After listening to Seigen’s long list of proposals, everyone fell silent.
Each of them was weighing the feasibility of his suggestions.
To be honest, the ideas of farming, raising chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep, or even working in mines all felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Those had always been jobs for ordinary civilians.
Now they, the proud Uchiha shinobi, were expected to do them with their own hands?
Still…
That was all they could do now.
The clan simply didn’t have enough people, and there weren’t any missions available to support everyone.
If they wanted to survive, they had no choice.
Fugaku, however, was extremely pleased with Seigen’s proposals.
Unlike some shinobi, he had never carried himself like a noble .
Everything he did was for the sake of the clan.
If farming or herding cattle benefited the Uchiha…
Then why shouldn’t they do it?
“Very good.”
“Rather than deciding on my own, let’s vote.”
From the night Konoha attempted to annihilate the clan, Fugaku had realized his greatest weakness.
His indecisiveness had nearly doomed everyone.
Because of that, he decided that important clan affairs would be settled by vote from now on.
As soon as he finished speaking…
Every person present raised a hand.
Five votes in favor.
“Very well.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“The only thing left…”
“…is choosing the name of our new village.”
The moment the topic came up, even the usually quiet Itachi became unexpectedly enthusiastic.
“Hidden Blood Village.”
“Hidden Eye Village.”
“Hidden Wave Village.”
“Hidden Crow Village.”
One suggestion after another poured out.
Seigen covered his face.
He really couldn’t listen anymore.
“How about this?”
“The Uchiha are famous for Fire Release.”
“We’re founding an entirely new village that will be different from every other hidden village.”
“So…”
“Let’s call it…”
“The Hidden Flame Village.”
The room instantly fell silent.
Then everyone’s eyes lit up.
A great name!
Flame was literally fire above fire.
Even the title sounded as though it stood above the Hokage.
“Excellent name!”
Everyone agreed at once.
“There’s one more matter.”
Fugaku looked toward Seigen.
“The Daimyo has asked us to appoint a Kage as soon as possible.”
Then he spoke words no one expected.
“I nominate Uchiha Seigen as the Flame Shadow.”
“As for myself…”
“I’ll step down as Clan Head.”
“From today onward…”
“Uchiha Itachi will succeed me.”
“Huh?”
“I’m supposed to become the Kage?”
Seigen stared blankly.
“Huh?”
“I’m the Clan Head now?”
Even Itachi, who had been quietly thinking moments earlier, couldn’t help blurting it out.
“You two have already earned the respect of the younger generation.”
“And…”
Fugaku smiled bitterly.
“I’m no longer suitable to lead the clan.”
He placed a hand on both Seigen’s and Itachi’s shoulders.
“The future…”
“…belongs to you.”
No one objected.
The three elders had already realized on the night of the massacre that these three possessed the greatest combat strength within the Uchiha Clan.
Everyone had witnessed the enormous black Susanoo in Konoha.
The Uchiha respected strength above all else.
Power spoke louder than anything.
Besides…
Without Seigen, they would all have died that night.
No one had any objection to him becoming the leader of the new village.
“We support Seigen and Itachi as well!”
Since everyone had reached a consensus, Seigen and Itachi could only accept the responsibility.
As far as Seigen was concerned, both now and in the future, he had no intention of allowing the Hidden Flame Village to survive by relying solely on mission commissions.
He wanted the village to become completely self-sufficient.
In other words…
Fugaku had practically handed all authority over to him and Itachi.
As for himself…
He was more than happy to become the village’s symbolic figurehead.
Afterward, Fugaku brought Seigen before the entire clan and officially announced that Seigen would become the first Flame Shadow of the Hidden Flame Village, while Itachi would assume the position of Uchiha Clan Head.
“Brother…”
“Are you really going to become the Clan Head?”
Over the past few days, Sasuke felt as though he had been living in a dream.
First, Konoha had nearly exterminated the Uchiha.
Then the clan fled the village.
Next they established a new home in the Land of Rice Fields.
And now…
His older brother had become the new Clan Head.
“That’s right.”
Itachi smiled gently at his younger brother.
“But none of this would’ve been possible without Seigen.”
“Hmph.”
“It’s him again.”
Sasuke had never held a particularly favorable opinion of Seigen.
As far back as he could remember, his brother’s friend had loved flicking his forehead whenever they met.
When their father announced earlier that Seigen would become the Flame Shadow, Sasuke had secretly been dissatisfied.
Later, however, his attention had been completely stolen by the news that Itachi would become Clan Head.
Now…
His brother was praising Seigen yet again.
“What’s so great about Seigen anyway?”
“He’s not even stronger than you, Brother.”
Itachi smiled before gently tapping Sasuke on the forehead.
Caught off guard, Sasuke clutched his forehead and glared at him.
“Seigen isn’t nearly as simple as you think.”
As he spoke, Itachi activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
“W-What?!”
“Your Sharingan…”
Seeing the strange pattern in Itachi’s eyes, completely different from everything he had learned, Sasuke froze in shock.
He had always believed that the highest stage of the Sharingan was the three-tomoe form.
So what were those patterns inside his brother’s eyes?
“This is the evolution beyond the three-tomoe Sharingan.”
“It’s called the Mangekyo Sharingan.”
“And beyond that…”
“…lies the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.”
Itachi patiently explained one of the Uchiha Clan’s greatest secrets to his clueless little brother.
Sasuke felt as though an entirely new world had opened before him.
He had always been proud simply because the Uchiha possessed the three-tomoe Sharingan.
Now he realized…
Its true power extended far beyond that.
Excitement immediately filled his heart.
One day…
I’ll awaken the Mangekyo too!
Just like my brother!
“I’m not the only one who’s awakened the Mangekyo.”
“Seigen has as well.”
“Oh…
and Father does too.”
“At the moment, only the three of us within the Uchiha Clan possess the Mangekyo Sharingan.”
“What?!”
“That guy Seigen awakened it too?!”
Sasuke found the revelation difficult to accept.
Ever since he was little, he had watched Seigen spar with Itachi countless times.
As far as he remembered…
Seigen had never once beaten his brother.
But after thinking about it for a moment, he reluctantly accepted it.
Only someone of that level could stand on equal footing with his genius brother.
Then another sentence Itachi had said suddenly registered.
Sasuke’s entire worldview shattered.
“Wait!”
“Did you just say…”
“Father?”
“Father awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan too?!”