that, Nan waved his hand and dismissed the crowd.
In less than a single morning, Nan's actions had sent shockwaves through the Uchiha clan. The uproar was so intense that, for a time, it even threatened to overshadow the news of Tobirama Senju's death.
Uchiha Nan intends to overthrow Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku and take his place.
One massive piece of gossip after another.
The Uchiha hadn't enjoyed gossip this juicy in years.
It was exhilarating. Truly exhilarating.
At that very moment—
Inside Uchiha Fugaku's residence, the once-spacious and well-lit living room now felt cramped. More than a dozen Uchiha sat inside, their eyes fixed intently on Fugaku, who sat upright and composed at the head of the room.
His wife, Uchiha Miyame, carried a tea tray as she busied herself pouring tea for the guests. The snacks she normally prepared for visitors were nowhere near enough this time, leaving her quietly flustered.
So many people had arrived without warning—there'd been no time to prepare.
But none of the Uchiha present had any appetite for tea or sweets anyway.
They were all staunch supporters of Fugaku, and the events unfolding in Konoha over the past two days had left them completely at a loss.
First came the shocking news that Tobirama Senju had been assassinated during peace negotiations—an earth-shattering revelation they hadn't even finished processing.
Then, before anyone could catch their breath, the clan's prodigy, Uchiha Nan, shattered everyone's expectations by openly challenging the clan head himself. Rumor had it that Nan was even the one who had first spread news of Tobirama's death.
They all knew Nan well.
If not for the fact that he had awakened the Uchiha's Sharingan, one could almost mistake him for a Senju—there'd be nothing off about it at all.
Fugaku held his pipe, drawing on it again and again, trying to calm the anxiety knotting in his chest.
It wasn't just his subordinates who were confused.
Even he couldn't fully grasp what was happening.
In barely two days, the situation had shifted so drastically it felt like more than a decade had passed.
So fast that Fugaku couldn't help but wonder if he had grown old—if he'd lost his ability to keep up with the times.
Just days ago, he'd been planning how to extract more compensation from Tobirama once the peace treaty was signed.
The clan's privately trained shinobi had been sent en masse to the battlefield for this war.
The Uchiha weapon industry alone—kunai, shuriken, all supplied to Konoha—represented an astronomical sum.
Not to mention the countless soldier pills.
All of it was money.
Shinobi risk their lives for a living—what else if not profit?
Every bit of it was supposed to be settled through intense negotiation.
Tobirama had been dragging his feet the whole time.
And then—
Bang.
All gone.
Tobirama was dead.
Gone just like that. No warning at all.
And the captain of the Military Police Force—Uchiha Nan, whom Fugaku himself had promoted—had apparently gone mad, abandoning his usual demeanor and daring to challenge him for the position of clan head.
Before long, Fugaku's living room was thick with smoke. Half the men present were heavy smokers. They'd originally planned to hold back out of courtesy, but once Fugaku himself started smoking, restraint went out the window.
Tap… exhale…
One Uchiha blew out a smoke ring, glancing at Fugaku, who continued puffing in silence. Unable to hold back any longer, he finally spoke.
"Clan Head… what are we going to do about tomorrow's assembly?"
The moment he spoke, others quickly followed.
"Exactly. Clan Head, Uchiha Nan must have been planning this for a long time. He was the first to get news of Tobirama's death."
Fugaku recalled Nan's past behavior—so utterly different from now that it felt like an entirely different person.
Having served as clan head for over a decade, Fugaku prided himself on his understanding of people.
And yet—
He hadn't seen through Nan at all.
Disguise.
To think someone could maintain a façade for so many years…
What a terrifying young man.
Nan had only revealed his true face after Tobirama's death.
He'd always wanted to become Hokage.
Fugaku couldn't help but admire him inwardly.
A true Uchiha genius—both in strength and in temperament.
This really was the moment when the Uchiha stood closest to the Hokage's seat.
And yet—
What Fugaku couldn't understand was this:
What gives Nan the confidence?
Objectively speaking, Nan was undeniably strong.
That morning, he'd defeated Uchiha Kagami with ease. Within the clan, only a handful could rival him.
Even Fugaku himself wasn't confident of a guaranteed victory if they fought.
In terms of combat power alone, Nan might already be the strongest in the clan.
But was brute strength enough to be clan head?
Did he really think Fugaku had held this position for years for nothing?
Fugaku's gaze swept quickly across the room.
Nearly everyone present had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan—elite jōnin of the Uchiha. If they formed a strike team under his command, they could even kill Tobirama Senju.
The price would be unacceptable, but the capability was there.
So what if you're strong?
Power alone meant nothing.
In this world, what mattered was influence. Background. Factions.
Did Nan really think Tobirama's death suddenly made him some kind of delicacy on the table?
Without the Mangekyō Sharingan, Uchiha didn't differ qualitatively from one another.
"Enough. Stop complaining."
Fugaku finally spoke, his voice calm.
"Uchiha Nan is a genius of the clan, fresh off the battlefield. Arrogance is natural."
"We are family. After Lord Madara left Konoha, I was chosen as clan head by the people."
"If Nan believes he's more suitable, and has requested a clan assembly, then we'll discuss it there."
"Let the clan see clearly who is truly fit to lead the Uchiha."
His tone was steady—but the chill beneath it was unmistakable.
The Uchiha present felt it clearly.
Nan is in serious trouble this time.
"Clan Head, you know me—I'll support you no matter what!"
"Me too!"
"That brat Nan is far too arrogant. He has no idea how much you've sacrificed for the clan!"
"He has to pay a price!"
"…"
One after another, they declared their loyalty.
Fugaku raised a hand, cutting them off.
"No matter what, Nan is still a genius of the clan, and a hero of Konoha. This is nothing more than youthful recklessness."
"If any of you were his age and had his strength, you might be even more unrestrained."
With that, Fugaku set the tone.
Toward Nan, he would remain tolerant.
Geniuses were always granted leniency.
Perhaps, when he grew older—when Fugaku himself aged further—and if Fugaku's son proved unable to shoulder the clan's future…
Nan might not be a bad choice after all.
But not now.
This seat—
He could step down from it on his own.
But he would never allow himself to be driven out.
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