The Uchiha clan head, deeply aware of how quickly the situation had changed, felt as though he had two heads and four ears to worry about.
His gaze fell upon Uchiha Fugaku, who remained calm and composed, carrying himself with the bearing of a great general.
In the past, that unflappable demeanor in the face of anything had naturally been a source of comfort to him.
But after noticing the exchange of glances between Uchiha Ren and Uchiha Mikoto, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of anxiety when his own foolish son remained completely calm.
‘What is this kid thinking?
She’s already making a move right in front of you, and you’re just standing there dumbfounded!
At the very least, nod and congratulate her!’
The Uchiha clan head understood a little about human relationships.
Looking at Uchiha Fugaku, who was even more composed than himself, he sighed inwardly.
‘Forget it.
If Fugaku can’t make something of himself and lacks the ability, then giving him the position of clan head would be a disaster rather than a blessing.’
‘While the three of us old bones can still hold on for a few more years, let’s observe things one last time.’
Regardless of their respective positions, Uchiha Setsuna, Uchiha Kagami, and even the clan head himself had always placed the glory of the clan above everything else.
Moreover, the position of clan head had essentially been handed to him for free in the first place.
He had no psychological burden about stepping down and yielding the position to a more capable person.
The Uchiha clan head cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everyone present.
“There are mainly two matters to announce at this clan meeting.”
The old clan head got straight to the point.
“First, the Hokage Building has requested that our clan dispatch at least ten jōnin squads immediately to the eastern coastal border to guard against the Kirigakure shinobi who are already itching to make a move and may very well have crossed the sea.”
A fully staffed jōnin squad consisted of one jōnin accompanied by three chūnin.
At this point, there was no other clan in all of Konoha besides the Uchiha capable of producing ten jōnin squads in one go.
As for the Hyūga?
Suppressing their numerous branch-family members while protecting their tiny main family had created such a distorted development structure that not only was it difficult for them to produce Kage-level powerhouses, they had very few jōnin as well.
The Hyūga clan’s slogans might be shouted loud enough to shake the heavens, but in actual warfare, they were little more than scouts.
“Second, based on our battle achievements, the Hokage has promised to do his utmost to open up more registered jōnin positions for our clan, as well as additional ANBU slots.”
As the old clan head finished speaking, the reactions in the hall varied.
Some people were delighted, while others struggled to hide their dissatisfaction.
Everyone knew that possessing jōnin-level strength did not automatically grant someone the status of a jōnin.
Within Konoha, setting aside the various benefits and privileges, every jōnin possessed both the right to vote and the right to stand for election.
Yet the entire Uchiha clan had no more than fifteen jōnin officially affiliated with Konoha.
Most of them had become Konoha jōnin because of their positions as members of the Military Police Force, while the rest were clan shinobi who were not affiliated with Konoha.
Among the more than two hundred Konoha jōnin, the Uchiha’s registered jōnin could hardly make a ripple.
But if their numbers increased, the situation might change.
Then again, even having greater numbers did not necessarily mean they would have any real influence.
More importantly, there were the ANBU positions—the Hokage’s personal guards, formally known as the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad.
These were what truly delighted most members of the clan head’s faction and the dove faction.
They believed that Konoha’s leadership was finally extending an olive branch to the Uchiha.
They could protect Konoha while simultaneously earning the Hokage’s trust.
Such a seemingly win-win opportunity prompted Uchiha Fugaku to immediately speak.
“I am willing to lead a squad to the front lines and drive back the Kirigakure forces!”
Uchiha Kusumi and Uchiha Shisui also spoke up, each volunteering to lead a squad.
After they finished speaking, the atmosphere inside the shrine suddenly fell silent.
Logically speaking, the Uchiha of the dove faction should have followed immediately.
The strange atmosphere made Uchiha Fugaku’s brows furrow slightly.
His gaze first landed on Uchiha Mikoto’s serene face.
She merely returned a polite but distant smile.
That courteous response gave Uchiha Fugaku an ominous feeling.
His gaze quickly swept over the silent members of the dove faction behind Uchiha Mikoto.
His brows furrowed deeper and deeper until they formed a distinct crease between them.
‘What do they mean by this?
Do they want me to fill all ten squads by myself?’
‘If I could use the enormous amount of battle merit to improve the clan’s position in Konoha, then it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.’
‘Either way, it’s the Uchiha who have to risk their lives.
Anyone can do it.’
This thought surfaced in Uchiha Fugaku’s mind, and he couldn’t help looking toward the seat at the front.
That single glance left the Uchiha clan head confused at first.
Then he saw his son make a slight hand gesture.
Immediately, another Uchiha jōnin from the clan head’s faction spoke up to fill the vacancy.
The old clan head finally understood what had happened.
A surge of frustration immediately rose in his chest.
He almost wanted to slap this wastrel of a son across the face and send him flying!
And before he could recover from his momentary distraction, another Uchiha from the clan head’s faction raised his hand.
‘The Uchiha are about to step onto the battlefield and fight Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.’
‘This isn’t some lucrative mission where there’s plenty of money and little work.
One careless mistake could get even a Kage-level shinobi killed!’
The stifled old clan head immediately raised his hand to draw everyone’s attention.
He looked toward the hawkish and dove factions.
Both remained completely unmoved, as though waiting for something.
He immediately spoke.
“Ren, Mikoto, what do the two of you think?”
Until the two newly established faction leaders spoke, their respective subordinates naturally had no intention of saying anything.
They looked at the clan head’s faction, which had already occupied half of the ten squads in the blink of an eye, with strange expressions.
War was no game.
People were going to die!
‘We’re all Uchiha.
We’re all members of Konoha.
Why is only Big Brother Fugaku willing to volunteer?’
‘Has Sister Mikoto changed?’
‘And what is Big Brother Ren thinking?’
Feeling the gazes of the hawkish and dove factions, Uchiha Shisui felt extremely uncomfortable.
It was as though a complete family had been forcibly torn into three pieces, leaving the love and trust between relatives shattered beyond recognition.
He looked at Uchiha Mikoto, who remained as gentle as ever, then at Uchiha Ren, whose expression was calm and smiling.
Recalling what they had said during the clan meeting, he quietly waited for what would come next.
“Clan Head, the Uchiha are a part of Konoha. Fighting for the village and defending the Land of Fire is naturally our duty.”
“But Mikoto has a small question.”
Uchiha Fugaku and the others immediately brightened at her words.
The old clan head, however, felt his heart jump.
Under the light pouring down from the ceiling, Uchiha Mikoto straightened her back and calmly raised her head.
Her clear voice echoed throughout the hall.
“Fighting for Konoha is our duty as Uchiha.”
“But why does Konoha always put itself on such a lofty pedestal, treating the merits and rewards that we deserve as though they were charity being bestowed upon us?”
She paused slightly, her gaze sweeping across the entire hall before finally returning to the clan head.
Her voice was gentle and clear, yet every word struck like a blade.
“As shinobi, we accept missions, complete those missions, and receive payment for them afterward.”
“Clan Head, may I ask—what exactly is wrong with that?”
“Or is it that, as the clan head, there is already a serious problem with the way you communicate with Konoha’s leadership?”
Her words were like a bucket of icy water thrown directly into the faces of Uchiha Fugaku and the others.
Even the old clan head was left utterly stunned.