With that, Qiyu swept his hand through the air.
The fire dragon curved sharply across the sky, then surged toward Elder Liehuo at even greater speed.
Elder Liehuo’s gaze turned icy as his hands rapidly formed seals.
“Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!”
A semicircular wall of earth erupted from the ground, completely enclosing him.
Qiyu gave a contemptuous chuckle.
“Heh.”
With a flick of his wrist, the orange-red flames coiled around his arm shot toward the diving fire dragon.
In an instant, the originally golden dragon was dyed a brilliant orange-red.
Its once-vague outline became vivid and lifelike, resembling a living divine dragon carved from ruby crystal.
The terrifying heat radiating from it was like a descending sun.
Unable to withstand the temperature, the surrounding Uchiha clan members hurriedly retreated.
As the crimson dragon approached the Earth-Style Wall Elder Liehuo had summoned, everyone could see the earthen barrier being burned red-hot with the naked eye.
Hidden inside, Elder Liehuo suddenly smelled something cooking.
A moment later, a miserable scream echoed throughout the entire meeting hall.
“Argh!”
Elder Liehuo immediately dispelled the wall and tried to escape the attack’s range with the Body Flicker Technique.
But it was already too late.
The fire dragon had never intended to crash into the wall.
Instead, it had curled around the barrier, forming a complete ring.
That was why Qiyu had laughed earlier.
Had the old man chosen to evade from the beginning, Qiyu truly would not have been able to defeat him so easily.
But Elder Liehuo had insisted on enduring the attack head-on.
In that case, Qiyu could only let him experience what it felt like to be roasted alive.
Still, Qiyu had no intention of taking matters too far.
He carefully confined the flames surrounding the dragon to a limited area.
Otherwise, with Qiyu’s current mastery of Fire Release, the old man would already have been burned to a crisp.
Once Elder Liehuo’s beard and hair had been scorched away, Qiyu dispersed the dragon.
He glanced at the elder, who was drenched in sweat, covered in soot, and clutching one injured arm while glaring at him with murderous intensity.
“Do I have the right to speak now?”
Qiyu spread his hands and calmly looked across the gathered Uchiha.
The moment his words fell, the hall became completely silent.
Then, after a brief pause—
“The Young Clan Head is mighty!”
“The Young Clan Head is mighty!”
Thunderous cheers shook the entire hall.
At the same time, Qiyu’s system notifications began ringing without pause.
Aside from the occasional surge of more than a thousand Malice Points, nearly every notification announced another wave of Gratitude Points.
In the little more than ten minutes Qiyu had spent establishing his authority, he had accumulated nearly twenty thousand Gratitude Points.
He had also gained more than ten thousand Malice Points.
There were only around two hundred people attending the clan meeting, yet he had received so many Gratitude Points.
It seemed that most of the clan members present had genuinely acknowledged him.
They had even begun calling him the Young Clan Head.
That carried far more weight than Qiyu merely proclaiming the title himself.
It represented the clan’s recognition.
If this situation continued, then whenever Fugaku no longer wished to remain clan head, Qiyu’s succession as the next leader of the Uchiha would be all but guaranteed.
Looking down at the enthusiastic crop of leeks below, Qiyu nodded in satisfaction.
He raised one hand slightly.
The hall instantly fell silent.
Qiyu glanced at Elder Liehuo, who was still staring at him with hatred, and the corner of his mouth curled into a smile.
“That is an excellent look.
I hope you can keep it up.”
With a casual wave of his hand, Qiyu sent a Five Elements Spirit-Gathering Technique toward the kneeling elder.
Before Elder Liehuo could react, multicoloured light enveloped his burned arm.
The wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly closing, scabbing over, and shedding the damaged skin.
Qiyu did nothing about his beard or hair.
That was the old man’s punishment.
After all, Elder Liehuo was such a productive leek.
Qiyu did not want him dying from residual fire poison.
A leek should act like a proper leek.
I just love that stubborn look you make when you cannot stand me but cannot kill me either.
From the perspective of the surrounding Uchiha, however, their Young Clan Head had merely waved his hand again and released what appeared to be a healing ninjutsu.
The technique struck Elder Liehuo before he could evade.
The elder’s right hand, which had been burned black, rapidly grew fresh flesh and returned to its original condition.
The miraculous sight caused the pupils of the clan members and elders to contract once more.
They all stared at the composed young man seated beside Fugaku as though they were looking at an unparalleled treasure.
The Uchiha clan had no shortage of shinobi proficient in Fire Release, Lightning Release, and genjutsu.
However, very few were skilled in medical ninjutsu.
And none possessed a healing technique as extraordinary as Qiyu’s, one seemingly capable of regenerating flesh and bone.
Qiyu himself felt nothing remarkable about it.
The Five Elements Arts of Daoist cultivation were not merely offensive techniques.
They were an overarching system governing the application of all five elements.
As long as Qiyu developed sufficient understanding of the elemental laws, such techniques would naturally become effortless to perform.
Elder Liehuo looked toward the young man on the platform.
He seemed to want to say something, but after moving his lips several times, he ultimately remained silent and returned to his seat.
The most obvious change appeared on Qiyu’s system panel.
Elder Liehuo’s original one thousand Malice Points had instantly dropped to only five hundred.
Qiyu’s lips twitched as he looked down at him.
“Do not be like that, old man.
I preferred you when you were proud and unruly.”
“Ahem!
Ahem!”
Seeing that calm had returned to the hall, Fugaku coughed twice.
“Since no one has any objections, let us hear the Young Clan Head’s opinion.”
At that moment, Fugaku was practically laughing with delight inside.
Originally, he had only wanted his son to demonstrate his strength and use his outstanding talent to intimidate the radical faction that constantly opposed him.
He had never expected Qiyu to use a magnificent display of fire control to practically secure his position as the next clan head.
His standing was not yet completely stable, but Fugaku believed that as long as his son continued to display such excellence, his position would eventually become unshakable.
Qiyu swept his gaze across the clan members watching him intently.
“The village leadership’s suppression of the Uchiha clan is already known to everyone.
Blindly yielding would be an act of cowardice.
However, considering our present circumstances, we do not possess the strength to oppose the entire village.
Therefore, some degree of restraint is unavoidable.”
Everyone had initially assumed that, as the clan head’s son, Qiyu’s words would favour Fugaku’s position.
Yet the longer they listened, the more confused they became.
He seemed to support neither side completely.
Had Qiyu not displayed such overwhelming strength moments earlier, someone would probably have interrupted him already.
“Therefore, in the face of our current situation, unity is the most important thing for the Uchiha clan.
“As for the relocation of our clan grounds, we cannot oppose the village from a position of moral righteousness.
“The Uchiha are not the only clan being relocated.
Adjustments are being made to the territories of every clan in the village.
If the Uchiha alone create a disturbance, we will appear selfish and unwilling to consider the greater good.
“However!”
Qiyu’s voice suddenly rose.
“The fact remains that we are being treated unfairly.
“Our original clan grounds are located near the centre of Konoha.
If the village expects us to move to the remote banks of the Naka River, then it must provide sufficient compensation for the injustice imposed upon our people.
“The village cannot demand that the Uchiha make sacrifices merely because Konoha is at war and tensions are rising along the border of the Land of Lightning.
“Are there no Uchiha shinobi shedding blood on that border?
“Has the Uchiha clan never contributed to the village?
“Why should our people be forced to shed both blood and tears?
“What are the warriors risking their lives on the front lines fighting to protect?
“Are they doing it so that their families and children can be forced to make further sacrifices?”
Qiyu’s forceful words echoed throughout the hall.
“That is the true reason the Uchiha clan cannot accept this decision.
“Those who carry firewood for others must not be allowed to freeze to death in the wind and snow.
“It is the simplest principle imaginable.
“If the Hokage cannot understand it, and if Konoha’s leadership cannot understand it, then the village cannot blame the Uchiha clan for rising in resistance.
“Because the village betrayed justice first.
“The Uchiha did not betray the village.”
His gaze swept across every face in the hall.
“Only a united Uchiha can be a powerful Uchiha!
“My proposal is simple—we demand compensation from the village leadership.
“Without compensation, the Uchiha clan will not relocate.
“Does anyone have another opinion?”
Qiyu’s impassioned declaration gradually came to an end.
The entire meeting hall fell silent.
Every clan member stared blankly at the young man standing above them.
They had always known that the village treated them unfairly.
They had also known that the relocation was part of a scheme devised by Konoha’s leadership.
Yet none of them had ever been able to express the matter with such clarity, logic, and righteousness.
No one knew how much time passed before a voice finally broke the silence.
“I support the Young Clan Head!
He is right—we should demand compensation from the village!”
Uchiha Yashiro, who had remained silent for a long time, looked toward Fugaku with a solemn expression.
“So do I!”
Another elder rose to his feet.
“So do I!”
“I support him as well!”
Enjoying the story?
Don’t miss what comes next.
Add it to your Collection Stay updated and be ready the moment the next chapter drops.
Collect it.
Vote for it.
Stay for the next twist.
Thank you for reading and being part of this journey!