Chapter 3: A Bitter Departure; Fugaku's Hidden Agenda!
Inside the meeting hall, a heavy silence followed Jin's words. Every Uchiha present looked at him in utter bewilderment.
No one had expected Uchiha Jin to flatly deny the accusations.
While it was true there was no physical evidence, this wasn't the kind of situation that required proof. Who else but the Radical Faction would pull something like this?
The single-minded Uchiha in the room found themselves at a loss for words. They were people who excelled at combat and bloodshed; verbal sparring was hardly their forte.
Shisui couldn't take it anymore, his face flushed with indignation. "Uchiha Jin! Do you really have the nerve to do something but not the courage to admit it?"
"If I did it, I'd admit it. But the problem is, I didn't!" Jin shrugged nonchalantly. "Why should I confess to something I didn't do? What, are you planning to beat a confession out of me?"
"How about this—I'll swear an oath."
"If the Radical Faction was behind this, may the Sage of Six Paths strike me down with a bolt of lightning right here and now!"
The shrine fell into a deathly stillness.
No one had anticipated Jin being this brazen. To invoke the name of the Sage of Six Paths in a life-or-death oath... the move completely paralyzed the opposition.
What were they supposed to do now?
The Moderates and the Neutrals were utterly dumbfounded. They had walked in assuming the Radicals would eventually admit to the act, and that the argument would simply be about whether or not to hand over the "culprits."
They had spent hours preparing arguments to convince the Radicals to surrender the men, but they never even got to that stage. The man just looked them in the eye and lied through his teeth.
The entire plan was dead in the water.
In fact, even the members of the Radical Faction were staring at their new leader in shock.
Good grief, he's truly shameless!
Several Radicals felt their lips twitch, barely able to keep a straight face.
Jin shrugged again. "See? Everyone saw it. The Sage of Six Paths hasn't struck me down. That proves I wasn't lying!"
A trace of mockery played on his lips. He didn't hold a shred of respect for the people in front of him.
What a joke. These were the kind of fools who were easily manipulated by the likes of Hiruzen Sarutobi. Jin had the benefit of a modern education and over a decade of world-weary experience from his previous life; if he couldn't outmaneuver the likes of Fugaku and Shisui in a debate, he might as well go bash his head against a wall.
Losing a fight was understandable. But losing a "Talk-no-Jutsu" battle to these blockheads? That would be a disgrace to the entire army of transmigrators!
As for the oath, Jin wasn't the least bit worried. While the Sage of Six Paths actually existed in this world, he was far from a true deity. At best, he was just a powerful alien. There was no "Heavenly Will" or "Cosmic Justice" here to enforce a verbal contract.
"Jin, you..."
Shisui tried to find a rebuttal, but the words died in his throat. There was no way around it—faced with Jin's sheer audacity, a person as earnest as Shisui was completely outmatched.
Uchiha Fugaku, the Clan Head, could no longer remain a spectator. He stood up, his expression stern as he locked eyes with Jin.
"Jin, enough. Stop this."
"I know our clansmen have suffered many grievances, but Shisui and I are truly working toward a solution."
"Give me some time, alright?"
Fugaku's tone held a hint of pleading, clearly attempting to play the emotional card.
And yet...
As he looked at Jin, a faint, cold sliver of killing intent flickered deep within Fugaku's eyes.
He knew his people were being mistreated by the village, but he knew even better that the Uchiha Clan was no match for the Hidden Leaf. For years, he had exhausted himself trying to maintain a fragile peace.
He simply couldn't understand why his clansmen refused to see his perspective. If they just endured a little longer, if they just yielded a bit more, eventually the clan would integrate into the village!
He already struggled to control the Radicals before; now, with Jin's rise, the pressure was becoming suffocating.
To Fugaku, a disobedient genius was worse than no genius at all.
On the other side, Jin remained unmoved by Fugaku's plea.
"I'm afraid I must decline, Clan Head-sama."
"I sympathize with the 'misfortune' that befell Root and the Anbu, but if you want to pin that mess on me, I suggest you find some evidence first."
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Without waiting for a response, Jin turned his back on Fugaku and headed toward the exit of Naka Shrine.
Explain himself? There was no need.
He wasn't even interested in winning over the other factions. He knew that prejudice was a mountain in the hearts of men. Unless the Uchiha underwent a total "blood-thinning" transformation—one where enough of the old guard died off—change was impossible.
For the Uchiha to be reborn, they had to be tempered in blood and fire.
But he wasn't in a hurry. He knew the opportunity was fast approaching.
As Jin walked out, every member of the Radical Faction followed suit, trailing behind him in a display of absolute loyalty.
It was clear to everyone: the current Clan Head, Uchiha Fugaku, had lost all authority in their eyes.
"Jin! You all—!"
Shisui tried to stop them, but Fugaku reached out and caught his arm.
"Shisui, that's enough."
"Let them go. There's no point in forcing them to stay."
"Tell me about the battlefield. Did the village really find no clues at all?"
Fugaku was deeply perplexed. If there had been even a shred of evidence, the situation would have been much easier to handle.
Shisui hesitated. As an Anbu member, he wasn't supposed to disclose intel freely. But considering the complexity of the case, he sighed and shook his head.
"The scene was completely scorched. The bodies were burned to ash. There wasn't a single trace left to follow."
"However, I am certain the Radicals did it. Uchiha Jin is definitely the mastermind."
Fugaku's face was etched with bitterness. It went without saying; everyone knew who the culprit was.
Before Jin's rise, the Radicals were loud and reckless, but they never dared to actually strike the village. They were all talk. But since Jin took over, things had spiraled out of control.
Every time an Uchiha went missing, a few members of Root or Anbu would turn up dead shortly after.
The pattern was so obvious that even a child could see it. How could Fugaku not understand?
But it didn't matter. You needed evidence to make an arrest, especially against a figure like Uchiha Jin.
After a long silence, Fugaku spoke slowly. "I can't help with this any longer. Shisui, report the situation truthfully to the Hokage-sama."
"This..." Shisui sighed, a bitter look on his face. "I suppose that's all we can do."
With a Body Flicker, Shisui vanished from the shrine.
Once Shisui was gone, Fugaku dismissed the remaining members and returned to his home.
And just like that, it ended.
Despite the fact that Uchiha clansmen were frequently going missing, neither man had given a single thought to seeking justice for them. This was exactly why Fugaku's credibility as a leader was in shambles.
Inside his home, Mikoto brought him a bowl of tea. She couldn't help but ask, "Is it settled? Did the Radicals back down?"
"No. It's gotten more complicated," Fugaku shook his head. "Uchiha Jin has officially taken over."
"Dealing with the Radicals will be much harder from now on. After all, they now have a Mangekyo user of their own."
Mikoto's interest was piqued. "Then how will we answer to the village?"
Fugaku grew pensive for a moment.
"There's nothing to answer for. We simply won't interfere."
"Let Hiruzen Sarutobi and Uchiha Jin clash. It will give me a chance to see the village's true attitude toward us."
"If things go south, we can always sacrifice Uchiha Jin. If the village chooses to back down, all the better. Either way, it won't negatively impact our position."
Hearing this, Mikoto finally understood. Her husband was using Uchiha Jin as a pawn to test the village's waters. Though she felt the urge to say something, she ultimately remained silent.
Jin was a clansman, but he wasn't as close to her as her husband.
However...
Neither of them noticed a small figure hidden just outside the tea room.
Uchiha Itachi.
Having overheard their conversation, Itachi's fists were clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.
'The Clan... always the Clan!'
'Why can't they think from the village's perspective for once?'
'What a foolish, short-sighted family!'