The Naka Shrine was a sacred, forbidden place to the Uchiha clan—a hallowed ground that only opened for clan meetings. At all other times, only the clan head was permitted entry.
Back when Uchiha Madara served as clan leader, the Uchiha were essentially a dictatorship. The so-called clan meetings were little more than a formality. After all, Madara's sheer strength left no room for dissent. He was, without question, the strongest Uchiha in the clan's entire history.
Unfortunately, the Senju clan—eternal rivals of the Uchiha—had produced their own terrifying monster: Hashirama Senju. And Hashirama was someone capable of completely overpowering Madara.
In Yuhara's recollection, their final battle had ended with both seemingly exhausted, but the fact that Hashirama could still pull off a surprise attack in that state showed who truly held the upper hand.
Even a slight edge at that level of power was a major difference. Throughout their long rivalry, Hashirama had consistently maintained the upper hand. It was no wonder he became the First Hokage—not just because of Madara's temperament, but because of power as well.
But that was all in the past. The Senju were gone, while the Uchiha still remained… barely.
Now, the Uchiha were on the edge of collapse. And unlike in the days of Madara, there was no unmatched titan leading them.
In fact, Madara had been the only clan head in history strong enough to rule without ever needing to convene the clan. For everyone else, regular meetings were required to discuss and vote on major decisions.
Even though the clan leader had veto power, it was rarely exercised—most decisions were made collectively at these meetings.
Tonight, Yuhara and Shisui walked together toward Naka Shrine. Both of them felt a tension in the air. What they were about to do… was unprecedented in the history of the Uchiha.
But as seasoned shinobi, they were both capable of masking their emotions.
"Nervous?" Yuhara asked with a smirk. "Tonight isn't going to be easy."
"A little," Shisui admitted with a deep breath. "But with you here, I believe everything will go smoothly."
"Let's hope it doesn't get messy," Yuhara nodded. "By the way—will Itachi be attending the meeting?"
"Technically, he should," Shisui said, but his expression hardened. "But I won't let him in."
This meeting was far too important. Until everything was settled, nothing could be allowed to leak out.
No one wanted any unnecessary complications or outside interference. They would announce the results only after everything was dealt with.
Itachi, as a member of the ANBU—and someone who had clearly stated his opposition—would not be allowed inside. It didn't matter if he was Fugaku's son or a three-tomoe Sharingan wielder. He had forfeited that right.
Among the Uchiha, the Sharingan was everything. Only those who had awakened the Sharingan were truly considered part of the clan. Only they had a voice.
To attend the clan meeting at Naka Shrine, awakening the Sharingan was the bare minimum requirement.
"Thanks for handling that," Yuhara said with a smile. Then he took a deep breath and added solemnly, "We've arrived. Time to create an era of our own."
With that, he pushed open the great doors, and Shisui followed close behind.
Inside, the clan members already seated turned to look at them—but quickly averted their eyes, lowering their heads in deference.
Everyone knew Shisui's name. Whether they were moderates or hardliners, none could deny his power.
The moderates, in particular, knew his strength and his close ties with Elder Sō.
As for Yuhara… once seen as Shisui's equal during childhood, his status had gradually faded after he chose to become a mission ninja, unaffiliated with any faction or the police force.
Among the younger generation, most still held him in decent regard, but there had been a common belief: that Yuhara could never catch up to Shisui. Their friendship aside, the gap seemed destined to widen.
No one had expected the storm that began a few months ago.
Yuhara's sudden rise stunned the entire clan. He gained Shisui's backing, the elders' trust… and most shocking of all, he turned out to possess the Mangekyō Sharingan.
That revelation alone left the clan speechless.
Even the hardliners who once opposed him had switched sides. And they were now changing core parts of their ideology.
Everything had happened so fast, it left everyone breathless.
And now, here they were—ready to overthrow the current clan head and crown a fifteen-year-old as the new leader.
It sounded outrageous.
Yet after hearing what the elders and Shisui had to say, even the moderate members couldn't deny the truth in Yuhara's ideas.
The Uchiha needed change. Fugaku wasn't the right man to lead them. Something had to be done.
If even the moderates agreed, then the hardliners didn't need convincing.
They had already been humbled by Yuhara firsthand. Many seated here had been beaten down by him—and more importantly, they had seen the terrifying power of his Mangekyō.
The image of that strange kaleidoscopic pattern, and the human-shaped, glowing blue Susanoo enveloping him… it would haunt them forever.
That night, Yuhara had seemed like a demon.
That night, all their pride had been shattered.
And now, not only did they acknowledge his strength and leadership, they were willing to follow him.
Only one person remained still and solemn—Uchiha Fugaku, sitting atop the clan leader's seat.
He stared silently at Yuhara and Shisui, his mind racing.
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