Uchiha Fugaku convened this meeting with a single purpose—
to inform the clan of the major upheavals shaking the ninja world, and of the war that was likely fast approaching.
Fight.
Fight.
Fight.
That was the voice in the hearts of most Uchiha.
To the Uchiha, war meant glory.
It meant the awakening and evolution of the Sharingan.
Yet the vast majority of them were not battle-crazed lunatics who lived only for combat.
They understood one simple truth:
once war reached the village, it would inevitably reach their families.
So to the Uchiha, fighting was not just for honor—it was for their loved ones and for the clan itself.
And yes, it was also an opportunity for their Sharingan to grow stronger.
Although the Elder Faction, led by Uchiha Yashiro, and the Clan Head Faction, led by Uchiha Fugaku, were usually at odds, they had reached a rare consensus on this matter.
Given the current situation, Konoha would sooner or later be dragged into a full-scale ninja war.
To prepare for this inevitability, Fugaku and Yashiro jointly agreed on one thing—
The establishment of the Uchiha Special Operations Unit.
Historically speaking, the Uchiha clan had always been intertwined with war.
Whether during the Warring States Era or the era of hidden villages,
the name Uchiha had always been synonymous with both war and power.
Now, as the shadow of another great ninja war loomed ever closer, Fugaku and Yashiro reached an agreement to form this special unit.
This unit would be different from the Uchiha Police Force, which handled internal security within the village.
The Special Operations Unit would exist for one purpose:
to respond to the coming ninja war.
Its primary mission would be to protect Uchiha civilians, and secondarily, to safeguard the residents of Konoha itself.
Every member of this unit would be an Uchiha who had awakened the Sharingan.
They would possess exceptional ninjutsu and combat ability.
They would follow the village's orders when necessary—
but their highest priority would always be the clan's commands.
There was only one unresolved issue.
The commander and vice-commander of the Special Operations Unit.
Yashiro proposed that the position of overall commander be given to Uchiha Taka, Inabi's father and the Seventh Elder of the clan.
The suggestion was pragmatic.
Taka was nearly fifty years old.
Though past his prime, he still possessed jōnin-level strength, and more importantly—experience.
From Yashiro's perspective, he was a solid and reliable choice.
The elders supporting Yashiro were mostly older clan members and their descendants—
many of them part of the militant faction that believed Konoha owed the Uchiha a great debt and favored seizing power through force.
The moment Yashiro spoke, voices of approval erupted.
"I support Elder Taka as commander. His strength and experience make him the best choice."
"Exactly. He fought in the Second Ninja War. That kind of experience is invaluable."
The Naka Shrine quickly filled with noise.
Fugaku frowned.
He knew the militant faction was influential—but he hadn't expected things to be this severe.
Looking around, most of his own supporters were children and teenagers, with only a handful of adults.
At that moment, Fugaku could only place his hopes on Uchiha Ryūka and Uchiha Ran.
The Uchiha revered strength.
When it came to selecting a commander, experience mattered—but raw power mattered more.
Fugaku decided to turn this into a duel decided by strength.
Ryūka was a veteran jōnin who had spent years on the border.
Her strength was unquestionable.
But there were two problems.
First—
female shinobi leading male Uchiha was nearly unheard of, which was why Ryūka preferred to operate alone.
Second—
Taka, that old fox, might simply refuse to accept a challenge from a younger woman.
Losing to a junior would be far too embarrassing.
Which left one perfect choice.
Uchiha Ran.
After these recent missions, Fugaku had finally realized something—
The once unremarkable Uchiha Ran was an absolute prodigy, on the same level as Hatake Kakashi.
Especially his genjutsu.
If Ryūka's report was even remotely accurate, then Ran's skill in genjutsu surpassed everyone present.
Sending Ran was the perfect surprise.
If Ran won, Taka would have no face left to compete for the commander position.
After that, appointing Ryūka and Taka as vice-commanders would neatly resolve Ran's lack of experience.
With that thought settled, Fugaku shot Ran a meaningful glance and walked over to Yashiro, the two of them speaking in hushed tones.
The moment Ran caught Fugaku's look, he understood.
Here we go again…
Fugaku really was hopeless.
Weak in strength.
Weak in politics.
And frankly… not much to look at either.
Completely average in every sense.
Poor Mikoto…
For now, Ran had no intention of forcibly unifying the Uchiha clan.
Fleeting Life, Dreamlike Illusion was still vulnerable to sensory-type techniques.
He would wait until Orochimaru's research into the Mangekyō Sharingan reached maturity.
The rest of the clan watched Fugaku and Yashiro whispering, curiosity spreading.
Low murmurs filled the shrine.
"What's there to discuss? Isn't Taka already the obvious choice?"
"Don't tell me Fugaku wants to push Ryūka. I won't accept that."
"Just wait. Fugaku's clearly trying to reclaim some authority."
"Enough. Quiet."
Both Yashiro and Fugaku spoke at the same time, silencing the room.
Fugaku gestured to Yashiro, who stepped forward and addressed everyone.
After discussion between the two leaders, they had agreed—
The commander of the Uchiha Special Operations Unit would be decided purely by strength.
Two candidates would compete for the position:
Uchiha Taka.
Uchiha Ran.
"Taka. Ran. Do either of you object?" Yashiro asked.
Taka snorted inwardly.
So not Ryūka, huh. Figures.
But this kid? A fresh graduate? Fugaku really has no one left?
At that moment, Taka felt his position was already secured.
Still…
bullying a kid half his age didn't exactly feel dignified.
His old face flushed slightly.
I'll go easy on him, he decided.
We're clanmates—no need to crush his spirit.
Ran, on the other hand, felt nothing at all.
To him, fighting clan members without the Mangekyō made little difference.
Whoever stepped up—it didn't matter.
"No objections."
"I will follow the orders of the clan head and the elders."
Both men answered in unison.
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